Engine Modification Options

[mytonkatoy]

Just bought a 97 Ford Escort 5 speed manual. 2.0L 110 HP...I am looking to get 150 HP out of this car, but am not sure how to go about this. It will be my first time playing with a car. Any suggestions on where to start would be great.

[GTS Jeff]

asking 150hp from your engine is a lot imo. i doubt its achievable with just bolt ons and u would need to do a good rebuild to get to 150hp.

i think u should save up as much money as u can and either turbo your car with the turbo from the 323 gtx OR swap in the zx2 engine (which i think is 140hp??!)

[mytonkatoy]

What would you think is the possible HP from the turbo? Also, I might need to check elsewhere, but does anyone know of a place that would have custom shift knobs, mats, seat covers, steering wheels, and pedal covers? Haven't been able to find a really good place...or maybe what I'm looking for doesn't exist on my pay scale.

[THREE40SEVEN]

Originally posted by mytonkatoy
custom shift knobs, mats, seat covers, steering wheels, and pedal covers?

Junk these ideas and put some money into hitting your hp goal

[GTS Jeff]

Originally posted by mytonkatoy
What would you think is the possible HP from the turbo? Also, I might need to check elsewhere, but does anyone know of a place that would have custom shift knobs, mats, seat covers, steering wheels, and pedal covers? Haven't been able to find a really good place...or maybe what I'm looking for doesn't exist on my pay scale.

the possibilities with a turbo are endless man. u can just throw it on and run low boost and thats the cheapest thing u can do....i really shouldnt guess the number, but here goes anyway....170ish hp? beyond that, u can always turn the boost up when u strengthen the internals.

and uh.....maybe u should pass on the blingin interior rice

[CanadaCivicSIR]

I agree if you want hp. Save up your money for a custom turbo setup. I don't think you can achieve 150hp, with just bolt ons, you need some type of forced induction (big power adder), whether it's turbo, nitrous, etc...

[CVPP]

Alright, I am not sure if you would even wanna do something like this but you may wanna look at engine swap options...Other then that I would say start with your exhaust from your headers back or start with a air induction system remember to keep all you sensors in the right range. Also Remember that if you get an exhaust it needs to pass emissions. After that you could get a cutom built turbo...or supercharger...but I am not sure how the torque would handle on your frame/suspension...you may have to beef it up some. But I would stay with engine mods....screw the interior untill you can back up the pimp ride with the speed.

[three.eighteen.]

*cough* cosworth conversion *cough*


...yeah right...unless you rich?

[m@+CH]

the new zx3 engines in the focus have a lotta potential...
they have turbos made for that thing already..but thats pretty heavy cash wise
if u want 150hp or more..get a zx3 eng'

[Matrix1]

lol, get a t28 turbo and 90mm intercooler for it and it would be one mean machine

[JJLuke]

if you want cheap but have a lot of experience, you can do some porting...

best mod for your buck (which in most cases is a die grinder, basic tools, carbide bit and lots of time)

[JJLuke]

or sell your car and get a DSM, now that is fun (and makes you a mechanic in days)

[350hp_or_Bust]

I disagree .. 150hp N/A is acheivable ... it'll have nothing down low though. (not a big deal with a 5 spd though)

First question, what is the redline on that beast? or better yet, where is the rev limiter set?

Once you know that, start matching parts for a peak hp a little before redline .. i.e. if the redline is 6000RPM, aim for hp peak at 53-5400 RPM... you only need to be producing 146ft-lbs at 5400RPM to hit 150hp.

Then, port and polish your head (do it yourself to save cash .. but becareful and do your research before you start).... see if you can fit some bigger valves in there too.
Get a custom cam grind (again research this) ... is it SOHC or DOHC?
Get a custom intake manifold fabbed up (as I doubt there's an aftermarket for it) ... tune the runner ID and length correctly for the RPM you are shooting for ... again, do your research (if you need help, pm me)
put a header on there and open up the exhaust (full exhaust, not just cat-back ... put a high-flow cat and muffler in there too).

From there, your 150hp should be more than acheivable. Also check out if there's any way to adjust the fuel and timing on that car .. I doubt it though cause its most likely computer controlled and probably no aftermarket support for that car.

And, finally .. dyno tune if you can adjust the fuel and timing.

Good Luck!

(of course I think a turbo would be a more economical route in terms of hp/$$ ... but imagine the look on people's faces when they get schooled by a N/A escort .. hah!)

edit: also, before you start ... get a baseline dyno run in there, then do a final one to see if you've acheived your goal or not....

[GTS Jeff]

the last suggestion would work, but i highly doubt the engine will withstand very many trips up to the rpms required to make power...

somehow, i doubt ford had 150hp/high revs in mind when they were picking valve springs, connecting rods, etc. also, reground cams arent exactly nice to the other parts of the valve train, so getting a custom done cam is also BLING. as u can see, the cost of replacing all of that is quite high.

in the end, its much cheaper and reliable to do an engine swap.