Hi, Guest
03-21-2007, 07:34 AM
you will have a very hard time using a Mazda 2.3L ina a focus due to different control systems.
you would have to run a Mazda ECU and modify the hell out of the mazda harness to work in an engine and even then you may have a hard time with getting other area's to work propperly. not to mention that Mazda guys have a hard time finding parts that work with their cars...
your best bet would be to find a wrecked 2.3L ST or PZEV out of the US and get the whole front slip shipped up and swap it into your car... turbo, built NA, lots of options and the Ford ECU can be retained for all of them to harness the power.
you would see no benifit swaping the suspension out of the focus in favor of a volvo or mazda3 system.
a quality aftermarket coilover and sorted suspension package would yeild far better returns for the dollars spent and any problems are easy and check to fix with the Focus suspension.
THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE FOCUS SETUP!!!!
The focus is still one of the best handling FWD cars ever built and you would be hard-pressed to do better with some hybrid abortion you or someone else manages to cobble together. :)
SVT brakes are your best option right out of the box.
big rotors, easy to find parts and still upgradable!
MTX is the way to gow however there are differences between them so buy the right tranny for the right engine... bellhousings are different for different engines that use the same tranny!
if it were me swaping out a SPI or tired Zetec, this is what i would do...
2.3L Duratec engine, harness and ECU + tranny all from the same car!
coilovers
rear strut bar
rear 24/25mm sway bar(no front bar)
SVT brakes
...and then build from there.
if you wanted to use a Mazda engine you would need to run a standalone or somehow figure out how to make the Ford and Mazda systems communicate. however... crazy NA mazda 2.3L Duratec with ITBs, standalone and 12:1 compression with a big lumpy cam would be a pretty cool project! ;)
you would have to run a Mazda ECU and modify the hell out of the mazda harness to work in an engine and even then you may have a hard time with getting other area's to work propperly. not to mention that Mazda guys have a hard time finding parts that work with their cars...
your best bet would be to find a wrecked 2.3L ST or PZEV out of the US and get the whole front slip shipped up and swap it into your car... turbo, built NA, lots of options and the Ford ECU can be retained for all of them to harness the power.
you would see no benifit swaping the suspension out of the focus in favor of a volvo or mazda3 system.
a quality aftermarket coilover and sorted suspension package would yeild far better returns for the dollars spent and any problems are easy and check to fix with the Focus suspension.
THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE FOCUS SETUP!!!!
The focus is still one of the best handling FWD cars ever built and you would be hard-pressed to do better with some hybrid abortion you or someone else manages to cobble together. :)
SVT brakes are your best option right out of the box.
big rotors, easy to find parts and still upgradable!
MTX is the way to gow however there are differences between them so buy the right tranny for the right engine... bellhousings are different for different engines that use the same tranny!
if it were me swaping out a SPI or tired Zetec, this is what i would do...
2.3L Duratec engine, harness and ECU + tranny all from the same car!
coilovers
rear strut bar
rear 24/25mm sway bar(no front bar)
SVT brakes
...and then build from there.
if you wanted to use a Mazda engine you would need to run a standalone or somehow figure out how to make the Ford and Mazda systems communicate. however... crazy NA mazda 2.3L Duratec with ITBs, standalone and 12:1 compression with a big lumpy cam would be a pretty cool project! ;)