Ford Ecoboost in my Elan?

Been dreaming again. Thinking of pulling the motor from my Elan and putting it in storage for a real restoration someday. What appeals to me are the new crate motors from Ford that I'm hoping are availabe soon (maybe after SEMA?). I'd love to put the new 3 cyl, 1 liter ecoboost in my Elan or maybe the 2 Liter NA DI. Just dreaming I know, but it shouldn't be too hard to do especially when they come with the ECU etc. Mating to a RWD trans may be the hardest part. My car is in the 1350-1450 lb range right now, and it would be very quick and get incredible gas mileage with one the new smaller engines.

Any advise, words of wisdom, or referal to a good shrink?

2.0L EcoBoost from the new Focus ST. 255hp and 265tq if memory serves. Awesome little engine.

What's the expected price on those crate Ecoboost suckers?

N Sperlo wrote: What's the expected price on those crate Ecoboost suckers?

I have no clue. Not inexpensive I'm sure but I hope they give more details on price and availibilty soon. Not something I need to do, but I just can't leave things alone. I'm sure if Colin Chapman were building the Elan today he would concider it.

I don't think you could get one for less than 4 grand

As compared to many crate engines, 4g isn't bad. I'm sure it ranges, though. 5.0

N Sperlo wrote: As compared to many crate engines, 4g isn't bad. I'm sure it ranges, though. 5.0

5.0 NO! No room for one. I want to keep it light and don't want to do any cutting of the fiberglass. I am willing to notch the front crossmember though since it has a replacement spaceframe from Spyder in it. Looking for 160-200 HP. I don't have the talent, or large enough attachments to get too crazy! I also want to keep the handling I have, and don't want to introduce all kinds of wieght in all the wrong places.

Car-Part.com lists two 2.0T EcoBoost engines from the 2012 Explorer in the $2000-$3000 range.

It looks to me like you will need a custom bellhousing on whatever RWD transmission you come up with. The current Explorer transaxle (going by Wiki and Google sleuthing, so I'm not positive) is in the 6F35. The Mustang uses the 6R80 automatic and MT82 manual (except Shelby).

6R35:

MT82:

The bellhousing patterns don't look like they line up at all to me (duh). The MT82 is totally off the table because its bellhousing is integrated into its case.

Apparently the big reason they're not offering the Ecoboost V6 and 4 banger as Motorsport engines is they don't have the stand alone ECU figured out yet. At least that was the last I heard about it. I'll ask Ford at SEMA though.

Tahoe wrote:

N Sperlo wrote: As compared to many crate engines, 4g isn't bad. I'm sure it ranges, though. 5.0

5.0 NO! No room for one. I want to keep it light and don't want to do any cutting of the fiberglass. I am willing to notch the front crossmember though since it has a replacement spaceframe from Spyder in it. Looking for 160-200 HP. I don't have the talent, or large enough attachments to get too crazy! I also want to keep the handling I have, and don't want to introduce all kinds of wieght in all the wrong places.

5.0 Ecoboost Volvo Wagon.

Conquest351 wrote: Apparently the big reason they're not offering the Ecoboost V6 and 4 banger as Motorsport engines is they don't have the stand alone ECU figured out yet. At least that was the last I heard about it. I'll ask Ford at SEMA though.

Knowing DI and how they work, that's exaclty what I would think. There are only a few module suppliers in the world that currently can run all the direct injection parts. None of which are compatible with the aftermarket and tuning.

RexSeven wrote: Car-Part.com lists two 2.0T EcoBoost engines from the 2012 Explorer in the $2000-$3000 range. It looks to me like you will need a custom bellhousing on whatever RWD transmission you come up with. The current Explorer transaxle (going by Wiki and Google sleuthing, so I'm not positive) is in the 6F35. The Mustang uses the 6R80 automatic and MT82 manual (except Shelby). 6R35: MT82: The bellhousing patterns don't look like they line up at all to me (duh). The MT82 is totally off the table because its bellhousing is integrated into its case.

I'm sure there is a fitting T5 sitting around. You can make it fit.

If the ecoboost share the Duratec/MZR bellhousing, there are multiple options for RWD. If not, I dunno.

RossD wrote: If the ecoboost share the Duratec/MZR bellhousing, there are multiple options for RWD. If not, I dunno.

Other than the Miata and Ranger trans, what other were you thinking?

As far as I know, those are the only two Duratec/MZR RWD vehicles out there. It's possible that the EcoBoost engines are the same as the V6, since some of the trans's are family members of each other (and that would not be the older I4 back). But I really don't know not having seen them up close.

In reply to alfadriver:

Those two transmissions and the Quads4Rods bellhousing along with a handfull from European companies (RWD Motorsports, Burton...)

In reply to RossD:

Ok, so 2 actual production trans's, and a few adapted bellhousings- that makes sense.

In reply to alfadriver:

Anywas, shouldn't you be able to call someone on your company directory and have an answer to this in like 2 minutes?

In reply to RossD:

that assumes I know who to call.

some of us consider transmission as being sent into exile.

I actually think I can adapt the stock Ford trans or do a T5. Zetec's are put into Elans and Plus 2's and I think the bolt pattern is simialr to the new Ford engines so adapting a trans may not be that hard. I like the stock trans with the semi-close ratio gears, it seems to suit the car very well, and if I get lucky and find some close ratio gears, even better. A 5 or 6 speed would be nice, but in all honesty 26R's with the same or less power than what we're talking about do just fine with the 4 speed.

Not that its appropriate here, but that 5.0 crate engine Ford is selling is an incredible deal. Right out of the Mustang GT for just over $6k. If my Mustang had the room, that engine would be in it. I'll have more than that into the 347 I'm building now, and it's not nearly as cool.

The duratec/MZR doesn't share the old ford 4 cylinder bellhousing pattern that the Kents/CVH/Zetec/Pinto/... have in common.

A 200hp Zetec can be built from a good used engine for about 2-grand, maybe less, and weighs almost identical to the Twin Cam.

Nocones and I weighed my zetec with stock throttle body through to stock exhaust, automatic flywheel, and no starter/alternator. It might have had some fluids in it and weighed about 260 lbs, IIRC. Mine was from a 2000 Focus.

In reply to petegossett:

A friend of mine has a 200HP Zetec in his Caterham. Car wieghs 1090 lbs wet. I know I can do the Zetec but was thinking about the possibilities with new engines. Economics will rule and the Zetec may be the best answer.

FYi- The older Zetec engine is a lot heavier than the newer Zetec SE / Sigma engine. The Sigma is related to the new 1.6 Fiesta engine and the 1.6 EcoBoost.

I have been waiting almost a year now for the Ford crate engine EcoBoost engines that were announced on Dec 9th, 2011.