Hi guys, I know this may cause a bit of a stir but i'm looking to see if anyone has put a vauxhall engine into a mk4 escort, the reason for this is I'm looking to fit a Saab turbo engine and 6 speed vauxhall box to mine, the reasons for this are firstly to be a little different and secondly cost I can pick up a Saab very cheaply and know someone who can make a loom set up to stage 1, or 3 which makes for some good reliable power, I just need to work out engine/gear box mounts and drive shafts. Any help would be greatly appreciated

 

You'll need custom shafts and mounts, you wont find any off the shelf.

Ive seen vauxhall lump into escort before but the mounts for the saab are different anyway.

Great engines but very heavy and the F28 is a heavy box too, so while its good for drag racing with the power they can make etc, I woudlnt want one in the front of a circuit car.

Ive got one in the boot of my nova, the weight doesnt matter so much there as its not in front of the front axle making the car want to understeer like mad like it will be for you.

 

I wanted to do this with my RST and 204 saab engine but its alot of work as chip says. Also there a tall block tooi think so it will be tight height wise so not a easy job but can be done if you really want or just buy a old saab and keep it in that

 

Thanks for the reply, thought it may be a case of sleeving the shafts, and thought the same for the mounts I know the vauxhall and Saab mounts are interchangeable but prob won't help in the ford, it's going to be purely for road use and more to be different than outright performance, just nice to have a little poke when u want it lol

 

Yer my mate told me there a little taller, he's just put one in his Astra, I guess with custom mounts I could sit it low enough to clear without too many problems, my only other concern would be the sump but I'm sure I could get round any problems there as if the vauxhall lump fits I'm sure the Saab would as well

 

That is the pikey way of doing it really, better to get custom shafts made.

The mounts arent interchangable at all, the cars share the same mounting points, but the mounts are totally different.

So if you had some mounts that allowed you to fit an XE in a mk4 escort for example, they would be completely useless for a B204


The engines are great, the standard turbos are a bit small, but it depends what your idea of a little poke is.
450-500bhp is perfectly realistic from a standard engine if you change the manifold/turbo/injectors/downpipe and remap it.

F23 might be worth looking at instead of the F28, F28 boxes are getting a lot harder to find in good condition now.

 

There are several different sump options on the saab designed for fitting engines at different angles, you will be wanting the flatter one like I have on my nova but TBH I cant remember which model saab it came from I am afraid!

Your mate isnt called Nigel is he? Only there i a guy called Nigel who has a saab lump in an astra and makes up loom adaptors so it sounded like it might be him.

If so, he's a great guy, really knowledgeable about fitting these engines into vauxhalls, he gave me some advice early on and I use one of his loom adaptors in my mid engined saab powered nova.

 

Ps they arent just a little taller, they are quite a bit taller, and they are also wider as well.

and a LOT heavier, lol

 

I'll keep that in mind thanks, no but think that's who sorted my mates loom out

 

Should add to the fun lol, I'd rather keep it looking stock but could alter the bonnet if I had to as its the kind of thing I do at work, just did one on a monaro with a supercharger that wanted a stock look lol

 

TBH if you do that sort of fab work anyway it should be a piece of piss, there are mutliple mounting points to work from on the block, so just sit it in the bay and see which are near to somewhere strong on the escort and make mounts up between them.

The F23 has 3 mounting points on it too.

 

This is true but becouse of the type of job I do iv also learned if something is already there to bolt on its a lot easier than making something fit lol, that was my initial plan but it's nice to know if there are any stock parts u can utilise, do you know anywhere in the north east that could make up the shafts?

 

No sorry mate, im from down south.

Your best bet is to sleeve the shafts yourself to test they are the correct length etc, then you have a template to give them to make a proper shaft from.

 

That's not a bad idea cheers

 

If you want a better idea for an engine for it so it does corners as well, then fit a B18C4 honda engine and turbo it.
300bhp easily on standard internals, and they have an LSD from the factory

Im putting one in my clio mk1.