The Ultimate Transmission Thread... Brainstorm Ideas Here!

[FWP!]

Here's what I found while doing some research online and talking to a few Focus and Escort guys I work with.

The tranny that we have is junk and the one the Escort has... all the internals will bolt right in to our tranny case. That tranny is called the MTX-75 and it's used in the Escort, Focus, and Contour (SVT and regular) all made after 1998. the only difference in the tranny's is that they all have slightly different gear ratios.

So since Jeff Jeske used an Escort tranny in his tranny case and it works fine. The MTX-75 is said (in a couple different articles I read) to be a lot beefier than the one we have. I'm going to pick up an escort tranny MTX-75 for $125 that has 49k miles on it out of a wrecked car and I'm going to combine different gears from the Contour and Focus with our Final drive ratio to make closer 1st, 2nd, and 3rd gears with a final drive of 4.38:1.

Here's the Gear Ratios for all the different cars I found:

Car 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th rev Final
Probe GT 3.307 1.833 1.310 1.030 0.795 3.166 4.388
Contour 3.42 2.14 1.45 1.03 0.77 3.42 4.06
Escort 3.307 1.833 1.31 1.03 0.795 3.166 4.10
Focus 3.667 2.136 1.448 1.028 0.767 3.727 3.82

Now with these numbers and knowing that the gears are interchangable between the transmissions because they are the same I'm going to use the Contour's 1st, 2nd, and 3rd gears with the regular Escort 4th, 5th, and reverse while using the Probe GT's Final Gear Should give a quicker acceleration thruout 1st, 2nd, and 3rd gears in the 1/4 mile.
There's a shop here in Abilene that charges a flat fee of $300 to rebuild a transmission and he'll use any parts I bring him as long as they are compatable so come Jan I should have the new tranny in and I'll do a review of this setup but for now it's speculation going of true facts.

I know this is a lot of Information but if some of the hard core Tranny guru's could chime in and help me out or tell me I'm all wrong go for it but I just thought Everybody would like a better smoother shifting tranny that can handle a lot more Horsepower since it's the same tranny that Cosworth is using in the European Hi-Performance Cars in Europe!!!

Thanks For Reading!!!

EDIT: Here's the part numbers I got off the Contour Forums for new shift forks which I will also be replacing in my MTX-75 Transmission!
The Part Numbers: List price: (should be cheaper)

1-2 Fork: XS8Z 7230 DD $18.28
3-4 Fork: YS4Z 7230 AD $24.98
5-R Fork: YS2Z 7230 BA $17.57

The contour V6 MTX-75 speedometer gear part # is: F5RZ 17285 AA

I just noticed that if you want to use the probe final drive gear that you'd want to use the Probe's speedometer gear, too.

[M.Hicks]

Dubb, where are you getting this info? I want to look up some of this for my 2.0. or are these inards interchangeble with 2.0 too?

[FWP!]

Me personally,

3.307 for first
1.833 for second
1.450 for third
1.030 for fourth
.0767 for fifth
Anything for reverse
3.82 for final drive

First is already too short, second is about perfect. I'd like to have a little more third and let me have a better start in fourth. For fifth I'd want the best overdrive, and the best overdrive producing final (make more power to offset the slight ratio changes).

Remember that as the ratio of the final drive drops the other gears are going to have longer legs.

Also if you want a longer 3rd, go with a lower number (1.31).

[deyan]

Dubb, where are you getting this info? I want to look up some of this for my 2.0. or are these inards interchangeble with 2.0 too?

from what I've heard the 2.0 internals are interchangable.

[Dubbed]

I just looked for the specs on an Escort 5 speed tranny and on the Escort, Focus and Contour Forums and I found the part numbers. I've decided to go witht eh PGT 1st Contour 2nd and 3rd and the escort 4th, 5th and rev since they are the same as the PGT tranny.

Jeff Jeske has an escort tranny in his PGT case and it works perfectly and it's a better tranny. I'm going to put all new Synchros, 2nd and 3rd gears and all new shift forks in it as well. I'm replacing everything I can while I'm at it so I have a new tranny that'll hopefully last a little while.

2nd Gear is the one that's not low enough for me as well as 3rd. The rpm's at 60 mph should be the same because 5th gear and the final drive are going to be kept the same as the stock PGT tranny. I just want a lower 2nd and 3rd gear. I just searched on google for the Escort Transmission gear ratios and found that it's called the MTX75 transmission and then searching for that it's used on the Focus, Contour, Cougar, Escort and a few other cars they didn't mention other than it's a widely used tranny in Ford cars. There's no difference between the V6 Duratec Motor transmission and the Zetec 4 cyl transmission. If you can find a transmission from a Contour SE or SVT and rebuild it with the PGT final drive you should have a quicker tranny.

Oh and the cars need to be 1998 to 2003 5 speeds... I looked into the 6 speed and all the SVT Focus guys are swapping back to the 5 speed because the 6 speed isn't very good and it won't fit into out case either.

[cyborgzero]

I already tried this...

The differential in the mtx75 rubs on the sides and the ring gear doesn't clear...

The rest of it is pretty darned close, but otoh the mtx75 parts are a bit more expensive too and aren't much of an upgrade.

the early model escort trans are G-series transmissions, and the ZX-2/Focus/Contour/Cougar are M-series.. They aren't even close to directly swappable once you get to the differential.

Test fit the diff before you go doing anything crazy ie put the bearings on it and attempt to drop it in the case and close the case.. Oh and IIRC you won't be able to use the speedo sensor either.

Even the 4.6 I have won't drop in direcly in ALL cases... Some rev cases need to be shaved, along with the shift gate and the top of the shift gate bolt.Very little case material needs to be removed.

Anyway, to make a long story short, I shaved a spare case to get the MTX-75 diff to fit, and after shaving off a LOT of material some of the trans case wall thickness around the diff was less than 1mm. If you run it that way you will breach the case and develop a leak.

I mean if you don't believe me you can talk to Adam at Geforce, I sold him the failed swap parts for his Cougar trans.

[Dubbed]

From what Jeff Jeske was saying is that he used the PGT Diff and just used the other trany internals from the escort and it bolted right in and worked fine.

I'm just saying that I think it might work and as soon as I get the escort tranny here I'm going to see what happens.

Oh and for the part numbers I was just adding them because they were posted on the Contour Forums.

Thanks Cyborgzero for your help in everything you have done to make the aftermarket world for us better... I hope I can help a little bit too.

[cyborgzero]

Dubbed,

http://www.sportcompactcarweb.com/pr...0205scc_focus/

check this out.. Now, one secret is that YES that some of the gears are interchangeable.

Their shift forks, otoh, are crappier than ours BUT you can buy aftermarket forged ones that you might be able to modify to fit.

But, ya, look at how deep their case is and how much clearance there is around the diff..

OH, btw I was wrong the speedo does work.. had to look at my notes.

[Dubbed]

Here's what Jeff Jeske Said about his swap to an escort tranny:
FYI - the parts that Caltex sends are escort parts. As I have been saying for over a year now all you really need to do is purchase a 99+ low mileage escort tranny and stick the entire assembly less the diff into your tranny. Its a drop in painless mod. Escort trannies are dirt cheap. I paid $150 for the one that is in my car and it has held more than most will ever throw at it. Once the tranny is out of the car, the entire job only takes an hour start to finish.

Now I PM'd him to find out if it's definately the MTX-75 tranny that he used with the PGT differential and I'm waiting to find out from him exactly what he did but it's all in good fun and an experience.

Cyborgzer: I see what you are saying but Jeff said he used everything except the Differential with his and he's been driving with it fine.


__________________

[cyborgzero]

Oh and look at the pick of the shift forks.. They are soooo thin.

So i say ya you can prlly do the input and output shafts, and with some cutting and rewelding of the case, you can do the differential. But be prepared to cut on the case and have to reweld some of the areas around the diff housing.

Jeske, iirc, used the G-series escort trans not the M-series.

LIke I said, some of it will drop in, some of it won't. Just be prepared. I am trying to get you to the point where you know what you are getting into so that you can complete the project without being surprised when things like the shift fork throws are a bit off or the diff doesn't go in.

[M.Hicks]

from what I've heard the 2.0 internals are interchangable.

I know you can't directly swap PGT trans and PSE(base) trans but what you're saying is; I could do to my 2.0 trans like dubb is doing with the PGT trans. Saveing bell houseing and casing and just swapping inards, correct?

[cyborgzero]

Ya, innards for almost ANY G-series trans are swappable, save for a few minor case shavings, depending on what you are putting in there.

The M-series are close enough that you *could* do it if you get really creative and have some machining capability.

[Dubbed]

So the G-series came on which models of cars? and the M-series too? I was just looking for an Escort tranny and I got one from a DOHC model that I'm going to pick up next week and I thought that was the Zetec motor which is the MTX-75 transmission right.

Was the G series tranny made for the 98+ cars?

I understand what I'm getting into and if the internals won't fit right then I'll just rebuild the tranny and sell it to an escort owner. I just wantt o try and see if it's right what Jeff did.

Now if only he could chime in and help us out so we can know exactly what he did!

[mx6gt04]

Woah woah, so the 2nd gen V6 and 4 cylinder trannies are G series?

1st gen 4 cylinder n/a trannies are also referred to as G series. Can anyone explain this to me? Surely 1st gen n/a tranny parts cant be put into a 2nd gen v6 tranny, or could they?

[stupafly22]

OK, this is OFF TOPIC AGAIN but its been 5 months and Rob has not responded to any of my emails or contacted me about the status of my order and I'm getting pissed off. CYBORGZERO (ROB) you need to either send my manifold or give me my $675 back now.

-PFC Jonathon D. Bell