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2.3 to 2.5 engine swap - intake adapter plate

70K views 59 replies 21 participants last post by  RayBay 
#1 ·
Ok guys I just bought a 2008 Milan for cheap with dead 2.3. It ate the oil and they drove it with no/low oil and killed all the bearings in the engine. I wanted the newest cheapest car I could find and the replacement engine had to be cheap also. I did all the research and found out the 2.3 has a bit of problems and the used engines are priced high and they all have 100 plus K on them. The 2010 to 2012 2.5's have a better rep and you can score low mileage ones cheap.
The problem with the 2.5 is it has taller intake ports and matching intake that does not have the charge plates and other sensors on it like the older models like mine have. So like mentioned here you can't use the 10-12 intake. The older intake leaves a gap at top that needs to be sealed. So this is where I machined up the intake adapter plate and gasket. The 2.5 dropped right in with some changes that I will note.
So after a lot of measuring and drawing up blue prints I made my prototype one. Then with this one I can make changes and then make those changes to final adapter. Here is the adapter with Mr Gasket Intake gasket material, gasket that was made at same time.

Here is the adapter on the intake.

Here is the adapter on the head.

Car started and ran mint right off the bat. Was wondering if I should make more of these if people want newer engines in fusions if their 2.3 dies?
 
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#2 ·
very nice work. hardly anyone does work on their fusion it seems unless they have to but a 2.5 upgrade sounds great
 
#4 ·
Great job. This may help out alot of people down the road when they need to swap to the 2.5
 
#5 · (Edited)
Ok just some more info. Some stuff mentioned here but I trust nothing till I do it myself. I wanted to use all the stuff I could on the new 2012 engine because it only has 28K on it. I pulled plugs checked cleaned anti seized and put back in.

1) I used all pulleys and crank pulley on the 2.5L. I would not swap the crank pulley because Ford made a new larger one to dampen the 2.5L. All the pulleys on the 2.5L are different sizes then 2.3L. Need a 90 inch belt now.

2) Use the 2.3L flexplate on the 2.5L. Different torque converter bolt spacing. Torque to 30 then 60 then 83 ftlbs.

3)I used 2.5L valve cover and COPS. I didn't push pin in the wiring harness into the fuel rail and wires will now reach new tilted COPS. Tight but reaches.
4)I used the 2.5 fuel rail with the 2.3L injectors. Thicker metal on rail mounts.

5)You need to swap in the 2.3L PCV the 2.5L PCV is glued to the plastic tube on the 2.5L intake that you won't be using. Get a new PCV valve and replace while intake is off its buried under intake. Also make sure the black "O" ring comes out of housing when removing PCV and use on new PCV. The PCV is held on with a black ring that needs super tiny screw driver to pry one edge up then tilt off ring to pull PCV srt8 up and out. NOTE the black ring can only go on one way the 2 teeth are not keyed 180 apart. So make sure it goes on same as came off.

6) Need to swap this hose junction block on end of head. The 2.5L one is plastic and does not have one sensor that the alum 2.3L one has.

7)You also need to swap this hose from the 2.3L to the 2.5L to match the nipple angle of the 2.3L alum hose junction block.

8)Swap this head temp sensor. Put the 2.3L one in the 2.5L. Connectors are different.

9) I also used 1/4 longer bolts for the intake to make up for the .187 plate plus .063 gasket ='s .250. Also made a .250 alum spacer for bottom of intake where it bolts to block. You can see the stock shorter ones up against the new longer ones. I found the longest 2 from the oil pan of dead 2.3L. Just grind most of the starter tip off these 2. The other 6 short ones I got from my Lincoln LS pile.

10)Use intake manifold and engine wiring harness from the 2.3L.
That's about it I think.
 
#7 ·
very cool! I've wondered how easy it would be the do this. I really don't mind my car at all, it handles decent and has good room I just really wish it had another 20-30 horses. That would make it more livable day to day. My 2.3 has been great though. No issues really other than the thermostat. Doesn't burn oil. Its a bit noisy at 106k miles. Almost sounds like the valves need to be adjusted, but I have no idea if this is necessary or how to do it on this car.
 
#9 ·
Awesome work! I'm wondering though, are the teeth on on the harmonic balancer the same between the 2.3 and 2.5? I was thinking, since the harmonic balancer on the 2.3 is smaller, it could work as an underdrive pulley for people with the 2.5 so long so long as the teeth for the sensor are the same.

Would be a small gain for 2.5 people.
 
#10 ·
Yes the teeth count are the same. They have to be because I didn't swap them. Yes the smaller damper can be used as under drive but I would not do that. 1) this engine has NO keyways on the crank snout. So if you remove you need tool set to time engine. Also need a new crank bolt. 2) Ford made this "DAMPER" to work with the longer stroke of this engine. Thus its "tuned" for the harmonics of this engine and should stay on it. Just my 2 cents.
 
#11 ·
Yeah, but some people are willing to suffer a little more nvh for the sake of a little more performance. This is a good compromise between the factory harmonic "BALANCER" and most underdrive pulleys which have no dampening material (also none on the market for 2.5). Thanks for the reply and, again, very nice work.
 
#13 ·
I'm just curious - how big was the gap between the larger ports on the head and the smaller ports on the intake manifold? Did it just barely not seal, or was there a large gap? Reason I ask is I'm putting a 2011 Fusion engine in my 2005 Mazda 3 (had a blown 2.3) and the intake is just barely too small to cover the ports in the head. While it's ok on the lower portion, the tops of the rubber manifold gaskets fall right on the edge of the top of the intake ports on the head, so that only about half of the rubber gasket contacts the sealing surface on the head while the other half is too low and doesn't touch the head.
 
#19 ·
Seeing to how much I have invested into the swap (engine + shipping, gaskets, new axles and etc) that wouldn't be much of a problem. Let me know your paypal and when you can fab one up. The only problem is that I'd need it as soon as possible. I have this car sitting at a shop and I need it back to drive my precious god daughter around to school :)
 
#20 ·
Milan, I think you have a lot more interest in your plate than just two on here. There are several more on mazda3 forum that need this already or want to do this swap but aren't trying it because upon hearing of this problem. Think about it, if you think you'd like to make some money out of this.
 
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