Ford Focus Engine swap

Introduction

This is one of my favorite personal achievements! From the two years spent on research and planning, to the entire month of work spent on a garage floor, I learned a lot about not only the car but myself as well, and inadvertently gave myself a crash-course in project management.

The vehicle in question is my beloved first car, a 2009 Ford Focus. Ever since I'd owned it, I was constantly finding subtle ways to improve and appreciate it. Even though it started life as a nearly-base model, I gradually added all of the factory options that were available at the time, including a few more modern conveniences like heated seats and wireless CarPlay. I even documented some of my favorite small projects online, where others could see my process and the results that followed. Over time I began working on regular maintenance items myself: changing the oil, replacing motor mounts, and fixing various other issues that are common to a ten-year-old economy car. One of these issues was how disappointing it was to drive...as engaging as the manual transmission was, the engine was lackluster and failed to deliver the power to match the car's handling abilities. My interest gradually worked its way under the hood...I soon joined a few online enthusiast forums for advice and began modifying the car as a side hobby. 

Research, Planning, & Execution

One afternoon, I was conversing with a member of the online forum "FocusFanatics.com" when the topic of an engine swap arose. They informed me that the Ford Fusion, a larger car, had a 2.5L four-cylinder engine that was externally almost identical to my car's stock 2.0L four-cylinder. I began fervently researching the swap and realized how possible it actually was. At the time I had access to a garage and had a brief period of availability before I started a summer engineering internship. Using the engineering skills I had studied in college, I created a Bill of Materials, estimated the amount of time required to complete the swap, and began procuring the necessary parts and tools. I managed to source a lightly-used engine, and ironically ended up trailering it home behind the same car it would eventually propel! I mounted the new engine on a stand and began stripping it down to the block to refresh it. At that point, I recruited my younger brother's help with disassembling the car and the new motor. Besides cherishing the time I got to spend with him, I also grew to appreciate the fact that by teaching him everything I knew at the time, I deepened my own understanding too.

Progress continued gradually, with the added constraint of supply chain issues due to the pandemic. I needed my car back as soon as possible, so I had to strategize my efforts around the parts I had on-hand. For example, an adapter plate I needed to mount a high-performance throttle body was completely unavailable, so instead I designed a custom unit and had a friend machine it on a lathe. I made a revised project plan that correlated certain to-do-list items with part shipment timelines. Eventually, with the new motor fully rebuilt and ready to install, I had to prepare the engine bay for the transplant. I also took the opportunity to replace some wear items that require engine removal, such as the water pump and clutch assembly. Finally, I was able to drop the new engine into the car and reconnect all of the numerous wires and hoses. I had rehearsed the procedure in my head so many times that I had it committed to memory. Starting the car with the new motor was a monumental victory!

Conclusion

After finishing the swap and subsequent work such as tuning, fine adjustments and problem-solving, the car was a whole new animal. As an added bonus, it achieved even better fuel economy than before, thanks to a significant improvement to its power-to-weight ratio! The outcome of this project exceeded my expectations, both in uniqueness and complexity. I learned a lot about time management and project management simultaneously - a key takeaway of mine put simply: 'anything that can go wrong will go wrong'. Additionally, I enjoyed honing my communication and mentorship skills while coaching my little brother into a veritable force of a shop mechanic. Overall the project was as immense of a learning experience as it was a success, and I am thrilled that I had the chance to do it at some point in my life. 

To more thoroughly document all of my work, I penned an official build thread on the FocusFanatics.com forum, viewable at this link. Below are two videos where you can see the difference in acceleration between my car in stock form versus in its current form. Thanks for reading!