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We love our Escorts, but there is always room for improvement. More power and more speed are the most basic requirements, but more driveability is the actual requirement. A good, tuned, crossflow is a superb engine for track use and having lots of fun, but when coupled to a 4 speed box and a silly low diff ratio, then motorway driving becomes a real chore.
A sensible diff ratio of 3.54:1 is of course the easiest route to a better car for cruising, (motorway cruising, not other types of ‘cruising’), but a 5 speed gearbox from a Sierra is a better bet as your do not loose your acceleration from using a lower diff ratio, (higher numerically, i.e. 3.9:1 or 4.1:1) We are assuming 13” wheels are being used, obviously larger wheels will alter the overall gearing of your car.
We feel that a 3.9:1 diff and a 5 speed box with a ‘warm’ crossflow engine is about the right combination. More powerful crossflow engines can get away with 3.77:1 or even a 3.54:1 without loss of acceleration. Power always overcomes gearing.
The easiest route to even better motorway driveability is of course the fitting of a Pinto 2.0 litre engine from the same Sierra as the 5 speed gearbox. Later injection engines even come with an unleaded cylinder head for use with unleaded petrol, even if you don’t want to keep the fuel injection system and revert to carbs.
Fitting a Pinto and 5 speed is a fairly straight forward job, but allow plenty of time to do the job properly. You are trying to make your Escort perform better, not trying to win ‘Scrap Heap Challenge’. You will also need an aluminium RS2000 sump and bell housing and a new prop shaft, which you may have to get specially made. Many people have said that the standard RS2000 prop fits straight in, but I have NEVER found an RS2000 prop with the correct large front spline that fits the Sierra gearbox, and I have had several RS2000 props to try. I always prefer to use a NEW prop anyway.
Assuming your car is in good shape structurally and all the old bits have been removed, you can set about fitting the new engine and box. NOTE the difference in size of your old engine and gearbox to your new engine and gearbox, it will be a tight fit and you will need a GOOD engine crane and plenty of axle stands.
Due to the tight fit and the weight of the engine and box, we always recommend fitting from underneath the car, which requires the removal of the front cross member, steering rack, anti-roll bar and brackets. The suspension legs can be left in the car or removed, whichever
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