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04 2.3l swap to 2.5l successful

605K views 2K replies 112 participants last post by  MrkMazda 
#1 · (Edited by Moderator)
This post is a bit poor as im currently posting from my phone. So its a work in progress. Ill. Add step by step purchase list, total cost, and proof in pictures. And a q&a section. My goal is to get a sticky.

I wanted to share with the community that I successfully swapped a 2.5l into my 2004 Mazda 3 2.3l hatch back.

The short story. Got rod knock in my 2.3l motor needed replace. Wanted a 2.5 for the power and no oil leak problem like the 2.3l

Bought a 2011 ford fusion 2.5l motor simply because its way way cheaper than a Mazda brand motor. Its the same long block and that's all u really use. Stripped the ford motor down to the metal. Toss the ford intake, ford wiring harnesses, ford oil pan, ford heater hose block connector thing idk what its called, ford top mount temp sensor, ford intake cam, ford crank pulley, ford timing cover.


Basicallyall you want is the ford long block minus intake cam oil pan timing cover, crank pully, water pully, extra belt tensioners and oil pickup.

Then take pretty much everything off the 2.3 and bolt it to the 2.5 long block. Mazda oil pickup, oil pan, timing cover, intake cam shaft, intake manifold, camshaft position sensor, heater hose connector block thing, and all Mazda wiring.

The ford motor its automatic flywheel so swap that with you're Mazda flywheel and clutch and you need a new pilot bearing to. This would be a great time to get a new clutch if you need it. The clutch kit will come with a pilot bearing.

Here is the guide that i followed its for a Mazda 6 but its pretty much the same for the 3 with some differeces that i will detail below. The ford 2011 ignition and fuel rail are the same as the 04 Mazda. The ford fuel injector is larger to feed the bigger engine and needs to be reused it is compatible with Mazda wiring and ecu. The spark plugs are longer and i used those as well. The spark plug boots look the same so i reused the ford boots as they are newer than my 10 year old Mazda boots.

http://www.happywrenching.com/mazda/6/mazda-6-and-ford-fusion-23l-engine-swap.html


I will be periodically updating this post with more detailed information so check back regularly.

Step 1. Prep:

Purchase list

Ford fusion 2011 2.5L (lkq on ebay) est 600$
Intake manifold gasket (rockauto.com)
rtv silicon gasket maker high temp (walmart)
5qts motor oil (walmart) full synthetic 0w 20
3qts tranny oil (auto parts store API GL-4, SAE 75W-80Capacity 3 USqt
Antifreeze 1 gallon
Clutch kit (optional but you probably should do it if you near 100k)
Pilot bearing (Included in most clutch kits)
Crank pulley bolt and washer. (Got mine from the dealership for like 30$)

Optional: but handy
rust penetrate for all rusted crap
Lock tight high temp
Dielectric grease
Engine degrease

Required/recommend tools:
Torque wrench (required to to it right)
Impact gun (just get one so helpful)
Air wrench(ditto)
Diverse socket adapter set. Long short sockets, extensions, flexing adapters
Good wrench set
Car lifts so so nice otherwise tall jack stands and a crane
Pry bars
Breaker bars
pliers and things
A hose clamp compressor(this thing is awesome)
A coat hanger (thread through the axle holes on tranny otherwise the diff will spin and literately fall apart)

Step 2 get dirty and Pull the motor.
If someone has a good guide let me know and ill post it here otherwise follow the Mazda 6 guide i posted above its pretty good and 90% the same as our car.

Tips manual says to drop it out the bottom. Without a car lift and or a motor jack this sucks. Pull it from the top instead just takes some more wiggling.

CAUTION: when you remove both axles make sure to put the coat hanger through both axle holes. The differential gears are not locked it and they will spin and fall out of alignment. To fix this Right its a a total tear down of the transmission just to put the gears back in place. Happened to me it sucked bad but its not that hard.

Pictures:

THE PROOF Here is the shot of the back of the engine block stating its displacement is 2.5L



This is my car 04 2.5l Mazda 3S



This is the heater block thing. Its different on the ford and has the wrong hose connections. Its 4 bolts to take off fairly easy to do. All the hose connections are under it so i've highlighted the block in a green box.



these are the pullys. I had to remove the mazda crank pully and put it on the ford. Also i had to remove the water pump pully (Center Pully 3 bolts) from the mazda and put it on the ford water pump. Just the water pump pulley was swapped the ford water pump stays in the car.



This is what a pilot bearing looks like. its in the center of the fly wheel



This is the camshaft timing cog. NOTE: ONLY 04-05 HAVE TO SWAP CAM SHAFTS. 06+ its the same as the fords so don't touch the cam and Rock on.


This is the diagram that states that the 06+ are the same as the fords. It only goes to the 2009 but i can confirm that the 2011 ford fusion motor has the same timing cog as the 06-09s.






Part 3 Engine Tear down:

Mazda Eninge

These are all of the parts you will remove from the mazda engine and Transfer to the Ford engine block. BE ORGANIZED there will end up being lots and lots of bolts for everything. Seriously like 100+ bolts Keep it all organized it will make installation much faster. Half my time was looking for the dang bolt in the coffe can of a bazillion similar looking bolts. Good news is if you drop a few don't worry you have lots of duplicates from the ford motor parts you took off.

Head cover (optional: ford one has a big temp sensor hole i didn't like)
Main wiring harness
Ignition Wiring harness
Water block thing
Cam shaft position sensor
Intake camshaft (ONLY FOR 04-05)
Intake Manifold WITH throttle body attached
Timing chain cover
Crank position sensor
Crank Pully (CAUTION:Follow instructions installing this on the ford)
Water pump Pulley ( Only the pully you'll use the ford water pump )
Mazda belt tensioner
Alternator ( My ford didn't come with one )
Starter ( again didn't come with one on it)
Oil filter bracket thing ( for the oil pressure sensor and so jiffy lube doesn't get confused on what oil filter to use )
Oil Pan
Oil pickup ( Black plastic tube thing you'll find in the oil pan)
Oil Dipstick

Ford fusion 2011 motor
Now that you've spent about 4-8 hours taking all of those parts CAREFULLY off the Mazda motor DO IT AGAIN to the ford motor. But all of the ford parts can go into the trash or sold on eBay:

The ford motor has a temperature sensor at the top of the head in between the spark plugs. This is COMPLETELY unnecessary. Just remove it and toss it. Its a solid metal bolt hole so you don't need to plug it or anything like that.

This is what you should have left of a ford motor

Head
Block
Exhaust cam
2006 + cars can keep the intake cam
Timing chain
Water pump NO pulley
Spark Plugs (their longer and a little different)
Fuel injectors ( larger and needed to feed the bigger motor)
Fuel Rail
Spark plug boots (their the same as Mazda but their newer than your Mazda ones so keep em on)
Hope i didn't forget anything

Part 4 The install
Your over the hump all of the dissasembly is done Now that the ford block is stripped an prepared you can begin installing of the Mazda parts you carefully removed.

04-05 start with the camshaft. You will need the timing tools the guide listed. Follow the detailed instructions there. But i will help with an abridged version. Get the timing tools REQUIRED to do it right. Rotate cams to Top dead center. That mean the first 2 lifters (the oval loabe things) are almost pointing toward each other. The front of the cam shaft is the side with the timing chain. On the back of the camshafts is a slot. When at TDC you will be able to slide the timing plat into it. This will keep the cams aligned while you install the chain. When you install the crank pully later you will use this plate again. With the long peg insert it into the side of the block at the specified hole in the guide. Rotate the block CLOCK WISE until i stops against the peg. This is Top dead Center for the crank shaft. Secure the crank somehow so it doesn't rotate even slightly as it can still spin backwards. Now that the crank is secure at TDC and so are the cams Hook up the timing chain and make sure its all bolted down. Cam brackets bolt down to ONLY 16lbs. Thats very light torque these bolts are not grade 8 and you can break them really easily.!!!!!!!!!! DO NOT RELY ON TIMING TOOLS TO HOLD IN PLACE WHILE TORQING DOWN PULLY BOLTS YOU"LL BREAK CAMSHAFTS AND THE TOOLS AND YOU WILL BE PISSED!!!!!


Install the Oil pickup no gasket needed

Install the Oil pan with RTV Gasket maker High temp. BE GENEROUS AND COVER IT REALLY WELL. The last thing you want to do is miss a spot and have an oil leak still.

Install the timing cover. Same rule as the oil pan. LOTS OF RTV. There are also several bolt holes you in the middle of the pan you need to seal with RTV as well.

RTV take 24 hours to properly cure so don't put any fluids in your motor until its set up properly.

Install the crank pully

THIS IS CRITICAL: This is where you can ruin everything. (beside the cam swap if you had to do it.) Bust out the timing tools I KNOW YOU BOUGHT. The flat plate goes into the back of the cam shafts to hold TDC the long screw goes in a special bolt hole on the back of the block. It reaches all the way to the crank shaft. Spin the crank shaft CLOCKWISE will it hits that screw. This is TOP DEAD CENTER. Put the plate in the cams to keep them from wiggling at all. Now Slide on the Crank Pulley. Get out the new Crank pully bolt and washer. DON"T USE THE OLD ONE. This bolt is special its designed to crush and compress and hold the pulley by frcition and pressure. The old bolt won't compress right and can fail during operation. Rotate the pully untill the little bolt hole is at 6 oclock. Take the little bolt and slide it in there is a hole in the block it will line up with and screw it in by hand.

CAUTION: DANGER CAUTION: BRACE THE CRANK SHAFT. What ever you do do not torque down this bolt rellying on the timing tools to hold it still. You'll snap all the tools AND THE CAMSHAFTS WILL BREAK. They are not made to take the extreme torque your about to apply. Lock the flywheel somehow. You might be able to rent a flywheel lock from autozone or you'll have to make one. Or prace the crank pully with stuff. That little bolt in the crank pully will snap or In some cases i've read crack the block.

Ok having said that and everything is all timed up your ready to torque the Crank pully. First torque it down to 78ft lbs. The with a big ass wrench continue turning it an ADDITIONAL 90 degrees. Thats 1/4 a turn Do this slowly. Like push hard then wait 5 minutes. This is to let you rest as this is frigging hard and to give the bolt time to crush and cool down. I'm 270lbs 6'3 and am considered to be a strong man and i found this very difficult to do alone with just a 1/2 inch torque wrench. So grab a buddy and a big cheater bar to get it done. This end up being like 200lbs of torqe.

Good job

Now install the head cover

Great the crank pully and camshaft are the only sensitive and precision steps here. Now just bolt the rest of the parts back on the same way they came off the Mazda. Including the transmission. Make sure the tranny has the little push ring on the rod as it can fall out if its bumped. Grease up the input shaft and that push ring to prevent rust and provide smooth operation. After doing that my clutch is so much smother and easier to depress. It almost feels like its not hooked up.

Now put the motor back into the car. Everything will hoook right up as you have all mazda parts still.

Some problems i ran into
The hose on the back of the intake manifold had a different connector than the Ford. But it was easy to pull it out and put the Mazda hose connection in the block.

Striped alot of bolts becuse im impatient and didn't have rust penetrating oil.

Stripped bolts and broke bolts because i over torqued a lot of rusted crap or very small bolts like the ones on the oil cover and oil pan.

Couldn't remember how the wiring harness went on. That was a long jigsaw puzzle. I suggest taking Detailed pictures before you pull the motor OR as you disassemble all the little wiring brackets and routing paths.

First time starting procedure.

Fill the MANUAL tranny up to 3 qrts as most of the oil probably poored out the axle holes. (How much do the automatics take?) The fill bolt is 24mm and is under the frontside of the tranny and about 1/3 of the way up.

Fill the motor with oil. Since you used the Mazda oil pan your oil capacity is the same. about 4.7 qrts. Fill slowly and check the dipstick regularly so that you don't over fill it.

Now that everything is hooked up and bolted down tight disconnect the spark plugs.
Turn the engine for 15 seconds several times waiting before each crank to cool the starter

This process is to prim the engine with OIL WATER and FUEL.

Now that its had plenty of cranking hook up the spark plugs.

If you did it all right like me it will fire right up.

it will idle rough and run rough for about 50-100 miles as the ECU will be slowly adapting the fuel trims to an optimum value.

If you get any CELS check them out right away to see if they are anything important.

I got a Intake cam timing CEL for about the first 50 miles or so.

I had Major intake leaks as i didn't change the gaskets. I applied RTV on the top of the Gasket and that solved the problem. Its super ugly but i didn't have to take off the manifold as all the leaks were on the top. Picture coming later.


Thats about it. If there is any addition information i left out Please Please Let me know and I will update this with credit to you. Or if i need to rewrite anything becuse i suck at spelling I'll fix that too.

If anybody attempts this Your welcome to ask me question I'll provide all the information i can to help you out.
 
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#39 ·
So what type of transmission do you have? Would it work if you took a Ford 2.5L engine from an automatic transmission Focus and put it in a manual tranny Mazda 3?

Also if the ford engine block is pretty much the same as the mazda, then would a turbo kit for the 2.3L Mazda engine bolt on to the 2.5L Ford?
 
#41 ·
A non- sky active trough 2013 should work, engines from 2003-2013 fusions, escapes are all pretty much the same. Must be a duratec. The fusion and escape engines are cheaper and and easier to source. This is a home mechanic type job, most shops would be un-willing to attempt this, if they did they would pocket the savings if they sourced the engine.
 
#44 ·
I'm not sure if we would do a motor swap in a newer car or not. Its impossible for us to know off hand the differences between various engines and what needs to be done to swap it into a car it wasn't designed for. Then we are on the hook if it doesn't work correctly. However, if you had a list of the differences and what needs to be done we might do it. We have no problem with people sourcing their own parts. Just this week a customer sourced their own rebuilt transmission and had us install it. The one thing we won't do is source a cheaper engine and charge you for the more expensive one.
 
#48 ·
I too have the same concerns of a leak due to the misfit, also would I be able to use a auto and bolt it to my manual? but most importantly I would like to know if anyone can give me some advice before I pull the trigger and dedicate time and money for this project... What would be the best year and model motor to buy? Im pushing 150K car is a daily driver (driven hard) zoom zoom... I would like to drop a newer motor in and begin to mod the shit out of it, I really like the idea of this swap, everyones input and these threads are an awesome source for me to gain the info I need, thanks guys!!
 
#49 ·
Newest 2.5 duratec you can find from a fusion/ escape. Auto or manual does not matter, they are listed that way because manual has a flywheel and auto has a flex plate. Not sure if you can use the fusion flywheel, but must you find will be autos anyway. Swap over your flywheel anyway. There has to be a way to keep the ford intake manifold ?? Make sure you have all the old components hooked up, even if the are no bolted to the manifold.
 
#51 ·
It's the timing cover swap necessary on the 2.5? The op if this thread said that he did swap it. The only thing I can think of is because the guide the op used was for putting a Fusion 2.3 into a Mazda 6 that had a 2.3, instead of a Fusion 2.5 into a Mazda 3 2.3.

The guy that did this article didn't mention anything about putting the Mazda timing cover on the 2.5.


http://www.timlabute.com/mazda-3-2-5-swap/
 
#56 ·
It's the timing cover swap necessary on the 2.5? The op if this thread said that he did swap it. The only thing I can think of is because the guide the op used was for putting a Fusion 2.3 into a Mazda 6 that had a 2.3, instead of a Fusion 2.5 into a Mazda 3 2.3.

The guy that did this article didn't mention anything about putting the Mazda timing cover on the 2.5.


http://www.timlabute.com/mazda-3-2-5-swap/

No one that's done this swap has any input on this? Why are some people saying that you have to switch the timing cover and some are not switching it yet have no issues?
 
#52 ·
guys, this is a really simple swap, and infact could be called a bolt in on the Mazda3. we have done over 50 of them in the last few years since the 2.5 came out.

The real trick to this is that you need to make sure you use the correct sensors. Most change is you get the ford engine, or stay the same if the engine is mazda in origin.

On the early cars, it takes a bit of work to re calibrate the ecu to make decent power with the late, lower CR, larger displacement engine. And yes the displacement makes quite a bit of difference in the calibration.

BTW, its FAR EASIER to remove the engine and driveline IF you do it the factory way..............out the bottom
 
#64 ·
When you do the swap with a Fusion 2.3L (instead of the 2.5L) do you still have to do the calibrations? I'm curious if all of my issues have been related to that. (I've had 2 threads about my woes with the swap that I inherited) If so, how do I get my ecu calibrated -- is that what everyone calls "dyno'd"? lol.
 
#53 ·
So what kind of power have you seen from the 2.5 once you tune them?
 
#54 ·
Im looking to do a swap when my current motor (150k) goes boom which running ok I would say. Im taking the time to do the research and gather thoughts and ideas for the swap, I was wondering if I were to buy headers for my 2004 2.3 if they would fit onto the mew 2011 or so 2.5 ? seems like most of the parts will work with the 2.5 swap so Im crossing my fingers I can buy myself nice headers NOW! thanks in advance :chuckles:
 
#57 ·
^Why is this even an issue? When you get the 2.5 it will have a timing cover already on it. If it doesn't work you swap the one from your old 2.3/2.0 onto it.

The only resion it wouldn't work is you do have to swap the 2.3/2.0 crank pulley onto the 2.5. If that pulley is incompatible with the 2.5 timing cover then the covers would need to be swapped.
 
#59 ·
I'm just wondering because some people say you need to do it and some people don't mention it. It would be the same if there were people that said that their swap runs perfect with the 2.5 intake manifold and throttle body.

Your point about the crank pulley is valid. Just need someone that's done the swap to confirm that this is necessary.

I'm planning on getting all the necessary swap parts from a junkyard 2.3 and swapping them into the 2.5 before I pull my car's motor. My 2.3 is still running like a champ and I plan to sell it complete after swapping the 2.5 in.
 
#61 ·
okay, so to all you people saying that this swap is easy and that you've done this a million times... For some people you'll still have to make an adapter for the 2.3 intake to 2.5 head. The top of the intake ports for the head or just a tad bit taller. That isn't just a drop in play so please do not spread such false information.
 
#62 · (Edited)
Post some pictures of it. How much is it off by? Which 2.5l engine did you get, from what type vehicle I mean.

I was hoping for more detailed discussion about this swap by the guys in the know as well. We all love our Gen 1s as well and this swap seems like an excellent way to keep them on the road. I plan on documenting my swap really well so I'll be able to answer questions hopefully once I get started.
 
#63 · (Edited)
I got the engine off of a 2011 ford fusion and I have a 2005 2.3. It's off by millimeters and I guess this problem is more than for just a few... I'll take some pictures when I can but it's in my buddy's shop (i live in an apartment complex :( )

http://www.fordfusionclub.com/showthread.php?p=9658337

I asked the OP on facebook, since he welcome questions, and never got a response, about the swap but he must of genuinely never of faced this problem. I messaged the mate on fusionclub and waiting for a response. Another member here pm'd me about how he made his own adapter but said selling to others might be a bit cost prohibitive so we'll see. If I get further word, then I'll update this thread because I like my 1st gen and I wan't others to keep em on the road too, seeing as I come from the e30 bmw crowd and we still keep finding ways to keep those 30 year old buckets on the road.
 
#65 ·
I got the engine off of a 2011 ford fusion and I have a 2005 2.3. It's off by millimeters and I guess this problem is more than for just a few... I'll take some pictures when I can but it's in my buddy's shop (i live in an apartment complex :( )

http://www.fordfusionclub.com/showthread.php?p=9658337

I asked the OP on facebook, since he welcome questions, and never got a response, about the swap but he must of genuinely never of faced this problem. I messaged the mate on fusionclub and waiting for a response. Another member here pm'd me about how he made his own adapter but said selling to others might be a bit cost prohibitive so we'll see. If I get further word, then I'll update this thread because I like my 1st gen and I wan't others to keep em on the road too, seeing as I come from the e30 bmw crowd and we still keep finding ways to keep those 30 year old buckets on the road.
Some people have mentioned having to loosen the intake manifold and lifting it up to where it covers it completely. I've read that it barely fits a couple of time.
 
#68 · (Edited)
No one has said that they needed to make a plate to make it work. The OP of this thread didn't mention it neither did the Tim Labute blog.

This difference in some people reporting it leaking and some not may lie in either the specific 2.3 or 2.5 used. Maybe the earlier 2.3s have a slightly different intake manifold than the 2006+. Would need to look up OEM part numbers to make sure.

What would help is some pictures of you guy's intake manifold ports and intake ports for comparison.
 
#67 · (Edited)
A "plate" and "proper tools" makes this beyond simple. That requires a cnc or 3d printer to make one. Since I'm without transportation to get to the shop till monday I'll try to figure out all these suggestions i've been getting here and through PM's so we can get a definitive answer to this problem. So far I've had school and work and I've been 'ubering' to work and biking to school and the shop is too out of the way for either.

Thanks for the input and im sorry if im coming off like a wanker, will report back.

edit: on the fusionclub forum the guy who made the plate responded back. $100 + shipping.

http://www.fordfusionclub.com/showthread.php?t=655122&page=2
 
#69 ·
I found a Mazda OEM parts supplier, they list the same part number for all first gen 2.3 intake manifolds regardless of year, even 2006+ after the camshaft change. It is part number L37313100E.

That being said, maybe some of the 2.5s have differently shaped ports depending on year or the exact donor vehicle.
 
#70 · (Edited)
I'm doing the swap right now and have the same issue with the larger intake ports on the 2.5 Fusion engine.

Here's what I'm doing that I think might work. I believe that if I can nudge the manifold up just a fraction of an inch, it will seal.

I smeared used motor oil on the rubber intake gaskets and then test fitted the manifold to the head. You can see how the gasket isn't making good contact with the head above the port. Easy to see why there are leaks. The gasket imprint on the bottom (below the port in the head and near the bottom of the picture) is well below the bottom of the port in the head so we have quite a bit of space to work with there.


This is another shot after a couple of modifications that will be described below. There's not much room to spare but the gasket is now making good contact on the head.


There are two small round plastic dowels or nubs on the lower part of the intake manifold, right under the ports. They go into holes right under the intake ports on the head and it looks like they are there to help align the manifold when installing it. What they also do though is keep the manifold from moving up slightly, so I used a hacksaw blade and a file to shave off the top half of the dowel (center of picture). It's possible that they could have been entirely cut off with the same effect.


Then I bought new intake bolts, but fully threaded bolts instead of the stock shanked ones. The shank is just a little larger diameter than the threaded part of the stock bolts but a little can be a lot when we're trying to move the manifold just a smidgen. The short bolts (there are 6 of them I believe) are 40mm long and the longer ones that go on the right side are 80mm. I had to order the longer ones online as I couldn't find them locally.


Because the round metal inserts in the intake (through which the bolts go) are larger diameter than the diameter of the bolts, the intake can slide up just a little once you shave down the plastic dowels and get rid of the shanked bolts. In these shots you can see the bolt head in the upper and lower positions of its range of movement within the metal insert in the manifold.



I can't say for sure that this will work but am hoping so - I just got the engine set back in the car and still have to hook everything up so it will be a few days before I have time to get it running. The custom fabricated plate may be the best way to go but I didn't want to go to that much trouble unless I have to, and also want to maintain a fairly stock appearance.

I'll let you know how it goes.
 
#75 ·
I'm doing the swap right now and have the same issue with the larger intake ports on the 2.5 Fusion engine.

Here's what I'm doing that I think might work. I believe that if I can nudge the manifold up just a fraction of an inch, it will seal.

I smeared used motor oil on the rubber intake gaskets and then test fitted the manifold to the head. You can see how the gasket isn't making good contact with the head above the port. Easy to see why there are leaks. The gasket imprint on the bottom (below the port in the head and near the bottom of the picture) is well below the bottom of the port in the head so we have quite a bit of space to work with there.


This is another shot after a couple of modifications that will be described below. There's not much room to spare but the gasket is now making good contact on the head.


There are two small round plastic dowels or nubs on the lower part of the intake manifold, right under the ports. They go into holes right under the intake ports on the head and it looks like they are there to help align the manifold when installing it. What they also do though is keep the manifold from moving up slightly, so I used a hacksaw blade and a file to shave off the top half of the dowel (center of picture). It's possible that they could have been entirely cut off with the same effect.


Then I bought new intake bolts, but fully threaded bolts instead of the stock shanked ones. The shank is just a little larger diameter than the threaded part of the stock bolts but a little can be a lot when we're trying to move the manifold just a smidgen. The short bolts (there are 6 of them I believe) are 40mm long and the longer ones that go on the right side are 80mm. I had to order the longer ones online as I couldn't find them locally.


Because the round metal inserts in the intake (through which the bolts go) are larger diameter than the diameter of the bolts, the intake can slide up just a little once you shave down the plastic dowels and get rid of the shanked bolts. In these shots you can see the bolt head in the upper and lower positions of its range of movement within the metal insert in the manifold.

I can't say for sure that this will work but am hoping so - I just got the engine set back in the car and still have to hook everything up so it will be a few days before I have time to get it running. The custom fabricated plate may be the best way to go but I didn't want to go to that much trouble unless I have to, and also want to maintain a fairly stock appearance.

I'll let you know how it goes.
This is great stuff, thanks a ton for the pics. Your idea about putting the oil on the gaskets to show where it contacts worked perfectly. Your fix seems like it solves the issue completely too.
 
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