The following are upgrades for 3rd gen and ZX2s.

• Fidanza flywheel: There is an aluminum flywheel manufactured by Fidanza for the ZX2, a Focus flywheel can't be used without doing an MTX-75 transmission swap.
  • If the flywheel is to be used on a 3rd gen it requires swapping over the ZX2 transmission which bolts in without issues and even has the same spline count as the ZX2 axles, so the Escort manual axles can be used. Using a ZX2 flywheel requires the use of a ZX2 starter because the teeth count is differrent. Also one important note, since the Escort does not have a crank sensor in the bellhousing unlike the Zetec, but rather on the other side of the crank output, the metal crank sensor plate has to be removed from the back of the aluminum flywheel or it will scrape against the aluminum rear main seal housing. The scrapage is not bad but could eventually lead to some ugly failure during operation. Plus, removing it further reduces more weight from the crank.

  

• Centerforce dual friction clutch: There are many performance clutches available for the ZX2 if one is using the ZX2 tranny with the Fidanza flywheel (or just a regular one). However to be noted, that the Centerforce dual friction clutch made for the ZX2 excludes the centrifical weights system as advertised everywhere. Centerforce commented inside the product literature stating that sometimes there is not enough clearance in the bellhousing to include it (or maybe it's just an excuse) and therefore one should not be surprised if the pressure plate doesn't come with this feature, as can be seen in the pictures anywhere it's sold. Personally, I probably would have bought another clutch had I known this in advance. -Alex

  

• Automatic shift controller: The factory automatics shift much too slow. This generates heat in the fluid breaking it down and causing varnish to form. It also promotes wear of the clutches and all that wear material gets pumped through the transmission further clogging everything up. The computer controls the shifts in the 1998 and later Escorts and Focus, and escortfocus.com offers an electronic shift improver to overcome this.

  

Also see

• Ford Escort & ZX2 section for the entire index of all Ford Escort and ZX2 related articles.