So how did you get the transmission out? I have to drop my k-member in order to drop my tranny. The only other alternative is disconnect the motor mounts and jack the motor so you can move it to a more workable angle to unwedge the tranny.

As far as wiring goes, have you tried asking around on other Escort boards? You can't be the first to try this. Someone on Focaljet swapped his ATX for an MTX-75. You can try searching around in the archived forums over there. Although the cars are entirely different, it may give you a few insights to overcome some issues.