Quote: jimmyesh on Sat Oct 18, 2008 11:04 am

paulgrs2 wrote:
Well done Jim on another stunning project, you sure your not a VM lol.
Just to get things straight in my head, is the bolt patten for the duratec (proper) different to the zetec/I4 etc as there seems to be alot of differant opinion on different websites, basically will a mtx75 gearbox (my only option due to needing 4x4) bolt on?

What boost you planning on running with a 9:1 compression ratio, surely running this high you have limited it to not alot huh? But there again I suppose you need to keep the power sensible to keep control of the torque steer.

How come your going Omex management? 🙂
Hi and welcome to FT.com Paul! 😀 😛 You can use any MTX75 'Box so long as you have the bellhousing from a Duratec (1.8 or 2.0) Mondeo MK3 (2001>) or one of the MK2 Focus that came with the Duratec once it replaced the Black-Top Zetec. Basically the bolt pattern on the end of this engine is a Mazda one (as this is where these engines originate) therefore it breaks the Ford tradition of using the same bolt-pattern for decades (as does the Volvo-Lumped Focus ST).

The gearbox itself will be pretty much identical right from a MK5 Escort XR3i 130 up to a late Mondeo, It's only the bellhousing that has changed to adapt it to the Duratec and therefore you can just unbolt your Escort bellhousing and bolt up the Mondeo one 🙂

That's also why the Duratec is so good for RWD customers as it is used in the MAZDA MX5 which has 6 speed transmission in RWD layout, might have to consider that for a project one day! :devil:

Oh, gaskets arrived today :Q Just waiting on ARP Head & Main studs now :aviator:

As for the compression ratio - quite a number of cars are running over 9.0:1 now (see Nick's [one of the editors] S2 Escort Turbo in Performance Ford Mag) as modern management and strong engine components, combined with not going too spastic on Turbo size creates a powerful, responsive and torquey engine that isn't lazy off-boost like some low-comp ones can be.

Quote: jimmyesh on Sat Oct 18, 2008 1:27 pm

paulgrs2 wrote:
oooooooooo i see, thats ok so long as the mondy mk3 bellhousing bolts to the mtx75 box casing (I presume there the same bolt patten). If this is the case I can feel a post herrick 2009 engine build myself coming on lol as the duratec has got to be a better option, power to weight, than this 4 man lift I4 lump I currently run.
Yeah definitely mate - the old I-4 RS2000 lump is a solid, dependable old beast but you'll save a hell of a lot of weight by swapping to a Duratec - They also make silly levels of N/A power easily 2.0 Variants make 200BHP without breaking into a sweat and some 2.0's make 300BHP N/Asp on 'bodies. 2.3's are up to 340bhp Normally-Aspirated by some tuners 😮
Here's a quick pic of the standard Duratec Pistons & Rods VS my new uprated lower-comp items - My Eagle rods look positively obese next to the svelte Duratec items (although the standard Duratec items look good and almost race-like they're well known as being rather weak, the same goes for the standard "slipper" pistons.

Quote: jimmyesh on Mon Oct 27, 2008 5:33 pm

I collected my block from Cober Precision Engineering in Colchester today, freshly bored & honed to 88mm and now awaiting reassembly :Q

There is a spanner chucked firmly in the works though - in the form of my ARP Head & Main studs which I ordered from America (significantly cheaper). The guy I ordered them from didn't have them in stock so I'm still waiting for them and also my Pumaspeed Fez ST Turbo exhaust manifold...

On the plus side, I have prepared my fuel rail for fuel-return operation (to make it more of a a straightforward fit into my Olde-Worlde Fiesta) and is having -6 male fittings welded onto each end to allow me to use some nice Aeroquip hoses :aviator: . This is now in the capable hands of a mate at work who is far neater at welding than me!

Quote: jimmyesh on Thu Nov 06, 2008 9:33 pm

At last, the car is collected!! 😀 :Q

I hired a car trailer for just £40 from Wesbroom Engineering in Colchester and borrowed a mate's Transit then completed the epic 250-mile round-trip from Colchester to Arborfield (nr Reading). It was a boring, slow old slog but every time I saw the silver Fez in the mirror it cheered me up no-end 🙂

The existing running gear is all being removed in work tomorrow for the guy who bought it on ebay to collect and I'm pleased to announce that I now have all the parts to reassemble the engine - the ARP main & head studs arrived today from the states.

Will be assembling it during the days next week on leave, while Mrs Esh is back at work and Mini-Esh is at the childminders.

Whilst trying to buff the "Caterham" writing from my inlet plenum I found that they were bonded on rather than cast as part of the manifold - no worries though as it made things easier for me - I carefully re-bonded the "Power By Cosworth" writing in a more central position where the Caterham writing was...

Stand by for some more photos of the actual car (when I remember to take my camera to work :rolleyes: ) and the engine rebuild.