Mk2 2.3 Duratec

[John Hall]

You can tell those American Ford lumps a mile away, I worked on Jags a lot over the last few years, and those castings and the cam covers, are very reminiscent of the V6 motors in the Jags (Probably V6 Ranger motors?), the one-piece cam cover gaskets with the big doughnut style rings to seal around the screw holes.

Let's hope that the 4-Cylinders aren't like the early V6's, i.e. pack up left right and centre. Certainly over here (Germany) the early S-Types ('99) and the early 2.5 X-Types (con rod through block) used to send motors home for a pastime.

The Early V8's (supercharged) were p.. poor too!

I agree the castings are poor. But things are getting better as Ford & PAG have moved over to the High Pressure Die Cast casting process, which is far superior to the old gravity fead process. If you look at the photo's in the post of the engine build, the cylinder head has a much shiny and smooth finish when comparied to the block. The head is is high pressure and the block is gravity.

All Duratec cam covers are now plastic, as I have said the Ranger cam cover in the lastest pictures is not the one I am using.

Pic of my Raceline one.



John

[John Hall]

Another update.

Alternator and starter motor fitted.


Radiator and Bottom Hose fitted.


Top Hose and Radiator Fan fitted.


Throttle Bodies, Fuel Hoses and Cam Cover fitted.


View from the exhaust side


Completed installation ready for the wiring loom to be made.


View from the front showing how much better and lower the engine install looks with the Raceline camcover.


Things to do next.

It looks like the radiator header tank is higher than the water rail. So I can replace the Mk1 Fiesta thermostat housing and radiator cap assembly on top of the water rail with the Burton remanufactured billet aluminium thermostat hosing they do for the XFlow engines. Which think will look better as I don’t like having two radiator caps in the engine bay.

With the throttle bodies on, I have now ordered 60mm ram pipes from Jenvey and an air filter system from ITG. These should arrive next week and with them fitted, I can then see where the remote oil filter can be fitted and install the oil cooler system.

Thanks for all your comments and questions. It is giving me the enthusiasm to get the car finished for the summer.

John

[Dave1800BDA]

stunning John, very pleasing to the eye this conversion, great quality and attention to detail.

[rwdrs]

Hi John have you made any progress on the heater hoses?

[marky4]

i could just sit and stare at those pictures for ages

[Banishit]

looks superb install

[Dave1800BDA]

What….no heater. I am from the south and like my creature comforts!



Thanks.

Yep, the matrix is reversible in the heater housing. I just had to make holes in the heater housing for the inlet and outlet heater hose connections. Cut a hole in the bulkhead for the inlet and outlet and make a blanking plate to cover the original hole in the bulkhead.

John

Today I saw a MK2 Escort with a Twin cam engine in, and he had done a similar thing but the water inlet was on the near side on the bulkhead and the outlet uses the original fitment on the off side, sounds funny but looked good

[John Hall]

Hi John have you made any progress on the heater hoses?

I am still working on it. One pipe run is straight forward. From the outlet of the thermostat housing above the alternator to the heater matrix. It is the one from the water rail the other side of the engine thats going to be difficault. I have some ideas..... there is enough space to run a hose between the back of the head and the bulk head but there will be a very tight turn to get the hose on to the matrix. I need to see how much space I have when the ITG air filter is fitted on to the throttle bodies. ITG should be here today.

Today I saw a MK2 Escort with a Twin cam engine in, and he had done a similar thing but the water inlet was on the near side on the bulkhead and the outlet uses the original fitment on the off side, sounds funny but looked good

Dave, do you have any pictures ?

John

[Dave1800BDA]

I am still working on it. One pipe run is straight forward. From the outlet of the thermostat housing above the alternator to the heater matrix. It is the one from the water rail the other side of the engine thats going to be difficault. I have some ideas..... there is enough space to run a hose between the back of the head and the bulk head but there will be a very tight turn to get the hose on to the matrix. I need to see how much space I have when the ITG air filter is fitted on to the throttle bodies. ITG should be here today.



Dave, do you have any pictures ?

John

sorry John no

[John Hall]

Induction

This week’s update.
ITG air filter and Jenvey 60mm ram pipes arrived mid week.

The air filter back plate is supplied as a blank and has to be drilled to mount to the throttle bodies and 45mm holes for the ram pipes. I have drilled the mount holes but I need to buy a tank hole cutter to cut the 45mm ram pipe holes.


I fitted the two centre ram pipes and tried to fit the air cleaner. But the rams are too long and the air cleaner will not get in between the end of the rams and the inner wing. The only solution is shorter ram pipes of 40mm. The 40mm rams will change the shape of the torque curve, making more peak power and reducing the peak torque figure. But being a 2.3 the torque will be still good.


I removed the rams and fitted the air cleaner with out them to see how it all fitted.




The fuel return line needs relocating on the bulkhead, which is not a problem. Despite the need for shorter ram pipes I am pleased how it all fits.

John

[marky4]

looks lovely

[Banishit]

some work going into that, top job

[Dave1800BDA]

superb John

[Mr Hoarder]

This week’s update.
ITG air filter and Jenvey 60mm ram pipes arrived mid week.

The air filter back plate is supplied as a blank and has to be drilled to mount to the throttle bodies and 45mm holes for the ram pipes. I have drilled the mount holes but I need to buy a tank hole cutter to cut the 45mm ram pipe holes.

John,

I've got a set of tank cutters you can borrow

[Frosticles]

Looking fantastic John Can't wait to see the finished car.