SOHC Pinto

Introduced by Ford in 1970, the Pinto was one of the first production engines to carry the cam on top of the head, driven by a toothed belt.
There are two main versions - Cortina/RS2000 and Sierra. The latter was mostly unleaded.

The Pinto was manufactured in Cologne and was naturally fitted to many German cars such as the Taunus, including the 1293cc version also fitted to early Sierras. The most common to us are the 1593 and 1993cc derivatives. A 1796cc version was introduced in mid-life Sierras and an E-Max 1.6, introduced in 1984, sharing the 1.8 and 2.0 litre rods.

You’re likely to find a Pinto in Mk3-5 Cortinas, Capris, Mk1/2 Escorts, Granadas and Transits. All engines have a rear-bowl sump with the RS2000s being alloy.
The engine is crossflow type with the carb on the right, exhaust left (when viewed from the front). Cam geometry can be a problem so it’s recommended to use a complete kit to ensure components match, such as the ones we stock by Kent. The non 2 litre engines are particularly troublesome in this area so we wouldn’t recommend fitting anything more than a base, mild/fast road cam in these. A new spray bar is also valuable insurance on any engine.

As usual, the 2 litre is the tuner’s favourite with the 205 ‘Injection’ block being the most suitable base – these are better at taking the maximum re-bore of 93mm and are most suited to 2.1 litre conversions. Cortina blocks usually have the capacity in small numbers on the side – 16 and 20 respectively. Later Sierra blocks have 165, 185 and 205. The early Cosworth YB also used a ‘selected’ 205 block.

It is fairly common to use 2.8 V6 pistons coupled with a 93mm bore but traditionally, machining is involved - the block needs decking, whilst the rods need the small ends narrowing. We stock Accralites especially for this purpose, which removes the need for additional machining.

Skimming can raise compression to a 10.5:1 maximum and beyond this you’ll need forged pistons, to a safe 12.0:1. It is best to check the size of the combustion chamber on any used head by having it cc’d first. This not only guarantees the compression but can also help with checking the valve to piston clearance too, which can be an issue with previously skimmed heads.

The Pinto’s crank is able to out-rev the rods, which can be a weak link – 7500 is the absolute maximum we would recommend, although this really only applies to the later wider injection rods, which are stronger than the early type.

The 2 litre heads have massive ports to start with so good gains can be had by merely fitting a Kent FR32. Even the best standard Pinto carb a 32/36 DGAV twin choke, is enough to power the engine to 135bhp. Our Stage 1 heads, suitably set up, will reach these levels and feature proper valve guides in place of the standard cast-in type and raised compression. All our heads can be ordered ready converted to run on unleaded fuel.
After this level, the next step is side draughts and it’s best to go straight to 45 DCOEs since the inlet ports are huge. 44 IDF down draughts are a good alternative, but they are much more expensive.
Add a Kent FR33 and our stage 2 head and you should see 150-155bhp. Beyond this and you’re into fast road bordering on race, which means, depending on carb size – 48s and even 50s - you should be seeing an easy 185-200bhp, plus.
At this level, we would only recommend steel components for reliability because you’re on the limit of standard type components. We stock Farndon Cosworth YB cranks for this purpose, which is essentially the same except that it carries a 9 bolt flywheel fixing instead of the standard Pinto bolt pattern. We also stock special Pinto 9 bolt flywheels to match. However, on this point, if you use a Pinto crank it is advisable to have it double-dowelled for safety – it can shear! We also stock std length steel H-section conrods to match this crank as well as YB length rods which are 1.5mm longer.
A great engine with loads of potential.

Cosworth YB 2.0 16v Turbo

An incredibly famous engine, the Cosworth YB Turbo actually began life in 1984 as a N/A Cosworth YAA concept. However, the turbo version was launched in the 1986, 3 door Sierra with 204bhp. The infamous RS500 version of the same car followed in 1987 with 225bhp, a bigger T4 turbo, eight injectors (only four connected) and an engine designation of YBD.

Perhaps the most plentiful Sierra, the Sapphire hit the roads between 1988-89 with a 4x4 version being produced from 1990-92. The engine was subsequently available in two versions for this latter car – The YBJ, which incorporated many of the RS500 motorsport type revisions, plus the green cam covered YBG, meant for the US emissions sensitive market. This had three cats, closed loop lambda control and ran on 95 octane unleaded.

Finally the Escort Cosworth took over from 1992 with the big turbo YBT engine, featuring a T34 and four wheel drive, whilst the series came to a halt with the introduction of the T25, small turbo Escort between 1994-96. This also featured Ford EEC IV management, with wasted spark ignition, twin coils, a different series of injectors and a unique black cam cover.

The most common engine is the original YBB (3 dr and 2wd Sapphire), which can be easily tuned with chip and turbo modifications to increase the boost level. However, the 4x4 head is the ideal base since the early type has less water jackets and is susceptible to blowing head gaskets with serious hikes in boost.
To begin with, you’ll need to upgrade the actuator to -31 (dash 31) type and upgrade the management chip to increase the fuel and boost level too - this will typically be to around 270/280bhp. We would recommend that you also fit a good stainless exhaust such as our Mongoose range, plus a K&N filter.

After that stage, you need to swap the injectors for 803s – commonly known as Dark Greens. To this you’ll need a different chip again, plus a 3-BAR MAP sensor to up the boost to 19 PSI (1.3 BAR) resulting in approximately 320-330bhp.
Beyond this level, we’d recommend fitting a Group A or multi-shim head gasket and for extra security in high-boost applications, and an ARP stud and nut kit.
However, around this level, the standard Garrett T3 turbo will have reached its limit although there are now several paths to take in turbo choice. These though are always a trade off between turbo lag and driveability – hence why going straight to a T4 isn’t always a good move. Popular choice is to fit an Escort T34 or a hybrid T3 along with a larger intercooler. T38’s are also available although these aren’t an off-the-shelf Garrett unit and are seen more as a hybrid. You should see power potential with this to around 460bhp, whilst the T34 will give you power to around 380bhp.

At this point – and especially if you want to use a T4 with power potential to the touring car levels of 540bhp - the engine needs to be purpose-built to suit. The reason is you’ll need extra head work in terms of porting, different cams (although BD14s are the limit on the street), lower compression ratios and long stud conversion. The trick is making the most of the unit whilst producing power without huge amounts of lag. Once you get to this stage, we can advise you on the best way forward, depending on the type of engine you have.

A different route, and still popular way to tune the YB, is to return it to the original N/A application, which involves raising the compression. For this, we stock Accralite forged pistons to increase the ratio to as much as 12.5:1 although they can be machined to lower the CR since they have raised crowns for this purpose.
On top of this modification, the head needs the ports seriously opening out and for ultimate horsepower applications, larger valves installed. The cams too need swapping for non-turbo profiles although they aren’t designed to work with the standard YB hydraulic lifters and therefore need converting to solid lifter type.

The bottom end is fine for this type of aspiration since the rods and crank are both steel. We would recommend however, that the rod bolts are upgraded for high-revving applications. For ultimate power though, we also stock steel H-section rods. Lastly, you will need to swap the turbo inlet manifold for a twin DCOE type allowing either 45/48 side draughts or throttle body fuel injection. In this form, you should be able to achieve in excess of 225bhp+.

Kent Crossflow

This engine was introduced in the Ford Mk2 Cortina and differs from the earlier units by having the carb on the left and the exhaust on the right - hence, ‘crossflow.’
They also varied from Pre-X/Flows in that the combustion chamber was shifted from the head to the bowl of the piston and were know as BIP engines (Bowl In Piston). Early heads also feature a small combustion chamber in the head too.

Early blocks bore the casting marks 681F and capacities you’ll find are, 940, 1098, 1298 and 1599. You’ll find a X/Flow fitted to Mk1/2 Escorts, Mk2/3 Cortinas, Mk1/2 Capris plus late Transits. Most cars came with a single choke Ford IV carb although the 1.3 and 1.6 GT models had a 32/36 DGV Weber twin choke.

1970 saw the big change to the thicker-walled 711M block with square mains caps, large diameter followers, wider cam lobes and modified crank seal. Also, the head was now completely flat.
There are two main capacities of 711M, determined by block height – the 1600 is 7/16” taller and you can see the difference between it and the 1300 by the space between the water pump and head. Also, the 1300 has 711M 6015 AA cast in the side whereas the 1600 ends in BA.
The engine was also fitted to 1.3 and 1.6 Mk1 Fiestas in the 80’s with a 771M casting. These feature no side engine mounts plus a shortened water pump and timing chain/crank area.

The final versions, OHV, HCS and Endura are similar but shorter versions and share very few if any inter-changeable parts and reverted back to the original pre-X/flow design of a three bearing crank.

Kents are quite easy to tune to GT spec, which usually means the biggest capacity block, slightly bigger valves (usually taken care of with a performance head), GT cam/A1, free flow exhaust and twin choke Weber – you should see around 80-90bhp. Switch to a Kent BCF2 or a 224 and you’ll be approaching 110bhp. For all builds we would recommend ARP rod bolts and replacement of the front pulley for a one piece steel item. The valve train should be strengthened with steel posts, spacers and rocker shaft to cope with the additional stresses caused by high lift cams, HD valve springs and higher revs. A double timing chain kit should also be fitted for the same reasons. Performance heads are available in both iron and brand new aluminium and all can be ordered with unleaded seats.

You can use the old Cosworth A-series cam profiles too, which are long duration and lower lift. However the current Kent Cams, high lift and short duration type are friendlier on emissions with less lobe overlap resulting in reduced un-burnt fuel down the exhaust.
Add a stage 2 head and Kent 224 and you’ll be pushing 115bhp although the favourite X/Flow cam is the 234 for 118-120bhp. You should get this with a re-jetted twin choke although twin 40 DCOE Webers would be better. This is an all round great cam and engine spec for the road.
A 244 cam and stage 3 head results in 135-145bhp, although, these figures are best achieved with a recommended maximum 83.5mm bore and forged Accralite pistons, giving 1700cc. There is a cheaper option in that the compression can be raised using modified 1300 pistons in the 1600 engine, giving a ratio of around 10.3:1. Capacity is easily increased with cast pistons available up to +0.090” oversize which will give 1696cc.
40 DCOEs tend to be on their maximum choke sizes at this stage so many switch to 45s. However this does result in lower gas speed and less low down torque, which is important on the road.
All side draughts need a side exit distributor cap (available for Lucas and Bosch distributors) to clear the inlet manifold and for convenience it’s best to fit an electronic ignition kit such as an Aldon Ignitor or Lumenition. For a complete ignition solution, our constant energy, non-vacuum modified Bosch distributor and coil kit is ideal for most modified engines.
This is about as far as you want to go on the road since you’ll be stretching the 7500-8000rpm limit of the crank. After this and you’ll ideally need steel components, which we have a superb range including cranks, rods, flywheels and forged pistons. To complement these we also have full-race spec heads to take the Kent as far as possible on the race track – currently that’s about 185bhp+

Zetec E

The name Zetec is pretty confusing because it’s now used by Ford as a badge on the back to describe a level of trim. On top of this, there’s a smaller capacity Zetec – described elsewhere – plus, late Zetecs were made to look like the latest Duratecs.
Early, ‘Silver Top’ engines (with an aluminium cam cover) were fitted to Escorts from 1991 onwards, late Fiesta Mk3s and then the Mondeo. These early units were known as Zeta (only becoming Zetec in 1993). The unit evolved into the Black Top unit (with a plastic cam cover) with the Escort phased out and Focus introduction. These later engines have longer rods and lower piston crowns, mechanical rather than hydraulic lifters plus the distinctive black cam cover.

Initially there were 90, 105 and 115bhp 1800cc Escort versions, with 115 and 130bhp 2 litre Mondeo units too. There were also 130bhp RS1800 Fiesta/XR3i variations with revised cams and re-mapped ECU’s. The hottest n/a version was the ST170 with solid lifters, steel rods, waisted valves and variable valve timing (VVT). The motor went on to power the Focus RS but in turbocharged form. Both the ST and RS engines were confusingly re-badged as a Duratec.

As far as tuning goes, it’s simple to bring an 1800 up to RS1800 spec with Ford cams or Kent FZ1802 cams – you would need a 130bhp ECU though, or aftermarket re-mapping. A power boost valve will help eliminate the flat spot between 3,300-3,500rpm.
You can actually use the standard injection combined with a new Weber Alpha kit that works with the OE inlet manifold. Fitments are for the silver top 1800s, and both silver and black top 2.0 engines. Power achieved is, approx 150bhp for a 1.8 130PS and 160bhp for the 2.0. However, these are really the limit of the standard induction and further increases are not possible, unlike their other kits. It has to be said that although these kits have been developed for the kit car market, we do not see any reason why they can’t be fitted to a FWD Zetec engined car. Webcon cannot confirm fitment but like us believe it should work. If you want to go beyond the range of the standard induction though, we can supply a Weber Alpha kit, which replaces the system altogether and is incredibly comprehensive – all is there for you to bolt it straight on, including manifold, linkage, even air filters. On an 1800 130PS engine, you should see 155bhp and 165bhp on a 2 litre.
Either of these two systems will provide enough fuelling for plenty of future modifications. Fit one of our stage 1 heads plus a pair of Kent FZ2002 cams and you should see power around 185bhp. If you want to go beyond this ‘Fast Road’ stage then you’ll need our Stage 2 heads which feature larger inlet valves.
The Kent FZ2003 cams will give you between 200-240bhp depending on stage of head, coupled with 48mm throttle bodies. However, at this stage, you’ll need larger followers machined and installed, otherwise the cam lobe won’t be completely ‘seen’ by the follower. We’d also recommend a capacity increase to 2.1 litres, with an 86mm bore plus our Accralite pistons. The standard crank is very strong but around these levels we’d encourage the switch to steel along with our Farndon H-section rods.

The Zetec E is also a popular swap into a classic Ford usually requiring turning round to rear wheel drive format. We can supply all the parts you need to do this including the water rail manifold, which re-locates the thermostat housing, thus providing bulkhead clearance. In addition, we have access to engine mounts for Mk1 and 2 Escorts, correct orientation sumps, exhausts and everything you need to give your classic, modern 16 valve power.

Lotus Twin-Cam 8v

The stuff legends are made of, the Lotus TC was THE engine of the Sixties, especially in cars such as the Ford Mk1 Cortina plus the Anglia, which was the first road-type car, albeit in prototype form, to carry the motor. Images of Jim Clark belting round a race track cocking a front wheel go hand in hand with this unit.
There are basically two Ford–derived Twinks, the Mk1 introduced in the Mk1 Cortina in 1963, and MkII, which was fitted in the MkII Cortina Lotus from March 1967 – this version was also fitted to the 1968 Escort Twin Cam. This is actually the better engine since it has a purpose-cast Lotus block (identified with a large L on the side but usually under an engine mount) as opposed to a mere graded Cortina 1500 block. As such, the engine was based on a Ford Pre-Crossflow with a Harry Mundy-designed, twin cam alloy head, with chain drive and eight valves.
Blocks were bored to 82.55mm from the Pre-Crossflow’s standard 80.96mm – hence the Mk2 having a thicker casting to more reliably carry the increased capacity that allowed 1558cc. These engines also had square mains caps – the same as 711M Crossflows, proper oil seals as opposed to the Mk1’s rope-type, plus, stronger 125E rods. The MkII engine also had sleeved tappet bores, better oil returns to the block, plus a 6-bolt flywheel fixing in the crank, which supersedes the earlier 4-bolt type

In addition, you’ll also find a Twink in Lotus Elans and later Europas. Naturally, there were several versions of these too. The Special Equipment (S/E) with 115bhp was fitted to S2-S4’s, whilst the Elan Sprint received bigger valves (and has Big Valve on the rocker cover), higher compression, better cams and exhaust, resulting in 126bhp.

There is also a Stromberg – carbed engine, although most had a Weber DCOE type manifold cast into the head, which interchanges with the similar and occasionally fitted, Dellorto side draught.
Twinks do have a reputation for water pump failure but this is mostly due to the engine being left standing for long periods – the pump goes dry and rips the seal when it’s turned over. We have re-designed this area to incorporate a modular type water pump so that it’s easier to remove and replace. We also offer the water pump housing in two heights to suit standard or Crossflow based engines.
The latter is also a popular route for building a Twink since L-blocks are becoming scarce. In addition, the Crossflow block can be increased up to 1700cc obviously giving a performance increase too. We also stock the special spacing components required, for this conversion.

More power is reasonably straightforward with the engine responding well to head porting, cam change and 45DCOEs. A usable 140+bhp can be achieved with the right cams. Due to the age of most head castings, we would recommend getting the head checked over first to advise on how suitable it is for further improvements to be made. We stock a whole range of replacement and performance parts for this engine including forged pistons, steel cranks/rods, steel flywheels, camshafts, large valves, steel tappets and much more besides.

CVH

Introduced in the front wheel drive Mk3 Escort in 1980, the Ford CVH has been available in both normally aspirated (N/A) and turbo forms and it’s been tuned to produce daft power using both methods.

Most common capacities you’ll find are 1117cc, 1296 and 1597. However, the 1300 was dropped in 1986 and replaced with a 1392 (1400). This was also a significant year since the oil pump system was revised for use in the Mk4 Escort. The only rear wheel drive version was available in the Sierra in 1800cc format. Sierra engines were based on US-spec 1905cc units and share few components with the smaller CVH engines. However, their thicker block was popular with 1900cc conversions, particularly RS Turbos.

Cars you’re likely to find a CVH fitted to are, Fiestas, Escorts and the aforementioned Sierra. Early Mk5 Escorts carried the engine but it was phased out in favour of the Zetec. Ford’s early range also included the very special RS1600i, which differs from regular cars since it has fuel injection, solid lifters, plenty of motorsport features and the highest N/A power, 115bhp.

CVH stands for 'Compound Valve-angle Hemispherical' and as such featured a ‘Hemi’ type combustion chamber. But, there are differences because the later ‘Lean-Burn’ series has a heart type chamber so you need to be sure which one you’ve got – the only sure way is to take it off because casting numbers can be misleading. Either head type can be tuned although the ‘Hemi’ will generally give the most power. Your head will need inspecting since some feature oversize cam bearings and lifter bores.

The combination of a Burton Stage 1 head and a Kent CVH22, should release about 15bhp extra and you can use the best standard type carb from the XR3/early XR2 (Weber 32/34 DFT) in conjunction. These engines are very cam-timing sensitive and really do need a vernier pulley to see the best.
Stage 2 and a CVH 33 should see another 5-10bhp although you’re best now switching to twin choke Webers. Most common are DCOE side draughts – either 40s or 45s for more top-end power. However, these can cause space problems so the rarer DCNF down drafts are more suitable.

The bottom end is pretty strong although there is a rev limit of 6,000rpm but this is more to do with the lifters rather than the rods – better bolts ensure they’re safe anyway. We’d recommend solid lifters beyond the limit of 6,500rpm, which is when you really need to consider forged pistons too. Standard Mahle pistons will go to 10.2:1 by skimming the head although this needs to be checked to avoid valve contact. Accralites are recommended beyond this level although these are to special order only.
At this stage we’d also recommend our Farndon H-section rods and if you’re really serious a steel crank as well – however there are plenty of CVH engines racing with the standard cast crank.

Turbo engines are reasonably simple to tune to around 180bhp, which is normally achieved with a Bayjoo chip, -31 actuator, air filter and stainless exhaust. These modifications will allow around 1BAR of boost. Beyond this and you’ll need a larger intercooler to drop charge temperatures plus a hybrid turbo to hit 200bhp.
You’ll get a touch over this with a Kent CVH34 cam as well as reaching the limit on the standard pistons, for which we stock Accralites to better handle boost pressures. These come with finished crowns and a CR of 8.0:1 but can be machined for lower compression ratio.

We also stock all you need to perform the ZVH bottom end conversion, which will give you a 2.0 litre Zetec bottom end and the potential to go beyond for true monster power.