Engine

There are approx 5 types of the ZETEC E engines formats (after 98 these engines had mechanical followers):

1.6       -           90 bhp                         -           Fiesta, Escort/Orion, Mondeo, focus

1.8       -           105 bhp                       -           Escort/Orion, Fiesta XR2i (16v only)

1.8       -           115 bhp                       -           Mondeo, Focus, Escort GTI

1.8       -           130 bhp                       -           Escort/Orion (some Si and XR3s) and RS1800 Fiesta

2.0       -           136 bhp                       -           Mondeo, Focus, Cougar

 

The115 bhp and 130 bhp 1.8 engines are internally the same (ECU, fuelling and throttle boddie changes increased the power).  A lot of people prefer the 1.8 because it revs faster than the 2.0 and power is only slightly less with equivilant mods until you get above 200 bhp.

The engines have the cc size stamped on the side but the power output is on sticker on the air pipe and wears off.  However there is a stamp on side of the cylinder block (gearbox side) which will tell you exactly what engine you have got.  The following is a decode:

 

Escort/Orion/Fiesta

 

First letter/number

L          -           1.6

R          -           1.8

N         -           2.0

 

Second letter/number

 

I/1        -           66kW/90 bhp (65kW/88 HP on certain models)

D         -           77kW/105 bhp

K         -           85kW/115 bhp

Q         -           96kW/130 bhp

 

Mondeo

 

First letter/number

 

As above

 

Second letter/number

 

I/1        -           66kW/90 bhp (65kW/88 bhp on certain models)

K         -           85kW/115 bhp (82kW/112 bhp on certain models)

G         -           100kW/136 bhp

 

The third letter is the emission standard apparently B & J are the latest standard.

 

The later 'Black Top' engines found in the Focus are difficult to transplant if you keep the original ECU as the ECU has the Passive Ant-Thefts System PATS system which needs inputs from other sensors to disable the immobiliser.  I have heard rumours that the 'Black Tops' give more power as the head is better, although I have not been able to confirm this, anybody?

 

Cheap Tuning

 

My engine cost me £150 and was complete with starter, gearbox etc.  The picture was taken in my cluttered garage with the grearbox and EFI stripped off.

 

 

Very few people bother tuning the 1.6 unless they are restricted by race reguations.  Owing to this there are very few tuning modifications availble off the shelf making tuning expensive.  If you are thinking of tuning the 1.6 in it's original car an engine swap makes far more sense than cams and headwork etc.

  

The 105 bhp 1.8 can be changed into a 130 bhp engine by changing the cams to the appropriate ford ones or aftermarket versions by Dunnell, Piper, Kent etc (if you are keeping the standrard induction etc, you will need the 130 spec ECU and throttle bodie).  There are a couple of other minor internal differences between the 105 and 130 bhp spec engines that should not make any difference to you.  Some people use the cams from the more comon 2 lt ZETEC as they are pretty close to the 130 spec cams and give similar gains.  I have also heard of people fitting 2 exhaust cams as a way of getting around regulations for certain racing competitions.

 

The only problem with the ZETEC is that back in the day when it was known as the Zeta engine it was design to be a lean burn carb engine with capacities from 1.4 to 1.8 ltrs. Then the rules came in for cats and a quick, but incomplete re-design was done to make it 1.6- 2 ltrs. This limits the size of valves that you can put in and also means that the cat zaps more power than you would expect.  Therefore, the main limitation on the engines in the original cars is the induction, mapping and manifold.  You can fit cams and modified heads to the standard engine in your Escort, Focus or Mondeo but you will get very few bhp for your £s until you bin the original induction.  If your car was built after about 93 you need to keep the cat so you will have to be clever when fitting a 4 branch manifold and performance system.  Some people remove the cat and put it back on for MOTs, this is illegal and you will also risk damaging your cat each time as they are quite brittle.  You can buy performance cats that are less restrictive, but expensive.

 

I can not stress to you enough how little power you will gain for your £s, until you lose the standard induction, ECU and manifold.

 

If you bin the original injection and put twin carbs on the engine you can expect the following outputs straight away:

 

2.0 litre = 160 - 165 bhp
1.8 litre = 150 - 155 bhp (130 bhp spec engine)
1.6 litre = 120 - 125 bhp

Thats a big jump and far more than a head and cams alone, and cheaper if you pick up the carbs second hand.

Throttle bodies tend to give an extra 5 bhp on those figures as they tend to be easier to map, although there is no reason why carbs should give less bhp than throttle bodies.  The big advantage of throttle bodies is improved response and economy.

It is not unknown for standard engines to give more power when mapped properly, even up to 10 bhp more so you never know.

            I have been reliably informed that you can still expect a standard engines to last and mileage up to and beyond 150k miles is not unheard off, even with engines giving 170+bhp.

 

To get more power speak to Dunnell, Burton or Raceline.  Max power (expensive) from a 2 ltr is just under 300 bhp after that you need a turbo.

 

If you want under 200 bhp the ZETEC works out far cheaper than a Vauxhall XE, K Series, Pinto and Cosworth.

 

The standard ZETEC bottom end is apparently good for 200 bhp, but it is quite simple to fit ARP con rod bolts by removing the sump.  ARP con rod bolts cost approx £70 from Burton Power.

 

Some people fit vernier pulleys, but it is quite easy to adjust the cam wheels without them, it's just a bit more quess work.  For race engines verniers will be more worth while as they are dowelled.

 

The engine in a Mk 5 RS2000 is completely different to the ZETEC, it offers very good power but needs totally different fitting to the ZETEC.  It is an option but if you aren’t made of money I recommend avoiding it because the timing chains can break and cost a fortune to replace and they tend to wear more quickly than the ZETEC E.  Also, less after market parts are available for the engine like twin carbs/TBs manifolds.

 

You can also buy a bell housing to fit the Puma ZETEC SE VCT to a RWD gearbox.  I think a Mk 1/2 Escort fitted with this engine would be fantastic, but I haven't seen any, yet..........

 

The ZETEC and the new Duratec are becoming increasingly more popular with kit car owners.  This means we can all shop around for the best prices and parts should remain available for a long time at sensible prices.