MK4 xr3i had 105 BHP... later in MK5 there where 1.8 zetec engines with the same BHP? So what was the point in introducing that new engine?

 

catalytic converters, noise and EGR robbed the zetec. CVH in similar state of tune would be 80ish?

130 spec zetec put in a mk4 with mk4 emissions laws to beat and you'll see 145+bhp easy, and it revs smoother, doesn't leak, and won't start tapping 3 weeks after you bought it.

 

1.6 CVH was available from ~70 hp up to 132, N/A up to 115 hp, 1.8 Zetec was available N/A 105 - 130 hp. It has more potential, but as mentioned, it could do better...

 

The ZETEC was supposed to be a lean burn carb engine but a last minute EU law change forced it to go EFI. Ford rushed the development of the EFI and the engines are slightly low powered as standard. But give me a 105 bhp ZETEC over a 105 bhp CVH any day, there is more to an engine than bhp.

Take the 130 PS spec 1.8 ZETEC and add Twin 40m TBs and you have 160 bhp.
Take any spec CVH add Twin 40m TBs and you have 120 bhp max.

 

At the moment I was thinking to use one of these engines in my MK4 cabrio... and as I looked to the BHP figures and costs of parts for the engine I was thinking of going 1.6 CVH way as I have plenty of spares from my old MFI and carb CVH engines... and the rebuild of the engine would cost less as there is only one cam and twice as less of all the other bits like falowers etc.

So what would be your choise? CVH bolts on easier and I could get the engine with everything needed for say 70 GBP... other way is to get MK5-6 wth 1.8 zetec (105) and swap everything without all the emission stuff for lets say 120 GBP, but with burning oil effect...
What would you do if you where in my place? Also I'm in some economy for everyday driving to work, so I quess 1.6 would eat less?
I could live with thouse leaks if that's the only problem...

 

cvh anyday,ive had mk2 xr2's for 10 years and have never had engine trouble,cheap,reliable,currently got an xr2 RR at 128bhp,on single carb,stg2 head,but its your car yourt choice,everyone i know whos gone zetec spends more time fixing than driving,i know what id do

 

Thats coz most people bodge it. Change the oil (using the correct oil helps a lot!!!!) every 10k and the ZETEC will go for 150k+

Find a 130 bhp spec ZETEC and you can ne sorted for about Ł150. The fuel you will save alone over a CVH will soon pay for it.

 

ive always had cvhs and now i have a zetec in my orion

2 litre with a few mods,i would never go back,its taken 10k of hard abuse over the past year and has never caused me a problem,and it also does good mpg,lol

 

I was gona post but thats basically the exact opposite of my personal experience. So I'll leave it at that. lol.

 

thinking of putting a zetec in my xr3i efi

what would be best way to do this, just zetec bottom end? full zetec block?

Cheers

 

full zetec engine and management.

 

Sexr31 - your on XROC aren't you, have you got a thread on your conversion?

 

yes mate, there's loads on there. do a search for zetec conversion.

 

i Have a 1.6 L Mk4 with CVH , whats the best Carbs to put on? 40DCOE , 45 DCOE ect. ? ty

 

I don't know between them two but have you thought of bike carbs?

 

1.8cvh man...
i did it.
1.8 sierra lump, long throw on the crank and slightly taller block
fat helping of silicone on the xr sump to fit 1.8
xr head, ported/polished, standard cam, holes redrilled to fit 1.8 bolts, heavy skim for compression
reworked xr3 exhaust man
reworked xr3 inlet man
turbotechnics carb and mech pump, although not running forced induction
xr2 ignition advance with the dizzy
lightened resurfaced flywheel
i reworked my conrods and pistons myself removing about 2oz of metal on each one and improving piston lubrication. good digi scales are needed
rebored to 1.82
so its all lightened and balanced and bored out and gas flowed except the cams and sicko fuel setup and this only set me back a few hundred quid in total
quite confident i had 140hp maybe a bit more but it had lots more torque
the longer throw crank made it an under square design so its better at making torque than horses. also 8v is less drag than that of a zetec so makes good power even when its not being caned. good milage can be achieved this way too.
i used to launch in second gear like it was first gear and get squeaks out of third in the dry. 60 came up in one hit without a gear change. about 5 to 6secs and thats without a good cam. i was maxing out at 130mph
nobody believes me but i''l tell you anyway... i got 75miles to the gallon going to yorkshire.
im sure if i sorted th fuelling out properly i could have gotten 160hp all for the price of itb's on a standard engine.
or if a turbo and intercooler was fitted it not unreasonable to expect 200hp.
but - from reading quarter mile times the most effective was around 150hp. the high power turbos had traction issues to 60
go cvh all the way mate theyre a very simple and yet effective design and theres so much stuff available for them. remember theres less bits to go wrong on cvh.
a zetec has many of the attributes of a cossie engine but it just isnt as good so why bother with it. the standard stuff goes really well if its worked on

 

also later on i fitted solid lifters to rev it to bits.
it was good but it shredded the just-run-in standard big ends. so i fitted some high performance ones and it handled 8000rpm a few times. i was worried about poor oil supply at this speed but it took it. never got a high speed run like this but cant imagine it would be any different