Asking on behalf of a friend with a mk5 escort 130bhp xr3i

He wants to know if it is safe to run a decompression plate,only looking for 200bhp

whats the pro's and con's of a decompresion plate?

Thanks for any advice

 

The ONLY major con with a decomp plate (if it's designed and fitted properly) is the standard cast pistons... the plate itself need never be a problem at all in itself, but the pistons will always be the weakest point on turbo applications...
A lesser point is that the plate makes for a somewhat less than ideal combustion chamber geometry due a fair proportion of the chamber then being in the top of the cylinder in effect - all squish effect is essentially lost.
But it's horses for courses (and piggy banks ), for 200 bhp (14-15psi boost) on a 130 base engine, there's no reason the plate method will not work quite adequately; just give due consideration to the thermal limits of the pistons, so don't go flat out, racing the world and his wife at 140 all day or it WILL melt.

 

cheers for the info mate.

Does anyone make low comp pistons for the 1800,only ever seen em advertised for the 2.0's

 

Burtons!!

 

Looked in the catalogue and i can only see em for 2.0's unless im being blind

 

burtons WILL do accralite pistons for the 1.8 prob circa £500 with rings and pins
no need for the decomp plate then

 

just checked there on the web site..
under engine components
pistons-forged
zetec e
£100 each+ vat