FRP Duratec Turbo Project!

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Ok, so for those that have not seen my puma in its natural habitat, here it is:



It's been at least 2 years since its been on a recovery truck so it must have been feeling a little home sick! I was on the M1 northbound to Leeds, and there was a HUGE white cloud behind me. It seems that the head gasket around cylinder number 4 decided the grass was greener on the other side so abandoned ship. Cylinder 4 full of coolant :oops:

I removed the plugs and they also look like they are holding a white flag begging for mercy :

On has the ceramic completely missing, the other is half missing!

So if anyone has any ideas of a good spark plug and head gasket combo that can take 550hp,I'm open to suggestions. The head gasket is cometic and the spark plugs are denso iridium it16
 
Hi Errol
Try SBD, they do a lot of work on Duratecs and if it results in a sale of a gasket for them they might offer some good advice.
Barry
 
:cry: unfortunately so mate, it could be as simple as a head gasket, but I had a horrible feeling this morning that perhaps the bore liner could have split :? I was warned not to push the engine too far, but me being the idiot that I am, I may have just pushed too hard. I made a few more modifications and the mid range was so much stronger, too strong perhaps. I'm sure Ian Howells duratec had the corner split off the block at around 450hp?? My software estimated figures were more then 100hp above that so I may have found the limit to the duratec engine! I will remove the head as soon as I get a chance, meanwhile when I get home tonight I'll get my snake can down the bore and see if I can see any cylinder wall damage.
 
look at cossies for plugs. They seem to be able to find plugs for that kind of power level and running conditions. Cant imagine they will last long whatever you find though - you arent on 123bhp any more!!
 
Thanks guys, but it think im going to need something a tad stronger then plugs and uprated gaskets. The good news is that the ARP bolts and cometic gasket seem to have held up just fine. I havent taken the head off yet but i think i may have found the issue :oops:





I got my borescope out and had a look in the cylinders, and if im not mistaken, thats a HUGE crack all the way down the cylinder wall!! :'(

Soooooo, what to do next????? :pose2:
 
Sorry to hear that Errol, I was hoping it was just a gasket etc for you :-( . Good luck with the rebuild, with, perhaps a little less boost.
Barry
 
The crack must be all the way through to the coolant port, that's how the coolant was getting into the cylinder, and how the coolant leaked into the sump.

There isn't another viable ford option for me, the Zetec is a great engine but it's too heavy for what I want, the duratec can't handle the power. I've emailed an enquiry to Darton to see about a set of sleeves, and I've made an equiry with Mazdaspeed in USA, to see if I can get my hands on the thicker block they use in their drag cars with better cooling.

Yes I could just turn the power down, but I just don't want to!!
 
ArtfulHussy said:
[post]355979[/post]
PumaNoob said:
[post]355959[/post]Yes I could just turn the power down, but I just don't want to!!

Never surrender! :crazy:


:lol: That's the spirit mate!!

Ok so I got a reply about the Darton sleeves. Firstly, as the crack is all the way through to the coolant gallery so I'd need a new block anyway. But the price for the Darton sleeves is £1900 plus shipping. So I'm looking at £2k for the work and I'd still have to source another 2.3 block.

But, after doing a little research, it would seem that although the new focus RS has had a lot of development to the head, the block is basically a strengthened version of what I'm running now. So it's possible I can put my head and cams on a focus RS block and still keep my 550hp peak.
 
Sorry to hear this Errol, it's just bad luck. But as we all know it goes with the territory of pushing the limits.

Just before you go down the route of a mk3 frs block, drop me a pm as I'm not sure that they are actually as strong as they claim..

Keep your head up mate it's a top car worth fighting for!
 
PumaNoob said:
[post]355994[/post] But, after doing a little research, it would seem that although the new focus RS has had a lot of development to the head, the block is basically a strengthened version of what I'm running now. So it's possible I can put my head and cams on a focus RS block and still keep my 550hp peak.

Give Mountune a ring.. :lol:

28237313804_fd8560a071_b.jpg
 
It's ok Dal, I know a guy with a new RS, parked next to him at ford fair :lol: He don't know I put a tracker on his car and I'm going around later to 'Borrow' his engine :cool:
 
The scary thing is there were a few Mk3s fitted with trackers at Ford Fair. :'(

I've been under mine since and you hid it very well. :pose2:
 

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