Ford Duratec Installation and Tuning

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Last on November 18 2024

This page is dedicated to the Ford Duratec DHE420 engine and my attempt to install it in the Mk1 Ford Fiesta.

In August 2008 I managed to locate a very low mileage engine (~ 250miles), from a Fiesta ST, and over the next couple of years, installed and overcame all the hurdles required to get it running. During the Duratec conversion, I stayed with the Fiesta ST IB5+ gearbox.

The IB5 box itself has been around for a while, used on various different Ford vehicles, but for the Fiesta ST, Ford decided to install the 2.0 Duratec, and because the Duratec has a different bellhousing design to the other Ford engines (Crossflow/Pinto/Zetec/CVH) Ford had to develop a front wheel drive box to fit the Duratec in the Fiesta ST. So they came up with the IB5+ (Plus). This is basically an IB5 box, but with a different bellhousing, and the starter motor on the front.
The conversion from my previous BC box, to IB5+ wasn't without its own challenges. I had to convert from cable clutch to hydraulic, which involved changing the Rally Design pedal box to a hydraulic one. I also had to invest in new axle-bars. The trilobe joints (or tripod) are different to the ones I used on the Zetec/BC box, so I needed two new axle-bars manufactured to allow me to couple the front wheels to the gearbox.

And previously the Zetec engine and BC box, were supported using the XR2 Mk1 engine cradle. But for the Duratec conversion, I opted to ditch the cradle, and adopt the M-Sport Sporting Trophy engine mounts, that suspend the engine and gearbox on competition mounts. I also had to brace the engine with two adjustable tie-bars, that both fix the rear of the engine to the bulkhead, to prevent any fore/aft movement when accelerating/braking.

In February 2011 I treated the Fiesta to a Quaife Sequential dog engagement gearbox (QBE38Z), which is based on the IB5/IB5+, giving me the ability to use full throttle gearshifts.

My XR2's initial 'Duratec' powered debut was at the Classic Ford at Santa Pod in June 2010, and she also went to Ford Fair at Silverstone in August 2010, and Trax also at Silverstone on September 2010. She was then featured in Fast Ford magazine in December 2010.
The Duratec/MZR engine was designed as a replacement for the Zetec engine and was developed in joint collaboration with Ford and Mazda. The lightweight engine features a cast aluminium reinforced block and main bearing girdle that help reduce vibration and improve overall rigidity. The Duratec is an excellent, affordable building block for high performance use.

Looking on the WWW, there are a fair number of companies involved in tuning and producing parts for the Duratec engine. SBD, Raceline and Dunnell all sell kits and complete engines, and the costs appear to be quite high. But you are paying for quality at the end of the day, so the state of the build is once again down to the size of your wallet. Ford of course also has a large amount of information and parts for the Fiesta Sporting Trophy teams. Performance and upgrade parts have been honed over several years competition, on the tracks and in the forests, and it looks as though the support for the engine and drivetrain is improving all the time.

Pictures of the conversion

(Below) The engine being dismantled of all the parts that aren't really necessary for competition use. I've removed the Air Con compressor, power steering pump etc. I've removed 31 Kilogrammes of parts in total.

August 2008

(Below) The first time I offered up the 2.0 Duratec and IB5+ gearbox in to the Mk1 Fiesta.



This is what the standard Ford ST150 engine mount looks like (FINIS 1343434)



(Below) The M-Sport GpN engine mounting arm, available for the Fiesta Sporting Trophy competitors. This is CNC machined from a block of aluminium, and finished with a tough black anodised coating. M-Sport also supply (at extra cost) the nylon insulator, which replaces the Ford rubber insulator from the standard ST150 mount. To replace the standard insulator, you simply bend out a couple of retaining tags and press it out, and push the replacement item back in its place. Two M6 bolts are then used to hold the replacement insulator in place.

The GpN mounting arm itself bolts more securely to the engine cover, as it uses 3x M8 bolts and 2x M12 bolts (supplied with the GpN arm), whereas the standard arm just uses two M12 bolts.



(Below) The M-Sport Group N gearbox mounting bracket.

October 2008

The M-Sport gearbox mount attached to the gearbox, and my own chassis mounted bracket which I fabricated from 3mm steel plate.

December 2008

I upgraded the Jenvey throttle bodies to a set of Titan roller barrel throttle bodies, with 100mm tapered trumpets. These mount direct to the Duratec head, and as there is no throttle spindle or butterfly inside the body, when on full throttle there is nothing to restrict the air flow in to the head.