Ford Kent engine
Encyclopedia
The Ford Kent is an internal combustion engine
from Ford of Europe
. Originally developed in 1959 for the Ford Anglia
, it is an in-line four-cylinder
engine with a cast-iron cylinder head and block.
Kent engine appeared in the 1959 Anglia
with a capacity of 996.95 cc developing 39 bhp at 5,000 rpm. With an 80.96 mm (3.1875 in) bore and 48.41 mm (1.906 in) stroke, it was a departure from traditional undersquare English engine design.
The same engine, its bore unchanged, but with a longer stroke and thus larger capacity was subsequently used in the Ford Classic
and Consul Capri (1340 cc and 1500 cc), the Mk1 and early Mk2 Cortina
s (1200 cc, 1300 cc and 1500 cc), and the early Corsair
s.
In addition to its 'over-square' cylinder dimensions, a further unusual feature of the Kent engine at its introduction was an externally mounted combined oil filter/pump unit designed to facilitate efficient low-cost production.
The engine is now referred to as the pre-crossflow Kent, with both the inlet and exhaust being on the same side of the head.
Applications:
from Ford's Dagenham
plant in the English county of Kent
.
and Ford Consul Capri at 1340 cc. It was in this form that the Kent was noticed by Colin Chapman
of Lotus Cars
. Lotus needed a compact engine for the new for 1962 Lotus Elan
, and Chapman adopted the Kent block.
Whilst the 1340 engine, which used the original 109E 3-bearing block, may have initiated Lotus' interest, this was never used in production Elans though prototype 1340 twin-cams were built. By the time the car was on the market, the 116E 5-bearing engine destined for the Cortina was available, and this was the one used. The very first Elans – the "Elan 1500" used the 116E block with standard cylinder dimensions, soon changing to the "Elan 1600" when the cylinders were overbored to give 1558 cc. For the first years of production, the Lotus blocks were simply selected for the thickest cylinder walls from the standard production line, and identified with an "A" stamped into the timing cover mating face. Later, the blocks were specially cast with twin-cam production in mind and identified with an "L" cast into the block under the engine mount. By 1966 all major engine parts: block, crank, rods pistons and flywheel were unique to the Lotus engine. By the end of production some 55,000 twin-cam engines had been built.
Harry Mundy
, technical editor for Autocar
magazine, designed the aluminium DOHC hemi head for the Kent. Chapman called his engine the Lotus TwinCam. It was bored to 1558 cc and produced 105 hp (78 kW). Exact dimensions were 3.25 in (82.55 mm) bore by 2.9 in (72.746 mm) stroke. Later versions produced from 115 to 190 hp.
The same engine was used in the 1963 Lotus Cortina
, and 15 were installed in the last production Lotus Seven
s. It was also used in the Type 47 Lotus Europa
race car, and Ford Escort Twin Cams.
The naming of twin-cam–engined Cortinas needs care. Only the first production cars were actually "Lotus Cortinas" and these were assembled at Cheshunt. After the first year, the cars became the "Cortina Lotus" and were Ford assembled. The Mk2 version was the "Cortina Twin Cam".
Applications:
and Ford Capri
, the first and second editions of the European Escort as well as the North American Ford Pinto
(1971, 1972 and 1973 only). In South Africa it also powered the 1.6l Mk II, Mk III, Mk IV, & Mk V Ford Cortina
and 1.6l Ford Sierra
. It also featured in the Fiesta XR2, with the US 1600 bottom end and GT spec head and cam.
The Crossflow featured a change in combustion chamber design, using a Heron type combustion chamber in the top of the piston rather than the head. The head itself was flat with each engine capacity (1100, 1300 and 1600) featuring different pistons with different sized bowls.
The Ford Crossflow engine (1300 cc and 1600 cc) also powered the Reliant Anadol
(1968–1984).
TVR
used the engine in the Grantura
, Vixen
, and 1600M
.
. The ancillaries were repositioned and the cylinder head redesigned using flat-top pistons and the traditional combustion chamber in the head. This version of the Kent was known as the Valencia engine, after the Spanish production plant in which it was made. It was available in 1.0, 1.1 and 1.3 versions with the 1.3 having a 5 main bearing crank. It would later see service in the third and fourth generation Ford Escort. The cylinder heads and pistons were modified in 1986 for unleaded fuel and the cams changed to meet the new European emissions standards along with the addition of electronic ignition.
Destined for the American market, beginning with the 1977 model year, the Valencia plant began manufacturing a 1.6L, 63BHP, 5 main bearing version that included a low emission bowl-in-pistons combustion chamber design and was equipped with a Dura-Spark electronic ignition. This version was used in the short-lived 1977-80 USA Mk1 Fiesta.
. The engine was renamed the Ford HCS (High Compression Swirl). It first appeared on the Ford Escort, and on the third generation Ford Fiesta
.
. This edition of the Kent was known as the Endura-E, and featured many revisions to combat noise and harshness. This engine would also feature in the Ford Ka
and the 1.3 Ford Escort.
This type of engine still has tappet noise even after adjustment. This noise is said to come from the cams due to incorrect valve setup (when setting valve clearance each cylinder must be set to TDC) or from age and use of incorrect oil grade the correct oil grade is 5w-30 semi synthetic oil.
Despite Ford's engines being well regarded for their ease of service, the Endura-E has a very awkward placing for its oil filter, which is quite high up, at the back of the engine and facing from left to right rather than pointing downwards or out – meaning it is very difficult to access from underneath the car (without a mechanic's ramp), and despite being very short, the can-type oil filter still manages to protrude past the tip of the adjacent starter motor, meaning it is very difficult to remove using chain-type grips.
of Brazil
developed a cheaper version of the Zetec-SE engine, to compete with the classic Volkswagen EA827 engine series also known as AP (from "Alta Performance", or "High Performance", in English) engine in Brazil. It is 8v SOHC instead of 16v DOHC and its body is made of iron instead of aluminum. Also, its camshaft is driven by a chain instead of a belt. As a result this engine exhibits rougher behaviour, producing more vibration and noise.
On the other hand, it has a superb torque output thanks to the addition of the RoCam (Rollifinger Camshaft) feature. It's also a much smaller engine than the SE version, which allowed it to be installed on the Ford Ka
, replacing the Endura-E engine which by that time was considered underpowered and outdated.
The engine also featured a new patented process for the aluminum head
production, which resulted in a better alloy than those produced in Spain and UK, and at a lower production cost.
In 2002 a supercharged
1.0 litre (94 hp; 95 PS) version was released for the Ford Fiesta
, to compete with the 1.0 Turbo 16v (111 hp; 112 PS) version of the VW Gol
.
In 2003 the Zetec RoCam engine was introduced in Europe, but labeled as Duratec 8v, for the SportKa, StreetKa and Fiesta. Later a 1.3 litre version was also released as an option for the standard model, but the European versions of the engine are produced in the South Africa plant.
In October/2004 a newer bi-fuel version was introduced labeled "1.6L Flex", capable of running on both petrol and ethanol, even mixed at any proportion. This version also featured a high compression ratio (11.8:1) and "Compound High Turbulence" chambers, as used on the CHT engine
.
Currently, this engine powers nearly all Brazilian Ford
models – except those with 2.0 litre engines – in many different variants:
1.6 L (1596 or 1597 cc/97 cu in) applications:
auto racing
. In Europe, Formula Ford switched to the Zetec, but American Formula Ford continues to be Kent-powered until 2010; SCCA has approved the Honda L15A i-VTEC to be used for Formula F.
The Kent engine has also been used by other makes such as Morgan
, Caterham
, and Lotus
.
The arrival of the Duratec-E engine in the fifth generation Fiesta range has finally signalled the end of the road for the Kent engine after a 44 year career, although it is still in production as a general use engine by Ford's Industrial Power division.
On 16 October 2009, Ford announced that it will be putting the Kent block back into production in order to supply the vintage racing community with spares. According to a Ford press-release, engineering work has already begun at Ford Racing's Performance Parts division in the USA, with sales scheduled to start in 2010. Link to Kent block in Ford Motorsports Parts online catalog
tucked at the back of the engine beneath the inlet manifold made it an ideal candidate for attracting moisture and condensation with the obvious effects in damp weather. The arrival of electronic ignition in 1986 put an end to these problems.
Harry Mundy, who designed the twin-cam development of the engine for Lotus, was offered the choice of payment for his work of £1000 cash or a royalty of £1 per unit. Knowing Colin Chapman
's reputation in financial matters and the fact that he'd never made 1000 of anything, he took the cash. The twin cam went on to 55,000 units.
The Ford diesel engines "Endura-DE and Endura DI" bear no similarities to the petrol namesake. However Ford did produce a diesel HCS engine. These engines are notoriously underpowered.
Internal combustion engine
The internal combustion engine is an engine in which the combustion of a fuel occurs with an oxidizer in a combustion chamber. In an internal combustion engine, the expansion of the high-temperature and high -pressure gases produced by combustion apply direct force to some component of the engine...
from Ford of Europe
Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...
. Originally developed in 1959 for the Ford Anglia
Ford Anglia
The 1949 model, code E494A, was a makeover of the previous model with a rather more 1940s style front-end, including the sloped, twin-lobed radiator grille. Again it was a very spartan vehicle and in 1948 was Britain's lowest priced four wheel car....
, it is an in-line four-cylinder
Straight-4
The inline-four engine or straight-four engine is an internal combustion engine with all four cylinders mounted in a straight line, or plane along the crankcase. The single bank of cylinders may be oriented in either a vertical or an inclined plane with all the pistons driving a common crankshaft....
engine with a cast-iron cylinder head and block.
Pre-Crossflow
The original OHVOverhead valve
An overhead valve engine, also informally called pushrod engine or I-head engine, is a type of piston engine that places the camshaft within the cylinder block , and uses pushrods or rods to actuate rocker arms above the cylinder...
Kent engine appeared in the 1959 Anglia
Ford Anglia
The 1949 model, code E494A, was a makeover of the previous model with a rather more 1940s style front-end, including the sloped, twin-lobed radiator grille. Again it was a very spartan vehicle and in 1948 was Britain's lowest priced four wheel car....
with a capacity of 996.95 cc developing 39 bhp at 5,000 rpm. With an 80.96 mm (3.1875 in) bore and 48.41 mm (1.906 in) stroke, it was a departure from traditional undersquare English engine design.
The same engine, its bore unchanged, but with a longer stroke and thus larger capacity was subsequently used in the Ford Classic
Ford Classic
The Ford Consul Classic or 'Consul 315' was a mid-sized car built by Ford in the UK from 1961 to 1963. Available with two or four doors, in Standard or De Luxe versions, with floor or column gearshift. It is commonly referred to as the Ford 109E , though four such codes are possible as explained...
and Consul Capri (1340 cc and 1500 cc), the Mk1 and early Mk2 Cortina
Ford Cortina
As the 1960s dawned, BMC were revelling in the success of their new Mini – the first successful true minicar to be built in Britain in the postwar era...
s (1200 cc, 1300 cc and 1500 cc), and the early Corsair
Ford Corsair
The Ford Consul Corsair, manufactured by Ford Motor Company in the United Kingdom, was a midsize car introduced at the London Motor Show in October 1963 and available as either a saloon or estate from 1964 until 1970...
s.
In addition to its 'over-square' cylinder dimensions, a further unusual feature of the Kent engine at its introduction was an externally mounted combined oil filter/pump unit designed to facilitate efficient low-cost production.
The engine is now referred to as the pre-crossflow Kent, with both the inlet and exhaust being on the same side of the head.
Applications:
- Ford AngliaFord AngliaThe 1949 model, code E494A, was a makeover of the previous model with a rather more 1940s style front-end, including the sloped, twin-lobed radiator grille. Again it was a very spartan vehicle and in 1948 was Britain's lowest priced four wheel car....
- Ford CortinaFord CortinaAs the 1960s dawned, BMC were revelling in the success of their new Mini – the first successful true minicar to be built in Britain in the postwar era...
- Ford ClassicFord ClassicThe Ford Consul Classic or 'Consul 315' was a mid-sized car built by Ford in the UK from 1961 to 1963. Available with two or four doors, in Standard or De Luxe versions, with floor or column gearshift. It is commonly referred to as the Ford 109E , though four such codes are possible as explained...
- Ford CorsairFord CorsairThe Ford Consul Corsair, manufactured by Ford Motor Company in the United Kingdom, was a midsize car introduced at the London Motor Show in October 1963 and available as either a saloon or estate from 1964 until 1970...
- 107E Ford PrefectFord Prefect (car)The Ford Prefect is a line of British cars produced by the UK section of the Ford Motor Company, and a more upmarket version of its direct siblings the Ford Popular and Ford Anglia. It was introduced in October 1938 and remained in production until 1941; returning to the market in 1945, it was...
- OtosanOtosanOtosan is a Turkish automotive production company, which is a joint venture between Ford Motor Company and Koç Holding...
AnadolAnadolAnadol was Turkey's first domestic mass-production passenger vehicle, and the second Turkish car after the ill-fated Devrim sedan of 1961.Anadol cars and pick-ups were manufactured by Otosan Otomobil Sanayii in Istanbul between 1966 and 1991....
1.2L – 1.3L (1966–1984)
The name
Subsequent to its introduction the engine became known as the Kent engine because Alan Worters, the company's Executive Engineer (Power Units), lived across the riverRiver Thames
The River Thames flows through southern England. It is the longest river entirely in England and the second longest in the United Kingdom. While it is best known because its lower reaches flow through central London, the river flows alongside several other towns and cities, including Oxford,...
from Ford's Dagenham
Dagenham
Dagenham is a large suburb in East London, forming the eastern part of the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham and located east of Charing Cross. It was historically an agrarian village in the county of Essex and remained mostly undeveloped until 1921 when the London County Council began...
plant in the English county of Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
.
Lotus
The Kent was also used in the Ford ClassicFord Classic
The Ford Consul Classic or 'Consul 315' was a mid-sized car built by Ford in the UK from 1961 to 1963. Available with two or four doors, in Standard or De Luxe versions, with floor or column gearshift. It is commonly referred to as the Ford 109E , though four such codes are possible as explained...
and Ford Consul Capri at 1340 cc. It was in this form that the Kent was noticed by Colin Chapman
Colin Chapman
Anthony Colin Bruce Chapman CBE was an influential British designer, inventor, and builder in the automotive industry, and founder of Lotus Cars....
of Lotus Cars
Lotus Cars
Lotus Cars is a British manufacturer of sports and racing cars based at the former site of RAF Hethel, a World War II airfield in Norfolk. The company designs and builds race and production automobiles of light weight and fine handling characteristics...
. Lotus needed a compact engine for the new for 1962 Lotus Elan
Lotus Elan
Lotus Elan is the name of two convertible cars and one fixed head coupé produced by Lotus Cars. The original Type 26, 26R Racing version , 36R Racing version , 36 Fixed Head Coupe, 45 Drop Head Coupe, and the "Type 50" +2 Coupe, circa 1962 to 1975, are commonly known as the '60s Elans...
, and Chapman adopted the Kent block.
Whilst the 1340 engine, which used the original 109E 3-bearing block, may have initiated Lotus' interest, this was never used in production Elans though prototype 1340 twin-cams were built. By the time the car was on the market, the 116E 5-bearing engine destined for the Cortina was available, and this was the one used. The very first Elans – the "Elan 1500" used the 116E block with standard cylinder dimensions, soon changing to the "Elan 1600" when the cylinders were overbored to give 1558 cc. For the first years of production, the Lotus blocks were simply selected for the thickest cylinder walls from the standard production line, and identified with an "A" stamped into the timing cover mating face. Later, the blocks were specially cast with twin-cam production in mind and identified with an "L" cast into the block under the engine mount. By 1966 all major engine parts: block, crank, rods pistons and flywheel were unique to the Lotus engine. By the end of production some 55,000 twin-cam engines had been built.
Harry Mundy
Harry Mundy
Harry Mundy was a British car engine designer and motoring magazine editor.He was educated at King Henry VIII School in Coventry and went on to serve his apprenticeship with Alvis. He left them in 1936 to join English Racing Automobiles in Bourne, Lincolnshire as a draughtsman...
, technical editor for Autocar
Autocar
Autocar is a weekly British automobile magazine published by Haymarket Motoring Publications Ltd. It refers to itself as "The World's oldest car magazine".-History:...
magazine, designed the aluminium DOHC hemi head for the Kent. Chapman called his engine the Lotus TwinCam. It was bored to 1558 cc and produced 105 hp (78 kW). Exact dimensions were 3.25 in (82.55 mm) bore by 2.9 in (72.746 mm) stroke. Later versions produced from 115 to 190 hp.
The same engine was used in the 1963 Lotus Cortina
Lotus Cortina
The Lotus-Cortina is a high-performance car, which was produced in the United Kingdom from 1963 to 1970 by the Ford in collaboration with Lotus Cars. The original version, which was based on the Ford Cortina Mark 1, was promoted by Ford as the "Consul Cortina developed by Lotus", with "Consul"...
, and 15 were installed in the last production Lotus Seven
Lotus Seven
The Lotus Seven is a small, simple, lightweight two-seater open-top sports car produced by Lotus Cars between 1957 and 1972....
s. It was also used in the Type 47 Lotus Europa
Lotus Europa
The Lotus Europa was a two door mid-engined GT coupé built by Lotus Cars from 1966 to 1975. In 2006 Lotus began production of a totally new, Lotus Elise-derived design, a mid-engined GT coupé named Europa S....
race car, and Ford Escort Twin Cams.
The naming of twin-cam–engined Cortinas needs care. Only the first production cars were actually "Lotus Cortinas" and these were assembled at Cheshunt. After the first year, the cars became the "Cortina Lotus" and were Ford assembled. The Mk2 version was the "Cortina Twin Cam".
Applications:
- 1962–1974 Lotus ElanLotus ElanLotus Elan is the name of two convertible cars and one fixed head coupé produced by Lotus Cars. The original Type 26, 26R Racing version , 36R Racing version , 36 Fixed Head Coupe, 45 Drop Head Coupe, and the "Type 50" +2 Coupe, circa 1962 to 1975, are commonly known as the '60s Elans...
- 1963–1964 Lotus CortinaLotus CortinaThe Lotus-Cortina is a high-performance car, which was produced in the United Kingdom from 1963 to 1970 by the Ford in collaboration with Lotus Cars. The original version, which was based on the Ford Cortina Mark 1, was promoted by Ford as the "Consul Cortina developed by Lotus", with "Consul"...
- 1964–1966 Cortina-Lotus
- 1967–1970 Cortina Twin Cam
- 1968–1970 Ford Escort Twin Cam
- 1968–present Formula FordFormula FordFormula Ford is a single seater, open wheel class in motorsport which exists in some form in many countries around the world. It is an entry-level series to motor racing....
motor racing - 1972–1975 Lotus EuropaLotus EuropaThe Lotus Europa was a two door mid-engined GT coupé built by Lotus Cars from 1966 to 1975. In 2006 Lotus began production of a totally new, Lotus Elise-derived design, a mid-engined GT coupé named Europa S....
Type 74 - 1973–1974 Caterham Super SevenCaterham SevenThe Caterham Seven is a super-lightweight sports car produced by Caterham Cars in the United Kingdom. It is based on the Lotus Seven, a lightweight sports car sold in kit and factory-built form by Lotus Cars, from the late 1950s to the early 1970s...
Crossflow
A redesign gave it a cross-flow type cylinder head, hence the Kent's alternative name Ford Crossflow. It would go on to power the smaller-engined versions of the Ford CortinaFord Cortina
As the 1960s dawned, BMC were revelling in the success of their new Mini – the first successful true minicar to be built in Britain in the postwar era...
and Ford Capri
Ford Capri
Ford Capri was a name used by the Ford Motor Company for three different automobile models. The Ford Consul Capri coupé was produced by Ford of Britain between 1961 and 1964. The Ford Capri coupé was produced by Ford of Europe from 1969 to 1986...
, the first and second editions of the European Escort as well as the North American Ford Pinto
Ford Pinto
The Ford Pinto is a subcompact car produced by the Ford Motor Company for the model years 1971–1980. The car's name derives from the Pinto horse. Initially offered as a two-door sedan, Ford offered "Runabout" hatchback and wagon models the following year, competing in the U.S. market with the AMC...
(1971, 1972 and 1973 only). In South Africa it also powered the 1.6l Mk II, Mk III, Mk IV, & Mk V Ford Cortina
Ford Cortina
As the 1960s dawned, BMC were revelling in the success of their new Mini – the first successful true minicar to be built in Britain in the postwar era...
and 1.6l Ford Sierra
Ford Sierra
The Ford Sierra is a large family car that was built by Ford Europe from 1982 until 1993. It was designed by Uwe Bahnsen, Robert Lutz and Patrick le Quément. The code used during development was "Project Toni"....
. It also featured in the Fiesta XR2, with the US 1600 bottom end and GT spec head and cam.
The Crossflow featured a change in combustion chamber design, using a Heron type combustion chamber in the top of the piston rather than the head. The head itself was flat with each engine capacity (1100, 1300 and 1600) featuring different pistons with different sized bowls.
The Ford Crossflow engine (1300 cc and 1600 cc) also powered the Reliant Anadol
Anadol
Anadol was Turkey's first domestic mass-production passenger vehicle, and the second Turkish car after the ill-fated Devrim sedan of 1961.Anadol cars and pick-ups were manufactured by Otosan Otomobil Sanayii in Istanbul between 1966 and 1991....
(1968–1984).
TVR
TVR
thumb|right|240px|TVR No.2, the oldest surviving TVR, located at [[Lakeland Motor Museum, Newby Bridge, Cumbria]]TVR was an independent British manufacturer of sports cars. Until 2006 it was based in the English seaside town of Blackpool, Lancashire, but has since split up into several smaller...
used the engine in the Grantura
TVR Grantura
The first of the Granturas used a fibreglass body moulded to a tubular steel backbone chassis and VW Beetle-based front and rear suspension. The car was designed around a 1,098 cc Coventry Climax type FWA engine but many different makes were fitted from 1,172 cc Ford side valve to...
, Vixen
TVR Vixen
The TVR Vixen is a hand-built sports car which was designed and built by TVR in Blackpool, England from 1967 until 1973. Ford-engined, it succeeded the MGB-engined TVR Grantura 1800S.-Design:...
, and 1600M
TVR M Series
The TVR M Series is a series of sports cars built by automaker TVR between 1972 and 1979. The series replaced the outgoing TVR Vixen and Tuscan models, and is characterized by a common chassis and shared body style. As with other TVR models before and since, the M Series cars used a front...
.
Valencia
The engine was revised to suit front wheel drive installation in 1976, coinciding with the launch of the Ford FiestaFord Fiesta
The Ford Fiesta is a front wheel drive supermini/subcompact manufactured and marketed by Ford Motor Company and built in Europe, Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, Venezuela, China, India, Thailand and South Africa...
. The ancillaries were repositioned and the cylinder head redesigned using flat-top pistons and the traditional combustion chamber in the head. This version of the Kent was known as the Valencia engine, after the Spanish production plant in which it was made. It was available in 1.0, 1.1 and 1.3 versions with the 1.3 having a 5 main bearing crank. It would later see service in the third and fourth generation Ford Escort. The cylinder heads and pistons were modified in 1986 for unleaded fuel and the cams changed to meet the new European emissions standards along with the addition of electronic ignition.
Destined for the American market, beginning with the 1977 model year, the Valencia plant began manufacturing a 1.6L, 63BHP, 5 main bearing version that included a low emission bowl-in-pistons combustion chamber design and was equipped with a Dura-Spark electronic ignition. This version was used in the short-lived 1977-80 USA Mk1 Fiesta.
HCS
In 1989 the engine was revised once again to meet with tightening European emissions legislation. The redesign included an all-new cylinder head with reshaped combustion chambers and inlet ports, and a fully electronic distributorless ignition systemFord EDIS
The Ford EDIS or Electronic Distributorless Ignition System is a computer-controlled ignition system developed by Ford that uses an ignition coil for each pair of cylinders...
. The engine was renamed the Ford HCS (High Compression Swirl). It first appeared on the Ford Escort, and on the third generation Ford Fiesta
Ford Fiesta
The Ford Fiesta is a front wheel drive supermini/subcompact manufactured and marketed by Ford Motor Company and built in Europe, Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, Venezuela, China, India, Thailand and South Africa...
.
Endura-E
The final redesign came in 1995, with the launch of the fourth-generation Ford FiestaFord Fiesta
The Ford Fiesta is a front wheel drive supermini/subcompact manufactured and marketed by Ford Motor Company and built in Europe, Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, Venezuela, China, India, Thailand and South Africa...
. This edition of the Kent was known as the Endura-E, and featured many revisions to combat noise and harshness. This engine would also feature in the Ford Ka
Ford Ka
The Ford Ka is a city car from the Ford Motor Company marketed in Europe and elsewhere.The current European version is produced by Fiat Auto in Tychy, Poland, while the model sold in Latin America is built in Brazil and Argentina....
and the 1.3 Ford Escort.
This type of engine still has tappet noise even after adjustment. This noise is said to come from the cams due to incorrect valve setup (when setting valve clearance each cylinder must be set to TDC) or from age and use of incorrect oil grade the correct oil grade is 5w-30 semi synthetic oil.
Despite Ford's engines being well regarded for their ease of service, the Endura-E has a very awkward placing for its oil filter, which is quite high up, at the back of the engine and facing from left to right rather than pointing downwards or out – meaning it is very difficult to access from underneath the car (without a mechanic's ramp), and despite being very short, the can-type oil filter still manages to protrude past the tip of the adjacent starter motor, meaning it is very difficult to remove using chain-type grips.
Zetec RoCam
In 2000, FordFord Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...
of Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
developed a cheaper version of the Zetec-SE engine, to compete with the classic Volkswagen EA827 engine series also known as AP (from "Alta Performance", or "High Performance", in English) engine in Brazil. It is 8v SOHC instead of 16v DOHC and its body is made of iron instead of aluminum. Also, its camshaft is driven by a chain instead of a belt. As a result this engine exhibits rougher behaviour, producing more vibration and noise.
On the other hand, it has a superb torque output thanks to the addition of the RoCam (Rollifinger Camshaft) feature. It's also a much smaller engine than the SE version, which allowed it to be installed on the Ford Ka
Ford Ka
The Ford Ka is a city car from the Ford Motor Company marketed in Europe and elsewhere.The current European version is produced by Fiat Auto in Tychy, Poland, while the model sold in Latin America is built in Brazil and Argentina....
, replacing the Endura-E engine which by that time was considered underpowered and outdated.
The engine also featured a new patented process for the aluminum head
Cylinder head
In an internal combustion engine, the cylinder head sits above the cylinders on top of the cylinder block. It closes in the top of the cylinder, forming the combustion chamber. This joint is sealed by a head gasket...
production, which resulted in a better alloy than those produced in Spain and UK, and at a lower production cost.
In 2002 a supercharged
Supercharger
A supercharger is an air compressor used for forced induction of an internal combustion engine.The greater mass flow-rate provides more oxygen to support combustion than would be available in a naturally aspirated engine, which allows more fuel to be burned and more work to be done per cycle,...
1.0 litre (94 hp; 95 PS) version was released for the Ford Fiesta
Ford Fiesta
The Ford Fiesta is a front wheel drive supermini/subcompact manufactured and marketed by Ford Motor Company and built in Europe, Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, Venezuela, China, India, Thailand and South Africa...
, to compete with the 1.0 Turbo 16v (111 hp; 112 PS) version of the VW Gol
Volkswagen Gol
The Volkswagen Gol is a subcompact car manufactured by Volkswagen do Brasil since 1980 as Volkswagen's entry-level car in the South American market—where it succeeded the South American VW Beetle ...
.
In 2003 the Zetec RoCam engine was introduced in Europe, but labeled as Duratec 8v, for the SportKa, StreetKa and Fiesta. Later a 1.3 litre version was also released as an option for the standard model, but the European versions of the engine are produced in the South Africa plant.
In October/2004 a newer bi-fuel version was introduced labeled "1.6L Flex", capable of running on both petrol and ethanol, even mixed at any proportion. This version also featured a high compression ratio (11.8:1) and "Compound High Turbulence" chambers, as used on the CHT engine
Ford CHT engine
The letters CHT denote a particular type of 4-cylinder internal combustion engine produced by the Ford Motor Company in Brazil during the 1980s. It is a completely different engine from the CVH engine and should not be mistaken with it...
.
Currently, this engine powers nearly all Brazilian Ford
Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...
models – except those with 2.0 litre engines – in many different variants:
- 68/72 hp 1.3L Flex (Ford KaFord KaThe Ford Ka is a city car from the Ford Motor Company marketed in Europe and elsewhere.The current European version is produced by Fiat Auto in Tychy, Poland, while the model sold in Latin America is built in Brazil and Argentina....
) - 101/106 hp 1.6L Flex (Ford KaFord KaThe Ford Ka is a city car from the Ford Motor Company marketed in Europe and elsewhere.The current European version is produced by Fiat Auto in Tychy, Poland, while the model sold in Latin America is built in Brazil and Argentina....
) - 65/68 hp 1.0L Flex (Ford FiestaFord FiestaThe Ford Fiesta is a front wheel drive supermini/subcompact manufactured and marketed by Ford Motor Company and built in Europe, Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, Venezuela, China, India, Thailand and South Africa...
) - 105/111 hp 1.6L Flex (Ford FiestaFord FiestaThe Ford Fiesta is a front wheel drive supermini/subcompact manufactured and marketed by Ford Motor Company and built in Europe, Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, Venezuela, China, India, Thailand and South Africa...
/ Fiesta Sedan), (Ford Focus), Ford EcoSportFord EcoSportThe Ford EcoSport is a mini SUV designed by the Ford-US Truck Vehicle Center and built in Brazil by Ford. The EcoSport is one of Ford's best-seller models in Brazil, Argentina, Venezuela and Mexico...
)
Applications
1.3 L Endura(1299 cc/79 cu in) applications:- –present Latin America Ford KaFord KaThe Ford Ka is a city car from the Ford Motor Company marketed in Europe and elsewhere.The current European version is produced by Fiat Auto in Tychy, Poland, while the model sold in Latin America is built in Brazil and Argentina....
1.3, 60 PS (59 hp/43 kW) and 77 ft·lbf (104 N·m)
1.6 L (1596 or 1597 cc/97 cu in) applications:
- –present Latin America Ford SportsKa 1.6, 95 PS (94 hp/69 kW) and 100 ft·lbf (136 N·m)
- –present Latin America Ford StreetKa 1.6, 95 PS (94 hp/69 kW) and 100 ft·lbf (136 N·m)
Future
The Kent engine and its successors were used as the stock engine in Formula FordFormula Ford
Formula Ford is a single seater, open wheel class in motorsport which exists in some form in many countries around the world. It is an entry-level series to motor racing....
auto racing
Auto racing
Auto racing is a motorsport involving the racing of cars for competition. It is one of the world's most watched televised sports.-The beginning of racing:...
. In Europe, Formula Ford switched to the Zetec, but American Formula Ford continues to be Kent-powered until 2010; SCCA has approved the Honda L15A i-VTEC to be used for Formula F.
The Kent engine has also been used by other makes such as Morgan
Morgan Motor Company
The Morgan Motor Company is a British motor car manufacturer. The company was founded in 1910 by Harry Frederick Stanley Morgan, generally known as "HFS" and was run by him until he died, aged 77, in 1959. Peter Morgan, son of H.F.S., ran the company until a few years before his death in 2003...
, Caterham
Caterham Cars
Caterham Cars is a manufacturer of specialist lightweight sports cars based in Caterham, Surrey, England and part of the British motor industry. Their only current model, the Caterham 7 , is a direct evolution of the Series 3 Lotus Seven designed by Colin Chapman and originally launched in 1968. A...
, and Lotus
Lotus Cars
Lotus Cars is a British manufacturer of sports and racing cars based at the former site of RAF Hethel, a World War II airfield in Norfolk. The company designs and builds race and production automobiles of light weight and fine handling characteristics...
.
The arrival of the Duratec-E engine in the fifth generation Fiesta range has finally signalled the end of the road for the Kent engine after a 44 year career, although it is still in production as a general use engine by Ford's Industrial Power division.
On 16 October 2009, Ford announced that it will be putting the Kent block back into production in order to supply the vintage racing community with spares. According to a Ford press-release, engineering work has already begun at Ford Racing's Performance Parts division in the USA, with sales scheduled to start in 2010. Link to Kent block in Ford Motorsports Parts online catalog
Trivia
The Kent engine was largely responsible for Ford gaining a name in the 1960s and 1970s for producing cars which were reluctant to start in damp weather conditions. The siting of the distributorDistributor
A distributor is a device in the ignition system of an internal combustion engine that routes high voltage from the ignition coil to the spark plugs in the correct firing order. The first reliable battery operated ignition was developed by Dayton Engineering Laboratories Co. and introduced in the...
tucked at the back of the engine beneath the inlet manifold made it an ideal candidate for attracting moisture and condensation with the obvious effects in damp weather. The arrival of electronic ignition in 1986 put an end to these problems.
Harry Mundy, who designed the twin-cam development of the engine for Lotus, was offered the choice of payment for his work of £1000 cash or a royalty of £1 per unit. Knowing Colin Chapman
Colin Chapman
Anthony Colin Bruce Chapman CBE was an influential British designer, inventor, and builder in the automotive industry, and founder of Lotus Cars....
's reputation in financial matters and the fact that he'd never made 1000 of anything, he took the cash. The twin cam went on to 55,000 units.
The Ford diesel engines "Endura-DE and Endura DI" bear no similarities to the petrol namesake. However Ford did produce a diesel HCS engine. These engines are notoriously underpowered.