Morning all
Still working on the New Zealand Formula 2.
I believe the Duratec currently being -*test*-('")ed is fitted with an inlet restrictor plate?
If so-could you tell me what size hole?
without giving away too many secrets,any availabe info on camshaft duration,lift,etc?
also-tyres.
you're now running on Yokohama steel belted radials,which is probably the same type of tyre we'll be using.
have you found it's possible to gain stagger by changing rim widths?
What width rim is working out best for shale?
thanks
Vic Neal

Hi Vic, The yokies stay the same whatever size rim you squeeze them onto,therfore you can only get a little stagger when one is worn more than another.I would say that the shale boys are running 7" or 8" rims on the rear but may be wrong! The restrictor plate in between the carb and inlet on the Duratech is to keep it at the same sort of power as the pinto still in use,i think one problem that needs addressing is the rev limiter on the ecu cutting the engine at 7000 rpm,this could cause problems on loose surfaces. Hope this helps but Dave Harley is the man in the know about both of these issues.Nick.[FONT=Impact]

thanks Nick
I've sent a message to 'sharon@362 racing' I'll be interested when she or Dave gets back to me.
We don't have millions of Cortina/Escorts-so we'll probably use Aussie Hoden Commodore axles,etc.
This'll mean no easily available LSD's-as we only run on dirt,locked diffs'll be ok.
We're going to need stagger,though-may have to specify a slightly larger tyre for the right rear.
Using the Commodore running gear means 14" wheels,anyway.....a 185/60 x 14 is wthin a couple of mm overall diameter to a 185/70 x 13
Vic Neal

I hate to say it but its no good sending me an e-mail I only know as much as anyone else. You need to contact Dave direct he is a member on here his username is dave harley drop him a pm, I am sure he will give you as much information as he can.

Tyre circumference - a 185.65R14 is approx the same as 185.70R13 - when Ford changed the rims from 13 inch to 14 inch on the old Sierra, they put the cars on 185.65R14's to enable them to leave the gearboxes the same. 185.60R14 is a good deal smaller and you'd be downgearing the car a lot.

Reliability could be a problem with the duratec, or lifespan anyway, as the -*test*-('") engine went pop a while back at Birmingham so I'm told. Not like it's done that many meetings in the big picture really.

And before anybody shoots me down, I'm not having a go, just raising the point before people are disapointed. It is only one engine, the first one to be tried, so that doesn't mean it's a problem, or that it can't be resolved, just that there may be more work required before the answer to all our problems is found not that I see there to be any great need in the U.K. to replace an engine for which parts are still in ready supply, at a price that is affordable to most. But I do see that the duratec needs less work to be as competitive as the pinto is now (i.e. cost of work to achieve the same power etc)

Would it be possible or practical for the NZ ftooz to use the zetec for instance? An engine already popular with the kitcar racers and such? As far as I see it, for the NZ cars, they would all need to be the same as eachother, so is there a particular need to go the same way as the U.K., or would you not be as well to go your own way perhaps? It is afterall, unlikely that you would bring any of them over here to compete in the U.K. along side the ftooz over here?

hi mike & thumper-thanks for your input.
as far as tyre size goes-like I said,we'll probably end up using Holden axles,so the diff ratio'll be different,anyway.
I wasn't planning on using the Duratec-just curious as to what size hole's in the restrictor plate.With NZ's small population,and geographical isolation,most of the cars on our roads are Japanese imports.I was planning to use ''any water cooled,vertical,4 cylinder,2 litre production car engine" so the restrictor plate would equalise engine performance,and hopefully limit engine spending.
bringing the cars over to compete wouldn't be practical,for the above reasons,but I'd like to try and get the performance similar,so a driver interchange would be more realistic.
Vic Neal

Just a thought, but how many ford transit vans are there over in NZ? Could you even consider using the pinto?

very few,Mike
before I started,I took a walk around a few breakers yards.
I've also worked in the past in engine reconditioning,and my son's currently working in that trade.
Id say about 90% of the cars on our roads are Japanese imports-the few European cars we have are high-end,luxury cars.
We'll probably end up using OEM ecu's and probably standard fuel injection.
I'm hoping the class will appeal to younger drivers-most of whom have never worked on carburettors or distributors.

Duratec engine done it's 36th meeting at Buxton last Saturday still with no real problems, In all this time it's had a set of plugs. Just showing signs of wear now with smoking a bit. The lifespan is in question and always will be but can say for sure it's out living pinto's at the minute!

thats 36 meetings in total with the same one engine?

Thats pretty good surely?!

To do that many meetings with a all singing and dancing pinto you would need 2 rebuilds

It is the very same one and only engine, the only rest it really had was from November until March with a short outing at the NEC.

36 meetings with the duratec starting to get tired is disapointing,i was hoping that restricting the engine would make them last much longer than that,was that engine rebuilt before it was raced or was it out of a high mileage mondeo?

something we agree on That is the point I was getting at, I, as too would quite a few others I have spoken to, would have expected it to last quite a bit longer, with a little regular maintanence, such as oil, plugs and filter. It IS quite good in comparison with a top flight Pinto, but for a restricted, fairly standard engine, it is not as good as would be hoped for perhaps.

Like I said before, I am not trying to be-little the efforts that have been put into doing the trials etc, just airing a concern.