*Engine Failure – possible cause*

[Ukjon]

Perhaps Ford does not see any problems with the engine when the car leaves the factor?

Hence no recall and hence no nothing?

Perhaps the engine only becomes a problem if hammered unsympathetically from new?

Regards

[Mark Beaumont]

It hasn’t been hammered unsympathetically from new as you put it!

it was run in the correct and same way as my mk 1 and 2 focus RS that I purchased new from Ford. A 350 bhp modern day car should not blow an head gasket unless it’s been souped up to 600-700 bhp then it’s more likely. The head bolts are cracking the block, simple as that !

[white-rs2]

Should it really matter how it’s driven?

This must be taken into account in the design brief that any inconsiderate driver can buy one and thrash the arse out of it front day one, it will have nothing to do with the “running in period”. For example back at the 60&70’s you could rent a factory fresh Shelby GT350 Mustang and drive it straight from Hertz’s rent a car to the race track with only 5 miles on the clock and kick its arse all day long then give it back Sunday morning, those cars lasted and actually fetch a premium now. And that’s back when engineering and tolerances where crap compared to today.

Tolerancies are so much tighter now, not like the 60,70,80’s. Back then if you thrashed a standard factory BDA from new it wouldn’t last 1000 miles because the old engineering was well ………… crap in comparison to today’s computer controlled CNC machines. It’s not just the engineering it’s also the materials are much better too.

New engines blowing isn’t a new thing it’s just the few that do get put onto YouTube, Facebook etc then re-tweeted, so one blown engine gets all this social media exposer and now we have 1000’s of blown engines.

Does anyone actually know how may Ford Focus 2.3 ecoboosts have blown up? And in relation to Focus RS Mk3 car sales worldwide? 30,000? What’s the percentage of blown units? I bet it’s no more than 1 to 2% it’s just unlucky if it happens to you.

:-/

 

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RS Edition.

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The rest of the “M” maps suck

[hillman998]

Just thought I’d point out that this is not a new engine. It’s been around for a while. It reminds me of the problems Rootes had in the 60’s with the Imp cast alloy block when the workers diverted the quenching water to make the tea. Result a batch of soft blocks and blown head gaskets. Sound familiar? My money is on the variety of suppliers Ford has for this block with one having poor quality control.

Remember the old saying Fix Or Return to Dealer……still applies today.

[Ukjon]

Morning All,

Mark – was not thinking of you or anyone else when I suggested perhaps was because had been unsympathetically hammered from new.

White-rs2 – I think someone did some rough calculations and came up with a 0.5% failure rate based on 22,000 global sales.

Regards

[white-rs2]

120 failed units out of 22,000  in the whole world, I’d be pretty happy with that as a producer of cars/engines.

I would be pissed off thou, if I was to be unlucky enough to own an exploding engine :-/

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[RS77]

And have to remember that in the “old days” the internet wasn’t around to publicise any failed engines!

[bobcat]

The old days Haaaa I remember them well, engine failures where common amongst all manufacturers. In those old days it was usually down the cylinder head gaskets. Haaaa the good old days.

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Honorary Member

 

[71-bda]

@white RS2 .. er regarding bda’s blowing up, I dont think so !! Cosworth had a pretty good handle on things in those days hence the success of the DFV etc etc, their engineering and design was pretty much the mutts nuts, my 46 year old cylinder head is still going strong thanks, oh, and Sierra Cosworth Engines were tested stone cold to full throttle/full load straight away after start up non stop for something like a week…

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No nothing.

No Mods. No rockers. Just a chunky knob, thats now been replaced by an RS knob innit.

No tackiness.

Std as Ford intended, but with a space saver wheel and jack and nuts and wheel brace. oh.. and flaps, a man has got to have flaps.

Innit?

 

[CaRSrus]

Stone cold to full throttle!?!…..my mechanical sympathy is causing me to cry inwardly :'(

Even with my petrol power tools I always do an engine warm up and cool down…..maybe sad, but makes me feel better ?

[white-rs2]

THE Cosworth YB is a pretty fragile engine I’ve had 4 in my Mk2.

First issue and their are many, which was well engineered. Was if you give it some on the track the head fills full of oil and can’t drain back fast enough due to internal engine pressure then you here that clatter of a steel crank going wobbly and spinning bearings.

The BDA is an engine if tracked for a couple of seasons also then needs a rebuuld or your gonna go bang and that ain’t cheap as I found in my previous Mk2.

The DFV is that the most successful F1 engine ever. But again after every race a rebuild was done, their again comparing an F1 engine to mass produce crap like the YB, the BDA & ECOBOOST isn’t quite fair.

Having an engine that 40 years old isn’t nothing special theirs loads of old iron pre-crossflow stuff and Lotis TC out their with heads

All the above engines are notably successful but at a great cost. The BDA powered Mk2’s aren’t they the most successful rally car ever, but after a season it’s rebuild time.

If you drive like Miss Daisy, the engines gonna last forever, (even an ecoboost will) so I guess your on the original factory tyres then 🙂

🙂

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[71-bda]

YB fragile??  pretty sure the RS500s were pretty successful in touring cars with loads of BHP !! its normally engines that are put together badly that fail, Ive got a YB in for rebuild at the moment, its had 20+ years of abuse and the bottom end is pretty unmarked, the top end is fine, just a bit of waterway corrosion where the chap hasn’t used much antifreeze/inhibitor over the years, the bottom end is basically pinto, and they are proven over decades safe to 8000rpm, any doubt check out Harris Performance engines pintos. oh, and if you have had no luck with 4 YB’s in your MK2 , why  do you keep fitting YBs ??weird !

All F1 engines back in the day were inspected after every grand prix, its only recently that cost cutting has forced manufacturers to make them last longer.

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No nothing.

No Mods. No rockers. Just a chunky knob, thats now been replaced by an RS knob innit.

No tackiness.

Std as Ford intended, but with a space saver wheel and jack and nuts and wheel brace. oh.. and flaps, a man has got to have flaps.

Innit?

 

[white-rs2]

RS 500 touring car engine is not the same as what you and I could buy from Ford in a road going rep mobile the Seirra any fool knows that !!

Loads of BHP normally means loads of extra money and at least one rebuild per-season Please stop getting modified and standard engine units confused, very frustrating.

Why YB’s you ask, well they “where” cheap BHP per ££…… If your engine bay, transmission, suspension etc are all set up for the power and weight of the YB unit it’s cost effective to stay with the same power unit, rather than reweighing the car redistributing the weight then changing ECU’s, wiring, gearbox and loads of other stuff, but you’d know that wouldn’t you !!! Lol

My last two rebuilt units. Who left the light on ouch lol ;-/

And the third engine just delivered, at that time pretty low spec 425bhp, as her in doors said no more big spends that year :-/

These burnt YB’s where one touring car spec from NMS for track days (not cheap either) and the Sunday driver motor.

🙂

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[white-rs2]

.

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RS Edition.

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The rest of the “M” maps suck

[71-bda]

as I was saying about testing the YB before FORD would sign it off for production, this is from Keith Duckworth’s book, just for you Mr unbeliever whiters. but of course, the YB is a weak fragile piece of crap isn’t it ? you will soon realise I dont spout stuff off without knowing my facts, and I have practically a photographic recall memory btw.

and @ caRSrus, here is the exact paragraph, you may find it interesting reading!

 

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No nothing.

No Mods. No rockers. Just a chunky knob, thats now been replaced by an RS knob innit.

No tackiness.

Std as Ford intended, but with a space saver wheel and jack and nuts and wheel brace. oh.. and flaps, a man has got to have flaps.

Innit?

 

[Author]

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