Pros/cons VX red top vs Duratec 2 litres

[Speed Freak]

tbh tho mick you used tbs which save quite a lot of weight, then a smaller alternator which too saved weight, then made a lightweight bellhousing OUT OF CARBON FIBRE! you are the king of light!

The standard s2000 engine with all ancill's wet weighs 148kg's (326lbs) which is almost as much as the rover v8!

Apparently you can save about 12kgs just by moving to itbs-so I have no doubts that getting the engine weight down 30kgs is very doable (diff.water pump, no aircon etc too) 

You are right tho that the gearbox is heavy, but the engine is too in standard form.

[Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - Club Chairman]

But then either an XE or Duratec (in this instance) would also be on ITB's, so it's a valid comparison.

[mhc]

Tim.

The figure of 148 kgs surelymust be the weight of both engine and gearbox?

[Speed Freak]

no mate just engine.

[Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - Club Chairman]

Clicky, engine plus gearbox plus TB, intake/exhaust manifold, (looks fully dressed OEM spec, basically), 209 kg!

[Speed Freak]

the engine is pretty massive mick- put it next to a duratec, and youll see that the width of the s2000 is pretty massive- but I guess that's why the standard engine will supposedly take 400hp without mods.-

I do admit tho, quite a few kilos can be saved if you know what youre doing- aircon pump saves perhaps a couple of kilos, smaller alternator too, alternative water pump probably more, but the intake manifold is the huge weight, connected with loads and loads of hoses that wrap around the block- all this can go with the use of tbs-

how you got your car down to 470kgs mick is a work of art- only jedis can do that sort of thing.

 

[Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - Club Chairman]

That was my point earlier Tim, in this particular case, the OP was talking  about reasonably highly tuned XE's and Duratecs, so they will be running ITB'S, lightweight ancillaries and have lost all the power steering pumps, AC pumps, emissions paraphanelia etc. So it would be fairer to view the F20C in the same light.

 

That said, was stunned to see the figures in the link I posted to!

[StanS]

Many thanks to everybody for all the comments/info. Just what I'd hoped for - informed discussion from "those in the know".

When reading for sale ads I now have a little more knowledge about what may be possible with the various engine options.

 

My last Scooby had Ric Woods cnc machined/flow tested heads. Made a massive difference - more power on less boost. Good mod.

I think £6-8K for an extra 50BHP is worse than the Scooby tuning costs !!! Maybe I have been over optimistic and need to  revert to plan A. Mildly tuned Duratec around 200BHP !

 

The input on here certainly helps clarify my thoughts and injects facts to allow a more informed choice.

Thanks again  

[Speed Freak]

you've already got 190hp then? (you wanted to get 240ish)

don't forget, You could sell your engine setup, and get some of the costs back-

I think we need some more info on what exact setup you've got, and then maybe we can advise you better ;-)

[Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - Club Chairman]

I think either I or some of the other eader of the thread have got the wrong end of the stick;

 

I read it as the OP doesn't have a Westfield at the moment and is looking to buy one with the engines he was asking about.

 

While this approach will still require spending a bit more than for a car with a standard engine, the scary thing is it won't cost anything like what it would cost to have the engine work done.

 

It's the most cost effective way of doing it!

[Speed Freak]

I think youre right mate-I got the wrong end  of the stick   although it hasn't been clear-

Weve had no mention of budget regarding a car or the work to be done.....-

so basically all this is irrelevant, as he hasn't even found a car yet???

 

if you've got around 11k you can get yourself a duratec powered westy running standard with about 185-190hp. if you fancied it, another 4kish will get you a cam/head upgrade giving you about 230ish. (15k total!)

Or you buy the lovely looking orange westy here for 18 or 19k I believe, with a supercharged duratec and 400hp! (a bargain for what you get I think).

WE NEED MORE INFO! budget would be a good start.

[StanS]

I don't want to spend money on loads of mods, so hoping to find one nicely sorted, suspension, brakes, engine all tweaked, with windscreen rather than aero, half/full hood, s/screens, deflectors, comfy seats to please the passenger, removable st wheel, lockable boot, RAC rollbar, heater. So not a track orientated one, but one which will be fun on track.

So looking for an acceptable compromise on my spec wish list/price, and steadily getting a better idea of the pros/cons of engine choice.

Seen some interesting cars advertised at £8-12K, with variety of specs and ages including some S8's, which is still a possibilitybut a 4 cyl the more sensible choice.  

 

Only got £18K for my 3 year old Euro spec Hatch (highest spec) with £15K engine mods (capable of >500BHP, but mapped to 460) with top spec brakes, suspension and very civilised int spec. Mods cost >£25K on top of £30K car + alloys, R888's, wets etc. Can't see how a Supercharged Westie can warrant similar money. After enjoying building top spec cars and selling them for peanuts, I thought its time to buy one for peanuts that someone else has spent a fortune on.

[Rab (bombero) Reid]

Guys, I don't want to drag this OT, but would like to ask a quick question .. I hear of others referring to the Duratec as 'durabang'. So far, I've sussed that this doesn't include the 'trick' Duratecs (Zerecs) badged as the ST170, so what makes peeps say 'durabang'?

[JeffC]

dunno why they called durabangs as Ive not seen many expire  also heard them called  duraburps  maybe thats the ones with back pressure 

[Glen H]

I did my own rebuild on a 2.0l Duratec which consisted of standard pistons pocketed, standard rods, piper 285 cams, light DIY head porting, keywayed crand & pulleys, ARP bolts througout engine build, 90mm trunmpets and a raceline exhaust. the engine had done 6k miles when this was done and gave 226bhp with a 7500rpm limit but was still climbing on the power curve and Troy suggested raising the rev limit due to ARP bolts and it would hit 230bhp but i left is at 7800 for comfort / standard rods & psitons.

 

Having recently sold the car, the new owner plans on racing it and had it an a rolling road to check fueling etc before racing and he was plesnently suprised when it gave 241bhp at 7500rpm, the increase is eaother down to the engine now being bedded in at 15,000 miles or difference in r/road set up, either way it gave at least 226bhp for resonable costs.