Zetec in an escort. Opinions please :-)

[emu]

This goes on a bit, but bear with me please.

 

I was chatting to a friend yesterday about my pinto'd escort,

He suggested chucking the Pinto and putting in a Zetec instead.

 

Initially I dismissed this as the Pinto is already there and is reasonably nippy for a basically standard engine. (Head skimmed, different cam. It made 132 bhp/122 ft-lb  on sierra EFI, but is now back on the DGAV). I think it was running about 15.7- 15.8 at Santa Pod.

 

However, I started noseying into it and came to a few conclusions.

 

1.To get more power out of the Pinto means spending money on proper heads and carbs. Neither of which are particularly cheap.

 

2. A bog standard 2 litre Zetec is 130 bhp/128ft-lb, so much the same as the Pinto, but I dont know how the spread of power and torque compares. General consensus is that they make a decent amount more once the emissions kit is binned and it is on different induction. 

 

3. Most of the conversion bits I can knock up for myself or get done cheaply enough.

 

4. I have a megajolt ECU sat here that I can use to run the ignition.

 

5. There are a few different ways to run it on the DGAV, bike carbs or the original injection so fuelling shouldnt be that difficult.

 

However, I wouldnt really want to do all the faffing about to end up with a car that is no quicker than it is with the pinto, or worse slower.

 

So, opinions are required people.  I can find lots of "It's well quick" type opinions, but im after something a bit more subjective. 1/4 mile times are probably the easiest to relate I guess.

 

Ta very much

[over_head_cam]

Hi Rich. I haven't got any info for you, sorry. Not seen you for a while so I thought I'd just say hello

[emu]

Hiya Phil. Hope your keeping well

 

I only dragged the escort back out a month or so back, but feel like fiddling with it again already!

[over_head_cam]

You do like a good fiddle

[SmokeEm]

Even with the Zetec, you will eventually have to shell out for decent fuelling, i.e. 45's or tb's - not cheap. The zetec will also need shed loads spending on the head eventually.. twice the valves etc. 

 

IMO, stick with the pinto and save 1st for a decent head. Makes the world of difference! We got ours 2nd hand on ebay complete with HT1 cam for £400 - total bargain. They do come up occasionally. We even got all the money back when reselling it 4yrs later!

[Fiesta Steve]

Hello Emu

 

Its just another 2 litre engine with bits inside that go up and down and round and round so you won't gain a lot.

It will end up costing you something to install and will be a whole load of work all for little gain.

You could just spend that time and money on the pinto you already have and it will deffinately go better

[Escort Mk1 4 Door]

st170 on 45's set up right can make over 200 bhp but again ur looking at cams and fueling

[Col-ashtonmobile]

Rich , if you want a nice reliable engine to drive around the streets then zetec,s are great , it will start on the button in all weathers , idle like you can stand a 50p on the cam cover ,good on fuel when set up properly ,start ragging it down the 1/4 mile it wont be long before it gives out on you , they just don't have the balls of a pinto when you continually drive them hard  in a reasonably weighted car , rods , oil pumps very weak area,s , pinto,s plenty of tuning options from mild to wild , cranks indestructible , good power just from some head mods and you can rag it down the strip all day long then drive it home , so depends what you want it for really ......

[emu]

Hmmm, some good points coming across here, certainly some food for thought.

 

The more I think about it, and read,  I would be making a load of work for myself. As you say Col all im really gaining is a smooth idle and easy starting. The car is only used for fun so whilst nice to have, neither is really going to make that much difference to me.

 

I think part of my problem (ALL of my problem!!!) is that I'm tight, and was hoping the zetec would magically gain loads of power as thanks for being dropped in a proper car!

 

Plus, OHC is right, I like to fiddle

[texr2000]

as much as i like the sound of twin carbs and the retro-ness of them and a original engine.....but im not sure i go the same route again... for more everyday use i think i drop a zetec in, even if just standard from to start with as could easily be as usable as a mondeo or focus... i did play with this idea with a mk2 4 Door i looked at as missed the mk1 as was off the road after i blew the engine....but ended up with a Focus RS haha

 

when i looked i found whole running mondeo's for just a few hundred quid...so could be in the car running for not allot of money

[rallyesport04]

keep the pinto as said above a 2.0 is a 2.0     a zetec may have a little more bhp as std but the money spent on a zetec convertion if you spent that on a pinto it would exceed 130 bhp its your choice but is it worth the hassle if its only a toy not a daily 

[texr2000]

I dunno how many people would agree with me but, recently quite like the older cars with modern engines. maybe this is after seeing quite a few when i spent some time in aus, they have quite allot of old 70's Jap stuff with modern (depends if u class 90's as modern) engines. spose over there climate etc means using a car like that is a little easier, i quite like the idea of using a retro 70' motor day to day with start on the button reliability ....but living in london i dunno if i would

[bam14jeff]

Sounds like a project inprogress on the pinto so whilst saving for the necessarry on the pinto how about looking at weight to bhp ratio for short term improvement whilst planning the longer term project on the engine

[luckyjim]

personally i would stick with the pinto until it blows up then make the change to zetec! as v6 col said a zetec will have that modern motor smooth idle,easy starting good mpg {even on itbs} and lets not forget they weigh loads less than a pinto and not much more than a crossflow so handling will benefit.having run a tuned and highly strung pinto i am of the opinion that they are fantastic to go out and rag for an hour or so but not so much fun in heavy stop/start traffic on a hot summers day driving 3hrs to a show,especially if your over 40! lol. thats why i am fitting a zetec on throttle bodies in my mk1,smooth 165bhp all day long.i still love the sound of a snorting pinto though.

[emu]

OK, having taken on board peoples views, and more importantly weighed up the pro's and con's for my own circumstances. I've decided I am best of keeping the Pinto.

 

I'm no more likely to buy twin carbs or throttle bodies for a zetec than I am the pinto, So realistically I'm putting a cap on the power potential of both engines anyway.

 

The Pinto is mildly played with already making approximately the same peak power and torque as a standard zetec, which I'd more than likely have run on the original EFI.  Therefore, I can't foresee any massive performance gain for the inevitable costs.

 

If I was using the car as a daily then I think I might have swayed the other way. The improved road manners and fuel economy would be definate benefits

 

The zetec option does seem almost to be becoming the modern day equivelant of of the old pinto swap. Cheap, plentiful engines, good power increase and robust. If I was still running the 13 or 1600 crossflow then I definately think it would be worth considering

 

Thank you for your opinions and views everyone