Duratec 30 – Reliability

[RobP]

Err...wouldn't you be better asking this on the Ford forum? As you said the Noble engine is hardly standard Ford fare with 2 fat turbos strapped to it (amongst many other internal mods) so comparison with Mondeo engine (reliability or anything else) is probably not particularly useful. Having said that, there arn't too many problems with the main engine block.

[RobP]

Possibly..but surely even your average Mondeo enthusiast could tell you 1) yes, it has lasted for x years with no problem or 2) No, it breaks every 5 mins. I suspect for the standard 3.0 Duratec it's going to be closer to 1) than 2). Most Noble engine 'breakages' have been related to either fuel or oil starvation, neither of which should be an issue with standard Mondeo.

[Biggriff]

The Contour in the States is the same engine and they do 250k no probs.

[NobleGuy]

Yes, I think the Ford units generally are pretty good reliability wise. In terms of the Noble version they're not too bad either.

[joust]

I don't think I've ever seen a Mondeo on a flatbed. Seen quite a few Golfs though.....

[AMG Merc]

Biggriff said:

The Contour in the States is the same engine and they do 250k no probs.

Are you sure? I thought there were mods done on ours.

AFAIR, there were three US modles the Noble engine was used in (in basic form):
Ford Maverick
Jaguar S type (I think?)
Something Volvo?

Edited by AMG Merc on Tuesday 8th January 18:41

[Biggriff]

The guy wants advice for the standard 3.0

Mate in the states has one and although lacking in torque dishes up 200bhp ok.

Ours were modified to cope with being boosted and flung around tracks.

[mgbond]

Biggriff said:

The guy wants advice for the standard 3.0

Mate in the states has one and although lacking in torque dishes up 200bhp ok.

Ours were modified to cope with being boosted and flung around tracks.

Brings us nicely onto the question, what has been done to the 2.5 and 3 above std for Noble fit?

You can buy some cheap new engines from the states that may we worth playing with when they get here.

Bondy

[art411y]

can some one please enlighten me on what was acually done internaly to the
2.5 and 3.0 engine for use in the noble

[DanH]

art411y said:

can some one please enlighten me on what was acually done internaly to the
2.5 and 3.0 engine for use in the noble

I am interested too. Right at the start there were claims, whether from Noble or not, that the internals had been uprated etc. Then later on, it was suggested this was not the case. Anyone know categorically?

[ThatPhilBrettGuy]

When I got my new block, it was supplied with pistons etc straight from the Ford supply line and I believe that's what was used on the production cars (3R's for certain, maybe M400's).

The cams are standard Ford, but the heads on M400's may have been ported a bit. Valves and strings standard.

Generally you can say it's a bog standard Ford lump with a couple of turbo's hung off it. Ok for 400bhp and 450bhp at a push (but I bet there won't be many 50K mile 400bhp+ engines in a few years).

Cost would have stopped them doing it 'properly'. My engine with nice strong bits in it cost a fortune....

[joust]

From the original M400 spec sheet

425bhp, 390lb ft
High-lift camshafts
Forged pistons
Larger turbochargers
Bespoke engine map
Oil cooler
Improved engine cooling
Larger-capacity, baffled oil sump
New gearshift mechanism

Also the same outlined in the M400 review on PH

http://www.pistonheads.com/noble/default.asp?story...

J