1760 Ford Kent Crossflow Racemotor Rebuild

[JGunn]

Hi there.
I am rebuilding a 1760 Ford Kent Crossflow racemotor and I am looking for a set of 84.5mm race pistons.
What is recommended and where can I get them ?
I had KS Pistons in the engine but I'm struggling to find a set in South Africa.

Regards

JGunn

[RLK500]

Try these guys, they are the absolutely biz when it comes to Ford engines. http://www.hpemotorsport.co.uk/ - No association with them, but they have built me a superb Pinto.

[JGunn]

Thanks I will

[aeropilot]

Try the usual classic Ford race engine specialists.......

http://www.wilcoxengines.co.uk/

http://www.nbe.co.uk/index.html

And....

https://www.burtonpower.com/


But, from my aging memory cells regarding these engines, that's not a usual off-the-shelf aftermarket piston size?

[TonyRPH]

I recall that many years ago when I lived in SA, a mate of mine built a 711m (Kent) block with some Datsun (L series engine) pistons to get a similar capacity.

Unfortunately the block collapsed shortly into the first race, and yes he was cheating...!

I don't ever recall the Kent engine having that capacity though (but I'm no expert).

I thought 1700cc was the largest capacity you could go to.

EDIT: I stand corrected, based on the post from 'V8 Fettler' below.

Edited by TonyRPH on Tuesday 24th January 08:36

[V8 Fettler]

http://www.burtonpower.com/accralite-forged-piston...

Burton's premises are the most important shrine in all of London.

[aeropilot]

V8 Fettler said:

http://www.burtonpower.com/accralite-forged-piston...

Burton's premises are the most important shrine in all of London.

Maybe only if you are under 45-ish?

35 years ago they were pretty much 'cowboy central' in London in Ford circles.....the place to go to if you wanted an expensive and crap engine.
But, fair play, they've stuck with it and are still there when many others have since vanished.

[TonyRPH]

V8 Fettler said:

http://www.burtonpower.com/accralite-forged-piston...

Burton's premises are the most important shrine in all of London.

Looking at the shape of the crown, I would have thought that hotspots would be an issue surely?

Especially if running a high compression ratio.

Back in the 80's I ran an X-flow block with 11.5:1 CR and detonation was an issue even with the high octane fuel available back then (and I was running standard Ford pistons which had a larger crown if I remember correctly).

[TaimarTurbo]

Why not look in the US?
Not that difficult or expensive to get a set of custom pistons there.
Diamond, CP, Racetec, Ross, Gibtec, Wiseco, ....

[V8 Fettler]

aeropilot said:

V8 Fettler said:

http://www.burtonpower.com/accralite-forged-piston...

Burton's premises are the most important shrine in all of London.

Maybe only if you are under 45-ish?

35 years ago they were pretty much 'cowboy central' in London in Ford circles.....the place to go to if you wanted an expensive and crap engine.
But, fair play, they've stuck with it and are still there when many others have since vanished.

Yes, I am always under 45. In my own world anyway.

Burtons were by no means the worst, although I only used them for parts, still do on occasions.

[Slidingpillar]

TonyRPH said:

I thought 1700cc was the largest capacity you could go to.

EDIT: I stand corrected, based on the post from 'V8 Fettler' below.

1760... With right pistons, offset boring and a thick walled block (South African diesel) 1840 is possible. I ran such an engine for many years, a delight to drive.

[aeropilot]

Slidingpillar said:

1760... With right pistons, offset boring and a thick walled block (South African diesel) 1840 is possible. I ran such an engine for many years, a delight to drive.

Yep, 1834cc capacity X-Flow's was what Boreham fitted in the works World Cup Rally Escorts in 1970.

[V8 Fettler]

Wilcox used to build xflows over 2.1 litres (2.2?).

The xflow (plus derivatives) and the Fiat twincam are the only four cylinder engines which should have a noticeable exhaust note, best heard in the forest at night. All the others merely drone.

[JGunn]

Thanks for the info. Much appreciated.

[CoolCurly]

HPE (or Harris Performance Engines) are the GODS of Ford Engines.

And as for the comment about Burton engines being the joke of fords, you took the words right out of my mouth. If you had a 4door mk2 escort, running a set of Weller Wheels, Ripspeed Sticker, Pancake filter on your Single Downdraft Carb, Matsui tape head unit and goodmans rear shelf speakers you were defo the joke.

And Ive not even mentioned those rear window shade things...cant even remember the name of them.......

[TonyRPH]

CoolCurly said:

<snip>

And Ive not even mentioned those rear window shade things...cant even remember the name of them.......

A louvre?

[aeropilot]

CoolCurly said:

HPE (or Harris Performance Engines) are the GODS of Ford Engines.

I wouldn't go that far.....

But then I'm old enough to remember the days when the Harris's were only known for stuffing Windsor and Cleveland V8's into unsuspecting Mk1 & Mk2 Zephyr and Zody's....

So, given Brian H and Terry H have now long since retired, I would say John Wilcox Competition Engines are the acknowledged GODS of Ford engines, along with Neil Brown Engineering (and probably Julian Godfrey)

[CoolCurly]

HPE are still ripping it up at most of the Ford Drag days (Santa pod etc) so even though they have both retired Jeff is still regarded as one of the best...argument central is if he is better than his dad....lol

[V8 Fettler]

CoolCurly said:

HPE (or Harris Performance Engines) are the GODS of Ford Engines.

And as for the comment about Burton engines being the joke of fords, you took the words right out of my mouth. If you had a 4door mk2 escort, running a set of Weller Wheels, Ripspeed Sticker, Pancake filter on your Single Downdraft Carb, Matsui tape head unit and goodmans rear shelf speakers you were defo the joke.

And Ive not even mentioned those rear window shade things...cant even remember the name of them.......

There was and still is a bit more to Burtons than that. Cheap power if you were prepared to spanner.

[mark beavan]

I'm not sure why anybody would want to, but would a 2 litre x/f be theoretically possible using a BDG bottom end?