RE: Mountune extracts 684hp from 2.3 EcoBoost

RE: Mountune extracts 684hp from 2.3 EcoBoost

Wednesday 9th October 2019

Mountune extracts 684hp from 2.3 EcoBoost

Tuner's US workshop turns up wick a lot (a lot) to produce possibly the highest output direct injection motor yet



Mountune’s US workshop reckons it has created the highest output all direct injection four-cylinder known to man off the back of Ford’s 2.3-litre EcoBoost. The jig-tested motor has been pushed to 684hp, a gargantuan gain of 334hp over standard and 186hp more than Mountune's m520 pack, using primarily only a new head and larger turbo to achieve it.

While further details are yet to be revealed, Mountune’s new video shows that the motor peaks in power at about 6,900rpm (although it revs up to 7,200rpm during the run), while torque on the graph is shown to top out at 566lb ft at just over 5,500rpm. Those are stats worthy of supercardom; and to think that people still doubt the strength of the EcoBoost block after that head gasket production issue of 2016…


No doubt there’ll be a queue of Focus RS owners putting in their requests for Mountune’s 684hp work right now, although at this stage it’s not clear whether the upgrade is heading towards customers or simply a simply a project to illustrate the extent engineers can go with a Ford four-cylinder motor. No less exciting is the prospect of a 2.3 as highly strung as this going into a future third party supercar; presently the readily available crate motor is used by the likes of Dallara and its Stradale with a comparably measly 396hp output.

Mountune obviously has a close working relationship with Ford, although the manufacturer is unlikely to turn to traditional tuning for its next step-up in output. Like its rivals, Ford is planning on utilising mild-hybrid tech to unlock more power in the next-generation RS five-door while trimming average CO2, creating a new drift mode rival to AMG’s latest A45 and rumoured BMW M140e hybrid. Which is fair enough. Especially when it seems we can count on the likes of Mountune to keep it real.


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Author
Discussion

Maldini35

Original Poster:

2,913 posts

187 months

Wednesday 9th October 2019
quotequote all
POP

RacerMike

4,192 posts

210 months

Wednesday 9th October 2019
quotequote all
But.....but.....head gasket....open deck.....arghhhh.....does not compute.

All the haters are going to go absolutely mental over this laugh

David87

6,648 posts

211 months

Wednesday 9th October 2019
quotequote all
Put it in the Ranger Raptor and take my money.

Gad-Westy

14,521 posts

212 months

Wednesday 9th October 2019
quotequote all
“ Tuner's US workshop turns up wick a lot (a lot) to produce possibly the highest direction injection motor yet”

Highest what? Size?

ecs0set

2,471 posts

283 months

Wednesday 9th October 2019
quotequote all
It occurs to me that I find the prospect of a 684bhp turbo four significantly less interesting than a 250bhp N/A five or six. I think I may be getting old. Should I send back my PH card?

RyanW

101 posts

132 months

Wednesday 9th October 2019
quotequote all
". using primarily only a new head and larger turbo to achieve it..." oh and its running on E30 ethanol fuel. That's how you make the extra 160bhp

Dave Hedgehog

14,541 posts

203 months

Wednesday 9th October 2019
quotequote all
how many engines to the mile?

Toltec

7,159 posts

222 months

Wednesday 9th October 2019
quotequote all
RyanW said:
". using primarily only a new head and larger turbo to achieve it..." oh and its running on E30 ethanol fuel. That's how you make the extra 160bhp
biggrin

Ultrafunkula

996 posts

104 months

Wednesday 9th October 2019
quotequote all
'after that head gasket production issue of 2016…'


If the wrong parts are fitted to an engine it will fail, this doesn't mean it's a weak engine. This is the point to remember.

J4CKO

41,287 posts

199 months

Wednesday 9th October 2019
quotequote all
ecs0set said:
It occurs to me that I find the prospect of a 684bhp turbo four significantly less interesting than a 250bhp N/A five or six. I think I may be getting old. Should I send back my PH card?
Yeah, I have a soft spot for five cyl cars but a 250 BHP V6 is usually a nice, civilized engine like say a Mercedes 320 or similar, perfectly adequate, plus a bit more, nice to use but a snooze fest compared to some barking turbo thing like this.


C7 JFW

1,205 posts

218 months

Wednesday 9th October 2019
quotequote all
Excellent news and congratulations on achieving it!! Let's hope we get lots of very, very powerful Focus RS's on UK roads.

J4CKO

41,287 posts

199 months

Wednesday 9th October 2019
quotequote all
C7 JFW said:
Excellent news and congratulations on achieving it!! Let's hope we get lots of very, very powerful Focus RS's on UK roads.
Or off biggrin

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fOelONV_unQ

InitialDave

11,856 posts

118 months

Wednesday 9th October 2019
quotequote all
If it's a new head, was there a particular logic to keeping it direct injection?

BenGB

115 posts

128 months

Wednesday 9th October 2019
quotequote all
Hmm. They used to get 1,500bhp out of a 1.5l turbo engine back in the 80s in formula 1, but that doesn't mean it would last long enough to use as an everyday engine (or indeed another qualifying session back in those days). I wonder how long this one will last with short runs, cold starts, over-revving before its warmed up etc? Give me a nice big unstressed V8 any day!

Onehp

1,617 posts

282 months

Wednesday 9th October 2019
quotequote all
That's a decently shaped torque curve, making power up high so the torque remains manageable yet well spread out. Far removed from matterhorn shaped torque curves of old from practically undriveable tuner cars...

apm142001

275 posts

88 months

Wednesday 9th October 2019
quotequote all
ecs0set said:
It occurs to me that I find the prospect of a 684bhp turbo four significantly less interesting than a 250bhp N/A five or six. I think I may be getting old. Should I send back my PH card?
Agreed! BMW's old straight sixes spring to mind for me, especially...and I'm only just the wrong side of 30...

Bladedancer

1,260 posts

195 months

Wednesday 9th October 2019
quotequote all
RacerMike said:
But.....but.....head gasket....open deck.....arghhhh.....does not compute.

All the haters are going to go absolutely mental over this laugh
So if one were to point out that Ford messed up with 2.3, at least initially and many other ecoboost engines like 1.6 and 2.0 do have issues with thermal efficiency, especially in higher state of tune, that person would automatically be a hater? Makes... no sense whatsoever.

You know one can point out flaws without being a hater, much like one can give praise without being a fanboy.

Hub

6,413 posts

197 months

Wednesday 9th October 2019
quotequote all
Can you do the same with the new FWD 2.3 Focus ST? That would be fun! biggrin

gumsie

680 posts

208 months

Wednesday 9th October 2019
quotequote all
ecs0set said:
It occurs to me that I find the prospect of a 684bhp turbo four significantly less interesting than a 250bhp N/A five or six. I think I may be getting old. Should I send back my PH card?
In which case, I'll be needing my bus pass soon too.
Impressive but not floating my boat at all really. Would much rather a lightly tuned high capacity V8, (yes with the associated high CO2 and rubbish mileage).
I suspect an engine like this to have virtually zero character and to be highly strung.

Robmarriott

2,633 posts

157 months

Wednesday 9th October 2019
quotequote all
BenGB said:
Hmm. They used to get 1,500bhp out of a 1.5l turbo engine back in the 80s in formula 1, but that doesn't mean it would last long enough to use as an everyday engine (or indeed another qualifying session back in those days). I wonder how long this one will last with short runs, cold starts, over-revving before its warmed up etc? Give me a nice big unstressed V8 any day!
Things have moved on quite a bit since 1986.