Duratech engine any good

[JohnEM]

Any thoughts? I am saving my beer tokens to replace the 1.6l Pinto in my Striker with a Duratech, have heard that they can be fragile and not easy to tune. My plan is start fairly standard 180-200 BHP with an OMEX or Emerald ECU then develop it over time. Use will be hillclimbs, road and possibly track days. Your views please.
JohnEM

[andy97]

I have no direct experience but I think that the Sports 2000 series run Duratecs in there class A cars and they seem to be very well liked & robust. I think that Mountune supply a "spec" engine.

[mat205125]

Duratecs are widely used in kit cars, but my choice for that kind of power and application, with bulletproof reliability, would be the Vauxhall XE

[Scuffers]

Nothing wrong with them, lightest modern cheap engine available these days.

[RobbieL]

Yep Sports 2000 run Duratec lumps and they are very very quick motors with little needed to be spent on them in comparison. Requires no annual re-build as well.

[JohnEM]

Thanks to all for the comments, saving up the pennies as I type.
JohnEM

[thunderbelmont]

Talk to Ric Wood at CNC-Heads/Ric Wood Racing Engines, he's done a few, and extracted plenty of horsepower from them.

[fergus]

Speak to Ammo at RaceCo: http://www.raceco.com/ I think to date, he's managed to squeeze around 335hp from a 2.3l

check out www.duratecperformance.co.uk for more general info...

They're the new pinto/k series/red top vauxhall. very cheap to replace the stock components if things go wrong, and they are used in so much of the ford/mazda range, that if things go wrong, a supply of (stock) parts will be easy to come by. Look at Burton Power's website for more info cost wise on upgrades. Start your tuning conversations with Ammo though. A VERY non BS sort of guy.

[sam919]

I think it was Raceco that quoted me £18 grand for a 300hp duratec. 260 is a reasonable achievement for 5-6 grand approx. Prices may have changed since then, bits sourced from the States have been used a lot ,"atlantic" parts, but the exchange rates have put a stop to cheaper parts along that route.