Pinto Cyclinder Heads

[Guest dellyend1]

Hi All,

 

As part of my shopping list for extra power out of the 2.0 Pinto, along with the bike carbs route I think I want to install a fast road cam. Now having been trawling flea bay I see several heads that have kent cams installed with extra large valves etc etc. My question is :

 

If it is off a 2.l engine or a RS 2000 or anything else that is a derivative of a 2.0 pinto block will the head fit my engine and can I just plug and play for want of a better term ?

 

If I whip my head off and put another on with a kent cam and verneir etc what else must I do ? Is it just a case (sounds easy) of adjusting the timing ??

 

Sorry of this is a silly question but still learing

 

Thanks

 

All

 

Jeremy

[ibrooks]

The only real "derivative" of the Pinto that you are likely to come across is the Cosworth YB and you'll need deep pockets to afford anything with the name Cosworth associated with it. It's a common misconception that the later DOHC engines fitted to Sierras are a Pinto with a different cylinder head - they bear no relation to the Pinto and almost nothing from one will fit the other.

 

RS2000 - the only one with anything Pinto related is the RWD Escort of the '70s and as such it is not an unleaded head so not really that attractive to you in standard form. The later RS2000 used a version of the I4 DOHC engine mentioned above.

 

The best of the standard Ford offerings is the head from a 2.0 injected Pinto which has a good port shape to start with and hardened valve seats. Since we are talking about modified parts though there is no saying that an injection head couldn't have been ruined by some muppet with a die-grinder in an attempt to port it and that an early head might not have been beautifully ported and had hardened valve seats fitted.

 

Big valves and Kent cams are fine if they are still in good condition. A Vernier is a must if the head has been skimmed or a non-standard cam has been fitted or you'll never be able to get it just right. There are many variations of cam though so buy one that does what you'll want to use it for - it's no good having a rally cam if you plan to drive it on the road.

 

Apart from that then yes it's just a matter of pulling your head off and fitting the one with the trick bits but the assumption is that the replacement is all good to start with and this is a big assumption. If it's good why is it not still attached to the rest of the engine and running in a car? There are good reasons that should mean you will have no problems but ask yourself the question.

 

Iain

[Peter Bell]

Hi Jeremy, the simple answer is yes, they just bolt on. if it has a vernier then that will need checking to see if it is set correctly. The RS2000 head is, I am 99% sure just a standard 2l one, I have one sitting on a bench. If you are getting a big valve flowed one make sure it has got hardened valve seats so it can run unleaded ok. Or get an injection head it is better than the standard and will definately have hardened seats.

[Mitch]

but beware, NOT all Inj heads were unleaded, some early ones were not fitted with hardened seats, i know i had one,

 

but if your fittng a better cam a vernier pully will help release a few more horses, with both you should be looking at 20bhp, with bike carbs another 10 and this will improve the running IE smother and pull like a train too

 

 

Mitch

[Snapperpaul]

A bit more compression is a good step, the Pinto likes compression and the addition of a fast road cam with more duration will lower the effective compression.

A Felpro gasket from Burton performance that crushes to 1mm will up compression from 9.2 to 1 to 9.7 to 1,

You can skim the head but don't go past 10.3 for unleaded or 10.5 to 1 for the standard pistons

[agent_zed]

A bit more compression is a good step, the Pinto likes compression and the addition of a fast road cam with more duration will lower the effective compression.

A Felpro gasket from Burton performance that crushes to 1mm will up compression from 9.2 to 1 to 9.7 to 1,

You can skim the head but don't go past 10.3 for unleaded or 10.5 to 1 for the standard pistons

 

is this the same for the 1.6 emax pinto(the one with the same stroke as the 2ltr)? as iam thinking of taking the head off to replace the valve seals and maybe throw in a 2ltr camshaft as ive been told it works well on the 1.6, so i was also thinking about whether to up the compression but iam not sure of the down sides?

Do you need to change the advance curve? ie mod the dizzy. or just change the advance settings? what kind of power increase would you get 5hp,10hp etc? or does it just change where the power comes in?

 

thanks

 

P.S i know the 1.6 is pants but iam sticking with it until i blow it up, as i built the car with it and can't bare to see a working engine scrapped.

[Snapperpaul]

The 1 mm gasket makes a little difference but not so much as to cause you to change every thing.

You can use the Felpro on a 1.6 but will have more volume in the gasket space thus reducing the benefit

I would estimate 2 or 3 bhp on the 1.6

I would if I were you start looking at another engine and prepare that over time and when ready swap it for the 1.6

[speedtripledan]

I have the injection head on an earlier block no probs my fireblade carbs gave me approx 20bhp my fr32 cam and vernier released another 16bhp and a felpro gasket was worth 4bhp my engine was built and done in stages dyno'd 3 times in all, after all that i have 124bhp at the wheels which for a pinto is not half bad. It has a lot of torque idles perfectly and pulls through the rev range with no flat spots,

and goes very well compared to how it was standard.

[Snapperpaul]

Notimpressed, I am impressed, that's a good result and probably the most bhp for the least expense, releasing any more would cost a fair bit and probably compromise drivability.

I am nearing the end of my Pinto build, have compromised with compression @ 10.6 to 1, not enough squish due to a high compression head and added the laryist cam I think I can get away with, we will see.

As always I have set myself difficult problems to overcome.

RS2000 sump and RS2000 pickup with Cosworth spray bar grafted on to lubricate the Cossy rods.

http://i750.photobucket.com/albums/xx141/snapperpaul/kit%20Car/70f79520.jpg

 

Had to cut a furrow in the sump for the spray bar, now getting that welded.

 

http://i750.photobucket.com/albums/xx141/snapperpaul/kit%20Car/faf63dd4.jpg

Edited August 24, 2010 by Snapperpaul