Omex Technology

Zetec 230bhp development update.
Today was spent trying different exhaust systems and inlet trumpet lengths. We're delighted to say that we comfortably exceeded the 230bhp target with good torque. The 80mm trumpets lost about 2bhp at the very top end of the rev range compared with the 40mm but brought the engine 'on cam' nearly 1000 rpm earlier so they're a no brainer.
Overall the engine is a massive success but in conjunction with the owner we are going straight to phase 2 as we already have some improvements that we can make to both driveability, possibly power and almost certainly reliability. We are starting on those changes immediately and will have the engine back on the dyno within a week or so.

Just a quick bit of video of the 230bhp Zetec shortly after first start. It did about 20 minutes of running in tonight and will have about another hour tomorrow before we start mapping top line to see what she will do. Air horns were off as it was just a start up, she's now got 40mm length ones on and we'll try 40, 60 and 80mm. If all goes well final results tomorrow.

Well today the 230bhp Zetec was finished off and is now ready for dyno testing. For those who've been following this project from the beginning note the now nicely matching inlet manifold to cylinder head! There's no air horns on purpose yet as we will be trying different lengths. We can't wait to get the testing under way, we think this is going to be a very popular specification, especially as it can be done as an upgrade from existing 150/170/200 bhp Omex Zetecs.

Busy day on the new spec 230 bhp Zetec today. Ring gaps were set then rings fitted to the forged pistons and then they were assembled to the steel rods. Bottom end assembled with competition big end bearings after yesterday's checking of piston to valve clearances. Cam follower clearances checked and shims ground to suit, then a bit of assembly. Cam timing to be set to our measured figures in the morning then just the rest of the bits to bolt on. We're looking forward to getting this on the dyno next week 😊.

Progress is being made on our new 230 bhp Zetec turn key engine, we have checked the piston to valve clearances for our selected cams and they're fine. The block has been honed and it's ready for assembly now. Remember that as well as an outright purchase this spec will also be available as an upgrade to owners of our existing 150, 170 and 200 bhp engines.

Another two sets of development cams have arrived today from our technical partners Kent Cams ready to test in our new 230bhp Zetec engine that we will be offering soon. This spec will sit between our ultra popular 200bhp engine and our top spec 260bhp. It will also be available as an upgrade to existing 150, 170 and 200bhp engine customers.

Another lovely 2.5L Duratec ready to go on the dyno tomorrow. We're currently building about 15 a year of these for a vehicle manufacturer as well as many more for individuals for road, race and track day use. Available from 210bhp to 320bhp these fit in vehicles such as Westfields and Caterhams and represent amazingly good value as they include the engine and all electronics and wiring loom.

This photo, taken by Ian Kinder who is kindly currently doing some testing for us, sums up the lovely machining of our double linkage kit. With high quality billet alloy and stainless steel parts, it's certainly a world away from some of our competitor's bent and welded bits of steel.
Our linkage kit is available in single and twin cable versions and mounts directly on top or below of our Throttle Bodies without the need for unsightly extra brackets.
#qualitythrottlebodies #onlythebest #billetalloy

Yesterday we were playing with a 1.8L Zetec Silvertop engine, not one of our favourite engines as the Blacktop is generally quite a bit better but this (standard 105bhp) little peach made nearly 140bhp corrected to DIN (145 corrected to STP which is what most rolling roads correct to). The engine is as lifted out of a car that had only done 30k miles and runs so sweetly. Enjoy the dyno pull, turn the volume up as it's on a quiet exhaust.
If anyone is interested in buying it with the ECU and Throttle Bodies etc we'd be happy to do a deal, all it needs for a kit car is an alternator kit and a Raceline sump, or for an Escort Mk1 or 2 a Retroford sump. If you wanted more power a pair of cams would bolt straight in.
We'd be happy to make it into a 'turn key' package if anyone would like that.

Today we had Adam Wilkins of Performance Publishing with us at our engine dyno, wonder what he could be doing? See the issue of Complete Kit Car (CKC) in about 5 weeks to find out.

This week we have a Zetec 2L engine in to upgrade from a claimed 204bhp to our new 230 bhp spec. We didn't build this engine to 200 bhp so put it on the dyno to check it and it made just under 190 bhp, someway short of the claim. Once we started stripping the engine it became pretty clear why, the inlet manifold porting is significantly larger than the not especially well ported cylinder head. This type of lip absolutely kills power. Interestingly there are also signs of detonation and the ignition map has too much timing at the top end. Our guess is that the engine was down on power and the builder threw ignition timing at it to try to get it up to spec.
The moral of the story is to use matched parts, not a cylinder head from one place and a manifold from another.

Sometimes things just don't go to plan....yesterday we were doing some testing of a 200bhp Zetec engine and wanted to compare our excellent reference exhaust manifold to what looks like the world's worst manifold (all the primaries were completely different lengths) feeding into a restrictive silencer of smaller diameter than the collector. And guess what the difference in power and torque curve was? Zilch, zero, nothing! Sometimes things make no sense at all 🤣
And before anyone notices two different engines in the photos, we didn't take a pic of our reference exhaust on the Zetec.

Ford ST170 engine inlet manifolds now available from stock in all 4 types, both angled and straight shot in 45 and 48mm. See our website for pricing.
Also fully premapped kits with Throttle Bodies, ECU and loom and all the other parts now available. Price £1895 plus VAT. Our test engine straight from a scrap car made 190 bhp.
And a bit of CNC machining, the final bit of the interpolation to 48mm in the vid.

Nice 200bhp Zetec finished off today, this one to go in a vehicle with a front crossmember so we use the excellent Retroford cast alloy sump. The casting is very nicely made but there's also some nice touches like the little brackets for left or right hand drive location of the dipstick tube. Good attention to detail, we like that 😊. Tomorrow it will have the air horns fitted and be hot run on our jig where the throttle bodies are set up and everything is tested before being despatched abroad.

Interesting day on the dyno today testing components for our new ST170 Throttle Body kits. We tried 45mm and 48mm Throttle Bodies (45mm was best on the standard engine but 48mm would be better if it could be revved higher with uprated pistons and rods). Final result was about 190bhp from a standard engine which we think is pretty incredible considering the engine (actually the whole car!) cost us £300 and is exactly as it came out of the car, even the spark plugs are as it came!
Power graphs will be available early next week along with kit pricing.

It may be Sunday but the show must go on! Today another new 2L Zetec engine partially stripped to remove the cylinder head ready to be sent for CNC porting and building in to one of our 200 bhp turn key engines.
Full brochures of our engine specs available on our website www.omextechnology.com
Also a new 230bhp Zetec soon to be available to slot between the very popular 200bhp spec and our top end 260 bhp spec.

Yesterday our MD visited BHPerformance to welcome them as Omex Official Dealers. Based in Kingswinford West Midlands, BHP can now offer the full range of Omex ECUs and Throttle Bodies, along with offering full mapping and fitting services of our products.

This engine needed a change of valve springs to allow the fitting of uprated camshafts but it was complete and we didn't want to take the cylinder head off. So we have a tool that puts compressed air in the spark plug holes to hold the valves closed and allows us to compress the springs and replace them. This saves a set of head bolts and a head gasket as the cylinder head doesn't have to come off so saving the customer money.