Editing Ford Kent engine

{{Infobox automobile engine
| name = Ford Kent engine
| image = AnadolA1-motor-1300cc.jpg
| caption = {{cvt|1297|cc|L|1|order=flip}} engine in an [[Anadol A1]]
| aka = Ford pre-crossflow<br />Ford Crossflow<br />Ford Valencia<br />Ford HCS<br />Endura-E<br />VSG-411/413
| manufacturer = [[Ford of Britain]]
| production = 1959–present
| predecessor = [[Ford Sidevalve engine]]
| successor = [[Ford Zetec engine]]
| configuration = [[Naturally aspirated]] [[Straight-four engine|I4]]
| displacement = {{ubl |{{cvt|997|cc|L|1|order=flip}}|{{cvt|1117|cc|L|1|order=flip}}|{{cvt|1198|cc|L|1|order=flip}}|{{cvt|1297|cc|L|1|order=flip}}|{{cvt|1339|cc|L|1|order=flip}}|{{cvt|1498|cc|L|1|order=flip}}|{{cvt|1599|cc|L|1|order=flip}} }}
| similar = 
| bore = {{cvt|80.96|mm|in|2}}
| stroke = {{ubl |{{cvt|48.41|mm|in|2}}|{{cvt|58.2|mm|in|2}}|{{cvt|63|mm|in|2}}|{{cvt|65|mm|in|2}}|{{cvt|72.75|mm|in|2}}|{{cvt|77.60|mm|in|2}}}}
| height = 
| weight = 
| block = [[Cast Iron]]
| head = [[Cast Iron]]
| valvetrain = [[Overhead valve engine|OHV]] 2 valves per cyl.
| fuelsystem = [[Carburetor]]<br>[[Single-point fuel injection]]<br>[[Multi-port fuel injection]]
| fueltype = [[Gasoline]]
| oilsystem = [[Wet sump]]
| coolingsystem = [[Radiator (engine cooling)|Water-cooled]]
| power = {{cvt|39–111|hp|PS kW|0}}
| specpower = 
| torque = 
| compression = 
}}

The '''Ford Kent''' is an [[internal combustion engine]] from [[Ford of Europe]]. Originally developed in 1959 for the [[Ford Anglia]], it is an [[straight-4|in-line four-cylinder]] [[Overhead valve engine|overhead valve]] (OHV) [[pushrod]] engine with a cast-iron cylinder head and block.

The Kent family can be divided into three basic sub-families; the original '''pre-Crossflow''' Kent, the '''Crossflow''' (the most prolific of all versions of the Kent), and the transverse mounted '''Valencia'''.

The arrival of the [[Ford Duratec|Duratec-E]] engine in the fifth generation Fiesta range in 2002 signalled the end of the engine's use in production vehicles after a 44-year career, although the Valencia derivative remained in limited production in Brazil, as an industrial use engine by Ford's Power Products division, where it is known as the '''VSG-411''' and '''VSG-413'''. Since 2010, it has been actively produced in the United States factories for [[Formula Ford]] globally because of its popularity in motorsport.

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{{anchor|105E}}

==The name==
Within Ford, it is said that the Kent name originally referred to the A711 and A711M blocks (commonly called the 711M block) with square [[main bearing]] caps for the Crossflow series, which represented a vast improvement in the durability of the engines. The name subsequently began to be used outside the company to refer to pre-711M engines as well.

==Pre-Crossflow==
The original OHV three main-bearing Kent engine appeared in the 1959 [[Ford Anglia|Anglia]] with a capacity of {{cvt|996.7|cc|L|1|order=flip}} developing {{cvt|39|bhp|0}} at 5,000&nbsp;rpm — unusually high for the time. With an {{cvt|80.96x48.41|mm|in|2}} bore and stroke, combined with independent (non-siamesed) four intake and four exhaust ports, it was a departure from traditional [[undersquare]] English engine design.

The same engine, with its bore unchanged, but with longer {{cvt|65|and|72.75|mm|in|2}} stroke and thus larger capacities were subsequently used in the [[Ford Consul Classic]] ({{cvt|1339|cc|L|1|order=flip}}) and [[Ford Consul Capri|Consul Capri]] ({{cvt|1339|and|1498|cc|L|1|order=flip}} - the latter with five main bearings), the Mk1 and early Mk2 [[Ford Cortina|Cortina]]s ({{cvt|58.2|mm|in|2}} stroke {{cvt|1198|cc|L|1|order=flip}} {{cvt|63|mm|in|2}} stroke five main bearing {{cvt|1297|and|1498|cc|L|1|order=flip}}), and the early [[Ford Corsair|Corsair]]s.

In addition to its '[[over-square]]' cylinder dimensions, a further unusual feature of the Kent engine at its introduction was an externally mounted combined oil filter/pump unit designed to facilitate low-cost production and easy maintenance.<ref name=Drive198503>{{cite magazine|title = TimeMachines: Little belter: Ford Anglia 1959–1967|magazine=Drive (Magazine of the British [[The Automobile Association|Automobile Association]])| volume = 116| pages =18–19|date = March 1985 }}</ref>

The engine is now referred to as the pre-crossflow Kent, in [[reverse-flow cylinder head]] configuration with both the inlet and exhaust being on the same side of the head.

Applications:
* [[Ford Anglia]]
* [[Ford Cortina]]
* [[Ford Consul Classic]] and [[Ford Consul Classic|Consul Capri]].
* [[Ford Corsair]]
* 107E [[Ford Prefect (car)|Ford Prefect]]
* [[Autocars]] Sussita
* [[Lotus Seven#S2|Lotus Seven S2]]
* [[Marcos GT|Marcos 1500 GT]]
* [[Otosan]] [[Anadol]] 1.2&nbsp;L – 1.3&nbsp;L (1966–1984)
* [[TVR Grantura]]

==Crossflow==
[[File:Anadol FW11 Kent 1.6 engine.jpg|thumb|A 1.3 litre Kent Crossflow (711M block) in an [[Anadol]] FW11 prototype]]
A 1967 redesign gave it a cross-flow type cylinder head, hence the Kent's alternative name '''Ford Crossflow'''. It went on to power the smaller-engined versions of the [[Ford Cortina]] and [[Ford Capri]], the first and second editions of the [[Ford Escort (Europe)|European Escort]] as well as the North American [[Ford Pinto]] (1971, 1972 and 1973 only). In South Africa it also powered the 1.6&nbsp;L Mk II, Mk III, Mk IV, & Mk V [[Ford Cortina]] and 1.6&nbsp;L [[Ford Sierra]].

The Crossflow featured a change in [[combustion chamber]] design, using a [[Heron cylinder head|Heron type combustion chamber]] in the top of the piston rather than in the head. The head itself was flat with each engine capacity ({{cvt|1098|and|1298|cc|L|1|order=flip}}) featuring different pistons with different sized bowls in 681F and 711M blocks. The {{cvt|1599|cc|L|1|order=flip}} 691M block had the stronger 'square' bearing caps later used in the 711M, and small combustion chambers in the near-flat head (the bulk of the volume being in the piston bowl). In 1970, the new A711 block for {{cvt|1298|cc|L|1|order=flip}} and A711M block for {{cvt|1599|cc|L|1|order=flip}} were introduced with thicker block wall, square main bearing caps, large diameter cam followers and wider cam lobes, with the latter block having a 7/16" taller deck height, together with a return to the flat head. These changes represented a significant improvement in the reliability of the engines, and the blocks are commonly referred to as '711M' blocks.

The Ford Crossflow engine ({{cvt|1298|and|1599|cc|L|1|order=flip}}) also powered the Reliant [[Anadol]] (1968–1984). Other makes such as [[Morgan Motor Company|Morgan]] used the Crossflow on [[Morgan 4/4#4/4 Series II|Morgan 4/4]], [[Caterham Cars|Caterham]] on [[Caterham 7]], and [[TVR]] used the engine in the [[TVR Grantura|Grantura]], [[TVR Vixen|Vixen]], and [[TVR M Series|1600M]]. It has been fitted in countless other applications as well, being a favourite of kit-car builders not only in Great Britain.

Destined for the American market, beginning with the 1977 model year, the Valencia plant began manufacturing a 1.6L, {{cvt|63|bhp|0}}, five-main bearing version that included a low emission bowl-in-pistons combustion chamber design based on the Crossflow head, and was equipped with a Dura-Spark [[electronic ignition]]. This version was used in the short-lived (1977–1980) USA-market [[Ford Fiesta (first generation)|Mk1 Fiesta]]. Fitting the Crossflow into the Mk1 Fiesta posed a challenge for engineers, since the car had been designed around the shorter Valencia version (below), therefore the engine had to be mounted lower down in the chassis with shorter driveshafts in order to allow the transaxle to be removed from the car for clutch replacement. This engine was later used in the XR2 version of the Mk.1 Fiesta, using the US 1600 bottom end and GT spec head and cam but without the catalytic converter or emission control equipment. 1.3L versions of the Mk I Fiesta also used the Crossflow, as opposed to the [[#Valencia|Valencia]].

The Crossflow was superseded in Ford of Europe vehicles in stages - the larger capacity 1.6L was supplanted by the overhead camshaft [[Ford Pinto engine|Pinto]] (Lynx) unit in the [[Ford Cortina]] and [[Ford Capri]] by the late 1970s, and all versions ceased to be used in the [[Ford Escort (Europe)|Escort]] when it was replaced by the [[Ford CVH engine|CVH]] engine as the Escort moved to its third generation in 1980. The final "official" use of the Crossflow was in the aforementioned 1.3L and XR2 versions of the Fiesta I which ceased production in 1983, when these were again replaced by the CVH, leaving only the Valencia variants (below) in the Fiesta I/II and entry versions of the Escort III.

==Valencia==
A redesigned version of the Kent engine was conceived to suit [[transverse engine|transverse]] installation in 1976, primarily for the Mk1 [[Ford Fiesta]], although entry level versions of the [[Ford Escort (Europe)|Escort Mk3]] also used the engine. This derivative went through two major revisions in 1988 and 1995, detailed below, and was a mainstay of Ford's entry level compact range for nearly 25 years.

===Original Valencia (1976–1988)===
[[File:Ford Valencia 1100 X series engine.jpg|thumb|Valencia 1100 engine with RS Twin Weber DCNF conversion in a [[Ford Fiesta (first generation)|Mk1 Fiesta]]]]

The Valencia was initially available in {{cvt|957|cc|L|1|order=flip}} (in both high compression and low compression versions ) and a high compression {{cvt|1117|cc|L|1|order=flip}} version.

To adapt the Kent Crossflow for front wheel drive the ancillaries were repositioned, and the cylinder block shortened by {{cvt|30|mm}}. This allowed the engine to fit transversely across the Fiesta engine bay, while still allowing the transmission unit to be comfortably removed for clutch replacement. However, this difference means that very few parts of the Valencia engine are interchangeable with a Crossflow. (Ford ended up installing the Crossflow engine into the Fiesta anyway, when the market demanded a 1.3L capacity, and later a 1.6L version for the North American market models – ultimately the 1.6L Crossflow also was used in the Mk1 Fiesta XR2 when the North American market Fiesta ceased production in 1980). The bore diameter was reduced to 74mm (from 81mm on the full-size Kent), and was standard across both the 957 and 1117 versions; the extra capacity was achieved by varying the stroke.

In addition to these changes, the Valencia featured a new transmission flange to suit the BC4/5 transaxle and the cylinder head was redesigned using flat-top pistons and the traditional combustion chamber in the head. Another key difference from the 711M Crossflow block is the absence of mounting spigots cast into the faces; therefore the Valencia (and the later HCS and Endura-E versions) cannot be mounted in a longitudinal application: when installed in a Fiesta/Escort III/Orion the engine relies on the transaxle mountings for lateral location in the vehicle.

Because of these differences, Ford officially regarded the Valencia as a completely new engine despite being derived from the Kent/Crossflow family and initially dubbed it as the "L-Series" or "Valencia-L" engine ("VL" is cast into the cylinder head and block), however it became better known as the '''Valencia''' to the wider world, after the [[Ford Valencia Body and Assembly|Valencia plant]] where it was manufactured, but eventually the name was officially adopted by Ford as well – although in sales literature it was always called simply '''OHV'''. Although the engines were assembled at Amulssafes, the blocks and heads were in fact cast in Dagenham alongside the full-size Crossflow and shipped to Spain for assembly.

A five bearing {{cvt|1297|cc|L|1|order=flip}} version of the Valencia became available in 1986 for the facelift "Erika-86" version of the Escort and Orion, replacing the similarly sized [[Ford CVH|CVH]] unit, which increased to {{cvt|1392|cc|L|1|order=flip}} for higher specification models. The cylinder heads and pistons were modified in 1986 for unleaded fuel and the cams changed to meet the new [[European emissions standards]] along with the addition of electronic ignition.

===HCS (1988–1996)===
[[File:Ford HCS engine.jpg|left|300px|thumb|Valencia-HCS engine installed in a 1989 [[Ford Fiesta (third generation)|Ford Fiesta Mk3]] ]]
In 1988 the second generation of the Valencia unit was launched to meet with tightening European emissions legislation.<ref name=QR399200>{{cite magazine | ref = QR399 | magazine = Quattroruote | title = Magro è Meglio | trans-title = Leaner and better | language = it | date = January 1989 | volume = 34 | issue = 399 | publisher = Editoriale Domus | location = Milan, Italy | editor-first = Raffaele | editor-last = Mastrostefano | page = 200 }}</ref> The substantial redesign of the engine included an all-new cylinder head with reshaped combustion chambers and inlet ports for 'lean-burn' operation, hardened valve seats and valves for operation on unleaded fuel, and the [[Ford EDIS]] fully electronic ignition system, with the option of single-point fuel injection for use with a [[catalytic converter]] - Weber carburettors were specified to replace the unreliable Ford Variable Venturi (VV) unit. The engine was renamed the Ford '''HCS''' (standing for ''High Compression Swirl''), although some internal Ford service publications call it the '''Valencia-HCS''' in reference to its heritage. This engine used a much leaner fuel-to-air mix than a typical engine, at a 1:19 ratio.<ref name=QR399203>[[#QR399|Mastrostefano (Ed.)]], p. 203</ref> In addition to lowered emissions, Ford claimed that fuel economy increased by 11 to 18 percent while power was up from 5 to 8 percent, depending on the model.<ref name=QR399203/>

It first appeared in {{cvt|1118|and|1297|cc|L|1|order=flip}} guises on the Ford Escort and Orion for the 1989 model year, and on the then-new Ford Fiesta Mark III the same year, which also offered a smaller {{cvt|999|cc|L|1|order=flip}} version to replace the older {{cvt|957|cc|L|1|order=flip}} Valencia.

The HCS engine is easily distinguishable from the original Valencia by the rocker cover, head and block being painted grey instead of black, the presence of a crankshaft position sensor adjacent to the starter motor, and the absence of a distributor drive on the rear face of the cylinder block. The mechanical fuel pump also has a return line to tank, whereas the original Valencia did not. The HCS also has a "mirrored" spark plug arrangement where the plug leads appear to be splayed outwards: on the original Valencia they are all at the same angle.

==={{anchor|Endura-E}} Endura-E (1995–2002)===
The final redesign came in 1995 with the launch of the fourth-generation [[Ford Fiesta]]. This edition was effectively another redesign of the Valencia/HCS derivative, known as the '''Endura-E''', and featured many revisions to combat noise and harshness, including a thickened cylinder block and a cast aluminium sump. The RH engine mount position was changed to the top of the cylinder block. Multipoint fuel injection was now standard. This engine was used in the [[Ford Ka|Ka]] until 2002 where it was replaced by the Duratec and the 1.3 Escort until 2002, as well as in [[Ford Ikon]].

This type of engine still has tappet noise even after adjustment. This noise is said to come from the cams due to incorrect valve setup (when setting valve clearance each cylinder must be set to TDC) or from age and use of incorrect oil grade. The correct oil grade is 5W-30 semi-synthetic oil. Another reason is the large tappet clearance on the exhaust valve. This could be reduced to lower the noise level but the engine would then suffer from a rough idle and usually stall.

Despite Ford's engines being well regarded for their ease of service, the Endura-E has a very awkward placing for its oil filter, at the back of the engine and facing from left to right rather than pointing downwards or out, this being a leftover from the original Kent which was normally mounted longitudinally for rear-wheel drive. This mounting position makes it very difficult to access from underneath the car (without a mechanic's ramp), and despite being very short, the can-type oil filter still manages to protrude past the tip of the adjacent starter motor, meaning it is very difficult to remove using chain-type grips.

{{Table alignment}}
{| class="wikitable defaultcenter"
|+ Endura-E engine specs (Ka):
|-
! Displacement!!Power!!Torque!!Bore!!Stroke!!Compression ratio!!Redline
|-
|998&nbsp;cc || {{cvt|53|PS|kW hp|0}} at 5250&nbsp;rpm || {{cvt|77|Nm|lbft|0}} at 4000&nbsp;rpm || {{cvt|68.68|mm|in}} || {{cvt|67.4|mm|in}} || 9.2:1 || rowspan=2|5450&nbsp;rpm
|-
|1297&nbsp;cc || {{cvt|60|PS|kW hp|0}} at 5000&nbsp;rpm || {{cvt|104|Nm|lbft|0}} at 3500&nbsp;rpm || {{cvt|73.94|mm|in}} || {{cvt|75.5|mm|in}} || 8.8:1
|}

==Motorsport==
Ford Kent engines had a profound influence on motorsport, possibly more so than any other mass-produced engines did in the history of motorsport. The [[Orazio Satta Puliga|Satta]]/[[Rudolf Hruska|Hruska]] designed [[Alfa Romeo Twin Cam engine|Alfa Romeo]] 750/101 {{cvt|1290|cc|L|1|order=flip}} DOHC engine, and the [[Alex von Falkenhausen Motorenbau]] designed SOHC {{cvt|1773|cc|L|1|order=flip}} [[BMW]] M118 engine may have had similar influence on the motorsport scenes in Italy and Germany respectively, but not internationally.

[[Lotus Cars|Lotus]] used Ford Kent engines on [[Lotus Seven|Lotus Mk.VII]] to establish its corporate foundation, and subsequently used most of the [[Cosworth#Early types|Cosworth early racing engines]] for the legendary success in motorsport. Lotus also built the successful [[Lotus TwinCam]] engine for [[Lotus Elan]] on the Kent block, crank and conrods.

[[Cosworth]]'s [[Cosworth#Early types|initial products]] were all Ford Kent based, and the later [[Cosworth#The SCA series|SCA]], [[Cosworth#The FVA series|FVA]] and the [[Cosworth#The BDA series|BD series]] used Kent blocks to dominate many FIA categories including Formula 2 and Formula 3.

In addition, many respected racing engine builder/tuners, such as [[Holbay Engineering|Holbay]], Vegantune, Novamotor, [[Brian Hart Ltd.|Brian Hart]], Richardson and Wilcox owe their foundations to the Ford Kent-based engines.

Furthermore, the Kent Crossflow engine was used as the regulation engine in [[Formula Ford]], although it was originally proposed to be the pre-crossflow 1498&nbsp;cc Cortina GT unit in 1967 (before the establishment of the series). In Europe, Formula Ford switched to the [[Zetec]], but American Formula Ford continued to be Kent-powered until 2010; the [[SCCA]] having approved the use of the Honda [[Honda L engine#L15A7|L15A i-VTEC]] for Formula F.<ref>{{cite web|last=Abuelsamid |first=Sam |url=http://www.autoblog.com/2009/11/05/scca-approves-honda-fit-based-engine-for-formula-f/ |title=Ford Kent engine being replaced by Honda Fit based engine by SCCA |publisher=Autoblog.com |date=2009-11-05 |access-date=2010-11-05}}</ref>

As it was nearly impossible to succeed in motorsport without some activities in Formula 2, 3 or Formula Ford, most of the well-known racing drivers in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s owe their careers to Ford Kent to some extent, and the current historic motor racing depends heavily on the Kent-based engines.

On 16 October 2009, Ford announced that it would be putting the Kent block back into production in order to supply the historic racing community and active Formula Ford series that use the Kent engine with spares. According to a Ford press-release, engineering work began at Ford Racing's Performance Parts division in the US, with sales scheduled to start in 2010. This coincided with a [[Sports Car Club of America]] rule change allowing [[Honda L engine#L15|the Honda L15A7 engine]] to be used in Formula Ford events in that country, which uses the Ford Kent engine (SCCA does not sanction Duratec or Ecoboost classes).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://jalopnik.com/5383307/ford-introduces-16l-duratec-race-engine-restarts-kent-production |title=Ford Introduces 1.6L Duratec Race Engine, Restarts Kent Production |publisher=Jalopnik | first = Ben | last = Wojdyla |date=2009-10-16 |access-date=2010-11-05}}</ref><ref>[http://www.fordracingparts.com/parts/part_details.asp?PartKeyField=12142 Link to Kent block in Ford Motorsports Parts online catalog]</ref>

The 1300&nbsp;cc was the engine of choice for [[BriSCA Formula 2 Stock Cars]] until a rule change about carburettors pushed people towards the 2000&nbsp;cc [[Ford Pinto engine]].

[[Harry Mundy]] designed the [[Lotus TwinCam]] engine for [[Colin Chapman]], who needed the replacement for the [[Coventry Climax#FW|Coventry Climax FWE]] engine used in [[Lotus Elite]]. As [[Keith Duckworth]] and [[Mike Costin]], the co-founders of [[Cosworth]], used to be [[Lotus Cars|Lotus Development Ltd]] employees, the initial racing adaptation of Lotus TwinCam was carried out by Cosworth, and the Kent block [[Cosworth#The SCA series|Cosworth SCA]] was designed using the basic [[SOHC]] [[reverse-flow cylinder head]] configuration of the FWE. Due to Mundy being also the co-designer of the FWE, the Kent block Lotus TwinCam initially used the cam profile of the FWE,<ref>{{cite book|title=Lotus Twin-Cam Engine|first=Miles|last=Wilkins|publisher=Osprey|year=1988|isbn=1855209683|page=15}}</ref> and shared the same valve clearance adjustment shims with Coventry Climax FWA, FWB, and FWE in production.

==See also==
* [[List of Ford engines]]
* [[Lotus-Ford Twin Cam|Lotus-Ford Twin Cam engine]]
* [[Cosworth#Early types|List of early Cosworth engines]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Ford v8 engines}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ford Kent Engine}}
[[Category:Ford engines|Kent]]
[[Category:Straight-four engines]]
[[Category:Gasoline engines by model]]