Firstly, my appologies for the length of this post
Originally Posted By: addyguy
No offence, but the engine in your Focus is NOT a Mazda engine.
It MAY have some 'Mazda engineering' in it, but it is a Ford designed and developed engine.
I used to also think that these were just transplanted Mazada engines, but I've been strictly informed that there are a LOT of differences between Ford and Mazda engines.
Doesn't matter if it is a roller of flat-tappet mechanism on your cam - you DON' need a high-zinc race oil to protect your cam (which is why you're asking...)!
I'm very sorry addyguy, but this is all wrong. I can't stand it when people unknowingly spread this kind of misinfo despite the opposite being your intention. I've researched and followed these things' progression since the dawn of time, including no longer published articles of the Ford/Mazda relationship with regard to who's doing what. It was agreed many years ago, that Mazda would drop their (class leading) K-series V6, hand over the engineering to Ford and Ford would continue to develop 60 degree aluminum V6's as their Duratec V6, which Mazda would have later access to to cast, build and modify to their liking. In exchange, Mazda would be responsible for the entire development of the "new four cylinder engines". This is the deal according to Ford. Mazda would be developing a new 4 cylinder engine, regardless. Selling the K-engine out, made and saved them some money. The company has always had some of the best engineering in Japan, but sadly most of it falls short of production (including V8 and V12 engines). Ford always knew this, which is why they hooked up with the company since the 70s.
"MZR" is just a brand name, just like 'Duratec' (and EcoBoost for that matter). It means nothing. The Mazda L-engine is the engine family in question, and is all
100% Mazda engineering. The L-engine, is part of the MZR series (which is a brand name for a
generation of engines, including the smaller Z-engines as well). The L-engines range in size from 1.8L to 2.5L.
Quick primer on understanding engine codes (useful for the rest of the post):
As mentioned before, MZR and Duratec are brand names, for a generation of engines. They in no way specify an engine, or even an engine family. The 1.8L to 2.5L MZR's we know so much are of the L-family of engines.
L8 is the 1.8L engine code. "P" and "8" have always been used to represent an "8" in a Mazda 1.8L engine ie. (BP 1.8L, F8 1.8L, FP 1.8L, K8 1.8L V6).
LF is the 2.0L engine code. L is a family letter, and F is the displacement varient. F in this case is in reference to the 2.0L FE, which this engine was designed off of. 2.0L (E also used to represent an even liter displacement ie. JE for 3.0L J-family V6, no longer used).
L3 is the 2.3L engine code. 3 and J have been used to represent x.3L engines (ie. KJ 2.3L V6, B3 1.3L etc)
L5 is the 2.5L engine code. 5 and L have been used to represent x.5L engines (ie. J5 2.5L V6, KL 2.5L V6)
The suffix describes the engine configuration/features
L3-DE would be the 2.3L as used in the Ford Ranger.
L3-VDT would be the 2.3L DISI turbo
The first suffix position may be either:
D= Domestic DOHC or
Z= High Tuned DOHC
V= VVT DOHC or
C= Common Rail Diesel
Second place suffix position may be either:
E=EFI
D=Direct Injection
Third place suffix position is optional:
T= turbo
M= Miller Cycle
So the 2.3L Supercharged Miller Cycle V6 would have a KJ-ZEM engine code.
2.3L DISI Turbo engine would have L3-VDT code.
2.2L MZR-CD diesel would have R2-CDT code.
2.3L in Ford Ranger would have a L3-DE Mazda code.
2.3L VVT would have L3-VE code.
So here's the story:
L-engines (or all engines of the same family) are all identical on the outside, more or less, with bolt bosses, head patterns and bell patterns being identical between them ALL (same block, diff internal machining for disp). L-engine is an evolution of the Mazda F-engine (circa 1983-1998) which ranged in size from 1.6L to 2.2L). In fact, the old iron F-engine block is still being used to this day as Mazda's diesel R-engine (2.2L sharing the exact same bore/stroke/rod length as the F2 2.2L, same block).
Yes, the same block has been doing double duty as petrol F- and diesel R- since 1983!
tig1, if you read this, that means that your old 2.0L Diesel Tempo's engine block is still in production today! And was the basis for the L-engine/Duratec 4cyl!
The R-engine "MZR-CD" 2.2L is one of the best 4 cylinder diesels currently on the market. Even the Germans know this (VW admitted it somewhere). But back on topic though, the ubiquitous L3-VE/VDT/DE 2.3L carries the exact same stroke length of the old F2 2.2L, nearly identical bore spacing, and an almost identical rod length (yeilding nearly identical rod ratio, one the highest in it's class @1.64~).
Changes and inevitable updates from the old F-engine to new L-engine include:
*all aluminum block construction vs cast iron
*1 piece main bearing cage vs caps with girdles and braceplate
*reversed intake/exhaust flow config, as has become industry standard
*belt to chain driven cams (after going from chain to belt during the belt fad of the 80s)
*no more SOHC. The DOHC heads combine engineering from the Mazda KL V6 DOHC heads (27degree valve angle), and the older DOHC FE3 2.0L engine (or B-engine DOHC heads which are just mini versions)
*VVT system identical to S-VT ZL 1.5L) All heads use flat bucket tappets.
*chain driven oil pump (instead of direct crank driven oil pump mounted to crank snout)
*weight reduction of recip. mass
-3mm smaller rod journal diam. over the old overbuilt F-engine, however 2.3L DISI turbo and 2.5L n/a engines retain original rod journal size of F-engine
-much shorter piston compression height (down -5mm!), semi skirted race style pistons, much skinnier rods (the old F-engine rods were good for well over 4 times their original HP, but were needlessly heavy for regular use)
-crank gear driven twin balance shafts for 2.3L and 2.5L
-plastic intake manifolds with continued use of VICS, adding VTCS; weight reduction
Note: you'll find manh of these are common changes between many manufacturers like Toyota from their S-engine to their AZ-engine for example.
The engine is offered in different configurations for a needed displacement. Before the 2.5L L5-VE engine, there were only 2 cranks used on L-engine, now there are three.
L-engine crank and bore combinations:
83mm stroke (for 2.0 & 1.8L - replaces 77mm crank from F-engine)
94mm stroke (unchanged from 2.2L F-engine)
100mm stroke (new for 2.5L L5)
Standard bore for the L-engine is now 87.5mm, instead of 86mm from F-engine. For the smallest 1.8L, the same 83mm crank as the 2.0L is used, but bore reduced to 83mm as well (square 83x83mm). The 1.8L "MZR" is used overseas for Mazda6, 3 and Ford "Duratec HE".
For comparison, the F-engine had 3 cranks, and 2 bore sizes 86mm being standard bore, however the smaller bore size (83mm) was the rarest:
77mm stroke (86x77mm for 1.8L, 83x77mm for the rare 1.6L)
86mm stroke (86x86mm FE 2.0 was square )
94mm stroke (used for 2.2L F2 and carried over to the L-engine)
So now with a little bit of history, in the early 2000's it was published that Ford had indeed trusted Mazda for a new global 4cylinder for Ford to use. (Mazda's own engines have always been their "global" engine, so no need to change anything on their end). Ford attempted a DOHC 4 cylinder with their ZETEC, being loosely based on Mazda's 1.8L BP, but that engine was short lived. The F-engine was produced from 1983 to the mid-late 90's, where Mazda replaced it with an odd FS/FP 2.0L/1.8L for the Protege generation (was more like a stretched out BP, than close to anything of the real F-engine family). That engine was produced for about ~5yrs, before they went back to a large bore spacing engine like the L- & F-.
"But there are parts on the Mazda and Ford engines that says FoMoCo on it, so you're lying"
Indeed there are, but I'm not even close to lying. This is where the OEM agreements take place. Mazda accepted Ford's offer of helping them save some money on the bread and butter parts like plugs, throttle bodies, dipsticks- you know the [censored] little costs on the little knick knack details. Ford offered these everso discreetly labelled items, you know, as part of an exchange for being able to cast a Mazda engine and use it in over half of their entire lineup. That seems a little more than fair. But, Ford also knows the psychology value in that as well. But I digress.
Now, I realise this is far more info than anyone could have cared for, but I think the story is very good start to at least know the heritage. There is far too much speculation and rough estimates out there, even from journalists in internetsworld that people are stating as fact.
Nick, you've got a good engine. If you have a sensor sticking out of the valve cover on the chain side, you've for VVT. Oh, and you've got nothing to worry about!
