[Pitsparky]

My old one failed at 375bhp and I've heard of plenty others failing both standard and modified. Also if they put that much R&D into it why did they recall all rs's before 2017 for another head gasket?

My liners failed in my mk2 rs as well and had several engine rebuilds. However this was running 525bhp so not an ideal car to use for an argument. However the plenums did explode and it was advised by forum members to change it to an uprated one.

Every car has they're issues but in no way is the mk3 rs engine extremely reliable

The 2.3 engine is extremely reliable! 100000s have been made and used in dozens of cars. I hazard a guess a lot mire than 2.5 Volvo engines. A few RS failures among the 99.9% that are totally reliable that you never hear about is irrelevant. The modifications and treatment I regularly witness doesnt surprise me at all. And MK 2 liners fail on standard cars. The head gasket issue is NOT the engines fault !

 

[Pitsparky]

Yes plenty of standard MK3 RS's going pop mate.

Thought mine was going that way recently had 2nd year service at BD Performance S.Wales and decided to change the plugs.

image.jpg

This was cylinder 1 plug luckily it was only the rocker cover gasket which was sorted under warranty

Plenty? You have to put it into context, what is plenty? And how many are trouble free. I bet as many as any other engine. You cannot go by a few that report problems on these forums or turn up at bd. 100000s are not reporting problems, these are the ones you have to compare to. Not the few failures on I still believe almost all modified or possible abused. The engine is already at its safe design limit so if you modify it expect a shorter life, simple physics Im afraid. No different to any other, 350hp from a 2.3 is about right. 300-320 from a 2.0 is about the reliability limit of standard engines. Apart from merc who fully beef up and hand build a special 420. The mp375 is as far as you can go according to Ford engineers in the 2.3.

Whats wrong with plug?

 

[McGherkin]

The issue with the Mk3 RS is that a load were accidentally fitted with the Mustang gasket. That said, even cars with the correct gasket have been failing, although that’s much much rarer.

 

[Pitsparky]

The 2.3 is an open deck, much like the Volvo 2.5, which gives it cylinder cracking and gasket sealing problems sometimes, the 2.0 in the ST is a closed block engine and doesnt suffer from these effects, when a top end tuner builds a big power engine for the RS, they generally use the 2.0 block, as for being a twenty year old Mazda design, they werent running high boost, which the RS does. Theyve had plenty of failures in America with the mustang, lots of claims under warranty to Ford.

It is open block yes, so are the M3 M4 and many engines.Liner failure on the 2.3 is almost unheard off on standard engines, it becomes a problem on heavily (poorly) modified engines. Same as 2.0 piston failure.

Evidence please on plenty of mustang engine failures? Theres plenty of engine failures of all all engine types if you ignore the millions that dont fail.

Its mostly mines better than yours or envy people who talk about it and exaggerate it, I suppose the same generation and very similar 2.0 Mazda St engine is perfect? The actual people who have these failures rarely appear, its always a mate of a cousins mate, strange that!! If it was common the actual owners would never be away I think!

 

[Pitsparky]

The issue with the Mk3 RS is that a load were accidentally fitted with the Mustang gasket. That said, even cars with the correct gasket have been failing, although thats much much rarer.

Correct gaskets failing? Ive not heard of one, any evidence of how many? Its easy to say things.

 

[McGherkin]

MarkCup70's was starting to fail again by the time he sold it after he had his entire engine replaced (with correct gasket).

 

[Pitsparky]

I follow BD Perf. They get the odd MK3 RS in but very few including a suspect lubrication failure recently. They are always overflowing with broken MK2s. Is this representative? disproportionate yes, but without knowing the facts. ie bodged modifications the usual culprit, it probably isnt or at least couldnt be proved. You just have to look through this forum and see its difficult to ignore failures in the MK2 section out number the mk3 massively and there arent any on the mk4. Mk4 is relatively new so can still rule that out. Mk 3 is 8 years old so cannot rule that out. Draw youre own unbiased conclusion, I know that is difficult !!

I have not heard of any issues whatsoever with the MK 4 ST 2.3 engine, zilch! Been around nearly two years now.

 

[s66anb]

@Pitsparky ok

Its not just bd performance that I've heard about engines failing. It's been from ford branches, other car garages and car meets. It must just be that 0.01% all seem to be near me or they are the unlucky ones and just by chance I'm the one that speaks to them or hears about it.

Honda now they have a reliable engine. I had my ep3 running 390bhp on a standard block and at the time I was always hitting the limiter and driving the car very hard. Never heard of any failures with that engine unless they were run low on oil but then that's poor maintenance and you deserve what you get as you need to be on top of all this.

All these cars are designed to be driven hard and pushed and if they go pop you can't blame it on the way it was driven. What's the point in buying them then. Yes once tuned your taking that risk and I'm fully aware of that.

 

[Pitsparky]

MarkCup70's was starting to fail again by the time he sold it after he had his entire engine replaced (with correct gasket).

Thats only one? And unfortunately the quality of the Ford gasket replacement varied enormously dealer to dealer. Personally if I bought an RS, it would not be a recall car. Would be late 17 onwards without doubt.

 

[s66anb]

So now you've went from saying 1000000 of rs's are fine and bullet proof but you don't want nothing to do with the first 1/3rd of the cars that were manufactured lol you must be a pleb. Lolol

 

[Pitsparky]

@Pitsparky ok

Its not just bd performance that I've heard about engines failing. It's been from ford branches, other car garages and car meets. It must just be that 0.01% all seem to be near me or they are the unlucky ones and just by chance I'm the one that speaks to them or hears about it.

Honda now they have a reliable engine. I had my ep3 running 390bhp on a standard block and at the time I was always hitting the limiter and driving the car very hard. Never heard of any failures with that engine unless they were run low on oil but then that's poor maintenance and you deserve what you get as you need to be on top of all this.

All these cars are designed to be driven hard and pushed and if they go pop you can't blame it on the way it was driven. What's the point in buying them then. Yes once tuned your taking that risk and I'm fully aware of that.

They must be all around you mate, certainly not around here. And how many RSs are around you?

Are you not more concerned about your own car rather than others that you dont have? Youre pistons are about to melt any day arent they? Probably more of this ridiculous claim around than RSs having problems. Equally misrepresentative ******** I agree, sure you do on that one!

 

[caprixpack]

If you can't take someone criticising something you like, then maybe the internet and a discussion forum isn't the place for you.

Regarding the above discussion on the 2.3. Remember the handful of MK2 rs models that had issues with the standard plastic plenum going pop? A problem caused by software allowing the engine to backfire into the plenum, that was rectified by a software update. Yet this is now widely believed (and utterly bull **** myth) that the standard plenum on the st will go pop if you run more power.
All I'm saying is there's no smoke without fire. Did the MK2 rs have an issue with the plenum going pop? Yes, but it's wasn't as widespread as everyone makes out. Did the MK3 rs have an issue with engine failure and gaskets? Yes it did.

 

[s66anb]

They must be all around you mate, certainly not around here. And how many RSs are around you?
Are you not more concerned about your own car rather than others that you dont have? Youre pistons are about to melt any day arent they? Probably more of this ridiculous claim around than RSs having problems. Equally misrepresentative I agree, sure you do on that one!

Why would I be concerned about my own car? And why will the pistons melt. I drive my cars hard although no where near how hard I use to drive them as I've grown up alot since I had my ep3. But I still like to push the car and use the rev range as that's why it's there.

I've had plenty cars with known faults.
Bmw 335i on 20k the turbos went or something did as it was smokey and the n54 engine was known to have an issue with something along those lines.
I've had 2 bmw e46 m3's one of which I just sold to buy the st that I now own. They have issues with big end bearings, boot floor cracking, vanos issues, smg pump if your auto and clunky diffs.
Bmw e92 m3 which also suffer from vanos and big end bearings.
Now these are big jobs and cost alot of money which should not be happening on such an expensive car.
My mk2 focus rs I cracked a piston running revo stage 4+ then once I forged it I then cracked a liner.

These are just the cars I've had with issues. All the Honda's and jap stuff I've owned have ran perfect and been abused and not missed a beat

 

[Pitsparky]

If you can't take someone criticising something you like, then maybe the internet and a discussion forum isn't the place for you.

Regarding the above discussion on the 2.3. Remember the handful of MK2 rs models that had issues with the standard plastic plenum going pop? A problem caused by software allowing the engine to backfire into the plenum, that was rectified by a software update. Yet this is now widely believed (and utterly bull myth) that the standard plenum on the st will go pop if you run more power.
All I'm saying is there's no smoke without fire. Did the MK2 rs have an issue with the plenum going pop? Yes, but it's wasn't as widespread as everyone makes out. Did the MK3 rs have an issue with engine failure and gaskets? Yes it did.

Cant take criticism? I couldnt care less, its a debate and I disagree totally with comments like the 2.3 general is an unreliable engine. And the RS engine is unreliable. Utter bull**** and driven from envy.

 

[caprixpack]

A debate it is indeed but you do seem to be debating with your fingers in your ears.

 

[Pitsparky]

Why would I be concerned about my own car? And why will the pistons melt. I drive my cars hard although no where near how hard I use to drive them as I've grown up alot since I had my ep3. But I still like to push the car and use the rev range as that's why it's there.

I've had plenty cars with known faults.
Bmw 335i on 20k the turbos went or something did as it was smokey and the n54 engine was known to have an issue with something along those lines.
I've had 2 bmw e46 m3's one of which I just sold to buy the st that I now own. They have issues with big end bearings, boot floor cracking, vanos issues, smg pump if your auto and clunky diffs.
Bmw e92 m3 which also suffer from vanos and big end bearings.
Now these are big jobs and cost alot of money which should not be happening on such an expensive car.
My mk2 focus rs I cracked a piston running revo stage 4+ then once I forged it I then cracked a liner.

These are just the cars I've had with issues. All the Honda's and jap stuff I've owned have ran perfect and been abused and not missed a beat

As I thought, youre 2.0 engine doesnt have the piston problem widely discussed on here. Only believe it when its other cars and not yours.

And there you go again listing other cars with proven outstandingly reliability because you may or may not of heard

Give it a rest. Its monotonous.

 

[Pitsparky]

A debate it is indeed but you do seem to be debating with your fingers in your ears.

Try posting relevant facts about the topic pal.

 

[s66anb]

As I thought, youre 2.0 engine doesnt have the piston problem widely discussed on here. Only believe it when its other cars and not yours.
And there you go again listing other cars with proven outstandingly reliability because you may or may not of heard
Give it a rest. Its monotonous.

What are you on about? You come out with some amount of ********

 

[Pitsparky]

Its incredible that almost every-time outrageous comments like the 2.3 engine is unreliable is rightly challenged as nonsense you get the off topic crass comments. This place can be very childish snd looking back through posts its habitual.

 

[s66anb]

I'm gonna guess your bored and feel the need to be a keyboard warrior