Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums Modifications Zetec Performance Aftermarket cams for ZETEC?

go with "cat" cams i heard they are great for zetec's

Of course there is always a risk of detonation, that is why for every 50 hp of nitrous it is reccommended you retard ignition timing 1-2 degrees. If you run just a 50-75hp shot - you can usually use premium gasoline (93 or greater octane) to solve this for you. The few horsepower lost in retarding the timing these few degrees is well renumerated with the extra power being added.
...As for nitrous being dangerous on a ZETEC, yes it is if it is mis-installed or used incorrectly. I have quite the experience with this. The ZETEC 16V motor can use a properly installed DRY N.O.S. nitrous kit jetted for 50 hp.
...As long as the kit is installed properly, jetted sensibly!!, you use PREMIUM 93 or better octane gas and your fuel pump is in good working order(check fuel pressure) there is no reason for the ZETEC to fail when using nitrous.
...Nitrous should only be used for a MAXIMUM of 15 seconds at a time. These motors are not very sensitive to nitrous - just very sensitive to being misused. Give a gun to a kid without showing him how to PROPERLY use it safely and your asking for trouble. Same idea applies to nitrous use with the Zetec.

i have stage 2 cams and 50bhp wet nitrous kit and it works fine, it has been set up properly with a custom chip on a rolling road though. i checked with competition warehouse before i bought them and they said it would be fine.

i havent had it remapped since the supercharger has been fitted and havent driven it hard yet so will find out on friday how its doing.

when the chip was set up before, they set up the ignition timing and fuelling properly and said the way they had set it up i could use it turned on ALL the time if i wanted!

Actually the engines are very sensitive to nitrous,
any detonation and the pistons (among other things) will shatter like glass.
The Zetec has hypereutectic pistons, which are the worst pistons to run with nitrous.
Anybody with any automotive knowledge will tell you not to run nitrous (of any size or type kit) on an engine with hypereutectic pistons.
But if this is taken into account it can be tuned around.
I have run 55HP to 75HP shot for 3 years with no problems at all.
I have even run a 100HP & 125HP shot for a few runs at the track.

the zetec seems to break exhaust valves with poorly set up nitrous, but i have heard of of a couple of people melting a piston.

hi guys, im never in the forum, just came from meg!

anyways im looking to put some stage two cams in my car, i was thinking of comp cams but i can get stage 2 crowers for $175 or ford racing for $215 they are used cams, but just wanted to know if the comp cams go on with no problems would either of these two that im after fit??

I would go with the Ford Stage 2 over the Crower Stage 2.

thats what i was hoping to get but the guy hasnt got back to me, so it looks like its gonna be the crowers

anything i should know before buying them, like will they fit straight on? would i need to buy spring n retainers?i havent got a clue really!

I can speak of nitrous use from ACTUAL EXPERIENCE. I have run wet, dry and a multiport kit on my 2.0l zetec with jetting ranging over 150hp. Yes, I have broken LOTS of parts on my car. Yes, I have pushed the stock engine to it's limit (and over). YES, I know what the results are of nitrous injection on the stock ZETEC motor. To date I have rebuilt the engine in my car with STOCK HYPER-BLOW pistons FOUR TIMES. Yes they are garbage. But they can be used for mild performance upgrades. They are still better than using CAST pistons though. No, they DON'T shatter like glass. They usually melt, other times they get a bit soft and sag a bit in the middle. Sometimes taking the exhaust valves. I have a box of melted items if anyone wants some pictures. The only kit I found that worked RELIABLY was the N.O.S. dry nitrous kit for the Focus jetted for 50hp . A multiport setup would be the best, but they don't offer a multiport kit for the ZETEC (I put together my own). The intake manifold on the zetec will not allow a wet kit to be used safely . It allows the gas injected with the nitrous to puddle in the gooseneck in the manifold. This allows the engine to run lean (lots of melted parts). Almost every time my car melted items in the engine, I was asking for it.

I have been using nitrous for about 3 years on my Zetec.
I have jetted 100/125HP with no problems. (Though I prefer the 55-75 HP range.)
Never broke or blown a single thing, never even backfired.
Its all in the tune and having a little knowledge.

I recommend against nitrous for the average person because rebuilding the engine is beyond their skill/desire, and buying and installing a new engine is beyond their budget/skill/desire.

I read books, asked some long time racers, and generally got as much info on the subject as I could to make an informed choice.
And I want to make sure that other people on this board do the same as well.
To many people talk without knowing, or having done.

The pistons will shatter from a backfire which would be from running rich, they melted from running lean.
There really is little room for error on these engines when dealing with nitrous.
But if you stay in the "sweat spot" they respond very well.

I agree a wet kit on a zetec borders on stupid.
But any dry kit will work very much the same.
I prefer Zex beacuse it monitors bottle pressure vs fuel pressure, and it uses the TPS voltage instead of a micro-switch.