Ford CVH Engine - 1.4

1.4

The 1.4 L CVH replaced the 1.3 L CVH in the Escort, Orion and Fiesta from early 1986. Bore was 77.2 mm (3.04 in) and stroke was 74.3 mm (2.93 in). In European trim, this engine produced 75 bhp (56 kW).

It was widely known as the 'Lean Burn' engine as it was designed primarily for fuel economy and featured a different cylinder head which was aimed less at power output than other CVH engines. The carburetted versions feature an unusual Weber 28/30 carb (replacing the unreliable Ford VV unit) with a manifold vacuum-actuated secondary choke (power valve), instead of the more usual sequential linkage which opens the secondary butterfly at 3/4 to full throttle. The idea was to save more fuel, especially with lead-footed drivers, but the result was mainly a car which ran horribly lean under any kind of load, particularly after the famous CVH top-end wear began to reduce engine vacuum with some mileage on the clock. The 1.4 L version is less tuneable than other CVH's, and some top-end parts are not interchangeable with the most common tuning parts; however replacing the carb with the common Weber 32/34 DMTL and the appropriate inlet manifold makes them more driveable, albeit with a small increase in fuel consumption.

In South Africa, the 1.4 L CVH was fitted to the Ford Laser and Meteor, rebadged Mazda 323s. It replaced the 1.3 L Mazda E-series engine used in these cars and was itself replaced by the 1.3 L Mazda B-series engines.