The factory 2.3L Ford Ecoboost block is built with an open deck configuration. This open deck configuration has a series of advantages in the stock application, such as ease of manufacturing, cooling, and lower weight.
However, when pushed beyond the stock power level, this open deck configuration becomes a problem. With the cylinder bores floating freely, there is no structural support to keep their position relative. Additionally bore geometry is affected at higher power levels as the bores distort and shift because they lack support. The head gasket faces increased loading and shift as the bores move under heavy load, leading to possible gasket failure under load.
All of these problems are big issues for a higher output 2.3L Ecoboost engine, as more boost, larger turbos, and upgraded parts allow for nearly doubling the output of the stock engine. Without some method of stabilizing the cylinder bores the engine will have reduced performance, and most likely eventually suffer a failure.
Livernois Motorsports has taken and applied it's extensive background in block modification for racing and OEM development and created a block and deck brace system for the 2.3L Ecoboost engine, which offers significant increases in strength, durability and performance,
The Livernois Motorsports 2.3L Ecoboost deck brace is designed from a single billet piece of 6061-T6 aluminum and is machined to perfectly fit into the 2.3L Ecoboost block. Exacting tolerances are used to ensure a precision fit, as well as the best performance. Using high strength aluminum allows the brace to closely match the factory aluminum's expansion rate, which allows the brace to expand and contract at the same rate as the block, keeping the bore geometry as it should be. Aluminum is preferred over steel for the insert, as steel inserts can pose an issue with expansion and negatively impacting the geometry of the surrounding bore and deck structure. Additionally, the brace is machined with cooling passages that match the factory 2.3L Ecoboost head gasket, as well as other machining steps to ensure that the head gasket is properly cooled.
When final machined, the deck brace looks as if it were part of the OEM 2.3L block, perfectly matching the parent aluminum of the block, and offering a seamless and perfect solution to adding significant strength, durability, and performance to a 2.3L Ecoboost engine.
PRO SERIES ENGINE FEATURES, DETAIL & SPECIFICS
Deck Plate Honing
Deck plate honing is used to ensure that the cylinder bores are as round as possible during the honing procedure. Normally when a cylinder head is bolted to the engine, the load of the bolts/studs being torqued causes the bores to deform. Most factory honed blocks at the OEM level, as well as most basic rebuilds, just employ honing the block without any kind of torque plate to replicate the stresses and bore deformation. While this still allows for a decent finished product, it leaves some performance on the table. Livernois uses a custom deck plate in order to perfectly replicate these stresses, and to ensure that the bores are perfectly round to ensure maximum ring seal and performance. Livernois uses it's own in house CNC department to make custom deck plates that exactly match the cylinder heads, which takes deck plate honing even one step beyond just using the more readilly available deck plates which are just ordinary pieces of aluminum.
Align Honing
In order to properly set main bearing clearances, as well as establish the proper crush on the main bearings, Livernois align hones every single engine we build. For a lot of our competition, align honing is an extra cost add-on, but at Livernois we're serious about performance and durability, and align honing the main bearing bores and setting main bearing clearance and bearing crush is a must, so we do it on every engine. This procedure uses a specific align honing machine, that uses an adjustable mandrel that has custom ground stones on it to hone out the main bores. This method involves checking bearing clearance and housing bore sizes, then determining the correct size the bores need to be and honing them to achieve this size. While our competition may skimp and omit this procedure, we believe strongly in need to align hone and properly set bearing clearances and bearing crush, on every engine we build.
Rod Bearing Clearances
Another critical area of the engine is the rod bearings and setting rod bearing clearance. In order to ensure the correct rod bearing clearance, along with the correct bearing crush, we go through and measure and set every rod bearing clearance, on every engine we do.
Block Deburr & Radiusing
Each engine is carefully hand deburred to ensure that stress risers and sharp edges are removed from the blocks. This is an important step, ensuring that the block will hold up at higher power levels. Some of the deburr work is to remove sharp edges to aid in assembly work, while other deburring is done to remove sharp edges that cause stress risers and potential wek points.
Oil System Modifications
In order to ensure proper oil delivery to all the bearing surfaces in the engine, Livernois sepnds extra time modifying oil passages to remove flow restrictions. Beyond those steps Livernois also modifies oil holes for increased flow under pressure, and to ensure correct oiling at higher RPM and loads.
Rods
Powerstorm connecting rods and designs have become the industry standard design for many different engine families. From our H-beam design, to our higher end I-beam offerings, these rods are designed to handle the increased horsepower and torque of a modified performance engine. With standard features like ARP2000 upgraded bolts and precision tolerances of just .0001, these rods are the best available.
Crankshaft
Each crankshaft is precision balanced, and treated to a variety of treatments in order to ensure the best possible performance and durability. Our own in house CNC modifies the oil passages for increased flow, while added polishing steps ensure a perfect surface finish.
Components
- 2.3L Aluminum Block
- Forged Crankshaft
- Coated Forged Pistons
- Stainless Steel Ringset
- Thick Wall Tool Steel Wristpin
- 4340 Forged H-Beam Connecting Rod
- Powerstorm billet upper block support
- Tri-Metal Performance Main Bearings
- Tri-Metal Performance Rod Bearings
- Powerstorm Main Stud Kit
Machine & Assembly Work
- Deck Plate Honed Cylinders
- Main Housing Bores Align Honed
- Block Deburr and Radiusing
- Oil System Modifications
- Balance Rotating Assembly
- Rod Clearances Set
- Rings Hand Gapped and Filed
- Shortblock Assembly
