Reinforced inlet valves SUPERTECH FORD 1.6 EcoBoost

FORD engines covered

The 1.6 litre EcoBoost is a 16-valve turbocharged direct-injection four-cylinder from the Sigma family. Ford fitted it between 2010 and 2022 to the Focus III, C-MAX II and Grand C-MAX, Kuga II, Mondeo IV, S-MAX, Galaxy II, Tourneo Connect and Transit Connect, from 150 to 182 hp depending on version.

It has 8 inlet valves, two per cylinder. A remap, raised boost pressure or track use exposes them to more heat, harder impacts on the seat and more friction in the guide.

SUPERTECH reinforced inlet valves

On the 1.6 litre EcoBoost, each of the eight inlet valves clears the entry for the charge the turbo blows in, then shuts the chamber by dropping sharply onto its seat, its stem sliding in the guide on every movement; at high rpm this routine repeats dozens of times per second. Its service conditions lie between 400 and 550 °C, where commonly used chrome-silicon steel loses its footing: 500 MPa at 500 °C, then 250 MPa at 600 °C, strength cut by 50 %. A remap, a sharper cam or higher revs push these stresses further.

The SUPERTECH version offered here marries stainless steel to a black nitride treatment: the surface, hardened and made slicker, protects stem and guide alike from wear. It stays at factory size, 30.1 mm head and 5 mm stem, but adopts a single groove, a fitting meant for engines that are pushed hard.

Inlet valve technical specifications

FIVN-2401DS-8: 1-groove conversion, to be fitted with KPR-5.0-7S collets.

Valve fitting

The original collets do not fit: these valves are fitted only with the 1-groove KPR-5.0-7S collets.

Technical guide

The brand offered

SUPERTECH, a San Jose, California maker, has been supplying competition engine builders with valvetrain parts for over 30 years. Its valves are developed engine after engine, inspected by ultrasonic probe, radiography and laser, then confirmed in racing.

When reinforced valves become necessary

• Remap combined with raised turbo pressure
• Larger turbocharger or reworked camshafts
• Fuel cut moved towards high revs
• Head rebuilt for the track or rally stages
• Stock valves pitted, fatigued or reground before

Vehicle compatibility

Related products

A 1.6 EcoBoost head under rebuild also gets fresh exhaust hardware during the same strip-down; find the exhaust valves in reinforced form here: