SUPERTECH bronze valve guides Ford 2.3 EcoBoost C23HD0D N38H N48H

The Ford engine concerned

This set fits the 16-valve head of Ford's four-cylinder 2.3 litre EcoBoost turbo (2,261 cc), which powers the Focus IV ST in Europe and, depending on the market, the Mustang, Explorer and Everest II, the Australian Focus ST and the Zenos E10. The engine codes covered are C23HD0D, C23HDTX, N3DA, N3DB, N38H and N48H.

SUPERTECH reference GDE-FECO20 applies to inlet and exhaust alike: 5.5 mm bore, 11.04 mm outside diameter, 39.1 mm length. A lot contains 8 guides and the set adds up two lots, matching the 16 guides in the head.

SUPERTECH valve guides for the Ford 2.3 EcoBoost

Wedged into the head under pressure, the guide lines each valve up with its seat, returns to the casting the warmth the stem absorbs and acts as the anchor for the stem seal. When its bore widens, the valve starts to wobble and hits the seat off-square: oil makes its way into the chamber, bringing blue fumes, a falling oil level and collapsing compression.

This SUPERTECH set is turned from a copper-rich metal, manganese bronze. The brand highlights heat transfer far better than the factory sintered guides. Tuners readily pair it with reinforced valves. Eight guides per lot cover a single line of valves, so the kit contains two lots.

Valve guide technical specifications

Valve guide installation

Technical guide

Reinforced valves for this engine are also in the catalogue:

Our brand

SUPERTECH hails from California and lives for racing: for some thirty years its workshop has supplied springs, valves, guides and retainers to demanding builders. Each novelty is simulated on a computer, examined by ultrasound, radiography and laser scanning, then tested in real conditions before release.

Manganese bronze

This bronze owes its hardness to manganese, aluminium and iron added to copper and zinc. It holds up well against sliding wear and corrosion; heavily stressed bearings are made from it, a job much like that of a guide surrounding a valve stem at working temperature.

When valve guides must be replaced

• Oil level falling with no visible leak, blue fumes when cold
• Reinforced valves planned for an already tested head
• Head rehabilitated for sporting use
• Valve train renewed from A to Z

Vehicle compatibility

Remember the valve stem seals

Replace the stem seals during this job too: worn, they let oil follow the stem down to the combustion chamber.