Description And Operation: Engine

WARNING: This page is about a different car, the 2006 Mercury Milan and 2006 Ford Fusion. However, it is still accessible from the selected car via links, so may be relevant.

The 2.3L engine is a 4 valve-per-cylinder, dual overhead camshaft engine. The engine uses a coil-on-plug ignition system. The cylinder block is made of aluminum and the bearing caps are integrated into the ladder assembly. An aluminum oil pan bolts to the bottom of the lower cylinder block and to the transmission to provide greater strength. The engine is equipped with variable camshaft timing (VCT). The VCT system includes an oil pressure solenoid and intake camshaft actuator/sprocket assembly to control the intake valve timing. The camshafts are mounted in the cylinder head and act against valve tappets to open and close the valves. The camshafts are driven off the front of the cylinder head by one timing chain. The chain is driven by a sprocket that is located on the crankshaft. The piston assembly is an aluminum piston with a powdered metal connecting rod. The oil pump is driven by the crankshaft via a dedicated chain that is driven by the same sprocket that drives the timing chain.