The F engine family from Mazda is a mid-sized inline-four piston engine with iron block, alloy head and belt-driven SOHC and DOHC configurations. Introduced in 1983 as the 1.6-litre F6, this engine was found in the Mazda B-Series truck and Mazda G platform models such as Mazda 626/Capella as well as many other models internationally including Mazda Bongo and Ford Freda clone, Mazda B-series based Ford Courier, Mazda 929 HC and the GD platform-based Ford Probe
There were four basic head types within the F range, the diesel SOHC 8-valve (R-series), the petrol SOHC 8-valve, petrol SOHC 12-valve, and the petrol DOHC 16-valve. These heads came attached to multiple variations of the different blocks and strokes. Only the petrol 8-valve and 12-valve shared the same gasket pattern. It was built at the Miyoshi Plant in Miyoshi, Hiroshima, Japan.
Predecessors (VC/MA/F) These engines are only the predecessors to the F-series engines, in no other way related. They were fitted to rear-wheel drive models in a longitudinal arrangement. This is in contrast to the successor engines that were designed for transverse front-wheel drive applications as had become the trend in the late-1970s and early-1980s.
VC
The VC is a overhead camshaft inline-four, with a bore and a stroke of . It was all new in 1975 (pre-1975 1.8 Couriers got the earlier, long-stroke VB engine) and has an alloy eight-valve head on an iron block. Output varied considerably depending on market and installation, in a 1981 UK-market B1800 it is DIN at 5000 rpm and at 2500 rpm.
Applications: 1975–1978 Mazda Luce / 929 1975–1977 Mazda Cosmo / 121 1977–1981 Mazda Luce / 929 1977–1984 Mazda B1800/Proceed PE2V 1978–1982 Mazda Capella/626 1975–1978 Ford Courier 1978–1983 Mazda Bongo 1974-1977 Mazda Parkway
MA/F
The was designated MA. Bore was as for the VC, , but stroke was increased to . This SOHC engine with a 2–barrel carburettor produced and . A more fuel-efficient 1–barrel version produced . Later on, this engine was designated the F.
Applications: 1981–1982 Mazda Luce/Mazda Cosmo 1975–1980 Mazda Luce/929 1979–1988 Mazda 929 Wagon 1979–1982 Mazda Capella/626 1977–1985 Mazda B2000 (Officially, there was no 1985 year model for the B-Series in the USA. They skipped to 1986 for this line of vehicles for that market.) 1977–1985 Ford Courier (The Ford Courier was canceled in the USA in 1982 to make room for the Ford Ranger the following year.)
F6
The smallest of the F-family engines is the F6 8-valve SOHC engine. Essentially a de-bored and de-stroked version of the base FE 2.0 with a bore and stroke of . At a compression ratio of 8.6:1, output is at 5500 rpm and at 3500 rpm. It replaced the F/NA 1.6 from the previous generation.
Applications: 1983–1987 Mazda Capella/626 1983–1985 Mazda B1600
F8
A destroked FE at , the F8 comes in several configurations including a 12-valve head and fuel injection later in its life. It has a very high rod/stroke ratio of 2:1, bore and a stroke of . With a compression ratio of 8.6:1, power output is at 5500 rpm and at 2500 for the 8-valve SOHC carburetted versions.
Applications: 1983–1991 Mazda Capella/626 1988-1992 Mazda Persona/Eunos 300 1984-2005 Mazda Bongo/Ford Econovan 1989-1994 Kia Capital 1988-1991 Kia Concord 1993-1999 Asia Rocsta
F8-DOHC
The F8-DOHC is a DOHC F8 and basically a de-stroked version of the FE-DOHC displacing . It uses the same exhaust cam, but a different intake cam with less lift and a long, single-runner intake manifold. The F8 is usually identified by its unpainted cam cover. Output was at 6000 rpm and at 5000 rpm. It is usually found in wagon variants.
Applications: 1988–1996 Mazda Capella/626 1990-1992 Mazda Persona/Eunos 300
FE
The FE has a square bore and stroke. It was available as an 8-valve SOHC and 12-valve SOHC. Outputs are at 5000 rpm and at 2500 rpm for the 8-valve carburetor version, or at 5300 rpm and at 3700 rpm with fuel injection, 12-valve SOHC and a higher compression ratio (10.0:1 vs 8.6:1).
Applications: 1983–1991 Mazda Capella/626 1982-1987 Ford Telstar 1985–1987 Mazda B-Series 1985–1999 Mazda E-series 1981–1990 Mazda 929 1987-1995 Kia Concord
FET
The fuel-injected, turbocharged FET version of the FE produced at 5250 rpm and at 2800 rpm. It was a variant of the 8-valve SOHC FE Featuring a small turbocharger and no intercooler producing of boost. As such it features the same bore and stroke of the FE. The Japanese variant of this engine was dubbed the Magnum Turbo and produces . Given that the peak power for the naturally aspirated, fuel-injected FE is , the rated power for the FET is said to be conservative.