Air Filter Setup - Focus LS & LT

[eXtremist]

I'd like to know what people have done with their cars when it comes to air filter set-ups on the new focus.

I'd also like to know the diameter of the throttle body so I know what silicone hoses to use.

[Mullett]

Ok, I started by removing the lower resonator, from there there's a 3" outlet on the airbox which you can attach a CAI pipe to (which i ran down, to the left of the radiator, then curved in front of the radiator (after removing the side plate) so that it was grabbing cold air from right behind the grill.

Since then I've junked the airbox, and run a flexible tube from the throttle body, down infront of the left wheel, and a podfilter mounted to the far left and forwards with a steel bracket off a spare bolt. It still needs a CAI tube to push air over it, but it's pretty reasonable now.

It's a little louder than the stock intake with the resonator off, and considerably louder with the airbox removed and the pod on the end. The Throttle body is 2.75" I think, 3inch silicon would neck down if you can't get the right size stuff.

As far as I can tell (seat of the pants) there's no power gain in the pod over the CAI with the airbox, but it's certainly louder, so that's a personal preference thing i guess. After taking the resonator off though, there's a good increase in to higher RPM, it revs much more freely to the redline/cutout.

I can post pics if you need...

-RM.

[eXtremist]

Pics would be great, if its not too much trouble.

Thanks in advance

[Mullett]

No probs, it'll be a couple of days, I've got the work car for a bit so mine's not handy...

-RM.

[BlackLS]

[BlackLS]

With no airbox but intake reso pipe inplace:

[819_FLY]

I think this weekend I might play with the resonator on my baby and see if it has some desired affect on the engine, ive noticed the top end on the duratecs is pretty lethargic to say the least, almost drives like a diesel hahaha, will change that sometime soon make it a bit more pleasant to give a squirt every now and then.

[819_FLY]

well i got my arms dirty on the focus this morning and took out the lower resonator. There wasn't a great deal of difference in overall power, however it seems to lose that torquieness from beforehand when the resonator was connected, now under light throttle its the same, more throttle and she starts to make a big of a howl that resonates through the car which is nice and keep going through the rev range it starts to anger up a tad with a bit of a subtle roar approaching redline on full noise. No where as loud as a pod filter setup onto the intake but yeh a bit of a change from the usual engine mechanical noise that you normally hear all the time. I found the back bottom bolt was a bit tricky, but with detaching the inner gaurd on the passenger side it was easy to get to with 8mm and some extensions to reach. I removed the headlight assembly by undoing the screw securing it onto the body (1 flat tip screwdriver for that) and gentle massaging and the light should come out easy enough allowing access to get to the bolt on the inside of the fender. Prob the easiest to get to, then the one at the front below where the light sits was the hardest (me having big hands needed my missus to hold the 1/4" ratchet onto the bolt while i snaked my arm up from underneath to crack the bolt. Once that was loose get your fingers in there and unscrew and then pull the resonator out from underneath with a bit of twisting it comes out.... suprising how large the unit actually is. Now it leaves a nice spot for either CAI as stated above or you could smuggle some illegal immigrants in the country aswell if you are keen.

[RJO89]

Originally Posted by 819_FLY

..... and gentle massaging and the light should come out easy enough...

Read. Just yank the hell out of it

good to hear someone else performed a resonator-ectomy. I love the sound of it without that stupid box. Only a temp solution until the pod filter goes in though, even though the temp solution has been in place for about 7 months now!!!

[819_FLY]

Yeh a pod with its own box enclosure would be the bomb if staying with N/A.... Im still trying to search for goodies to make the car look good (ie. WHeels being the big one) and trying to find a proven turbo package that could be fitted to the 2.0L. I can't roll around in a standard Focus forever after spending 3 years driving a 32 GTR..... (i miss the rush :( )

[Mullett]

Yeah, I'm following a similar path. Assuming that you've got an LS/LT model, turbo kits are few and far between, because the states didn't get the same model. I think the best solution at the moment is to buy the turbo, manifold and lines from the states, buy an intercooler from someone like JustJap, have the piping and exhaust fabrictated (or do it yourself), put in bigger injectors and have the whole thing tuned to the standard ECU. The other solution is to leave the stock ECU in the dark and run a boost-referenced auxillary fuel controller.

I feel your pain...I came from a 12 second Evo3...but I'm surprisingly happy driving the Focus...especially everytime I drive past a service station...

-RM.

[819_FLY]

Yeah I have an LT CL and surprisingly having trouble trying to find parts for them... been on European Parts for ideas, but yeh seems a quite market for modifying at least in this part of the world.

[eXtremist]

K&N have this Typhoon Kit for the Focus, but I think its for the previous Focus.

[Mullett]

Just tried taking pics of my setup, but I can't get a decent pic of how the filter is mounted without getting it up on stands again and taking the covers off. Did remind me that I need to do something about a proper joiner between the pipe and the filter though :P

-RM.

[RJO89]

Originally Posted by eXtremist

K&N have this Typhoon Kit for the Focus, but I think its for the previous Focus.

Yeah that's for the LR focus. They don't make one especially for the LS/LT, but they have one for the duratec which would fit onto our cars. I'll try and find the link some time tonight

[Mullett]

Honestly, it's not worth the money unless it costs less than $150 and is a perfect fit. A good K+N pod should be about $80 or less, and a couple of silicone joins and some straight pipe and you're in business...or even easier, flexible pipe.

-RM.

[RJO89]

Yeah I know. But some people don't like the idea of making things themselves, and prefer things that have been pre-made for the sake of simplicity. Understandable, but gains are obviously better, both money and performance, by doing custom work. Always is, just that it potentially costs more, and complications can be there. But I'm all for custom work.
PS flexible pipe sucks. Straight pipe ftw!

[819_FLY]

I guess in some people's eyes they see buying off the shelf proven performance parts to be as a peace of mind thing knowing they have a quality product that they are using, and then you have other people who buy it just to add it to their list of Name-Brand parts and the setup is all over the place because they are collecting names rather than going the right way and getting performance out of the products..... custom work is always a good frontier to get into when doing things, not only for the performance side of things, but it could prove to a popular mod if its effective and it would be a way for you to get recognition in this hard to be known market (considering all the parts available through main suppliers), custom allows only your imagination to be the limit and cash a close second, but obviously if you get it right then its awesome, but there are so many ways you can do it wrong with achieving no gains or even going backwards....

[BlackLS]

Originally Posted by RJO89

PS flexible pipe sucks. Straight pipe ftw!

I want to see someone have a straight pipe come straight of the TB... thru the bonnet with a pod ontop.

[RJO89]

Originally Posted by BlackLS

I want to see someone have a straight pipe come straight of the TB... thru the bonnet with a pod ontop.

We'll take your lead :

[20focus05]

A tractor style setup hey Black?
Why not have the exhaust the same way!

[20focus05]

I never went through with that prefabed air dam and pipe setup I did a while back.
Did autocad drawing of the setup. Was going to cost me $1500 to do a Steriolithograph prototype for 1 and that was just the air dam.

[Mullett]

Originally Posted by 819_FLY

I guess in some people's eyes they see buying off the shelf proven performance parts to be as a peace of mind thing knowing they have a quality product that they are using, and then you have other people who buy it just to add it to their list of Name-Brand parts and the setup is all over the place because they are collecting names rather than going the right way and getting performance out of the products..... custom work is always a good frontier to get into when doing things, not only for the performance side of things, but it could prove to a popular mod if its effective and it would be a way for you to get recognition in this hard to be known market (considering all the parts available through main suppliers), custom allows only your imagination to be the limit and cash a close second, but obviously if you get it right then its awesome, but there are so many ways you can do it wrong with achieving no gains or even going backwards....

Broadly true, but I think people often miss the point when they're buying parts (like what you said about mis-matched bits).

The point I'm trying to make is that an intake is pretty much a bit of pipe with a filter on the end. The filter is a fixed price, so you're paying for what is pretty much a bit of pipe. It doesn't have to take heat, extreme vibration or pressure, and it's not a critical component (if it leaks for example, your car still goes fine until you fix it)

I'd compare that to a turbo manifold (for example).
That's something you don't want to skint on, and you're probably better getting a cast one from a good supplier. You can make your own, but it's complicated and time consuming (plus you need a few $$$ worth of gear and some experience), so for the sake of $500-$800, you buy the good one. And since it IS something that has to handle extreme heat/pressure/flex/weight time and time again, it's worth spending the money on.

I've seen plenty of intakes people have bought from the US (one for a Tiburon comes to mind) and it was close to $450 landed, for a peice of pipe with two 30deg bends in it, two cheapo silicon clamps and a no-name filter. Even if you were to pay for someone to make it for you, it'd be far, far cheaper to do it here. And if you bought the bits yourself (two 30deg stainless bends, 500mm of straight pipe, four joiners and a filter) it'd cost less than $200, and it's all stainless, with a K+N filter on the end, rather than a rather shoddy peice of low-grade aluminium, cheap filter and two bits of silicon. For the same scenario, you could have the stainless bends and pipe welded (rather than the silicon joins) for about the same price.

I'm just saying that when it comes to modifying your car, it pays to shop with your eyes open, and be aware of what things are worth. A catback for a focus from the UK costs 425EU (about $1k) plus shipping and fitting, where an local exhaust shop will fabricate anything you desire, exactly how you want it, for under $400. Again, it's a bit of pipe, the performance qualities are pretty limited. If it flows well, and it's got good mufflers, it'll make good power (if there's power to be had) And if you don't like how it sounds, you can take it back and have it altered (try doing that when you've shipped it from the UK...) And the $600 you saved could pay for your intake system and a tune...and we know there's power in that

Just my little rant, I hate seeing people getting taken for a ride because people want to exploit their love of their car.

-RM.

[eXtremist]

Originally Posted by RJO89

Yeah that's for the LR focus. They don't make one especially for the LS/LT, but they have one for the duratec which would fit onto our cars. I'll try and find the link some time tonight

I believe your referring to this..



57-0595 Product Specifications
Product Style: 57i Series International Kits
Type: Gen I
CARB Exempt: No
Weight: 3.1 lb (1.4 kg)
Product Box Length: 9 in (229 mm)
Product Box Width: 9 in (229 mm)
Product Box Height: 9 in (229 mm)

http://www.knfilters.com/search/prod...x?Prod=57-0595

If anyone wants these, I could start a group buy

[eXtremist]

Originally Posted by BlackLS

I want to see someone have a straight pipe come straight of the TB... thru the bonnet with a pod ontop.

I actually disconnected the pipe that connects to the throttle body to see how it would sound.

Love it :

Not for long tho :(

[Mullett]

Hehe, my TB pipe came off...it was loud from 3-5, but so droney!

-RM.

[BlackLS]

Try occystrapping the standard filter into it's lid, and take out the bottom half of the box. Sounds great.

[20focus05]

after i took off the second air box and it was sucking straight from the bottom of filter box sounded great and whistled when you hit about 4 and a half. lol

[AnthonyTDCi]

has anyone changed the stock filter on the tdci to a pod yet?

[Biggs]

Don't bother as it will only suck warm air from the engine bay.