I'm not saying that anything is wrong, but I expected my 4cylinder to idle down very quickly after clutching. this Zetec seems to hold RPMs for over a second before coming down. The car seems stock (got it one week ago tonight) except for a lowering kit and the resonator being removed. Can this be caused by the lack of back pressure?
Any other thoughts? Is there any benefit to removing the resonator? I can't think of any and the backpressure on four cylinders used to be very important. I once tried to put a glasspack on a 126 Fiat X1/9 and it immediately made it a dog.
Well, what year do you have, what model...mods have been done so I'd check the TB / Cable too. May be dirty or just abused.
This is a common complaint many times it's just emissions calibrations - there is re-programming out there for the *05s & *06s.
I didn't have a resonator box on my 2k2 - I have a 2k3 PZEV now and the 2k2 was never effected negatively by the removal of that box. My PZEV has a 100k mile, non servicable filter and I"m just letting it ride for now...no funds for toys.
Give us some more info on the car and we may be able to help.
Loads of info here - just ask & HAVE FUN!!!
____________________ Get in, Sit down, Shut up and HANG ON!
The revs hang due to pollution control equipment, not back pressure. Installing an aftermarket throttle body will help this, in addition to giving you better throttle response. It won't make your car faster, but it'll be nicer to drive.
Installing an aftermarket exhaust will give you more performance. There are lots of them from which to choose. I have a Magnaflo on mine & like it a lot.
____________________ If you can't read this, you're illiterate.
Ford designed the Focus to be very "entry level" and this applies to the stickshift cars as well. They have very heavy flywheels, which keep the revs up, as well as (as stated) pollution control devices that keep the revs up when you close the throttle.
A good 2.25" cat-back exhaust (get it done at a local shop) should suit your needs quite well, give you a nice (but not overpowering) tone, and a little boost in performance, for ~$150-175.
Also, you might want to look into an air intake, a short ram is really the best for someone who drives their car daily and may encounter adverse weather. You can get one off eBay for ~$30 if you look.
____________________ Project FocusFast
'06 ZX3- Intake, exhaust, mount
'01 ZX3- Salvaged, SOLD
'01 ZX3- Repo'd several years ago
'80 RX7- RB Intake, RB header. Loud, slow, fun.
I don't know of anything being modified on the engine of this 2k1 Focus. It looks stock except for the battery being the wrong size (still works so who cares, it's just too tall with the posts sticking up so the box doesn't snap into place).
How far do they bore the throttle bodies out? I have access to a full machine shop with CNC mills as well as many manual mills and lathes. I'd probably just mill mine open. I have done that several times on Jeep Cherokees with much success.
Are headers on these cars of any value? What is the draw-back to removing the cat? I have a muffler guy who does fantastic work who won't remove it but won't say much if it falls off before I show up at his shop. How many sensors are on a Focus cat?
I plan to purchase a CAI or short version from ebay this week if I find one I like. I'm actually eyeballing an engine at a local yard. It's a 2000 but it only has 47k on it. My thought is to build it while I drive the stock motor and equip it with a turbo but I don't know about anything else.
Someone mentioned the heavy flywheel, are they solid or can they be lightened and what would that do to performance?
I think I'm noticing a Winter-gas boggyness, is that common? The first tank was only a week ago, but I know the tanker topped the station off recently and it is Winter now in Michigan (as far as the weather is concerned anyway).
Also, I'm only getting 23MPG even though I babied it most of the tank. Plugs? The wires look clean, but I haven't pulled them from the plugs yet. With 100k on it what should I look for?
Please don't remove your cat. I have to breathe. I'm not kidding here. Get a high-flo cat, but don't remove it. Not only is it illegal, but (even if it's in a small way), it hurts all of us.
Light weight flywheels are available. I haven't heard of anyone with a Focus lightening theirs. The lighter weight ones rattle.
Gas refiners change their formulas to suit the season. I always get a bit less mileage with the winter blends. At 100K I suggest getting plugs, & I'd also suggest staying with the original brand & model. Foci are quite plug sensitive. As you can imagine, folks have tried almost everything that you can think of. The results of those experiments is pretty much to stay with the originals.
I'd also suggest new plug wires. I got the Ford Racing 9mm. They really make a diff. I'm not claiming any performance gain, but they make the engine seem electric motor smooth.
Other stuff. Aftermarket computer chips do almost nothing for std trans Foci. I wouldn't waste my money. The atx benefit quite a lot from them. A shorty intake is a good idea. I've found that the 5spd tranny is pretty darn stout. The stock clutch is not. At 100K, I'd check everything carefully. Replace brake/clutch fluid, radiator flush, fuel filter, wheel bearings, etc. Get a VR Engineering rear engine mount. You'll never be sorry about this one. And underdrive pulleys...probably the biggest performance gain for the buck.
Last edited on Thu Dec 7th, 2006 01:30 am by Mr. Versatile
____________________ If you can't read this, you're illiterate.
boring out a stock TB does not get you 65mm of the aftermarket ones. When peopel bore out the stock TB they basicly take out any humps and ridges. In saying that you need to build up the outside of the stock TB when porting because part of the TB wall becomes paper thin when porting it.
As for headers they do help but the volume(noise) of the exhause is increased greatly. Also remember that loss of back pressure is bad for any motor and especially for 4 cylinders. loose too much back pressure and you will loose power in the car.
and I second checking the wheel bearings & changing fuel filter and PCV valve for trying to get the milage back up. Oh and check you tire air pressure.
I wouldn't run around without a cat typically, but only because I hate having problem lights on my dash. I was referring to power/performance gains while on the track. I don't mind a couple hours under a vehicle for race prep and I used to change gears in my dirt track cars between races so a cat removal is nothing.
Thanks for the other tips. I'll be installing my new plugs and wires this weekend if anyone local has the wires.
My tires are rock hard. I'm used to driving a really heavy and comfortable truck so every bump is a shock.
LOL hate me all you want, Mr.V, but PFF2 is going catless. I agree though that a high-flow cat will suit most applications. The street headers are good on a mostly stock engine (think no forced induction / nitrous) and a high-flow cat + flex pipe + cat-back exhaust will help as well.
____________________ Project FocusFast
'06 ZX3- Intake, exhaust, mount
'01 ZX3- Salvaged, SOLD
'01 ZX3- Repo'd several years ago
'80 RX7- RB Intake, RB header. Loud, slow, fun.
I had a link somewhere to a news report they were no longer selling 'winter' gas. If they are at all, its in very select areas but IIRC it would no longer be sold as of this year.
That said, even with winter gas, the mileage drop everyone sees in winter is not totally due to the gas. I would go as far as to say that it is only a fraction of it.
Winter air, as you know, is much colder and therefore much denser. Remember you have O2 sensors, that is 'Oxygen' sensors. There is more oxygen in the same volume of air in cold air than there is in summer heat air, one of the reasons most want a CAI because the colder, denser air provides a bit of power due to the increased air flow along with slightly denser air.
So your O2 sensors cant tell when its winter or when its summer, all they can read is the oxygen content. Denser air has more oxygen and so the sensors see this and call for more fuel because to them you're running lean. This is why you dont tune a car in the winter (speaking about tuning and adjusting the computer parameters), as it will be wildly off when the air temperatures go up and oxygen density goes down.
I have toyed with the idea of coming up with some method to artificialy heat the air the intake gets in the winter time. I have come up with a couple different approaches to this but havent really pursued it yet. Obviously you dont want to overheat the incoming air, but if you could get it up above ambient, particularly in the really cold environments, you would see a substantial mileage increas, to say nothing of the reduced emissions.
Anyway, just some info for everyone.
____________________ My car is a synner! It uses Amsoil Synthetic Lubricants.
2001 Pontiac Grand Prix GTP
It whines a lot, but I like it
Great piont about the air temp. What would the harm be to disconnect the air tube from your stock air box during the winter? That would allow air that is partially heated by the engine compartment to be drawn in versus the outside air.
There wouldn't be any harm per se, but you'd lose power. I still say your best bet is to get an intake- a SHORT RAM intake. This will keep the air at a reasonable temp, and gain you a couple extra ponies.
____________________ Project FocusFast
'06 ZX3- Intake, exhaust, mount
'01 ZX3- Salvaged, SOLD
'01 ZX3- Repo'd several years ago
'80 RX7- RB Intake, RB header. Loud, slow, fun.
A short ram would be beneficial in the winter as your intake temps will be up a bit over what they are now, but in the summer time its going to hurt performance, particularly if you use a metal intake tube or if it is unshielded from the engine bay.
PFF had a design at one point for a shield, Im sure he could give you some details on it. Ideally you would want an intake that you could unshield in the winter and put the shield back on in summer.
My engine has a cover on it from the factory. I remove it in the summer and put it on in the winter to help trap some heat over the blower. I have, what is essentially, a short ram on there now, though the intake isnt a foot long. Im hoping before long to build a new intake that will allow me to do just what I mentioned above.
Id personally stay clear of any metal intakes and avoid as many bends in the intake track as much as possible. The unfortunate thing with the Focus is that you have two built in bends already. One at the TB and then another, radical one, in the intake manifold. Not much you can do about those apart from spending a butt load on an aftermarke intake manifold. A single 90* bend in the intake track can reduce air flow from about 15 - 30%. So with the Focus you want an intake that is straight as possilbe and the short ram is definately that.
____________________ My car is a synner! It uses Amsoil Synthetic Lubricants.
2001 Pontiac Grand Prix GTP
It whines a lot, but I like it
SyntheticShield wrote: I had a link somewhere to a news report they were no longer selling 'winter' gas. If they are at all, its in very select areas but IIRC it would no longer be sold as of this year.
That said, even with winter gas, the mileage drop everyone sees in winter is not totally due to the gas. I would go as far as to say that it is only a fraction of it.
Winter air, as you know, is much colder and therefore much denser. Remember you have O2 sensors, that is 'Oxygen' sensors. There is more oxygen in the same volume of air in cold air than there is in summer heat air, one of the reasons most want a CAI because the colder, denser air provides a bit of power due to the increased air flow along with slightly denser air.
So your O2 sensors cant tell when its winter or when its summer, all they can read is the oxygen content. Denser air has more oxygen and so the sensors see this and call for more fuel because to them you're running lean. This is why you dont tune a car in the winter (speaking about tuning and adjusting the computer parameters), as it will be wildly off when the air temperatures go up and oxygen density goes down.
I have toyed with the idea of coming up with some method to artificialy heat the air the intake gets in the winter time. I have come up with a couple different approaches to this but havent really pursued it yet. Obviously you dont want to overheat the incoming air, but if you could get it up above ambient, particularly in the really cold environments, you would see a substantial mileage increas, to say nothing of the reduced emissions.
Anyway, just some info for everyone.
Good explanation! I still have trouble with the part that says the oxygen sensors can't tell whether it's winter or summer though. What are they...stupid? Even I can tell that!
____________________ If you can't read this, you're illiterate.
I love all these newbies!!! Hey there!
I still have trouble with the part that says the oxygen sensors can't tell whether it's winter or summer though. What are they...stupid? Even I can tell that!