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The N/A Zetec Performance Thread

68K views 144 replies 57 participants last post by  daspazzZX3 
#1 · (Edited)
In response to all the questions about N/A Zetec performance lately

Post em if you got em boys.... [headbang]
Heres my recepie


Breathe Easier
- Full Intake/Exhaust w/2.5" (Inside Diameter) Piping
- 65mm Throttle Body
- 70mm MAF tube
- SVT Fuel Pump
- 24 lbs Fuel Injectors
- Tune

Engine Efficency
- Headwork (Port, Polish, Deck, 3 Angle Valve Job, Oversized Valves)
- Built engine (High Compression, Lightweight Pistons/Rods, ARP hardware)
- Reinforced Main caps
- Knife-Edged Crankshaft
- AC Delete
- PS Delete
- (Tune) Alternator cutoff at WOT

Rev Higher
- Custom Intake Manifold w/short runners
- Aggressive Camshafts (High lift, Good Overlap)
- Adjustable Cam Gears
- Valves/Springs (Lightweight and designed for high rpm)
- Billet Oil Pump Gears
- (tune) Rev limiter set to 8k

Stay in the sweet spot
- 4.06 gears

Reduce Rotational Mass
- Underdrive Pulleys
- Lightweight Rims/Tires
- Lightweight Flywheel

And as always, due to the High Revving, low tq, not daily driver friendly nature of a pure N/A build, Weight reduction is a must to help combat the lack of low end response.
LINK[/URL]

Daily Driver Friendly
Lightweight battery, Carbon Fiber Hood, Carbon Fiber Hatch, Wheels (most important), Flywheel (2nd Most important), Front Race Seats, Rear Seat Delete, Receiver only with only the front door speakers

Track Oriented
Remove the AC stuff, Remove the Powersteering stuff, Remove the Dash accept for the gauges, Swap all of the glass for Lexan, Remove the wheel well guards, Remove the rear bumper support, Remove both the air bags, scrape off all the sound barrier stuff, Remove all interior panels

thx to: mlbbaseball, besthaticouldo
 
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#128 ·
Ok guys... I'm trying to make sure I got everything done possible before I start diving into the motor. I'm slowly working on my N/A 01 zx3. I think I'm about at my limit...
So my current setup is this:
Iceman intake, Steeda 65mm tb, (I have a cfm 3" MAF tube just not installed), Y2K ported intake manifold, EGR delete, FR plug wires, SVT Exhaust Manifold, 2.25" or 2.5" ORP (not sure of make and forgot to measure before putting it on) to 2.5" flex to 2.5" Fswerks stealth Exhaust. And I'm about to install this weekend a stage 2 clutch kit 6-puck, ClutchMasters 9.5lb flywheel, and Fidanza cam gears and new timing belt. Now I was contemplating installing a crank UDP, but I've only read that it's not worth it.... (True for N/A build or no?). Now I would love to get a set of stage 2 cams, but I'm not sure where I should go from there. I have an SCT Xcal3 and I plan on going to Tom for my tune when It's up and running before the cams. My question here is an I missing anything? Keep in mind this is my daily driver, but I am a Hobbyist who can't stop messing with his car! Lol I do all my own work and I feel like GhostTribute does about N/A. It's not about easy, it's about the pride, respect and labor of love it takes to build something and learn new things along the way!

I'd like to say thanks and also give admiration and respect to all of you who have actively posted in this thread!

Thanks in advance for any help received!

Tony
 
#130 ·
Awesome! I'll pick those up as well as a wideband this month before I give you a call for the tuning! Thanks Tom.
Oh about the Cams, should I go with a stage 2, or 3? I never plan on going FI.
 
#132 ·
Without cams I dont really know what's realistic. With cams, to be honest I don't really have a HP expectation or goal, but I guess if I was gonna put a number to it I'd like to get to 175bhp, or at least close to it!
 
#133 ·
Here's an example of what ya get with the mods below.


FR stg 2 cams
AEM CAI
FC 65mm TB
FC header
Bosal flex
Borla cat back
UDP
Y2k manifold
cam gears (adjusted on the dyno below)

Granted, it was really hot that day, but my car's best pull on the dyno that day (Tom's dyno day) was:

 
#134 ·
Really? Wow... I'm kinda shocked... and I'm sorry if this is coming off rude, that's not my intention at all but I would have expected more of a gain than that. I mean, isn't the zetec stock like 130 HP? Or is it stock 130 HP at the crank? If that's the case then my thinking is wrong... and I was kinda hoping for right close to 150 before cams, after a tune!
 
#135 ·
130 ( thats generous) stock Zetec
150 (also generous) Stock SVT

Most of these mods don't net you more than 10-20 gains in HP, realistically.

These are all speculative guesses on my part, not actual proven numbers!

When you said 175 HP I was surprised.....
 
#136 ·
The only reason I was thinking 175 was because I have all of the "best" (by what I have read) mods done to the car... and figured that if the car is already 130, then by using the cosworth designed SVT manifold, opening up the exhaust with the 2.5" exhaust from flex back and removing the cat as well as the EGR delete and increasing air flow to the intake side of the motor with the better flowing y2k intake mani that's also ported to 65mm and mated to a Steeda 65mm tb, adding a larger maf tube and Iceman intake as well as lightening the flywheel and adding adj cam gears that those mods alone with a tune would net me 150 to the wheels. And then I would add the cams later and re-tune and bump gas type up a bit at that time, and I thought that would bring me close to 165-175bhp
 
#137 ·
I do not have cams and I laid down 133 whp. But that was on a 2.25" catback. I don't know if the Borla has made much of a difference.
 
#138 ·
The dyno area was well over 100 degrees so IAT's were probably super high. The fans were on but it didn't make much difference. Every car there that went on the dyno turned out numbers that were relatively low. I had higher numbers than a couple SVT's. That's how hot it was.
 
#140 ·
Some dyno's run a little high and others low. Temp does make a difference
 
#142 ·
To be honest, the path that most follow just doesn't produce the results for the amount of money spent. A built engine, high compression, big cams, etc ... you might see around 160whp or a little better. All depends on the tune and fuel. Good race fuel and you can see closer to 180whp. But it's not real street friendly.


I took a different path,




I still say that for the money, I have the best path. All in all, it's just a shaved SVT head ---> http://www.focusfanatics.com/forum/showthread.php?t=303290
Nothing real special or that you can't find from another Focus.


I've gone down the bolt-on path a couple different ways and it's always the same result. None of the easy replace parts matter a bit. All these intake mod's don't do shit (CAI, TB, MAF).
If you have cams (and not some [:)][:)][:)][:)][:)] stg 1), then those things can make a difference. But otherwise, it's money wasted. But people just don't listen. They have this money burning a hole and need to buy something. And then when they do they can't admit they pissed away money for zero gain. Their highly calibrated ass tells them they made a huge change. And the snowball rolls on.

Truth is, if you're not going to do cams, don't bother doing anything else. $ per $ it's the best gains in a zetec.
 
#143 ·
Oh I'm planning on doing cams! Lol in planning on doing all the things lol its just a matter of time and saving! Patience is a virtue and I'd say I'm fairly wise! Lol the biggest thing for me throughout the whole process is getting the right information upfront and doing research and then more research about that research and so on until I come to the best possible conclusion. Then I proceed.
 
#145 ·
I decided to rebuild my 2002 because I'd only had it a short time and I blew the engine.

So I figured I would rebuild and I've done it by upgrading the pistons and rods (forged), the cams and springs, and the oil supply gear and the exhaust side for now. I also have a billion s interior mods and a zillion exterior mods. Including exhaust. I already have all of these parts and at some point will be starting a build thread to document my exploits.

I did all this so I don't blow the engine and I don't crash the car (again) then it should last me a really long time. H0pefully into classic car status.
 
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