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2012 Focus Sedan dual exhaust

156K views 305 replies 90 participants last post by  Shade-010 
#1 · (Edited)
Hello, I am new here and my wife picked up a new Focus about two weeks ago and although its her car I can't but mod it since I also drive it. I noticed all of the european ford focus's have a dual exhaust set up. After some research I found they are basically using a transverse muffler. I used a Borla muffler and some 3.5" stainless tips. A local muffler shop did the install. I removed the middle muffler and dropped in a K&N cone filter. Here are some pictures. The car sounds so sweet and there is no audio drone at any speed.

Parts List: Borla # 40477 2.5" 2.5" 19"X 5.5" X 10.25" Transverse Mount Split Exit $$ 265.00

Tips Ebay $$ 29.00 each
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/_W0Q...emZ280348769045QQsspagenameZSTRKQ3aMEWNXQ3aIT

Local Body Shop cut out rear bumper $44.00 labor. The rest is up to the welder to get all lined up. $65.00 Install Total price $432.00





Without 1st muffler:
Video-Audio
[/URL][/IMG]
With 1st muffler:[URL=http://s1195.photobucket.com/albums/aa385/FocusTrooper/?action=view&current=DSCF0321.mp4][/URL]
 
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#69 ·
I will do one in a little while from inside the car under load. Its really not that loud its just a very sensitive mic. I would say it sounds just like a WRX. I had one with a STI exhaust. In the car its just a mellow tone. At speed 60-80 you really can't hear it. 0-60 sounds good. I am very happy with it. It doesn't sound like a ricer.
 
#73 · (Edited)
Everyone here is in luck. Wife stated she wish I had waited on taking the 1st muffler off because she might have liked a lower tone. Being the great husband I am I called the shop and they put the 1st muffler back on for free.

I should have tested it before I had it taken off. I will admit it is much better sounding. The performance feels the same.

The back ground noise before the car is started is from a papermill about 3 miles away.

Exhaust sounds great. Not as loud. Here is the video.

[URL=http://s1195.photobucket.com/albums/aa385/FocusTrooper/?action=view&current=DSCF0321.mp4][/URL]
 
#76 ·
I had ten people over my house tonight visiting while I shot that video recording and everyone of them liked it. Most thought it was a cross between a subaru boxer and a porshe boxer. The neat thing about the borla muffler is the unique sound different size engines make from this same muffler. A camaro or firebird sound loud and mean where a V-6 sounds like a G35-350z, This is the same style muffler those cars us stock. I wish I had a better recording device. The car sounds very nice. Down shifts in sport mode sound great.

I hope this thread has helped someone.
 
#77 ·
Just to clarify, which muffler is the resonator? When I get under my Focus to look at the exhaust, starting from the engine, I see the cat, muffler #1, muffler #2, and then the large muffler on the back (muffler #3).
I know that muffler #3 was replaced with the borla muffler, but what was done with muffler #1 and #2?
(I've only worked with old V8's (had a 1997 Ford Expedition and a 1995 Ford F150) so I'm not use to anything more than a muffler and cats :p )
Thanks!
 
#79 ·
naegerter

The resonator is #2 one its under the center console area. Its a straight through design but I could tell a huge difference in sound without it. Before it was put back on I looked at it closely and it just had baffles and packing in it. I guess it just causes exhaust gas turbulence to help with back pressure and sound deading. I would suggest leaving it on and just replacing the rear. I was a little nervous when the body shop cut out the rear areas. I actually had them order a lower black diffuser which they returned without charge just incase they messed it up. The black lower diffuser was $101.00 but thankfully they didn't mess it up.

It can get nerve racking when you are cutting up a car two weeks after you pick it up and to make matters even more stressful its the wifes car and some how I talked her into it all.

I tried to sell her on springs but she told me I am done.

Give me time I will wear her down.
 
#91 ·
Resonator is #2 one its under the center console area. Its a straight through design but I could tell a huge difference in sound without it. Before it was put back on I looked at it closely and it just had baffles and packing in it. I guess it just causes exhaust gas turbulence to help with back pressure and sound deading. I would suggest leaving it on and just replacing the rear. I was a little nervous when the body shop cut out the rear areas. I actually had them order a lower black diffuser which they returned without charge just incase they messed it up. The black lower diffuser was $101.00 but thankfully they didn't mess it up.
Under the center console? I considered that muffler #1 was the one directly underneath the center console. Here are pictures to refer to for what I am talking about. Thanks btw for all the help and information!

Also, I'm assuming that you simply removed Muffler #2 all together?

Images are oriented as if you're underneath the engine and looking towards the back of the car.



 
#80 ·
So being lazy and not wanting to crawl underneath right now, does the stock exhaust run straight down the middle of the car then turn to the drivers sid at the rear wheels?

Could you just run a straight pipe to the bumper and put a tip on it to look like the ST?

I know it would sound bad, but I got an idea for that.
 
#82 ·
Center Exhaust



I also thought about that. The exhaust runs down the middle then over to the rear drivers side. I even tried to get a european bumper that I found on line that had a lower black diffuser but they told me it was for a 2011 ST and would not fit. I thought I could hide the exhaust pipping behind it and cut out the center. I was even going to wrap the center cut whole with a piece of stainless.

I thought of a bunch of ideas and had remembered that I replaced my Infiniti G35 exhaust with a Borla set up and they used the transverse muffler. I also loved how that car sounded. I went to Youtube and listened to hundreds of exhaust sounds and kept coming back to the Borla.

I figured ford racing had an exhaust for $660.00 so as long as I came under that I was good to go.

It would be cool to see you do that. Do your research. None of this stuff is cheap. [thumb]
 
#81 ·
Just a word of advice to all that are thinking of doing this mod.

1st I am not a Borla Rep or associated with them.

I would not consider a cheaper muffler for this mod. I have used Magnaflow and Flowmaster in the past on Mustangs and Trucks with V-8 engines and the straight through design works great for those set ups.

But I strongly feel that the design of the Borla with the tube layout, baffles and sound deading/packing works perfect for the 2.0 4cyl Focus

I am very happy with this mod. A good muffler shop should have no problem with this set up and I think most body shops can do the bumper cut outs.

Can't wait to see others with this set up.
 
#84 · (Edited)
I did look at these but all the videos I could find sounded like a hot rodded chainsaw.

I don't know, I don't think they will allow enough back pressure and what little torque the 2.0 has will be hampered. They are very different. Have you called them or sent an email. That may answer the ? will it work.

Look how this Porshe one is put together. This type of set up could be modified to work if you pieced it together.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Borl...r_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item2eb5c6aee9


Here are a few I based my setup off of.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/BORL...r_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item415daf7192

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Borl...r_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item2c5d441689

After looking at those prices it makes my setup look cheap as far as $$ laid out.
 
#85 ·
Well my delima is that my ride is a lease.

And do I risk modding something I will return to ford.

From my experience the cat will be the restriction you need to get the torque as the exhaust has cooled so much by the time it gets to the muffler.

Mufflers are really tone modifiers to me. Now, I am not sure if the dr gas stuff has the tone I want, but it would probably have the look I want.

More than likely I will do nothing as the reason I got the car was to have a commuter while I figured out what to do with the four other vehicles I have in various states of reliability. (Lightning, '72 Mach 1, HD FLHX and an AIH chopper)
 
#92 ·
naegerter
good pics,

I removed muffler #1 and left muffler #2 alone.

The owner of the shop where I had the exhaust done who has 30+ year of experience advised to leave #2 alone. Notice how the pipping flares out for #2. I was told that #2 was only there to kill the audio drone that would get into the interior and there was no gain in flow by removing it.

Since I did take out #1 and there was no audio drone heard in the interior even at 100 plus I beleive he is correct.

If this was my car I would not have put muffler #1 back on. The car sounded great. It was a little loud for the wife. The exhaust has a very nice mellow boxer engine sound with just the rear being replaced.

If you look at the Ford racing single exit set up it eliminates #1,#2 and has a small #3.

I hope that helps.

I spoke with the muffler shop and was advised that you could play with changing out #1 after changing #3. Mainly to change the sound level. The exhaust is pretty straight through.
 
#95 ·
The same Borla muffler as you (#40477). I was going to wait for Borla to come out with a complete catback system for the Focus, but when I saw what you did with a Borla muffler I just fell in love. Plus complete system probably wouldn't look as neat and finished as what you did with the bumper cut outs.
That also answered your second question; I'm going with your setup because I love the dual exhaust look over the center tip (like what's on the Focus ST).

I will definitely be posting pics as soon as I get it done!

The only thing I'm still debating about is whether to keep the resonator or not. I'm just worried about drone on the highway when going down to Austin in Novemeber.
 
#96 ·
Leave it on for now. The installer will not have to remove any of that pipping. They will cut it off at the old muffler. Then you can always get it removed later. That is what I should have done.

If you look at the old muffler body you can see a buldge on the left side where another pipe could come out. Looks to me Ford could have done this very cheaply. Look at the competition like the Chevy Cuse LTZ it has duals, the new Chevy Sonic sedan has duals. It makes no sense.

I just came back from the store a few minutes ago and I drove it with the windows down and shifted it all the way and it sounds very nice. The way it should have been stock.
 
#97 ·
Also on the bumper cut outs. Make you own template and mark the area.

I took a 8 1/2 x 11 sheet of paper and folded it in half to make it 5 1/2 X 8, I then placed the tip about 2" from the top edge and centered on the 5 1/2" width and traced around the tip. I then cut out the circle in the middle and left all of the white on the outside of the line. Next take the Tip and place it through the paper hole and think about the size of the half circle you want to create. Now place a aprox mark about 3/4 of an inch above the tip. Next remove the tip and find a bowl or small dish and line it up with the line and make your half arch above tip cut out in line with your mark.

Now cut on that line. Now useing that as your template go to the rear bumper and find the area that you want to mark for the cut outs. I did the passenger side first since it has a little grove already. Fold the area where the exhaust tip hole is in half so for reference so you know where half the cirle is. Now use some tape and measure and tape the template to the rear diffuser. The half circle mark will help you figure how the welded tip will set up into the cut out. I used 3/4" gap so the tip would not melt the plastic.

Now using a white or yellow crayon mark the cut out area. I would do this so maybe the body shop will not screw it up.

Look at the picture. I could have come up a little more. I think a 1/4" to 1/2 higher would have been fine. You will have to pay attention to the diffuser supports when making you alignment.
 
#100 ·
I tried to do the moving one but I could not get a good recording.

Warranty stuff has been asked and answer by others here. No was the answer.

On the freeway it sounds pretty mellow. No audio drone at all. The only time you really hear it have a rumble is when its idling. The rest of the time it sounds like a cross between a WRX boxer and a Infiniti G35.

I will try to get another recording.
 
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