[84 Blue 240]

Hello,
First off I would like to introduce myself. My name is Cory and I am a Senior mechanical engineering student at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology. I have been passionate about cars my entire life. Once I got to college, that really took off. I was a member on University of Pittsburgh's FSAE team working on intake and exhaust design as well as being the head of forced induction. After I transferred to my new school I joined the supermileage team, immediately taking over the engine program. I do work for Castellano Performance Engineering (www.cpeturbos.com) in Chicago and R Sport International (www.r-sportinternational.com) in Portland, OR. I work mostly on Volvos and Vipers (weirdest combo ever), but am looking to get into the V8 Rx7 scene as well. I am pleased to be here. Looks like you guys have a nice little forum.

My room mate has a 2001 Ford Zx3 with the 5 speed manual tranny and Zetec engine. He keeps complaining that it is slow and I said, "Well why don't we do something about it?" I suggested a home made turbo system and he asked how much a bare bones system would cost. I said I thought I could do one for 600 dollars, depending on the tuning required. I read the intro threads to forced induction on the Focus and thought I would run some things by you guys.

My plan was to use the factory tube manifold and a cheap turbo from a Volvo (I can get them very easily), or WRX. Those can be had for 50-100 dollars in great shape. I would obviously have to put some flexible bracing on the turbo so that the manifold isn't taking the entire weight. My friend, Chris, owns an exhaust shop and could probably do a turbo back, 2.5 inch system for 200-250 dollars. For intercooler and intake pipes, I figured I would get one of those ebay kits for 140 dollars. I know lots of people that run them and have success. I can get oil lines from CPE for cheap. This leaves about 150-200 bucks left for odds and ends and engine management.

I have to be honest, I am surprised there are no tuning solutions for the Focus that don't require a box. This is the largest hold up. Our goals are to run about 7-10 psi. So, instead of doing a predator or other such solution, I have started considering doing an extra injector and variable resistor on the IAT sensor controlled by a pressure sensor and PIC controller. I saw that the stock fuel pump is nothing to get excited about, but will it be able to feed 7-10 psi's worth of power? I understand that the Focus doesn't have a return style fuel system. I take it the pump is PWM to keep a constant rail pressure? Are there any obstacles I am going to run into with an extra injector?

My roomy has also been reading around and said someone apparently did a system for $250. Does anyone on here know about this?

Any advice you have to give is appreciated.

 

[focusguy87]

Don't cut corners with tuning. Do it right and forget the extra injector idea.


Go to Ford they will replace that old 2001 pump with a new one since there is a recall on them. That will help your fuel problem a little.

You need larger injectors also.


Also need a Wideband A/F.

 

[84 Blue 240]

Have a wideband and EGT. The new fuel pumps are MOAR better?

 

[sleepyboy]

WAY better lol

 

[illinipo]

any changes to fueling you make without actually writing to the EEPROM will be learned out within a week. you really need to either get the SCT Pro Racer Package (or get it tuned by a shop) or try a standalone, but they never work and only save you about $100. PRP is the way to go if you know what you're doing (which it sounds like you do). Literally every single function in the ECU can be modified to your desires.

Check out the sticky thread "so you're planning on going FI"

the pump itself is not PWM, the injectors are.

if you screw with the IAT input on an EEC-V computer your load calculations will be thrown off and you will have a hole in a piston in no time.

 

[84 Blue 240]

Does any SCT Ford Tuner work for the Focus, or are they Focus Specific? Are they limited in how many cars they can tune? If I can find someone who will agree to let us use theirs, that might work, as new injectors are only $140 and I can get cheap/free dyno time and can tune myself, especially if I can get a baseline tune to expedite the process.

I was considering megasquirt...but it wouldn't save me any money to do it.

 

[84 Blue 240]

the pump itself is not PWM, the injectors are.

So the pump doesn't modify it's speed, it just sits there and cavitates against the fuel? I know we experimented with a PWM pump with a returnless system controlled with AEM. It worked great, until the prototype pump (we were beta testers) burned up. Its a good idea because the fuel stays cooler, but it is obviously not as common as a standard return system.

 

[illinipo]

Each xcal2 or X3 can only tune one car.

42lb/hr injectors are as low as I would go for 10psi. There are 2 or 3 sets for sale in the BST section of the forum right now for about $120.

the PRP should come with a base tune from the shop you buy it from. They will be able to put in an approximate maf transfer function and the correct values for injector breakpoint and such

im not sure of the mechanism in the pump. But i doubt it is the usual turbine type.

 

[illinipo]

Also you are likely going to need a diablosport MAFia. Its possible to get by with just a 3" MAF tube but it will be your limiting component. Once you peg the maf that is it you cannot make any more power.

 

[84 Blue 240]

Also you are likely going to need a diablosport MAFia. Its possible to get by with just a 3" MAF tube but it will be your limiting component. Once you peg the maf that is it you cannot make any more power.

What are the limits on the stock MAF? Remember, we are just going for 7-10 psi which, looking at dyno graphs, might net us 170 ish FWHP.

 

[illinipo]

Well with the stock header i guess, but obviously that depends on the turbo, a T3/T4 would make a ton more power than a T25 on 10psi.

I would expect something closer to 200whp.

You cannot place a psi # on the limit of the MAF, there are too many variables. Just get a 3" MAF tube and go from there. The MAFia can be had for about $150. It basically extends the range of the MAF signal, so it is like getting a bigger tube just by flicking a switch.

 

[84 Blue 240]

Well with the stock header i guess, but obviously that depends on the turbo, a T3/T4 would make a ton more power than a T25 on 10psi.

I would expect something closer to 200whp.

You cannot place a psi # on the limit of the MAF, there are too many variables. Just get a 3" MAF tube and go from there. The MAFia can be had for about $150. It basically extends the range of the MAF signal, so it is like getting a bigger tube just by flicking a switch.

Well, I realize that a T3/T4 will make more power, but we should be pretty well sized for this app. A WRX or Volvo Turbo's turbo's hotside (TD04HL IIRC for both) will actually be fairly spacious for this. My turbo sizing philosophy usually goes larger on the hotside and smaller on the compressor. Biggest hotside you can stand the lag on and the smallest compressor which is in it's efficiency zone. I think in this case, we will be in good shape for our power goals.

So, with the SCT tuner, I change the scaling for the 3 inch, and then if needed get the MAFia? I will probably just make my own MAF from PVC in the name of cost.

 

[illinipo]

I'm not questioning your turbo size. I am running a td04h-13t. So we basically agree there.

I was simply commenting on the fact that you cannot use PSI numbers to talk about limitations of the electronics and hardware.

You cannot just change the scaling of the maf when you tune. You have to start from scratch and build your MAF transfer function using the wideband, and then fiddle with timing, and then fiddle with driveability. Should take the better part of a weekend if street tuning, or about 3-4 hours on a dyno.

I recommend you start reading up on how to tune a EEC-V computer before you jump into using the PRP. Perhaps having a shop tune it is a better option for you guys.

 

[84 Blue 240]

I'm not questioning your turbo size. I am running a td04h-13t. So we basically agree there.

I was simply commenting on the fact that you cannot use PSI numbers to talk about limitations of the electronics and hardware.

You cannot just change the scaling of the maf when you tune. You have to start from scratch and build your MAF transfer function using the wideband, and then fiddle with timing, and then fiddle with driveability. Should take the better part of a weekend if street tuning, or about 3-4 hours on a dyno.

I recommend you start reading up on how to tune a EEC-V computer before you jump into using the PRP. Perhaps having a shop tune it is a better option for you guys.

Hrmm...sounds like for the cost of doing any sort of half decent job with the EEC-V computer, I could just Megasquirt it with every bell and whistle known to man... Decisions decisions.

 

[illinipo]

yep that is an option but like I said the PRP is MUCH more powerful. All you have to do is spend an hour or two on google and on here and you will get the basics of using PRP.

There are many many examples of people who attempted megasquirting a focus and just quit halfway through and got PRP.

 

[Peregrine]

^^Just get a MAFia and start with a 3" MAF from the get go. You'll have more room for tuning in case those smaller turbos aren't effective enough.

Question about your PVC MAF tube idea....is that tube going to be able to withstand underhood temps and how will you fab up a flange for the MAF sensor? I'm just asking because this is the first time that I've heard of someone going the low buck route when going FI.[scratch]



BTW you guys post too damned fast!!

 

[84 Blue 240]

^^Just get a MAFia and start with a 3" MAF from the get go. You'll have more room for tuning in case those smaller turbos aren't effective enough.

Question about your PVC MAF tube idea....is that tube going to be able to withstand underhood temps and how will you fab up a flange for the MAF sensor? I'm just asking because this is the first time that I've heard of someone going the low buck route when going FI.[scratch]



BTW you guys post too damned fast!!

Yeah...works great. We do it in the Volvo world all the time. Same with resistors in the path to scale the MAF for both its size and larger injectors. Because Volvo doesn't have large scale tuning support outside of Sweden (where they have 1400 HP 240s running around everywhere it seems), we have to make lots of stuff on our own. PVC MAFs are the norm. I have only about 500 in my entire turbo system.

Usually we will just machine the flange and epoxy it in, or cut the flange off the old one and glue that on.

Hell, we have a guy who bought a Volvo 740, a 302 Ford, and turbo'd and megasquirted it for 1200 so far. We are the kings of cheap!

 

[84 Blue 240]

So just to clarify...tuning one of these things pretty much costs a minimum of 500-600 dollars?

 

[illinipo]

Yeah basically.

 

[verse187]

Good thing you're an engineering major