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Steeda Intake vs. "Stealth" Intake

4K views 46 replies 9 participants last post by  firemanfrank 
#1 ·
Well, I just installed the Steeda intake for my 2.3 ST, and all I can say is ...

WOW!

Not only is the car louder on WOT, but I can actually "feel' the performance difference in the seat of my pants.

And I don't think it's the louder noise that's fooling me either. The car really appears to be accelerating faster than it was with the Stealth intake.

Don't get me wrong. The "Stealth" intake is good if you want a cost efficient way of getting rid of that 6 ft. monstrosity that Ford put in. Plus, the Stealth intake still retains the stock resonator box, which has a 90 degree bend in it.

There ain't no bends in my new intake! (also, whatever concerns there might have been with hydrolock are no gone with the installation of the Steeda). So when Steeda says that their intake makes 6 hp. to the wheels, I can believe them.

I will try to confirm that extra hp the next time that I go the the 1/4 mile track (Saturday looks good, but it's supposed to be 85 degrees out! Not quite the cool and mild 55-65 degrees that it was the last time I went).

Still, I might be going anyway ... just to see.[:)]
 
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#2 ·
yeah i got some crap i have to take care of, then the next thing i'm getting is the steeda intake, i've already hydrolocked my engine once with the stealth intakes and all i can say is i will never inmy life use a CAI again.
 
#3 ·
firemanfrank said:
There ain't no bends in my new intake! (also, whatever concerns there might have been with hydrolock are no gone with the installation of the Steeda). So when Steeda says that their intake makes 6 hp. to the wheels, I can believe them.
Doesn't the Stealth CAI also give +6whp? That was on a D20--but I doubt that matters that much.
 
#4 ·
Re: Re: Steeda Intake vs. "Stealth" Intake

JCE_05-ZX5 said:
Doesn't the Stealth CAI also give +6whp? That was on a D20--but I doubt that matters that much.
That is unknown.

BlazingCopper_ZX3 (the "inventor" of the Stealth intake for '05 up Foci) had never done a baseline test of his vehicle before he put on his Stealth intake.

The Stealth CAI hits the DynoJet!

And we can't compare his dyno results with stock hp numbers that were received with other D20's, as he dynoed his car at a high altitude testing facility.

Now, I'm sure that the Stealth is better than the stock 6 ft. long set up that Ford put on the car.

But as I said before, the Stealth intake still retains the stock resonator box. And the box causes the air to take a 90 degree bend as it exits the intake manifold before going straight down to the MAF tube/filter.

That can't help!
 
#6 ·
resonators are straight through, as far as i know it wont affect performance at all
 
#7 ·
CE_05-ZX5 said:
[BSo would removing the resonator help with the power or no? I've read that the resonator left on with the stealth enhances the sound tone.[/B]
It definitely would. Think of the resonator box as a "sound muffler". And as we know, most "mufflers" reduce noise, at the expense of power.

Problem is, with the Stealth set up, the resonator box is an integral part of the Stealth system's intake. Because it is the stock resonator box that hooks up to the stock MAF tube.

So without the resonator box, you would then have to figureout a way to hook up the MAF tube to your intake manifold inlet.

With the Steeda intake, the stock resonator box is eliminated, and the stock MAF tube is replaced by Steeda's own MAF tube. Their intake then directly fits onto the stock rubber hose that comes off the intake manifold.

nomoreavril said:
resonators are straight through, as far as i know it wont affect performance at all
The stock intake resonator box on the 05/06 Duratecs has to turn the airflow 90 degrees downward from the intake manifold so that it can meet up with the top of the MAF tube that sits directly below it.

The Steeda unit is "straight", and therefore makes no such "turns".[:)]
 
#9 ·
I believe that a 3" flexable elbow may work rather nicely. I will pick one up tomorrow and give it a try. I'll let you know how it works out.
 
#11 ·
sorry i'm retarded, i wasnt even thinking about intakes, lol, i was talking about an exhaust resonator....lol...i'm gonna go kill myself now..
 
#12 ·
nomoreavril said:
sorry i'm retarded, i wasnt even thinking about intakes, lol, i was talking about an exhaust resonator....lol...i'm gonna go kill myself now..
Np!

I kind of thought that was what you were referring to.

Simple human mistake! We've all been there!
 
#13 ·
Dose the Steeda MAF neck down like the stock one or is it larger in diameter all the way through?
If it is larger it should flow better (more air = more hp).
The "Stealth CAI" may not have as much of an effect on the 2.3L.
Instead of going to the track how about a dyno run to see what you got at the wheels?
 
#14 ·
BlazingCopper_ZX3 said:
Dose the Steeda MAF neck down like the stock one or is it larger in diameter all the way through?
If it is larger it should flow better (more air = more hp).
The "Stealth CAI" may not have as much of an effect on the 2.3L.
Instead of going to the track how about a dyno run to see what you got at the wheels?
Here's a couple of pics that show Steeda's MAF tube (not my car, but exactly what I have).




Even though it tapers down some, I havn't measured the inside diameter of the stock MAF tube vs. that of the Steeda's. So it is an unknown then if one is larger than the other.

As to putting my car on a dyno, I'd love to! But there isn't a dyno near my house that is anywhere NEAR reasonable in it's prices.

Believe it or not, there IS a dyno testing facility only MINUTES from my house (Redline Motorsports), but I talked to the owner on the phone a while back, and he said that the rate is $250/hr.

redline-motorsports

And you have to pay for the FULL hour, even if you only want to do make one run!

I don't think so ...

So the nearest dynos to where I live that are more reasonable in their prices are AT LEAST 150 to 200 miles away, but there is no way I'm gonna drive that far just to make a dyno run.

I live in Upstate N.Y., so if anyone knows of a dyno nearby my home that is fairly priced, then please let me know!

Otherwise, I await until the next Test/Tune night at my local dragway to see what difference there is between the Steeda and the Stealth intake.[:)]
 
#15 ·
wow see if you can just do one run, at my local place you can dyno tune your car for an hour for a 150 bucks.....lol....60 bucks for 3 runs
 
#16 ·
firemanfrank that is untrue. there is a dyno facility just outside of ballston spa in charlton called synapse motorsport... (www.synapsemotorsport.com)... they have done VERY impressive things recently with a few honda builds includeing a 600fwhp civic and a 750rwhp bmw m3 (both turbo'd).. the owners name is morgan. get in touch with me if you want to do some sort of dyno time split...id like to see what shes puttin down. as far as the type of dyno used, its a dynapack so all numbers should be pretty true. just wanted to let you know... as far as pricing im not sure but im sure its reasonable.
 
#17 ·
nomoreavril[/i][B] wow see if you can just do one run said:
firemanfrank that is untrue. there is a dyno facility just outside of ballston spa in charlton called synapse motorsport...
(www.synapsemotorsport.com)... get in touch with me if you want to do some sort of dyno time split...
Sounds good A/O!

I've fired off an e-mail to them, and will pm you as soon as I get a reply from them.

Well, maybe I'll be able to get my car dynotested after all!
 
#18 ·
Man that really sucks! I can see $250.00 for tuning but just a baseline (3) runs?

Here in Colorado they are MUCH more accommodating. I got a Baseline (3) runs for $35.00. The shop was full of Mustangs, Lotus, ect. I had the only focus that day and the lowest numbers.

If they have a "Dyno Day" with cheep runs from time to time they might get more tuning business.
 
#19 ·
35 bucks is worth it to me lol, mine is 60 so i only do it sparingly
 
#20 ·
/ em pulls the towel down over his head. This Thread is being hyjacked due to a similar topic!

ok, so I Have a steeda SRI sitting next to me here in my room, I have a borla 2.5in exhaust in a UPS truck somewhere along with an excal II from focussport and so far im VERY happy with their service.
Well I got a call from randy the other day with a question about the steeda sri. He was telling me about the effects of changing the size (diameter) of the MAF tube without proper tunning. Now Im fairly sure that the steeda billet maf is the same diameter as a stock one but I would love to be corrected. so I do not think that should pose any problems with my tune.
However, we were also talking about the location of the MAF housing being differnt. since the steeda intake attaches the maf right to the TB, and a stock system usually has a much larger volume of air between the maf and the combustion chamber, so this might effect A/F ratio or driveability slightly.
I was just wondering what you guys all thaught about this? anyone have a steeda sri and a tune that can tell me first hand or dose anyone have any predictions? either way I think with a little datalogging we can get this tune down pat. thanks again for ...letting?..? ??. .. me hijack the thread slightly.
 
#21 ·
metallicanick78 said:
... Now Im fairly sure that the steeda billet maf is the same diameter as a stock one but I would love to be corrected. so I do not think that should pose any problems with my tune.
Don't know, I never measured the inside diameter of the Steeda vs. the stock MAF tube.

But whatever the case, it doesn't make any difference. And this is why:

-From the Steeda website-

"Our Dyno showed six more ponies at the wheels ... and nearly four more pound feet of torque with our Cold Air Kit for the Focus Duratec engine -
without re calibration or tuning the engine further.

Should easily make even more power on modified engines as well."


... so this might effect A/F ratio or driveability slightly.
I've got the Steeda installed, and have had no problems with it whatsoever.

And no tune is required to have it function properly. A tune "might" get you 1 or 2 more hp with the Steeda intake.

Maybe.
 
#22 ·
Yeah, i do remember seeing that. the intake dosent need a tune to work properly like most out there. thats not why im getting the tune.
The issue is more the placement of the maf when considering how the tune will effect the engine, which i think will be fairly minimal. If you think about how 90% of the intakes out there for our cars now are set up, there is still at least a little bit of pipe between the TB and maf. That extra length of pipe is constantly filled with air already measured by the maf, now the ecu must take into account the volume of that air and the time it takes to travel to the injectors where the a/f ratio is actually mixed.
My understanding of this subject is fairly minimal so im kinda just fishing here to see if anyone knows about this stuff. let me try to explain with a poor poor picture...
picture yourself rolling at 5-10mph and all of a sudden SLAM the gas down
[engine}=tb=maf=filter
in the above, when you slam the gas down the air speed at the engine and maf both increase at about the same time
[engine}=tb===================maf=filter
in this example the air speed will increase first at the engine and it will take a second to pick up speed at the maf, probably also creating a pressure drop post maf too.
as you can see ive probably started rambling so you know that i need someone to set me straight. <the volume of air post maf is differnt with a steeda than it is with most other intakes. its not a problem with the stock tune, but once you start changing numbers around with a tune, this must have some impact on driveability right?>
 
#23 ·
metallicanick78 said:
[engine}=tb=maf=filter
in the above, when you slam the gas down the air speed at the engine and maf both increase at about the same time

[engine}=tb===================maf=filter
in this example the air speed will increase first at the engine and it will take a second to pick up speed at the maf, probably also creating a pressure drop post maf too.

<the volume of air post maf is differnt with a steeda than it is with most other intakes. its not a problem with the stock tune, but once you start changing numbers around with a tune, this must have some impact on driveability right?>
I'm probably not the person that you want answering you here, as I am not an automotive engineer/air flow bench analyst. But nervertheless, I have noticed a few things in your "picture analogy" that I thought I'd like to mention.

You say that "the volume of air post maf is differnt with a steeda than it is with most other intakes."

I would answer "yes" to that, but that the "length volume" of air that exists "post MAF" is not what is important here. Because the entire length of that particular section of air is not what is effecting the engine's overall airflow and/or tune.

Instead, it is the TOTAL ABILITY AT MOVING ANY GIVEN AMOUNT OF AIR (usually measured in cubic feet) which actually impacts engine airflow.

Make sense?

So in my "theory", the length of post MAF air space is not of any real consequence.

Add to this your question of adding a "tune", and I do not see that anything has changed in this regard. Put another way, the overall "air flow" of an intake is not directely related to the "volume length" of that intake, but only to it's "volume efficiency".

So, based on those observations, my "formula" would look something like this:

INTAKE AIR FLOW EFFICIENCY/BEHAVIOR =

AIR RESTRICTION
(Filter Element)+ FLOW CAPACITY (inside diameter of intake)

My brain hurts ... LOL
 
#24 ·
Auto0utcast said:
firemanfrank that is untrue. there is a dyno facility just outside of ballston spa in charlton called synapse motorsport... (www.synapsemotorsport.com)... as far as pricing im not sure but im sure its reasonable.
OK A/O, peeps ... I just got a reply from Morgan at Synapse Motorsport:

Frank,

as long as your cars have a manual tranny I can dyno them, we charge $75 for 3 pulls for each car. Give me a call ... to setup an appointment.

Morgan
Yahoo! I'm gonna be calling him this morning to see what kind of time frame they're running on as far as their dyno testing goes.

Yeahhhh!
 
#25 ·
lol they cant dyno autos? i have an auto and got mine dynoed
 
#26 ·
im sure they can but i think its something with the dynapack that the specific gear ratio has to be entered to get accurate readings.. the auto selects gears on its own so would vary and not give an accurate representation of what u actually put down.
 
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