Ford Focus Mk2 [ST] Estate Sleeper - Build Thread
Discussion
KarlMac said:
A few pointers for you when tuning so you don't make the same mistakes I did when tuning mine.
Things that will break so you might as well replace / uprate while its out:
- Boost solenoid
- Recirc valve
- Turbo actuator
For tuning, consider the following:
Intercooler - easy, go for the Auto Specialist one (if it fits your application). The standard one can barely cope at standard boost.
Induction - I've tried them all, by far the best was an RS airbox mated to a Dreamscience or Elevate crossover pipe with a k&n cone. Requires RS ecu holder and some wires moving but nothing an hour on the drive can't sort. Guides online.
Injectors - try and pick up a second hand set from an RS, normally readily available secondhand.
Downpipe/Cat - Mongoose. Dead straight forward.
Clutch. As per intercooler the standard clutch dies at anything above standard boost. A new RS one from Ford is fine. Was cheaper from a Volvo dealership for some reason. Fitting this keeps decent road manners and will cope with decent torque.
The Block Mod. The cylinder liners are incredibly thin and fragile. High boost/high heat ovals the bores which leads to cracking. This is A Bad Thing. The Block Mod involves adding some small ally shims into cooling channels to supply support. Seems to work.
Mapping - lots of off the shelf maps available (my favourite is Collins Performance). Live mapping has proven to be best on these though.
Its a great engine, it does have a number of issues that need addressing though.
Good luck!
Thanks for all that great info. What happened to your engine btw?Things that will break so you might as well replace / uprate while its out:
- Boost solenoid
- Recirc valve
- Turbo actuator
For tuning, consider the following:
Intercooler - easy, go for the Auto Specialist one (if it fits your application). The standard one can barely cope at standard boost.
Induction - I've tried them all, by far the best was an RS airbox mated to a Dreamscience or Elevate crossover pipe with a k&n cone. Requires RS ecu holder and some wires moving but nothing an hour on the drive can't sort. Guides online.
Injectors - try and pick up a second hand set from an RS, normally readily available secondhand.
Downpipe/Cat - Mongoose. Dead straight forward.
Clutch. As per intercooler the standard clutch dies at anything above standard boost. A new RS one from Ford is fine. Was cheaper from a Volvo dealership for some reason. Fitting this keeps decent road manners and will cope with decent torque.
The Block Mod. The cylinder liners are incredibly thin and fragile. High boost/high heat ovals the bores which leads to cracking. This is A Bad Thing. The Block Mod involves adding some small ally shims into cooling channels to supply support. Seems to work.
Mapping - lots of off the shelf maps available (my favourite is Collins Performance). Live mapping has proven to be best on these though.
Its a great engine, it does have a number of issues that need addressing though.
Good luck!
Not 100% sure what has been done to my engine yet, so need to check it out. I know that it has got a ProAlly intercooler and PumaSpeed induction kit, I'll look out for some RS injectors though. It's got a Milltek exhaust currently, but I'll need to get a custom one fabricated due to having a spare wheel well. I've also got an RS clutch. When it's all up and running I'll get a live map down.
CHR15 G said:
Thanks for all that great info. What happened to your engine btw?
Not 100% sure what has been done to my engine yet, so need to check it out. I know that it has got a ProAlly intercooler and PumaSpeed induction kit, I'll look out for some RS injectors though. It's got a Milltek exhaust currently, but I'll need to get a custom one fabricated due to having a spare wheel well. I've also got an RS clutch. When it's all up and running I'll get a live map down.
Nothing major, just every month or so something minor broke that stopped it running.Not 100% sure what has been done to my engine yet, so need to check it out. I know that it has got a ProAlly intercooler and PumaSpeed induction kit, I'll look out for some RS injectors though. It's got a Milltek exhaust currently, but I'll need to get a custom one fabricated due to having a spare wheel well. I've also got an RS clutch. When it's all up and running I'll get a live map down.
Was great when it worked though. I still believe that around 300bhp is the sweet spot. Turbo isn't quite at its limit bit still plenty of go.
You can see the RS airbox install here. Needs a diesel/RS slam panel (or maybe not for you) and some jiggery pokery with Y vacuum line next to MAF (again, might not be an issue for you). In this pic I was running with standard top pipe and a 45 degree silicone joiner, I later swapped to a DSCI top pipe as its a little wider and a bit neater.
Standard ST driveshafts are chocolate. Don't use them.
Pictures of a bit of progress! First off stripping down the front end of the estate and engine out. Decided to start there to practise there so we know how to do all of the specific clips and fixing when it comes to the important bits on the ST. My friend Rich will be helping me who is a very accomplished 'home mechanic', with experience on Fords and Land Rovers so we should be able to do most things, or be able to resort to large hammers.
As we want to change the engine, gearbox and complete front suspension, we thought it would be easiest to do a complete power pack swap, ie unbolt top mounts, subframe, exhaust, electrical and plumbing (not rads/intercooler). This way everything can be taken out in one go.
Power pack out and sat on a pallet. Available for anyone that wants a slightly smokey 1.6 tdci!
And the nearly empty engine bay. We think most of this will need stripping out as it is either engine or diesel specific.
A good day's work! I promise I did do some of it, but the pictures of me working are on Rich's phone...
As we want to change the engine, gearbox and complete front suspension, we thought it would be easiest to do a complete power pack swap, ie unbolt top mounts, subframe, exhaust, electrical and plumbing (not rads/intercooler). This way everything can be taken out in one go.
Power pack out and sat on a pallet. Available for anyone that wants a slightly smokey 1.6 tdci!
And the nearly empty engine bay. We think most of this will need stripping out as it is either engine or diesel specific.
A good day's work! I promise I did do some of it, but the pictures of me working are on Rich's phone...
Next up in stripping down the front end of the ST
Then a trial fit of the LX bumper onto the ST to see if it clears the bottom of the intercooler and intake filter-it does, just!
Then more stripping down. Pretty good at it now after practising on the estate.
Next step is engine out, after quickly moving house... What could possibly go wrong?
Then a trial fit of the LX bumper onto the ST to see if it clears the bottom of the intercooler and intake filter-it does, just!
Then more stripping down. Pretty good at it now after practising on the estate.
Next step is engine out, after quickly moving house... What could possibly go wrong?
Ooh, looking forward to updates on this.
As KarlMac already said, the block mod is worth doing.
Aside from the ST driveshafts being liek "chocolate", the conrods are like toothpics!
(My 2.5T S-Max ran a GT3071-R and was heavily modded, but I didn't risk running it like that for long! Cost me a fortune though.
)
As KarlMac already said, the block mod is worth doing.
Aside from the ST driveshafts being liek "chocolate", the conrods are like toothpics!
(My 2.5T S-Max ran a GT3071-R and was heavily modded, but I didn't risk running it like that for long! Cost me a fortune though.
)So a quick house move from a furnished house with friends to an unfurnished house with my girlfriend. This meant that we had to assemble all the furniture we needed in just one day, but our parents (who both live a few hours away) had most things we needed to get started, apart from bedroom furniture. As a moving in present I decided to by a couple of 'shabby chic' restored chests of drawers and a dressing table for her. In my eBay hast I managed to buy the pair of chests from an hour and a half north of me, and the dressing table from east London, two hours away. Not a problem as I would get the chest on Thursday after work and the dressing table on Friday afternoon as I don't work then, go home and pack all my stuff ready for the move on Saturday.
Thursday after work I take the [red] Focus and collect only one of the chest because they are huge! Spend ages trying to get the second one in even though it clearly wasn't going to go, but fair play to the guy he helped for ages before we admitted defeat. Get home very late.
Friday lunchtime after work decided to go down to London first so as to miss the traffic. Get down there and load up no problem. Now the Focus has, apart from the rust, a dodgy fuel pump that very occasionally is hard to get going, and it decided then to be awkward. I tried all my usual tricks of replacing the fuse multiple times, then banging the fuel tank from the top and bottom, then hard wiring the pump, then hard wiring in reverse to try and free it, then giving up and calling the RAC. He then tried all of the above. He then called his mate and this happened.
By this time I was already supposed to be home and on my way to pick up the second chest, three hours north of where I was currently being loaded onto a flat bed. The whole time I'm telling my girlfriend that I'm getting on really well with the packing.
So a three hour journey through M25 and M1 traffic, but a really great chat with the driver who was a real petrolhead. The whole journey I was thinking that this would be the final demise of the family-owned-from-new Focus as the MOT was coming up and it wasn't worth repairing for the intermediate few weeks, it would of also been really useful for the next day's house moving.
The driver kindly take me to my barn where the other Focus (Foci?!) are and lowers the bed. I then needed to turn the key so as to deactivate the steering lock and low and behold I hear the fuel pump prime. I decided not to tell the driver it might have been a wasted trip, and wait for him to leave before firing it up. First crank of the engine and she fires up just like the day we bought her, ready for the next day's big move.
Thursday after work I take the [red] Focus and collect only one of the chest because they are huge! Spend ages trying to get the second one in even though it clearly wasn't going to go, but fair play to the guy he helped for ages before we admitted defeat. Get home very late.
Friday lunchtime after work decided to go down to London first so as to miss the traffic. Get down there and load up no problem. Now the Focus has, apart from the rust, a dodgy fuel pump that very occasionally is hard to get going, and it decided then to be awkward. I tried all my usual tricks of replacing the fuse multiple times, then banging the fuel tank from the top and bottom, then hard wiring the pump, then hard wiring in reverse to try and free it, then giving up and calling the RAC. He then tried all of the above. He then called his mate and this happened.
By this time I was already supposed to be home and on my way to pick up the second chest, three hours north of where I was currently being loaded onto a flat bed. The whole time I'm telling my girlfriend that I'm getting on really well with the packing.
So a three hour journey through M25 and M1 traffic, but a really great chat with the driver who was a real petrolhead. The whole journey I was thinking that this would be the final demise of the family-owned-from-new Focus as the MOT was coming up and it wasn't worth repairing for the intermediate few weeks, it would of also been really useful for the next day's house moving.
The driver kindly take me to my barn where the other Focus (Foci?!) are and lowers the bed. I then needed to turn the key so as to deactivate the steering lock and low and behold I hear the fuel pump prime. I decided not to tell the driver it might have been a wasted trip, and wait for him to leave before firing it up. First crank of the engine and she fires up just like the day we bought her, ready for the next day's big move.
Just an FYI, the bonnet locks on these break very easily if you are fiddling with the bumpers and grills. Only real fix is to take it to Ford for a new lock and barrel etc if you dont fancy prying them open from underneath every time.
Long time since I had mine now but from memory the issue is something to do with the linkage becoming loose or disconnected when bothered and then not engaging anymore.
Good luck with the project though, will be watching.
Long time since I had mine now but from memory the issue is something to do with the linkage becoming loose or disconnected when bothered and then not engaging anymore.
Good luck with the project though, will be watching.
Falsey said:
Just an FYI, the bonnet locks on these break very easily if you are fiddling with the bumpers and grills. Only real fix is to take it to Ford for a new lock and barrel etc if you dont fancy prying them open from underneath every time.
Long time since I had mine now but from memory the issue is something to do with the linkage becoming loose or disconnected when bothered and then not engaging anymore.
Good luck with the project though, will be watching.
Thanks for that, I will be careful with itLong time since I had mine now but from memory the issue is something to do with the linkage becoming loose or disconnected when bothered and then not engaging anymore.
Good luck with the project though, will be watching.
Nearly finished stripping the ST engine bay, and then power pack out
Then it was time to get the engine crane out again.
I think there might be a bolt on engine lifting point on the RH side of the head that we didn't have, if anyone wanted to check I would be grateful! So we had the engine crane on the only lifting point which was on the LH end above the gearbox, a trolley jack under the sump on the other end and a trolley jack under each wishbone. Could have done with more than two of us!
And the engine is out!
Next up will be transferring over everything that was hidden by the engine such as; wiring, fuel lines, brake lines including abs pump, heater pipe work.
Then it was time to get the engine crane out again.
I think there might be a bolt on engine lifting point on the RH side of the head that we didn't have, if anyone wanted to check I would be grateful! So we had the engine crane on the only lifting point which was on the LH end above the gearbox, a trolley jack under the sump on the other end and a trolley jack under each wishbone. Could have done with more than two of us!
And the engine is out!
Next up will be transferring over everything that was hidden by the engine such as; wiring, fuel lines, brake lines including abs pump, heater pipe work.
Digitalize said:
I'd personally be upgrading the lights in the barn, probably to nice bright LED ones. Annoys me no end having portable lights like that.
Great project though, looking forward to seeing it done.
The portable lights are good sometimes, but I agree that the lighting is what lets it down. I'm thinking that I might hang 4 or 6 strip lights from the roof. Great project though, looking forward to seeing it done.
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