RAM Air on Focus ST

[Hudson1984]

Hi all, so the ST I've just put the deposit down on, has RAM air installed.

Now i've bought this car via distance selling, meaning I've not physically driven it (yes risky) But it's the one I could stretch to, comes with warranty and is coming free delivery.

My absolute only concern is the ram air kit. It's fitted nicely and all that but he's worried me as he thought it had a dump valve - which is something I really don't want! he then couldn't find the dump valve and suspected the woosh sound was merely airflow through the ram air/ Turbo etc.

Now the car looks amazing, i'm chuffed, it's in great nick, good service history. Just wondered if anyone else has one and can put my mind at ease that when I drive home into my quiet cul-de-sac it's not going to sound like the big bad wolf come to blow everyones house down!

[Jaybmw]

If it's anything like the ram air on my mk5 gti it's a slight woosh from the filter. It's amplifying the standard wastegate. It's not max power loud

[Hudson1984]

yeah I mean we just had a long video chat and the first push of the throttle sounded pretty loud but that was a cold engine and just a tap of throttle.

after a minute or so it sounded more like a wastegate. I'm hoping it's just the wastegate....I really don't want a max power special.

Asked them to confirm it hasn't got a dump valve. I understand I need the wastegate or i'll reduce the turbo lifespan but just keen to ensure that my new toy is a little stealthy... don't want 5" tail pipes, don't want a dump valve, just want a fast(ish) car to play with for a while.

[carlosvalderrama]

You're getting a bit mixed up between a wastegate and a dump valve. The wastegate sits in the exhaust and allows gas to bypass the turbine wheel, this controls the boost pressure.

The dump valve sits in the intake manifold and releases pressure that builds up in the intake system and intercooler when the turbo is spooling but the throttle is closed. This is why you get the hiss when the throttle is closed.

All turbocharged cars have a dump valve, but it's usually called a recirculation valve and it releases the pressure back into the intake system upstream of the turbo, so you can't really hear it.

An aftermarket intake doesn't mean it will definitely have an atmospheric dump valve, but the only way to know without looking in there is a heavy boot of throttle to build boost, then cut it. when in neutral it can be tricky to generate enough boost to do this as there's no load on the engine.

Either way if you don't like it, replacing the Ramair intake with an OE airbox isn't hard, and you can then sell the kit on.

[Hudson1984]

ah ok, only Turbo car i've owned is turbo diesel.

I'll see how it sounds when it arrives and go from there. Not against keeping the RAM air, but it'll greatly depend on the sound.

[Smurfsarepeopletoo]

What year ST is it?

[Hudson1984]

55 plate, so 2005

[Smurfsarepeopletoo]

So has the 2.5 Litre 5 pot engine.

Alot of people put a 50/50 Blow Off Valve on these, Have you confirmed if it has had the block mod done on it, as there are prone to cracked liners.

[Hudson1984]

yeah there's no other mods other than the ram air kit.

well, the plastics have been painted black and the wheels have been powder coated but no other mods to mention

[Smurfsarepeopletoo]

You might want to question about the block mod, or budget to get it done, basically the cylinder liners can crack on them which means you then either try a repair or replace the block.

The Mod basically ads an extra liner to reinforce the cylinders which hopefully prevents them from cracking.

[Hudson1984]

how much would that set me back?

see i'm in two minds with this car.

I can stick to the original plan - keep it for a year then sell it on and get something newer/different

or

I can have a toy, modify it, get it back to it's former glory, swap the clutch to an RS one and take it to 300bhp.

[Smurfsarepeopletoo]

It depends which way you go, its a few hundred for the block mod, and then with a Downpipe, Decat, Intercooler, Cold Air Induction System and a map, you can have 320/340hp from it, and then just budget for an RS Clutch later on down the line if it needs doing.

Mine was running 320hp and never needed a clutch, it did however crack a liner lol

[Hudson1984]

hmmmm... 320 would be fun.

couple of hundred quid for the liner isn't bad, end of the day i'm only paying £3,750 for the car, spending money on it isn't too much of a worry as long as it's not a new engine!

[Smurfsarepeopletoo]

Where are you in the country?

[Hudson1984]

East coast - suffolk

Car's coming from Wales

[Smurfsarepeopletoo]

I would have a look for a specialist in your area and get them to give you a price

[Hudson1984]

Yea, that's good shout, there's plenty of performance car places nearby, might just drop it in and see what's suggested.

[ZX10R NIN]

Smurfsarepeopletoo said:

You might want to question about the block mod, or budget to get it done, basically the cylinder liners can crack on them which means you then either try a repair or replace the block.

The Mod basically ads an extra liner to reinforce the cylinders which hopefully prevents them from cracking.

The block mod mainly for highly tuned cars GGR who tuned mine said I didn't need it done 6 years on & it's had no issues (I sold it on to a friend) lots of trackdays with 330bhp.