Ractive Heat Shield Filter... Wow

Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives

I just removed my universal conical filter and installed a Ractive heat shield filter. WOW. The car pulls much better especially down low, and it sounds meaner (although only I would notice that

). Definetly a worthwhile investment for Duratec guys who don't have homemade heat shields. Cost me $27.

Link?

You have a link for it?

what about zetec guys?

A heat shield and you can tell a diffrence....WOW

gimmy gimmy

Don't have a link, I ordered it through my shop, but I'm sure a search for Ractive products would get you to some pics and ordering info. They claim dyno proof of more low-end torque over a typical conical, and I believe it.

Not sure about the Zetecs placement, but in the Duratec bay the opening on the heatshield mounts right up near the fender vent. Now I'm seriously thinking about cutting a vent into the fender... Hmmmm....

I'll post pics later (along with my new stripes and painted interior pieces)!

part ##

is it just the heat sheild filter or did u hook up the cold air tube and where did u run it??? i had one on my last car and i was wondering why so many guys here didnt use it.

Check my sig pics, I just added a pic of it.

didnt it come with the cold air pick-up tubing it makes a huge dif. when u hook that up.I like the ractive that arent clear the heat sheild is thicker and cooler, but still nice. I didnt know if ractive made an adapter that fit our cars.im gonna go get one later this week.

That's no different, really to the stock SVT Airbox setup (probably worse actually). Mind you, I don't think they make that filter in a 3.5" opening as required to match an SVT MAF.

Nonetheless I wouldn't touch it with a 10ft barge pole, even if they did.

TRUE i dont think they are big enough for a v6 but they work wonders on 4 bangers and the heat shield does a huge difference. I loved my ractive heat sheild and im gonna go get one.I sold it with my old car cuz it matched the engine which was really clean and mean looking. btw u should get some aluminum 3'dryer hose for the cold air pick up

I don;t know if its the pic or my eyes, but that filter looks really small......Personaly i like my Big 3530 K&N and my d-tech heat sheild....works great. That thing looks so restrictive becasue the air is comming in form one point, insteat of all around like an open eliment filter.

I must agree, for zetecs witht the smaller throttle body, this must help..but for duratecs, my belief is that it is the same as stock...until i can test it i won;t know for sure.

Roz

Originally posted by Roz 1999 SVT-C:
I don;t know if its the pic or my eyes, but that filter looks really small......Personaly i like my Big 3530 K&N and my d-tech heat sheild....works great. That thing looks so restrictive becasue the air is comming in form one point, insteat of all around like an open eliment filter.

I must agree, for zetecs witht the smaller throttle body, this must help..but for duratecs, my belief is that it is the same as stock...until i can test it i won;t know for sure.

Roz

Well, it may be better than the stock non-SVT panel filter, and it does bypass the convoluted stock drinking-straw intake path prior to the airbox, so maybe there is some real improvement? Does look small, though.

Simply put.

Ractive Sucks! I don't by it for a second...

Tiny, restrictive, metal, that list of negatives goes on and on...

I was expecting small. But that is a tiny little booger!

It doesn't look like heat shield, but it does look like a small enclosed filter that can only draw air thru an intake hose. If you were running an open element, I think you just bought a downgrade.

it is really small, I doubt it can flow enough for a duratec, not sure about the zetec guys.

Man, whats with the swimming pool blue upper intake?

Originally posted by Jason43:
Man, whats with the swimming pool blue upper intake?

The manifold looks much darker in person. The pic sorta changed the color. Anyway, regarding the filter: Bag all ya want, this thing simply rocks. I agree it looks like a pencil eraser in that engine bay, but I'm telling you, there is no lack of air coming through this pup. Remember, this filter was originally intended for the glass case in my showroom. I put it on simply for comparison's sake. Now it's staying. In the words of RogerB, "Function before fashion".

while we are on the topic of Ractive.. I see a product called a "mini air breather" and it says that it eliminates the hose between the valve cover and the intake. Well on my intake, ( i have a zetec ), there is a hose that ran from the valve to the stock airbox, now it just sits in the engine letting out air or something. I talked to a mechanic while he was changing my transmission fluid and he told me i needed to put the hose in my new intake somehow because im losing horsepower. Would this breather thing be a solution?

you want lose or gain power with having the breather hose connected. you can put the breather filter on or reconnect the hose to the intake. but do u have the stock intake? if so make sure the line connects back to the intake otherwise you have a small hole in your intake box. if you have a CTA intake make sure it connects as well unless it was an early model CTA and then there is no place to connect it.

Originally posted by Kremithefrog:
what about zetec guys?

Had it on my car.....K&N is better hands down.