Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums Modifications Forced Induction Turboing my focus swap

Warmonger what is that supposed to mean? Anyway I finally got the center section today, reassembled the turbo and have been orienting things in the correct direction. Once I have some free time it will be installed

Nothing really. I barely escaped with my testicles over an argument that in really hot climates it was ok to run 20w-50 oil. The thing was I was in the bottom of Arizona and Texas and I also had photos of rod bearings and cams to back up the claims of no damage after 30K miles on that weight oil. In the winter I would run 10w-40.

Right now I run 10w-40 with the turbo most of the year.

Thats what DSM guys run the 10w40, I m using the 15w50 becuase that is what tom uses he is known in the focus community about turbos the same way terry haines is known here for trannys. He knows his stuff.

I got boost !!!!! I got it installed tonight and I am really excited. No pinging or lean conditions with my primative tuning setup It sounds awesome and looks really good for a homemade kit. The turbo barely fit but it looks like it was meant to be where it is. I will need to raise my idle somehow because it likes to die when I put the clutch in even after going downhill with no boost or gas, but it doesn't die if I hold the gas pedal just a little bit. Anyway it is an awesome feeling and I am proud of it. Pics will come with time.

It shouldn't be dying that easy. What kind of BOV do you have? Is it bypass or blow off?

I do stall a few times from shifting to neutral from speed, but I avoid that by staying in gear and slowing down that way. Typically I'll downshift a few times as well, and by the time I come to a stop and put it in neutral it's fine. It also helps fuel economy since the injectors cut off with the clutch in and the throttle closed, decelerating in gear.

Congrats on the install and how much boost you pushing and what do you have for fuel right now. I've run 5-6psi with no extra fuel for tens of thousands of miles, but don't rev much past 5000rpm till you get it properly rich.

I put 200+ miles on the setup today with no major problems or failures. Today was 93 degrees so it was hot for this area. I am running a draw through MAF setup. I can keep it from dying just the way seawulf described. On the otherhand I had a vacuum hose pop off and although the boost wasn't as high when that happened it didn't die nearly as often so I think the cure might be to slightly raise the idle because if I give it just a hint of gas it doesn't die. I am only running 4psi right now because I don't have a boost controller, but I will probably make a ball and spring one out of stuff from a hardware store shortly. I have wired my two radiator fans to be on whenever the engine is on that way the temp gauge never goes past the R of normal. I had to zip tie several coils of the spring for the blow-off valve so that I wouldn't get compressor surge. I had to set the DEC-CEL function on the SAFC to 20% so that it didn't go rich when the blow off valve went off. Anyway it is LOTS of fun to drive and pulls REALLY HARD.

if it runs with a vacuum line popped off, your idle is too rich. That can be from bigger injectors or a different MAF if you have not compensated for it.
DON'T adjust the idle set screw for the throttlebody! All that does is keep the throttle plate from scoring the aluminum housing and creating leaks later on.

If it otherwise runs fine, you may just need to do some easy fine tuning of the MAF with your SAFC.

Why the heck would you need to reduce the spring rate in your wastegate to prevent surging?

Also:

Why wire the fans on...does it run too hot with the extra hardware? Get an SVT radiator, I've never had an issue with mine.
You can use zip ties to keep your vacuum lines on, or hose clamps but zip ties are cheaper, easier and can be black so they match the hose.

I learned the zip tie trick for vacuum hoses on my turbo neon, works great and is CHEAP!, my problem was the hose split after two weeks of rubbing against something. I will try tuning more with the MAF to see what I can do about the idle. My BOV is adjuastable by rotating it, by compressing part of the spring I made it easier for it to open otherwise it won't open enough and it makes a psst sound that is broken up, with the spring compressed its a solid psst when I let off the gas. Also it seemed to spool up faster after this maybe because the BOV was doing its job better from preventing the back pressure when the throttle closes to severely slow down the turbine. Yes it did seam to be running a bit hot, on the otherhand the car always tends to run a bit hot and now with the turbo I want to keep it at a more appropriate level. Now the engine will stay around 180-185 degrees when idling for a long time, before it would just keep climing until 210 degrees and that is with the fans wired directly to the low speed fan relay. This climbing temp would severeley limit what a turbo timers effect would be in my opinion. Anyway I will be putting another 150 or so on it today. Also I am not sure if the SVTs had this problem or not, but the zetec contours seam to have an overheating problem, try searching the zetec maintenace forum and you will see what I am talking about. BTW no smoking and the oil looks good.

OK I was able to keep it from dying by adjusting the settings on my safc. The throttle engagement point for the dec-cel air function was not set. So now it now longer dies at all, remember this is with an open atmosphere BOV and a draw MAF through system. Now I am way too rich when the car first terns on when it is cold and as soon as it reaches the normal temp it isn't too rich anymore. Anyway to fix that problem? Also anyone familiar with the safc knows that there is a hi and lo throttle position adjustment per rpm and it is averaged between the two depending on position. Anyway anything above 60% throttle is way too rich and my hi throttle fuel map adjustment occurs at 65% so tomorrow I am going to try increasing that to see if it helps.