2007 Focus LS airbox/intake project

[trenchtractor]

Jane has started whining about the price of fuel. So it's time for me to start searching for better fuel economy. lol.

One of my favourite mods to a bike is to cut the intake side of the airbox wide open and use a better flowing filter. It's been my experience that BMC is the best but my brother works for a parts shop, so K&N is usually what he can get me cheap.

In the case of jane's LS, I want to make sure the car looks stock during cursory inspection. I would love to open a massive hole in the bottom of the airbox, but I'm still undecided about the best way to get fresh clean air in.

This thread is a place for me to dump photo's, ideas, thoughts and eventually a final outcome.

[trenchtractor]

Lets start with an introduction to the air box...

Pretty self explanatory.

[trenchtractor]

Next is the resonator... removed from the car you can see that the air intake faces backwards and sucks air directly off the inner guard.

[trenchtractor]

Option 1.

The following option will allow more air in without any major work.

1. Remove the plastic insert where some models have the fog lamps installed. Behind this cover is a large hole, then the resonator is exposed.

2. Take a large hole saw, I would recommend the largest one that will fit through the fog lamp hole, and proceed to create a new, forward facing intake hole.

3. Optional - Using the recesses in the cover as a guide, create a grill to allow air to flow through and into your new intake.

In the picture below you can see the resonator exposed through the fog lamp recess hole.

Note: I will not be taking this route. It's probably fine for those who couldn't be naffed pulling half their car apart to get the intake system out, or for those who don't have the confidence to got to the next level.

[kuans]

What about this? this is already avaliable...
http://www.kandn.com/instructions/57-0595.pdf

[trenchtractor]

Originally Posted by kuans

What about this? this is already avaliable...
http://www.kandn.com/instructions/57-0595.pdf

Well, I did say that I want to ensure her car looks stock upon cursory inspection. Of course, I meant with the bonnet up. Just mean I want to keep the airbox.

[20focus05]

hi tractor I am in the process of modifying one of the air dams to create a cold intake.
I have removed the second air box so it breathes through the bottom of the air fillter box.

I'm in the same boat as you, I want the car to look stock when you lift the bonnet

[piez]

Originally Posted by 20focus05

hi tractor I am in the process of modifying one of the air dams to create a cold intake.
I have removed the second air box so it breathes through the bottom of the air fillter box.

I'm in the same boat as you, I want the car to look stock when you lift the bonnet

where about is the 2nd air box. im thinking of doing something like this when i get my focus

[trenchtractor]

Originally Posted by piez

where about is the 2nd air box. im thinking of doing something like this when i get my focus

In post #3 you can see the resonator box sitting in front of the inner guard.

In post #4 you can see that looking through the faux grill for the factory fog lamps you can see the resonator box.

So, the resonator sits between the front air dam and the front wheel on the left hand side of the car.

[trenchtractor]

Originally Posted by 20focus05

hi tractor I am in the process of modifying one of the air dams to create a cold intake.
I have removed the second air box so it breathes through the bottom of the air fillter box.

I'm in the same boat as you, I want the car to look stock when you lift the bonnet

I think this is one of the better ideas... I've left the resonator out, but it's not pulling fresh air. I'm trying to keep it as stealth as possible, so I'm thinking about pulling the air from the side of the radiator.

I've attached an image of the left side of the radiator shroud. I plan on pulling air from here.

I'm not going to attempt 'ram air'. I did some ram air testing at the end of the last decade when bikes were starting to really use it and depending on the volume of the airbox, the ram air doesn't start to take affect until between 180 - 200kph.

I believe you're better off reducing the resistance to flow to as little as possible, ie, bigger inlet before the panel filter. After the panel filter the tubing needs to be small enough to create velocity.

[BlackLS]

Thanks trenchtractor for structuring a descirption of this mod. I did this I think over a year ago, but just removed the intake resonator.

I'll also post some ideas down later.

Without the intake res I've been asked several times if I had an aftermarket exhaust...

[trenchtractor]

Thanks Black... only problem is I an fast running out of image storage for the website, even posting just 5 images at around 50k each I'm over half my quota... i'm gonna have to start looking for elsewhere to store the images online because when I build the intake tube I'll bet I need more than 4 images...

[trenchtractor]

Jane's 2007 Ford Focus LS CL 5 Door

OK, I worked out I can store non-bike related photo's on my bikepics account.

I've loaded the photo's I've taken so far there and that is where I'll load all future images.

[trenchtractor]

I've done some more and taken more pics. I went to Bunnings today and for $20 picked up some 100mm dia Aeroflex tubing, designed for rangehoods. It's aluminium, spiral and holds it's shape. I was looking for something more like 85mm, but this will work fine.

I simply cut off the very bottom of the air box to open up a shape that I can mould the Aeroflex to.

So I can't add the images for some reason... You can find them HERE

[trenchtractor]

Ok, it's finished.

After I finished routing the 100mm tubing and re-installed the air cleaner, I started the car and just at idle there is so much air flowing into the new intake tube it's not funny. Makes me wonder how it ever ran before.

Just with the stock panel filter it feels more responsive, and that's saying something because Jane's car is the slushbox.

Last round of photo's and descriptions are HERE

[trenchtractor]

So here's a kind of step by step.

1. Remove the following parts:
a. Air box lid.
b. Air box lower
c. Passenger fog lamp/dummy panel
d. Passenger front wheel
e. Passenger inner guard
f. Radiator under tray (lower shroud panel)
g. Passenger vertical radiator shroud panel.
h. Resonator box

2. Carve open the bottom of the air box to make room for the larger intake tube. Line the opening with self adhesive foam to form a good seal.

3. Mark and trim the passenger vertical radiator shroud panel to hold the air intake.

4. Route the new intake tubing. I found it best to send the tube downwards and route it towards the radiator. I doubt you'd ever be able to get it to go through the other way. You'll need to deform the tubing the get it to fit. You want it snug so it doesn't move around so deform it as little as possible.

5. Tim the tubing to allow the air box to fit back in remembering to leave enough to penetrate through the bottom of the air box.

6. Ensure you make a drain hole at the very lowest point of the tubing so that any water the system picks up can drain away.

7. re-fit parts removed in step 1.

8. Start car and check for intake leaks around the filter seal and throttle body tube.

That's about it. This is just a guide. You'll need some common sense. This guide should be read in conjunction with the photo's found HERE

Total cost of mod to date: $22.00 (for Aeroflex tubing and self adhesive foam).

Left to do: Install K&N or BMC panel filter.

[20focus05]

tractor put your pics on a pic hosting site like photobucket then put in links to it.

[trenchtractor]

Originally Posted by 20focus05

tractor put your pics on a pic hosting site like photobucket then put in links to it.

Are you kidding? I thought about it but I have too many internet accounts already, I don't need a photobucket account for any other reason except so I can html images here. That's like saying I need to have two accounts to share with you guys the results of my work. I don't think it's necessary. Too many ID's and passwords. My bikepics account already exists.

You can all see all the images on my Bikepics account. They are all in one tidy location with decent explanations attached to each image, and the thumbnails are almost large enough that you don't even need to open the image up.

Here is a direct link for this modification on bikepics... Jane's 2007 Focus Air Box modification

[trenchtractor]

I just did a quick tally, I have well over 30 different accounts for forums, web based services and internet communities... Everything from bullitem boards for the bike, ride logging sites, my PMP, virtual dub, WMM, MotoGP, SBK... through to my web TV guide, not to mention online payment services, video hosting services... Then there are product accounts like my Dvico tuner card and software accounts. It's nuts. I try and keep the same username where possible, but that doesn't always apply... That's not even counting accounts that are disused that I've long forgotten the username/passwords/emails for...

I say no thanks to another.

[BlackLS]

The time it took you to reply you could have setup a photobucket account. It also comes in handy when sharing photos amongst friends as well as the other forums you frequent.

And I feel your pain, needing to be a member of a support forum for dvico products

[trenchtractor]

This is the only forum I've needed to host images on a separate server. Ever. I imagine it's a budget issue, and I'm ok with that. I'm not going to get a photobucket account just for this forum, however.

For sharing images of friends with friends there's always facebook, where the images are locked so ONLY my friends can view them, there I can store photo's of my boys with confidence, knowing some man-boy love association isn't going to be downloading them... My whole family and friends (even the 45yo at work) have accounts, and yes, I was not keen on signing up for that account either.

I have a panoramio account for lanscapes.

I have the Bikepics account for the bike.

What else is a guy ever going to want to take photo's of?!?!

Besides all that, ever get frustrated when you are reading posts and the images that are quite obviously supposed to be there, are totally missing?!?! No links, no reference to the other location... That's because they've gone from the storage location and the owner doesn't realise (or care) that the thread now means 5/8th of naff all. This forum has such a huge problem with that, like every thread I'd tried to look at, the images were missing. It's frustrating.

Don't fret, Black... I type fast. I doubt the photobucket account would be so quick to set up. Ok, maybe now I've logged enough keyboard time to balance it up... =)

[20focus05]

was going to suggest posting the pics on one of your other sites and post a link, but hey you had already done it.
so what was the verdict of the mod.

[trenchtractor]

Well, it's nearly 2 weeks since the mod was completed and my wife has commented on how much of a difference it's made no less than 4 times... and it still has the stock filter.

Seriously, with the amount of air it's pulling through the 100mm pipe, I have no idea how it ever ran before.

I just need my slack arsed little brother to get me the K&N...

[black_friday]

Ok smart guy your bikepics pics no longer work

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by black_friday

Ok smart guy your bikepics pics no longer work