TUNING FORDS ZETEC ENGINE
(ON A BUDGET!!!)
THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION WAS GATHERED
AND TRIED BY MYSELF AND ANY COMMENTS MADE ARE SOLELY THOSE OF THE
AUTHOR (ME).
INTRODUCTION
FORDS ZETEC!, A LITTLE MORE REFINED THAN EARLIER OHC, OHV, CVH'S,
BUT NOT SPARKLING ON THE PERFORMANCE FRONT (O.K 2LTR'S NOT BAD,
BUT THIS PAGE REFERS TO 1800'S), TWO MODELS RESIDE IN THE ESCORT
RANGE, AN 1.8L 105PS (BHP?) MODEL AND AN 1.8L 130PS MODEL, THE
105 BEING THE MOST COMMON ( 1.6L 90PS MODELS AND 2.0L 150PS
ASWELL USUALLY Si'S AND RS2'S) I'LL NOT BABBLE ON ABOUT 1600'S
BECAUSE I HAVEN'T GOT ONE, BUT SIMILAR MODS SHOULD APPLY, AS FOR
RS2000'S THE PURCHASE PRICE IS TOO HIGH TO START WITH (OH YES
THEY ARE! AND I'M A FORD MAN THROUGH &THROUGH). LATER FIESTA
XR2i AND RS1800 HAVE SIMILAR ENGINES, SO DO MONDEO'S BUT THEY'RE
RATED AT 115PS?, LATER ESCORTS ARE ALSO 115PS (MUCH BETTER THAN
THE EARLIER 105PS CARS)
TUNING
NOW THEN!, THE MOST COMMON ZETEC QUESTION IS PROBABLY "HOW
DO I GET MY 105PS ESCORT/FIESTA UP TO 130PS SPEC" (YES I
ASKED IT MYSELF) AND DESPITE WHAT ANYONE SAYS, JUST CHANGING THE
THROTTLE BODY (FOR THE 130 PS ONE) IS NOT THE ANSWER (IN FACT IT
HARDLY MAKE BUGGER ALL DIFFERENCE?).
CAMS,CAMS,CAMS?, THE BIGGEST JUMP IN POWER
FOR A 105PS ZETEC ENGINE IS THE CAMS, IF YOU WANT PERFORMANCE PER
POUND YOU MUST BUY CAMS, I USED A PAIR OF KENT 1800 ZETEC
SPEC'R' CAMSHAFTS RETAINING THE ORIGINAL FOLLOWERS (NOT A
PROBLEM) A GOOD INCREASE WAS GAINED EVEN WHILE RETAINING THE
ORIGINAL 105 THROTTLE BODY AND AIR FILTER.
NEXT I FITTED THE 130PS THROTTLE BODY (WHICH HARDLY DID ANYTHING
ON THE STANDARD ENGINE) AND TO MY SUPRISE IT HARDLY MADE A
DIFFERENCE AGAIN, SLIGHTLY BETTER ACCELERATION BUT NO BETTER TOP
SPEED.
I'M ASSUMING WE'VE ALL CHANGED THE EXHAUST!, I FITTED A JANSPEED
STAINLESS SYSTEM, BUT THE ONE FOR THE RS2000 MODEL (PART No 944)
('COS I DIDN'T WANT TWIN DTM PIPES, THE RS SYS HAS ONE SINGLE
ROUND PIPE) WITH NO PROBLEMS AGAIN, THOUGH CHECK BACK BUMPERS FOR
CUT OUT?, THE JANSPEEDS A LITTLE LOUD THOUGH (I MUST BE GETTING
OLD!), BUT VERY WELL MADE.
CATALYTIC CONVERTOR, REMOVING THE 'CAT' MAKES A SMALL DIFFERANCE IN
ACCELLERATION, BUT NO DIFF' TO TOP SPEED (WITH STANDARD
FUELLING), MAYBE HAVING THE FUEL SYSTEM ALTERED (CHIPPED?) WOULD
MAKE A DIFF' TO TOP SPEED, I'DE LIKE TO FIND OUT LATER, BUT FOR
NOW I PUT THE CAT BACK ON (SPARE!) COS' IT SOUNDED TERRIBLE,
REALLY RASPY AND TINNY, THE CAT ACTS AS A BAFFLE I SUPPOSE?
ECU (BRAIN/IGNITION), THE ECU DOES NOT
NEED TO BE CHANGED OR CHIPPED (ALTHOUGH CHIPPING CAN GET THE
MOST OUT OF YOUR ENGINE, BUT AGAIN ADDS TO COST), FORDS EEC
ENGINE MANAGEMENT CAN COPE WITH ANY CHANGES (INC THE BIGGER 130
PS THROTTLE BODY), ALSO THE AIRFLOW METER
(THE THING FASTENED TO THE AIRBOX) IS THE SAME ON BOTH THE
105 & THE 130.
AT ONE POINT I FITTED AN FSE FUEL REGULATOR (BOOST VALVE),
THIS SEEMED TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE AT FIRST (NOT TO BE USED WITH A
CHIP?), BUT AFTER A WHILE DROPPED OFF!, THE ANSWER FOR THIS COULD
COME FROM AN AMERICAN FORD BASED WEB SITE WHERE A FORD TECHNICIAN
TALKS ABOUT MECHANICALLY INCREASING THE FUEL PRESSURE (SAME
EFFECT AS AN FSE FUEL REG') ON A EEC ECU EQUIPPED FORD, SAYING:
"INCREASING THE FUEL PRESSURE ON EEC
EQUIPPED FORDS MAY ONLY HAVE A SHORT TERM EFFECT, AS THE ECU IS A
SELF LEARNING DEVICE, SO OVER A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME IT REALIZE'S
THE FUEL SYSTEM IS RICH (THROUGH THE LAMBA (OXYGEN) SENSOR) AND
ELECTRONICALLY LEANS OFF THE SYSTEM."
(COULD AN ELECTRONIC DEVICE OVERCOME THIS?)
THIS MAKES PERFECT SENSE TO ME SO I REMOVED THE FSE, DISCONNECTED
THE BATTERY TO RESET THE ECU AND SHOT BACK OUT FOR ANOTHER RUN,
HEY,HEY,HEY IT JUST FEELS THE SAME. FSE BOOST VALVE NOT
RECOMMENDED FOR THE ZETEC.
AIR FILTER, STANDARD AIRBOX O.K WITH AN AFTER MARKET PANEL TYPE
AIRFILTER, BUT FOR V/HIGH REVS A LITTLE RESTRICTIVE, SO I TRIED A
K&N 57i KIT (THEY
CLAIM 9BHP INCREASE), O.K THIS PAGE IS ABOUT SQUEEZING POWER OUT
OF THE ZETEC, BUT A LITTLE BIT OF STYLE HAS TO COME IN TO IT
SOMEWHERE, SO WITH THAT STATEMENT I SAY THAT THE 57i KIT FOR THE
ZETEC IS SHITE!, WHAT ABOUT POWER YOU ASK?, DIDN'T EVEN TRY IT,
THE FITTING KIT SUPPLIED WITH THE 57i IS A JOKE AND AS FOR THAT
CRAP PIECE OF SQUASHED HOSE PIPE THEY GIVE YOU, WELL.........PUT
IT THIS WAY IF THEY GAVE ME A KIT FOR FREE I WOULDN'T FIT IT,
WHAT I DID FIT WAS A RAM AIR
INDUCTION KIT (CI-322) (SEE PICTURE
GALLERY) WHICH IS A BETTER KIT TO START WITH (LOVELY BLUE
SILICONE HOSE), BUT NOW MADE BETTER WITH MY OWN PIPEWORK MODS,
BASICALLY I ADDED AN EXTRA SILICONE INDUCTION HOSE FROM AN ESCORT
COSSIE (THANKS TO THE LADS AT HOSE
DIRECT LTD FOR LETTING ME RUMMAGE AROUND IN THEIR
ODDMENTS BOX FOR A SUITABLE PIPE, THEY ALSO HAVE BIG STOCKS OF
INDUCTION/VACUUM SILICONE HOSES, DUCTING, BRAKE LINE KITS (ALSO
MADE TO ORDER), AND ANODIZED FITTINGS, THATS IT ,YOUR PLUGGED NOW
BUGGER OFF!) TO MOVE THE AIRFLOW METER/FILTER AWAY FROM THE
ENGINE, THIS TYPE OF FILTER DOES ALLOW THE ENGINE TO BREATH
BETTER.
SUMMARY,
A GOOD EXHAUST IS NEEDED FOR ANY POWER TO BE GAINED (CATALYTIC
CONVERTER IN OR OUT, ON CARS MADE AFTER 1992 IT SHOULD STAY IN
AND TAKING IT OUT COULD FAIL AN EMISSIONS TEST (PART OF YOUR MOT)
PERSONALLY I'DE LEAVE IT IN), A GOOD AIR FILTER (PANEL TYPE BEST
UNLESS YOUR LOOKING TO FIT SOME CAMS!), CAMSHAFTS.......YES IF
YOU WANT TO MOVE AWAY FROM THE STD 105PS, THERE'S NO OTHER WAY
YOU'LL GET NEAR 130PS...BELIEVE ME I'VE TRIED!
BUT IN THE END IS IT REALLY WORTH IT, REMEMBER
IT'S SUPPOSE TO BE ON A BUDGET.......CAMS £300 (ALONE, NOT A
KIT!), EXHAUST £150+ (MINE COST £275), THROTTLE BODY £160 NEW
(RECOMMENDED FITTING ONLY WITH CAMS), CHIP.........ERR' DIDN'T
MENTION CHIPS DID WE!!!....WELL, I BOUGHT A BBR-GTI
STARCHIP FOR £130 AND THIS DID ABSOLUTLY JACK
SHIT!!!!...I WILL HOWEVER BE PURCHASING A SUPERCHIP
(IF YOU DECIDE TO HAVE A CHIP FITTED, WAIT UNTIL YOU'VE DONE ALL
THE MECANICAL MODS), WATCH THIS SPACE FOR THE RESULTS!!!!!!!!!!
PLEASE FEEL FREE TO E-MAIL ME WITH ANY QUESTIONS
OR COMMENTS, zetec@thematrix.f9.co.uk