“Im an engine guy” amen brother. Too many people get stuck on one engine rather than realize theres many ways to do the same task from all over the world!
More fanboys than car guys is what it amounts too, at least online. In person my experience has been very different. If I show up at a muscle car meet up, they all want to check out my car just like I want to check theirs out.
Buddy and I built a turbo zx3 for the track 10 years ago and I’m buying it this month. Have a built forged motor ready to go. Have a cosworth aluminum intake for it, Will find a better turbo manifold and bigger turbo, all new fuel components. Goal is 300 wheel for daily use and 400-500 wheel for showing off and losing all traction in all gears. Lol.
Or how about the newer 2L I4 Nissan KR20 vccr turbo platform the one with variable engine compression I’d love to see what you can easily squeeze out of it for power I’m not sure if anyone has modified one yet for power/racing/street strip
@@madmod ? not sure im formalised with that/QR25 engine platform please explain is that the same platform i asked about? im mostly a 60's dodge guy and or my focus in life as there's way to meany to choose from 👍😁😉 also i like the 3-rotor RB-20 Mazda but i don't have any JDM stuff right now i like learning from other platforms as to how i can modernist and modify my charger/440 or hemi platform
@@richardholdener1727 Your supercharged build motivated me to get a JRSC for it. That was great, blew it up at VIR, and swapped in a later Duratec I4. That is now a 2.5 from 2014 Fusion, big cams, blah blah. Just like you said, it just keeps on going. Thanks for the sharing the story. Really great. Go get an old beater Focus and show us all how you'd do it today.
You know, I really love this guy's stuff. I have just discovered him on TH-cam but I have been reading his articles for 20 years. I used to subscribe to 5 car magazines and I think Richard eventually wrote for all of them. And no matter what magazine I was reading, if his name was in the author's spot on any given article, I read it. Now, after all these years, it is a real treat to listen to him, and when he said he is just an engine guy, I grinned ear to ear.
I’ve watched a ton of your videos over the years. I bought that book in 2003 I did not put it together that it was your book. I built my turbocharged zetec 14 years ago, 560whp and built another to over 600. Your book was a lot more inspiration than was the conventional norm at the time. We used aftermarket cams, custom short runner intake and one of the most extreme turbo “kits” ever put on a focus. 3.5” charge pipes 3.5” downpipe, 25psi with an air/air IC and a gt3582r turbo. I really do miss that car, it still had the factory AC, so a true street car, it even made 540 on 93 pump gas and 28psi
One of my professors at Oklahoma State, Sam O. Powers, had a wise saying; If a little change has good results and even more change has better results, then too much is just enough.
The zetec is probably one of the most tuned 4 cylinders in modern times, at least on this side of the pond. In rally, racing, super 7 type of cars etc. Some with 250hp + in na form. Fun with some variation in here :)
I had a turbo zetec focus with a cheap ebay turbo, completely stock engine, 9 pound flywheel, lsd, stage 6 featherweight clutch, svt fuel pump, 42llb injectors .... about 230 at the tire .. it was a monster. Fun car with the right stuff.
Ran into a couple of kids playing earlier today; a 400ish HP billet wheel MHI 18g On a built head/stock block MZR powered MazdaSpeed3 running an old SVT Focus hatch on E85 and a 4 port nitrous setup. I was in the “work truck” which is a 16’ F-150 EB with Whipple Stage 1 and had a grand old time playing with the boys lol. Had to watch this excellent old school content after those cold weather activities this afternoon because the SVT actually got down pretty damn well. He was the slowest out of our 3 vehicles; the Speed 3 having the most top end, my truck in the middle and the Focus a bit at all distant 3rd, but he was just bolt ons and a 75 shot of spray with a early 2000’s Ford “import” so I was quite impressed.
I think I've got the lowest power turbocharged 2JZ on the planet. 470whp @ 17psi from an MP72. My friends have blown LS3s, fully worked over LS7s, twin turbo SBFs, etc... Everybody makes more power than me, but my car is squared away enough to honestly drive daily, and their cars spend a lot more time being worked on than being driven.
I liked this video, and how you preferred a fun daily more than the max effort combination, and I think that's what a lot of people need to realise. A car you enjoy driving is better than a grumpy but quick car
Just brought my zetec powered cougar out of storage. It's a fun little motor, mines pretty unique with a Jackson racing supercharger (svt focus version with the m62). Makes about 10psi and really woke it up.
Really cool, I love that every time you upload another video it is another engine I didn't expect to see a build up of. While that Zetec motor was a bit of a dog in stock form I put a ton of miles on an '01 Focus and it holds the title of lowest cost of ownership vehicle I have ever had.
ZX2 owner here. Older brother of the ZX3, kinda. Way more 90s tho LOL. First car for me cuz the focus SVT was too pricey lol. I'm so glad I kept it as my winter beater all these years. It's worth nothing to sell, but still so fun to drive, and hilarious to surprise ppl with the overall performance. Dat 2L Zetec doe. It's got some peaky 4-1 headers, the usual bolt ons, springs and struts. Ghetto looking sleeper at this point 🤣 Needs svt intake and FI doe 😁 Great stories all around👍🏼 Cheers!
I had a zx3 auto that I swapped a svt engine and transmission into. The zx3 ended up a few hundred pounds lighter than the svt ....that car was the most fun I had with my pants on😂🤣. Yeah, back in 02 perf parts were hard to find. I still have your book👍✌️
Thanks for mixing it up and doing anything you want. I consider myself a car guy, and that means ALL cars (and their parts) are fair game! I'll never understand why some people get attached so hard to one brand at the expense of all others. The Australians have it right: have engine, put it in car.
i had your book back in the day and was one of the focus's running around in the early 2000's making 353whp. Tuned by Tom at Focus Power. I was really young and that car is what got me into modifying cars. Now i drive an ls swapped miata... i honestly wish i would have started with that back then when t56 transmissions didnt cost more than a miata lol.
True engine fans unite! Great video Richard. I like almost any engine (Brit) though I do remember c20xe GM engines made 150hp na and 200hp on turbo (c20let) and everything since has seemed tame except gm x20leh from astra car made 240hp stock with a turbo. So yeah 118hp stock 2l seems luke warm. I like a good LS or big block mopar or even a 5l ford but I watch pfi speed too.
Well there were originally developed with a 8000 rpm redline. Something high like that. Adding boost could get you to 650 but 800 is really cool. I'll have to check it out.
LOL! WOW! I've had your book on my shelf this whole time back from my Ford Contour days. My dream build was a twincharged setup with a turbo connected to a JRSC M62 and a built 4F27E ATX.
I'm with you, I just want every engine to have more power. Even though I'm partial to Chevy because it seems like they give you parts that will hold up to modifications. Great video as always.
Thanks Richard, really enjoy the oddball engine testing because that's what I've been doing. Not ever been a sheep and followed the beaten path, rather pick out something humble, cheap then turbo.
An “Engine Guy”....that’s cool. I worked in a well known dirt track (world of outlaws)engine shop back in the 90’s. Awesome job!!.....LONG hours working in assembly. Back then I always wondered how a rodeck (midget) 4 cylinder would respond from turbocharging. It was 165 cubic inches (mandated size).....and it was kinsler injected....albeit mechanical. Anywho, I’m rambling. I like your vids, Rich and I like your attitude.....keep up the great work.
I currently drive a 2005 wrx, it was tuned by a reputable shop, so it's stood the test of time; 100k miles+. I do look forward to putting a twin-scroll turbo on it. Should keep the response, or even improve it, and be a good daly driver Dyno power is one thing, higher output does not automatically turn a car into a better driver.
I need to finally go back and revive my 1997 Escort Estate with a 2.0 Silvertop. Back in a day it dynoed 150hp and a very flat 210Nm of torque, but then the IB5 crapped out.
Ha--love it! So ironic your choice of vehicles here. Just last night I drove my late brother's '07 Focus 2.0L from VA to NC which looks identical to the picture you flashed (with the exception of the extra two doors on mine). While I was driving the thought went through my head, "wonder what a reasonable turbo setup would do for this car?" My brother really loved that car which I helped pick out new. My thought then went to "I just couldn't tear up his beloved car..." So I guess it will be the 300 HP version for me ;-) Hey, do a GM 3.6L V-6. That's what I have in my '14 ATS. I'd love to surprise some stock V-8's and the twin-turbo models cost too much for me to trade up.
Hey Richard can you have a build series on putting 90 mm twin turbos on a honda lawnmower?....wait for it.....wait for it. Im just kidding. If you did I would still watch it. Keep up the awesome work. Im going to download and save all your videos. Much better than reading a magazine article. technology is good!!! Thanks again Richard.
In the way, way, back when mid late 1990's, us guys with odd turbo combos dependended on Mr. Holdener's tests, and turbo Buick tests in magazines to give us some ideas when there was no internet. I followed the "Tiny Avenger" turbo 2.3 mustang series and speced the same turbonetics turbo for my Omni GLH in 1996-7. Had a turbo buick adjustable fuel pressure regulator, a foxbody 255lph fuel pump, porsche 944 intercooler mounted out front, and all kinds of crossbreeding😁 The old 2200 pound GLH Omni was a 350hp 390tq dynojet roll race monster way back when😁
@@richardholdener1727 Did it all learning from your magazine articles, your old tech section in mmff, and the turbo buick guys. Biggest ahahh!!! moment was sectioning a 2.2 head and seeing the big lump of uncooled, glowing aluminum in the heart shaped chamber that was causing spark knock .
In dynotesting, the tit in the heart shaped chamber became a glowing ignition source. It would eat pistons for no good reason before you could even hear it rattle.Modified the head to an open chamber, with consistent combustion chamber thickness. The revised combution chamber only ate up the center of the piston when knocking, rather than breaking the piston between ring 1 and 2 on the exhaust side immediately.
This is great advice for camshaft selection especially cars that want to cruise around thumpy camshafts are great sounding but many times make power a lot later so street light to street light they get beat and the gas those camshafts eat is crazy even just putting around no to mention fouled spark plugs just from idling I have found that if you want a certain camshaft do lots of homework on how long valves springs last with that cam and what rpm it starts working
That is why I am going with a moderate cam, GT45 turbo on a 5.3. 8-9 psi 600 to 650 hp, is way more than enough, and still streetable. In a 2500lb fox body it should be fun. Yeah, an S480 E85 and 20 PSI would awesome, but isnt my goal. Maybe the next build, or a dedicated Silver Lake dune toy with 900Hp will be next.
I have a customer that has a Mazda Tribute with a 2.0, the same engine as a Focus. His doesn't have ZTEC. He got 465k miles out of the original engine. He now has over 600K on the body.
Do you know where that zx3 ended up after you owned it? I had an identical zx3, and the previous owner told me he got it from someone who was doing testing on the platform from Ford.
funny seeing what the Americans done with the st170/SVT block. These zetecs are very popular going into mk3/4 escorts and a bunch of classic cars. the normal 2.0l cylinder head on the SVT block does away with the VVT solenoid but losing the the air box will lose a little power high end. the turbo kit is interesting stuff. shall hunt your page for a link
I had a co worker that had a focus and he kept buying focus magazines and eventually bought this book. He was kind of a dingus and never got anything done with the car but it’s funny knowing I kind of read some pages of that book at work.
I had an '86 SVO...just a few minor tweeks and a little more boost (17-18lbs was the sweet spot) and let it loose. It would run around a stock 5.0 Mustang or Camaro...and the sound of the turbo 4 motor made it obvious...I just out-ran you with a 4-cyl. People that have never ran boost just don't know the level of joy it gives. Warning...tires are expensive!
Love your videos, giving backstories and important details ect... I remeber doing the upper intake gasket like every over day on my buddies focus. I'd like to see a built Ford 3.0L V6 U code Vulcan engine. Has like 12:1 comp pistons stock. It's an outstanding engine, put well over 300 hundred thousand miles on my Taurus. And it would still get up and move pretty good wes electronic limited at 110 though uhg 😎
Now I’m all pumped up to build my wife’s Focus ! Its a wagon , needs a big turbo w/hater pipe out the fender and chop it up into a Ute ! LoL 😂 too many ideas from this channel , Thanks Richard
Any builder worth the title can make horsepower with anything, some engines have more potential than others, some have more restrictions than others. Look at a Ford 240 cubic inch six cyl out of a truck and compare it to a Ford 250 Cu in six. The 240 is slightly smaller, but it’s not restricted by the integral intake manifold that the 250 is cursed with. When I worked at a Parts Store with a Machinr Shop, one of the guys working there bought an older Ford Truck and found a 300 six to put in it, the larger brother of the 240. The head on the 300 was cracked, but the rest of the engine was ok, so he set about cutting the 300 head into slices and found where he could port the head and where he couldn’t and he also found that with some work he could put 351C or 352M 2bbl head’s valves in it. Unfortunately I left the compNy for better pay before that project was finished, so I don’t know if those valves were the right length, but valves can be made to fit you needs. Now around that time there was a bracket racer in Phoenix that ran a 13 second Ma Erik with a 300 six in it, and I believe there was more performance to be found in that engine, but the 250 would be lucky to make 1 hp per cubic inch. And I think it’s one of a few modern engines, and by modern I mean from the 1960’s on, that might not be able to make one hp per cubic inch.
Non cross flow can be ok. At the last shop i worked in the head mechanic, an amazing genius who rebuilds differentials and transmissions in half a day, he drove an early 80s f150 with the 300 straight 6. And that engine still ran like a clock. Gearbox wore out before engine
@@richardholdener1727 absolutely. ontop of this being my daily, i dont baby it at all. its got the year 2000 intake manifold, 65mm tb port matched, cold air, 4-2-1 svt header, 3inch downpipe (cat delete) that flows into a 2.5 magnaflow exhaust. even though these we econo-boxes in the day and werent meant for much, ford did a real good job with the engine. i just wish they had a better head design. i really am not a fan of bucket followers.. love watching your videos and the knowledge you share with us. thankyou for all the work youve done. Cheers :)
Richard. That was a kool story. Do you have any inclination to test the Duratec/L series Focus/Mazda 3 etc engines? Perhaps a big bang! They have variable intake runners and some have variable cam timing too. I've seen plenty of them on the road and in the yard.
@Lex Riordan they have a 4 inch bore, and the heads flow pretty well. Head gasket sealing and block integrity is an issue when you really push them. After market blocks have a Chev head stud pattern and they're stronger, but really expensive
Hi Richard, this is Richard from Australia, in your Focus performance book when talk about the Gude Escape, you said it has 36lb injectors and a recalibrated ProM maf. Is that correct? Stock ecu, stock timing with just injectors and maf? Im thinking about something similar for my own but in Australia the government is very strict and frowns upon using aftermarket ecus so that may be a better legal option for me. Thank you.
Do you think you will ever do anything with the chrysler 3.5? They sound pretty cool and the h.o came with a forged crank and no one ever does anything with them.
DEAR RICHARD I would love to see the difference between a tubular exhaust header and a standard manifold and a log manifold on the same turbo/engine to see if there’s any great difference if at all?!
Perfect timing just bought a hhr ss (Ecotec) turbo yesterday was planning on a ls4 swap. But interested in how much that little 2.0 can hold. You ever messed around with those?
The 2.0 in the HHR SS is essentially GM-USA's own American-market version of a SAAB/Opel engine found in a lot of Euro-GM performance models, they're very good little tuner engines. The engine has forged rods and a forged crank from the factory. The stock bottom end is good for at least 400HP (probably significantly more too) if you modify and tune it correctly.
I have your high performance focus book and just got done reading the section about the fmax turbo kit using the fuel pressure transducer and stock ecu. Could you go more in depth about that?
Hotrodding is hotrodding whether it's 50cc 1 cylinder or 5.0L V12... So even being a big engine American muscle fan I think little 4 banger especially domestic 4 banger build is cool.
500 hp on an L series (mazda mzr) is even easier and practical. Thanks to Mazda, the Mazdaspeed clutch is bigger and can handle a good bit more power without making the car non-practical.
![[Full] 4 ต่อ 4 Celebrity EP.922 | 10 พ.ย. 67 | one31](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/zmV5HRIxIBI/mqdefault.jpg)
“Im an engine guy” amen brother. Too many people get stuck on one engine rather than realize theres many ways to do the same task from all over the world!
More fanboys than car guys is what it amounts too, at least online. In person my experience has been very different. If I show up at a muscle car meet up, they all want to check out my car just like I want to check theirs out.
Maybe they get stuck on one platform because they are easier/cheaper to make power with
Agreed, it’s annoying and immature the way people get when it comes to car brands. No brand can be the best at everything.
I have a 04 zx3 and I want to rebuild my motor. Any suggestions on how I would
Buddy and I built a turbo zx3 for the track 10 years ago and I’m buying it this month. Have a built forged motor ready to go. Have a cosworth aluminum intake for it, Will find a better turbo manifold and bigger turbo, all new fuel components. Goal is 300 wheel for daily use and 400-500 wheel for showing off and losing all traction in all gears. Lol.
More small motors please! LOVE THIS CHANNEL
How about my turbo 1.0L 3-cylinder sprint motor
Yeah, how about na and turbo sr20de and ve from Nissan
Or how about the newer 2L I4 Nissan KR20 vccr turbo platform the one with variable engine compression I’d love to see what you can easily squeeze out of it for power
I’m not sure if anyone has modified one yet for power/racing/street strip
@@richardprice5978 As much hate as they get, the Qr25 is a really decent specific output 4cyl too!
@@madmod ? not sure im formalised with that/QR25 engine platform please explain is that the same platform i asked about?
im mostly a 60's dodge guy and or my focus in life as there's way to meany to choose from 👍😁😉
also i like the 3-rotor RB-20 Mazda but i don't have any JDM stuff right now
i like learning from other platforms as to how i can modernist and modify my charger/440 or hemi platform
FANTASTIC!!! I have that book and still have my Focus I bought new in Dec 2000.
Very cool!
@@richardholdener1727 Your supercharged build motivated me to get a JRSC for it. That was great, blew it up at VIR, and swapped in a later Duratec I4. That is now a 2.5 from 2014 Fusion, big cams, blah blah. Just like you said, it just keeps on going.
Thanks for the sharing the story. Really great. Go get an old beater Focus and show us all how you'd do it today.
You know, I really love this guy's stuff. I have just discovered him on TH-cam but I have been reading his articles for 20 years. I used to subscribe to 5 car magazines and I think Richard eventually wrote for all of them. And no matter what magazine I was reading, if his name was in the author's spot on any given article, I read it. Now, after all these years, it is a real treat to listen to him, and when he said he is just an engine guy, I grinned ear to ear.
thnx for the support
I’ve watched a ton of your videos over the years. I bought that book in 2003 I did not put it together that it was your book. I built my turbocharged zetec 14 years ago, 560whp and built another to over 600. Your book was a lot more inspiration than was the conventional norm at the time. We used aftermarket cams, custom short runner intake and one of the most extreme turbo “kits” ever put on a focus. 3.5” charge pipes 3.5” downpipe, 25psi with an air/air IC and a gt3582r turbo. I really do miss that car, it still had the factory AC, so a true street car, it even made 540 on 93 pump gas and 28psi
One of my professors at Oklahoma State, Sam O. Powers, had a wise saying; If a little change has good results and even more change has better results, then too much is just enough.
The zetec is probably one of the most tuned 4 cylinders in modern times, at least on this side of the pond. In rally, racing, super 7 type of cars etc. Some with 250hp + in na form. Fun with some variation in here :)
I had a turbo zetec focus with a cheap ebay turbo, completely stock engine, 9 pound flywheel, lsd, stage 6 featherweight clutch, svt fuel pump, 42llb injectors .... about 230 at the tire .. it was a monster. Fun car with the right stuff.
they really are fun at around 200 wheel hp
stage 6 for 200whp? lol why? mine was at 250whp (escort zx2) and spec stage 3+ was plenty.
Thank you for sharing. I had that book and read every page, multiple times, back in the day. It was awesome to finally hear the back story to it.
Ran into a couple of kids playing earlier today; a 400ish HP billet wheel MHI 18g On a built head/stock block MZR powered MazdaSpeed3 running an old SVT Focus hatch on E85 and a 4 port nitrous setup. I was in the “work truck” which is a 16’ F-150 EB with Whipple Stage 1 and had a grand old time playing with the boys lol. Had to watch this excellent old school content after those cold weather activities this afternoon because the SVT actually got down pretty damn well. He was the slowest out of our 3 vehicles; the Speed 3 having the most top end, my truck in the middle and the Focus a bit at all distant 3rd, but he was just bolt ons and a 75 shot of spray with a early 2000’s Ford “import” so I was quite impressed.
I only recently found you on youtube. But I've read that book repeatedly. Had no idea that was you till this video. Great stuff, keep it up brother.
Welcome aboard!
I think I've got the lowest power turbocharged 2JZ on the planet. 470whp @ 17psi from an MP72. My friends have blown LS3s, fully worked over LS7s, twin turbo SBFs, etc... Everybody makes more power than me, but my car is squared away enough to honestly drive daily, and their cars spend a lot more time being worked on than being driven.
That’s a dumb flex.
Just enjoy what you have.
I liked this video, and how you preferred a fun daily more than the max effort combination, and I think that's what a lot of people need to realise. A car you enjoy driving is better than a grumpy but quick car
I read the crap out of that focus book back in the day. 2.0 pintos and Zetecs got me into engine building. Now I’ve got a bunch of Small Block Fords
Just brought my zetec powered cougar out of storage. It's a fun little motor, mines pretty unique with a Jackson racing supercharger (svt focus version with the m62). Makes about 10psi and really woke it up.
I've got a 2.3 duratec in my lesser known 2006 focus ST. It's the NA ST everyone forgot.
I mostly drive my 5.0 mustang now.
Really cool, I love that every time you upload another video it is another engine I didn't expect to see a build up of. While that Zetec motor was a bit of a dog in stock form I put a ton of miles on an '01 Focus and it holds the title of lowest cost of ownership vehicle I have ever had.
Same here had a 04
I wanna hear more stories from days gone by.
Nothing beats a good story. 👌😊👍
Great story, thanks for sharing that. I had a turbo svt focus with a built motor, about 300 hp at the wheels. That was a fun car!
they really are-I like the SVT version
@@richardholdener1727 Hey, what ever happened to the foxbody coupe you were going to setup to break 200mph? That would be great video content.
ZX2 owner here. Older brother of the ZX3, kinda. Way more 90s tho LOL. First car for me cuz the focus SVT was too pricey lol. I'm so glad I kept it as my winter beater all these years. It's worth nothing to sell, but still so fun to drive, and hilarious to surprise ppl with the overall performance. Dat 2L Zetec doe. It's got some peaky 4-1 headers, the usual bolt ons, springs and struts. Ghetto looking sleeper at this point 🤣 Needs svt intake and FI doe 😁
Great stories all around👍🏼
Cheers!
I had a zx3 auto that I swapped a svt engine and transmission into. The zx3 ended up a few hundred pounds lighter than the svt ....that car was the most fun I had with my pants on😂🤣. Yeah, back in 02 perf parts were hard to find. I still have your book👍✌️
I have a 03 svt I'm wanting to turbo, what did you use to tune it?
Thanks for mixing it up and doing anything you want. I consider myself a car guy, and that means ALL cars (and their parts) are fair game! I'll never understand why some people get attached so hard to one brand at the expense of all others. The Australians have it right: have engine, put it in car.
Vw Tdi
Because show me another engine that makes peak torque @1800rpm,
Over 100lb/ft of torque at idle.
And 55+mpg
i had your book back in the day and was one of the focus's running around in the early 2000's making 353whp. Tuned by Tom at Focus Power. I was really young and that car is what got me into modifying cars. Now i drive an ls swapped miata... i honestly wish i would have started with that back then when t56 transmissions didnt cost more than a miata lol.
Trying to keep focus while building the focus . Great story .
True engine fans unite!
Great video Richard. I like almost any engine (Brit) though I do remember c20xe GM engines made 150hp na and 200hp on turbo (c20let) and everything since has seemed tame except gm x20leh from astra car made 240hp stock with a turbo.
So yeah 118hp stock 2l seems luke warm. I like a good LS or big block mopar or even a 5l ford but I watch pfi speed too.
I'm putting in a vote for a big bang 4.0/4.6 northstar. Keep the info coming!
They leak.
@@dingomanz7 so does every other engine.
Kevin England
The head studs are too short and rust out
Well there were originally developed with a 8000 rpm redline. Something high like that. Adding boost could get you to 650 but 800 is really cool. I'll have to check it out.
Tom Lesperance is the Focus man around here in NC... He has done some amazing things through the years with the Focus platform!
You are the man. Keep hitting us from left field sir.
LOL! WOW! I've had your book on my shelf this whole time back from my Ford Contour days. My dream build was a twincharged setup with a turbo connected to a JRSC M62 and a built 4F27E ATX.
Had a SVT Focus, really nice and I got way more interest than some b series Honda
This why I drive big blocks . Cool build , keep up the good work .
I guess you love 10mpg?
The focus was made to be the civics rival. I just wished the focus got more recognition. I love both cars and own both a zx3 4 speed and a em1 si b16A
I'm with you, I just want every engine to have more power. Even though I'm partial to Chevy because it seems like they give you parts that will hold up to modifications. Great video as always.
Thank you, for venturing out, into other engines! Everybody, knows how great, the LS is.😄
I test them all
Richard Holdener Ford 6.8 V10 2valve PI.
Thanks Richard, really enjoy the oddball engine testing because that's what I've been doing. Not ever been a sheep and followed the beaten path, rather pick out something humble, cheap then turbo.
I would love to see a Duratec 30 V6 boost build
Basically you'll have a port injected 3l v6 EcoBoost. The duratec line was developed as a either/or (with a turbo and with out) engine.
I was just gunna say the 2.5 from an svt contour. Forged crank and sounded awesome. Just a happy little cobra wanna be
Bring me back to old days. Swapped a 3l duratec into ford contour and turbocharged it. Talking about was a fun car.
@@squiretaylor51 Yeah, I had a 3L SVT Contour as well. Oh boys... back to the CEG days.
Back in the day-The Sho Shop would hybrid the two and run the SVT heads and cams on the 3.0L short block-basically a stroker SVT
An “Engine Guy”....that’s cool. I worked in a well known dirt track (world of outlaws)engine shop back in the 90’s. Awesome job!!.....LONG hours working in assembly. Back then I always wondered how a rodeck (midget) 4 cylinder would respond from turbocharging. It was 165 cubic inches (mandated size).....and it was kinsler injected....albeit mechanical. Anywho, I’m rambling. I like your vids, Rich and I like your attitude.....keep up the great work.
I currently drive a 2005 wrx, it was tuned by a reputable shop, so it's stood the test of time; 100k miles+.
I do look forward to putting a twin-scroll turbo on it. Should keep the response, or even improve it, and be a good daly driver
Dyno power is one thing, higher output does not automatically turn a car into a better driver.
Zetec? U r doing the lord's work sir
I like your style. My friend and I have a motto: If it has wheels, we fuck with it.
I need to finally go back and revive my 1997 Escort Estate with a 2.0 Silvertop. Back in a day it dynoed 150hp and a very flat 210Nm of torque, but then the IB5 crapped out.
As much as I bad mouth the 4.6 in my crown vic, it's adequate for driving around in an air conditioned sofa.
Ha--love it! So ironic your choice of vehicles here. Just last night I drove my late brother's '07 Focus 2.0L from VA to NC which looks identical to the picture you flashed (with the exception of the extra two doors on mine). While I was driving the thought went through my head, "wonder what a reasonable turbo setup would do for this car?" My brother really loved that car which I helped pick out new. My thought then went to "I just couldn't tear up his beloved car..." So I guess it will be the 300 HP version for me ;-) Hey, do a GM 3.6L V-6. That's what I have in my '14 ATS. I'd love to surprise some stock V-8's and the twin-turbo models cost too much for me to trade up.
Modifying your Cadillac is 99% unrealistic hopes and dreams
Now that’s what I’m talking about awesome episode man
I’m a Focus fanatic thanks for the info
I would love to see you do another zetec motor!
Hey Richard can you have a build series on putting 90 mm twin turbos on a honda lawnmower?....wait for it.....wait for it. Im just kidding. If you did I would still watch it. Keep up the awesome work. Im going to download and save all your videos. Much better than reading a magazine article. technology is good!!! Thanks again Richard.
I always wanted to supercharge my mower with a smog pump
In the way, way, back when mid late 1990's, us guys with odd turbo combos dependended on Mr. Holdener's tests, and turbo Buick tests in magazines to give us some ideas when there was no internet. I followed the "Tiny Avenger" turbo 2.3 mustang series and speced the same turbonetics turbo for my Omni GLH in 1996-7. Had a turbo buick adjustable fuel pressure regulator, a foxbody 255lph fuel pump, porsche 944 intercooler mounted out front, and all kinds of crossbreeding😁 The old 2200 pound GLH Omni was a 350hp 390tq dynojet roll race monster way back when😁
I really like those-also the Caravans guys ran with the 2.2 turbos
@@richardholdener1727 Did it all learning from your magazine articles, your old tech section in mmff, and the turbo buick guys. Biggest ahahh!!! moment was sectioning a 2.2 head and seeing the big lump of uncooled, glowing aluminum in the heart shaped chamber that was causing spark knock .
In dynotesting, the tit in the heart shaped chamber became a glowing ignition source. It would eat pistons for no good reason before you could even hear it rattle.Modified the head to an open chamber, with consistent combustion chamber thickness. The revised combution chamber only ate up the center of the piston when knocking, rather than breaking the piston between ring 1 and 2 on the exhaust side immediately.
If course it’s good.
It’s a vw engine, made to the size of a fat American.
This is great advice for camshaft selection especially cars that want to cruise around thumpy camshafts are great sounding but many times make power a lot later so street light to street light they get beat and the gas those camshafts eat is crazy even just putting around no to mention fouled spark plugs just from idling I have found that if you want a certain camshaft do lots of homework on how long valves springs last with that cam and what rpm it starts working
We see what you’re leaning against. Just f’n with ya, love the videos.
That is why I am going with a moderate cam, GT45 turbo on a 5.3. 8-9 psi 600 to 650 hp, is way more than enough, and still streetable. In a 2500lb fox body it should be fun. Yeah, an S480 E85 and 20 PSI would awesome, but isnt my goal. Maybe the next build, or a dedicated Silver Lake dune toy with 900Hp will be next.
2500lbs with a turbo LS in a fox chassis doesnt sound very streetable xD
I have a customer that has a Mazda Tribute with a 2.0, the same engine as a Focus. His doesn't have ZTEC. He got 465k miles out of the original engine. He now has over 600K on the body.
Focus Central ✌🏻
Do you know where that zx3 ended up after you owned it? I had an identical zx3, and the previous owner told me he got it from someone who was doing testing on the platform from Ford.
I still have my focus book you did!
thnx for the support
funny seeing what the Americans done with the st170/SVT block. These zetecs are very popular going into mk3/4 escorts and a bunch of classic cars. the normal 2.0l cylinder head on the SVT block does away with the VVT solenoid but losing the the air box will lose a little power high end. the turbo kit is interesting stuff. shall hunt your page for a link
YES THANKS FOR DOING THIS ENGINE!
This is awesome. I'm building a 2.0L Zetec with a M90 from a Thunderbird SuperCoupe!
we ran an M62 from Jackson Racing for a long time
@@richardholdener1727 those are great, I have one of those sitting iny garage as well
I had a co worker that had a focus and he kept buying focus magazines and eventually bought this book. He was kind of a dingus and never got anything done with the car but it’s funny knowing I kind of read some pages of that book at work.
I had an '86 SVO...just a few minor tweeks and a little more boost (17-18lbs was the sweet spot) and let it loose. It would run around a stock 5.0 Mustang or Camaro...and the sound of the turbo 4 motor made it obvious...I just out-ran you with a 4-cyl. People that have never ran boost just don't know the level of joy it gives. Warning...tires are expensive!
We need all these engines tested big bang style until they grenade.
Love your videos, giving backstories and important details ect...
I remeber doing the upper intake gasket like every over day on my buddies focus.
I'd like to see a built Ford 3.0L V6
U code Vulcan engine.
Has like 12:1 comp pistons stock.
It's an outstanding engine, put well over 300 hundred thousand miles on my Taurus.
And it would still get up and move pretty good wes electronic limited at 110 though uhg 😎
Now I’m all pumped up to build my wife’s Focus ! Its a wagon , needs a big turbo w/hater pipe out the fender and chop it up into a Ute ! LoL 😂 too many ideas from this channel , Thanks Richard
I love this story.
WHAT! you wrote that book! I bought that like 4 years ago!
I have a zx3 and I love it
I want to squeeze some extra ponies, but it’s all stock
Any builder worth the title can make horsepower with anything, some engines have more potential than others, some have more restrictions than others. Look at a Ford 240 cubic inch six cyl out of a truck and compare it to a Ford 250 Cu in six. The 240 is slightly smaller, but it’s not restricted by the integral intake manifold that the 250 is cursed with. When I worked at a Parts Store with a Machinr Shop, one of the guys working there bought an older Ford Truck and found a 300 six to put in it, the larger brother of the 240. The head on the 300 was cracked, but the rest of the engine was ok, so he set about cutting the 300 head into slices and found where he could port the head and where he couldn’t and he also found that with some work he could put 351C or 352M 2bbl head’s valves in it. Unfortunately I left the compNy for better pay before that project was finished, so I don’t know if those valves were the right length, but valves can be made to fit you needs. Now around that time there was a bracket racer in Phoenix that ran a 13 second Ma Erik with a 300 six in it, and I believe there was more performance to be found in that engine, but the 250 would be lucky to make 1 hp per cubic inch. And I think it’s one of a few modern engines, and by modern I mean from the 1960’s on, that might not be able to make one hp per cubic inch.
Non-crossflow heads suck. Generally a huge limitation.
Non cross flow can be ok.
At the last shop i worked in the head mechanic, an amazing genius who rebuilds differentials and transmissions in half a day, he drove an early 80s f150 with the 300 straight 6.
And that engine still ran like a clock.
Gearbox wore out before engine
Would of been a sight your make it run trolley lol
Great video Richard, the real benefit of hindsight is seeing what you can do better now lol
2:07 Can confirm, raced my '03 Focus against my coworkers '04 civic, I lost
Right on
This engine would have been wild in an old Formula Ford car.
yes
Good man !!
impressive! I'm working on a 2000 escort with a zetec and bought you book for ideas
my zetec 2.0 has 300k miles on it and currently gets the same rated mpg/sometimes better after all these years.
they work well-amazing how long they last
@@richardholdener1727 absolutely.
ontop of this being my daily, i dont baby it at all. its got the year 2000 intake manifold, 65mm tb port matched, cold air, 4-2-1 svt header, 3inch downpipe (cat delete) that flows into a 2.5 magnaflow exhaust. even though these we econo-boxes in the day and werent meant for much, ford did a real good job with the engine. i just wish they had a better head design. i really am not a fan of bucket followers..
love watching your videos and the knowledge you share with us. thankyou for all the work youve done. Cheers :)
Great story, now on to testing.
Love your stories.
Need to do an Aussie Barra 6 build !! Love ya work Richard .
I think the comment section would explode if he did that.
I too have a mk1 focus 2.0 zetec blacktop turbo very fun car
Would you ever consider doing some testing on a Renesis Rotary? Seems to be one of the least understood engines of all time.
Great video! The last minute was priceless. You basically described all of us gearheads there. Lmao
Richard. That was a kool story. Do you have any inclination to test the Duratec/L series Focus/Mazda 3 etc engines? Perhaps a big bang! They have variable intake runners and some have variable cam timing too. I've seen plenty of them on the road and in the yard.
Your name is Holdener.....import and build a Aussie Holden red 308
@Lex Riordan they have a 4 inch bore, and the heads flow pretty well. Head gasket sealing and block integrity is an issue when you really push them. After market blocks have a Chev head stud pattern and they're stronger, but really expensive
Toranas are great cars
Richard if possible do the 2.3 Turbo from the new mustangs. Also a 3.5 ecoboost be something else I like to see.
So my question to you Richard is what would you do today with a Zetec motor compared to when you did it back then?
I'm pretty sure i could get more than 100 hp/liter out of an NA ZETEC motor with more effort-then 29 psi would give us over 600 whp
I’m a car guy just have a favorite is all
Hi have 2005 ford focus zx3 saleen # 74 400 whp turbo love me car coming soon drag RACING thanks
Anything on 04' 2.3 PZEV engines?
Damn I would love that motor in my ZX3 then go vw hunting
4cyl FTW !!!!!!!
I would love to hear your thoughts on GM's HFV6 engines Rich
Hi Richard, this is Richard from Australia, in your Focus performance book when talk about the Gude Escape, you said it has 36lb injectors and a recalibrated ProM maf. Is that correct? Stock ecu, stock timing with just injectors and maf? Im thinking about something similar for my own but in Australia the government is very strict and frowns upon using aftermarket ecus so that may be a better legal option for me. Thank you.
the car did have a detonation issues on the road because of too much timing-need a boost retard device
Do you think you will ever do anything with the chrysler 3.5? They sound pretty cool and the h.o came with a forged crank and no one ever does anything with them.
I'm not familiar with those
DEAR RICHARD I would love to see the difference between a tubular exhaust header and a standard manifold and a log manifold on the same turbo/engine to see if there’s any great difference if at all?!
Perfect timing just bought a hhr ss (Ecotec) turbo yesterday was planning on a ls4 swap. But interested in how much that little 2.0 can hold. You ever messed around with those?
those have made serious power
The 2.0 in the HHR SS is essentially GM-USA's own American-market version of a SAAB/Opel engine found in a lot of Euro-GM performance models, they're very good little tuner engines.
The engine has forged rods and a forged crank from the factory. The stock bottom end is good for at least 400HP (probably significantly more too) if you modify and tune it correctly.
So I can strap a turbo to stock block and internals and make 300 at the crank?
YES
@@richardholdener1727 Yaayy I bought a 2002 Focus Wagon that's manual with the 2.0l Zetec so that makes me happy haha
@@miriciousvespyre and watch your stock rods eject out the block. anything over 250 wheel on stock rods is playing with fire. ask me how i know lol
@@vinny6_9 lmao
I have your high performance focus book and just got done reading the section about the fmax turbo kit using the fuel pressure transducer and stock ecu. Could you go more in depth about that?
Do you show any methods on this engine upgrade plz
methods?
Love the variety of engine testing you do. Ever have any Porsche air cooled flat six’s?
Hotrodding is hotrodding whether it's 50cc 1 cylinder or 5.0L V12... So even being a big engine American muscle fan I think little 4 banger especially domestic 4 banger build is cool.
500 hp on an L series (mazda mzr) is even easier and practical. Thanks to Mazda, the Mazdaspeed clutch is bigger and can handle a good bit more power without making the car non-practical.
Thanks for sharing
I just bought a focus zx3 07 14k miles 2.0l and if there a way to contact u sir to help out to make that thing go faster.. that will be awesome ..
I just want it to go up to 200 to 300 hp just need advise and steps without going nuts on changing EVERYTHING
turbo