Turbo'd the Focus!

**sutyak** · 08-21-2007, 11:04 AM

I haven't been around much since the Mach 1 is gone, but I thought I'd drop by and let you guys in on what I've been into.
I took an IHI turbo from a 1988 Thunderbird TC and fabricated a turbo kit for my 2006 Focus.
LaSota Racing was cool enough to accept my car as a candidate for tuning.
Don says he doesn't tune everybody who asks but said my project sounded interesting. :D

On the dyno I had wastegate issues but still made 180whp/176tq @ around 5psi.
With a changed wastegate actuator it's now 9.5-10.5psi depending on air temperature and will probably creep higher this winter.
I'm hoping to see 200-220whp, but I'll be happy with 200whp/200tq.

I definitely found the limitations of my stock clutch.
There's no slippage if it's already engaged, but between hard shifts slips noticably.
So no track time for me this year.

I figure next spring I'll be shopping for a clutch, flywheel and LSD.

Like all FWD/IRS cars I have wheel hop issues too that I need to address before ripping on it at the track.

I did a day-by-day writeup with TONS of photos HERE

Couple pics:

**u1arunit** · 08-21-2007, 11:14 AM

Looks really cool Mark!

I read the thread with all the pics and it looks like a lot of fun.

Good luck with your power goals!

Post up when you get her to the track.

**Viper_ed** · 08-21-2007, 11:15 AM

Nice job Mark! Looks like alot of work there! Not as easy as getting a little more out of the Mach hugh? I'm guessing by what looks to be MIG welds you went with steel tubing for the cold side?

**sutyak** · 08-21-2007, 11:20 AM

Yes everything is MIG welded by me.
I may go with aluminum IC piping later, but really the steel is working out just fine.
It weighs more, but it's low and distributed weight that will help keep the front down and doesn't adversely affect handling.

The exhaust is mostly stainless with steel welds, hence the paint to slow rusting of the welds.

**gmkillr** · 08-21-2007, 11:32 AM

Nice man!!
I had Don Lasota tune my car also, I was very happy w/ their work!!!
Don & Rob are some of the best in the business.

**GOT SVT** · 08-21-2007, 11:48 AM

hey mark

looks like a nice job, good luck getting to your goals

**BoneCrusher** · 08-21-2007, 02:02 PM

Sweet dude! That damn HP bug never stops biting no matter what car we may be driving...nice job man.

**Cam99** · 08-21-2007, 02:03 PM

Cool Mark, keep us up to date

**sutyak** · 08-21-2007, 02:27 PM

Thanks guys!
Cam I'm trying to get a couple friends to by your old Mach. :)

**Twin01cobra** · 08-21-2007, 04:40 PM

Originally Posted by BoneCrusher

Sweet dude! That damn HP bug never stops biting no matter what car we may be driving...nice job man.

X2

**Martin0660** · 08-21-2007, 05:32 PM

Glad to see you got the wastegate sorted out. Next upgrade could be a sweet little T3. Actually might help the clutch situation because it will hit a little softer ;)

Bob Myers

**sutyak** · 08-21-2007, 07:58 PM

I doubt I'll ever go with a larger turbo.
This little IHI will already provide enough psi to destroy my stock rods.
> 12psi and I could be looking at trouble.

I also doubt I'll ever go to the trouble to build up the bottom end to hold more boost.
Remember I'm a stang guy first, and if it came to that power urge again I'll buy a rwd V8. :)

**Martin0660** · 08-21-2007, 09:42 PM

Just jabbing you, I know what a PITA it is to change over set-up like this. I swap back and forth between T3 for normal use and use an IHI as my backup ;)

T3 has the same 9.5 PSI actuator, so boost pressure would be the same. T3 flows more air, more efficiently, at the same pressure (more CFM, lower inlet temps) For your set-up, the oil return line would be different, and it would be a REAL pita to swap over because of the wastegate. The T3 is built into the outlet, so you would need some type of swing vavles assemebly.

BTW, on your thread where you talk about the radial slots on the wastegate hole and attributing that to am auto car, those are simply cracks, finding an IHI without at least some of them is kinda rare actually, you want a couple more like that ;) FYI, the difference between the Auto and 5 speed IHI turbos is REAL simple. Factory, thetre is a tee fitting on the outlet for the turbo. One side goes to the wastegate, the other ro the BCS. On the auto turbo's, there is an orifice in that tee that limits the boost. This elbow was supplied as part of the turbo assembly from IHI, so there are two different part numbers, its that simple.

Bob Myers

**sutyak** · 08-21-2007, 10:07 PM

Bob, I'm fairly certain they're not just cracks.
The slots looked machined and were perfectly spaced. (not like my crude drawing)
I'll be installing a wideband soon, hopefully Friday.
I should be able to remove the elbow and get a good pic of what I'm talking about.

What's the BCS?
I guess I don't follow how it mechanically limits boost.
Probably because I don't own a Tbird and know how everything works together.

The auto and manual WGAs are different and carry different part #s.
The auto WGA spring is crazy soft, and the manual much stiffer.
Do you think the auto WGA is actually worn that much?
Supposedly the turbo I installed on the car only has 30k miles, while the other (I'm calling it the manual) has 70k miles.

**Silverhatch** · 08-21-2007, 10:12 PM

I love it! My brother in law was kicking around the idea of me doing a turbo to his focus, he's scared though. Nice to see someone doing a one-off kit.

**scott5** · 08-21-2007, 10:19 PM

sweet lil project

**Martin0660** · 08-21-2007, 10:55 PM

Originally Posted by sporadic

Bob, I'm fairly certain they're not just cracks.
The slots looked machined and were perfectly spaced. (not like my crude drawing)
I'll be installing a wideband soon, hopefully Friday.
I should be able to remove the elbow and get a good pic of what I'm talking about.

Here is a pretty bad picture of one of my old IHI's. This turbo is now deceased, so no new pictures are going to happen ;) This is the "next" phase of those cracks when they open up.

I love my wideband, might be some of the best money I ever spent on a car ;)

Originally Posted by sporadic

What's the BCS?
I guess I don't follow how it mechanically limits boost.
Probably because I don't own a Tbird and know how everything works together.

Boost Control Solenoid. The Ford boost control system was pretty simple. There is a pressure outlet on the compressor housing. Factory, this was a tee. One side of the tee went to the wastegat, the other side went through the BCS back t othe turbo inlet. So if the BCS was close, you had 9.5 psi boost (wastegate spring). If the EEC thought everything was good, it opened the BCS, and bled part of the signal away from the wategate actuator to allow 15 psi. This was fixed with the orifce size in the BCS. On the auto cars, the tee out of the compressor was limited a little to reduce that boost bleed.

Originally Posted by sporadic

The auto and manual WGAs are different and carry different part #s. The auto WGA spring is crazy soft, and the manual much stiffer. Do you think the auto WGA is actually worn that much?
Supposedly the turbo I installed on the car only has 30k miles, while the other (I'm calling it the manual) has 70k miles.

Well, its all about heat, and the WGA is right down there near the turbo. Its better on the IHI cars than the T3's but the spring sees all that heat. I have personally run known "auto" IHI's and "manual" IHI's and have enver seen a difference in boost setting. I've also mixed and matched a lot of parts and never found a difference myself. I will qualify that a little in that I always run a manual boost controller and run them little suckers at 20 psi :D :D The manual boost controler just hides the signal until set point is reached, then bleeds the excess, so who knows.

The good thing is, you got boost now ;) Enjoy it

Bob Myers

**sutyak** · 08-21-2007, 11:15 PM

Thanks for that pic Bob!
Yep that looks familiar..
So if I get a chance at some point do you think I should swap my housings for the non-cracked one?
I'll still try to get a pic.