Loaded the Mountune ECU update last night...

After a day of cleaning up the house after Christmas, finally found some time on a chilly night (34F) to put the Mountune ECU tune on the Focus... Yes, even Mountune uses the COBB Accessport (AP3) tuner... they're a VERY nice design...

    


Very simple process, just plug in the OBD2 port and the unit powers up - since the Mountune MP275 is CARB legal it comes with one pre-programmed tune (that's it).  



You follow the on-screen steps, and the ECU load takes about 4-5 minutes - be sure to have a good charge on your battery - they even recommend turning off the headlights or use a battery charger - because if your power dies mid-program - you get to buy a new expensive ECU (yikes!)  Well, no drama for us last night as it programmed just fine :)


The tuner even comes with a Mountune badge, not sure if we'll mount it yet or not - definitely too cold right now...

So - you probably want to know impressions and have me stop blabbering LOL.

After filling up with California 91 Octane (blah) - I took it for a spin.  Now I see why everyone with a tuned ECU talks about traction issues!  Holy crap the car has a ton more power, and most likely I'll need more stuff suspension wise to keep this thing planted!  LOL

The car comes up to speed VERY quickly now, it's a fantastic upgrade - highly recommended. 

Definitely 2 thumbs up!





Prepping the Mountune FMIC

Going to install the Mountune FMIC (Front-Mounted Inter-Cooler) next week, so I wanted to put the logo on the FMIC to give a little 'pop' to the front end...  fortunately they send a template :)

Since the ST has red calipers, I went with a high-temp Ford Red VHT - you can see the template that Mountune sends along with the FMIC.

            

Nice template that they send, but it centers the logo in the FMIC, need to modify :)


First, gotta figure out where to have the logo placed, I figured up about 3 rails to have it show underneath the bumper.

A straight edge, and cut a nice straight line...

Now it's lower where it will be visible, and flush on the front of the FMIC so paint doesn't get under the template - perfect!

Now the frog tape, cover all the primary edges...

     

Add some boxes and paper bags to protect from overspray on the edges, top and bottom

 LIGHTLY spray a few coats onto the intercooler, spritz from all 4 sides to ensure paint gets into the crevices and cracks - if you look at it from 360-degrees you'll notice the high-low spots in the paint.

after about 10 minutes, carefully peel back the covers - and voila!

My wife loves it - it's going to be a nice look when mounted!

Have fun and be safe!

Pretty nice matchup!  Glad I picked VHT Ford RED!





installed the Mountune Intake today...

As part of the Mountune MP275 kit, I'm taking my time - the intercooler will take the most time and effort and hopefully my buddy with a lift will be able to lend a hand ;)

So - as we move forward... the Mountune 2363-CAIS-BA Low Restriction Intake Kit is a sub-install of the overall MP275 kit. I also grabbed the 2363-IH-BLK Mountune Induction Hose to complement the looks and remove that silly accordian tube...

The intake itself is a high-grade aluminum - very nice compared to the FoMoCo plastic part...

it also includes a high-flow re-washable filter that has an inverted cone that is open to the engine bay - it's supposedly noisier, but honestly we can't hear much over the Cobb Exhaust.

The induction hose, it simply that - it connects the filter box with the new filter to the new intake tube

Installation is pretty simple...

First, remove the engine cover (duh) - notice the accordian tube in the 'before' picture below...

Using an 8mm socket, there's only one bolt holding the stock intake - remove that and loosen the worm bolts on both ends and it comes off pretty simply.


Simply assemble the new intake - swap the rubber grommet from the OEM intake and put it back together - very simple setup, the hoses are a snug fit - so they may take some coaxing.  4 8mm bolts to open the filter lid, pull out the paper OEM one and fit the washable filter, can't screw it up :)


The finished product looks pretty slick, almost hidden...  but 50% more airflow will be awesome!
Plus it's CARB compliant!





a scientific study of sound in the ST cabin...

From a prior post more changes... stifling the sound we got the CFM Performance 4-0300 Symposer Delete with Pressure Port for 2013-2016 Ford Focus ST to install on our 2016 FoST.

our FoST with the Cobb 3" Catback is quite boomy... so I measured with an app on my iPhone6  - yikes!  yes that's 98.1 decibels

Noise SourceDecibel LevelDecibel Effect
Boeing 737 or DC-9 aircraft at one nautical mile (6080 ft) before landing (97 dB); power mower (96 dB); motorcycle at 25 ft (90 dB). Newspaper press (97 dB).904 times as loud as 70 dB. Likely damage in 8 hour exposure.




So - in the sense of not losing our hearing.. I installed the sound symposer delete today by CFM Performance - an inexpensive $29 modification!

Here's how it gets installed :)

First you remove the engine cover, simple enough just tug at the 4 corners and it 'pops' off...


next, you remove the sound symposer and hose from the front of the engine - 8mm wrench works like a champ!
notice the oil residue - ick!  seriously!?

Now you mount the blocking plate using 2 of the 3 bolts you removed - looks slick!  removes a lot of the bulk by the front of the engine!

Here's the rest of the setup, engine cover back on sans symposer

here's where the symposer valve used to be... a simple Torx-20 bit to remove it - then ziptie the wiring out of the way...

and add the blocking plug to the firewall inlet (the little 90 degree elbow on top)


now the amazing part... went out for a drive... can't get it over 89.6 dB - that's a HUGE drop!

just for reference again:

100 dB
8 times as loud as 70 dB. Serious damage possible in 8 hr exposure.
90 dB
4 times as loud as 70 dB. Likely damage in 8 hour exposure.
so by using a $29 mod - we've reduced the loudness by 4X - it's still quite loud, but not painful anymore!




Mountune MP275 kit has finally arrived!

Well in usual fashion, we can't keep our cars stock for very long... but as I get older, I want more 'fun' with less 'risk' as this is a daily driver...  plus with the Black Friday deal we got 20% off the kit!  W00T!

MOUNTUNE MP275 PERFORMANCE UPGRADE - FOCUS ST 2015-16



California Air Resource Board Executive Order D-727-2 Incredible performance without sacrificing reliability!
The Focus ST is a remarkable car and with the addition of the mountune MP275 Performance Upgrade, it’s even more amazing. With optimized power and performance, the MP275 Upgrade adds a level of sharpness that enhances the total driving experience. The MP275 Upgrade has been engineered to extend the power band of the engine resulting in an increase in horsepower and torque across the entire RPM range. The added power provides an even more enjoyable car that is perfect for spirited driving and carving canyons.
An essential element of the MP275 Upgrade is the mountune Upgraded Intercooler. Our intercooler is more than double the size of the original intercooler and provides cool, dense charge air to the engine all the way to redline. Additionally, the air intake system has been improved to allow greater flow to the turbocharger for added power. Backing up the mountune Intercooler and air intake is our performance ECU calibration (tune) engineered to add maximum reliable performance and drivability.
Developed in house by our team of experienced engineers, the MP275 ECU calibration has been validated through a wide range of performance tests and durability cycles including the notorious Nurburgring in Germany. This level of testing ensures safe, reliable performance that does not disappoint. 
The MP275 Performance Upgrade is a complete performance upgrade system that is endorsed by Ford and legal in all 50 states.
Installation is easy and requires just a few hours. Additionally, your factory ECU is easily re-calibrated using the included mountune mTune handset. The mTune simply plugs into your car's OBD II port and quickly transfers the upgraded performance engine calibration in about 5 minutes.
The MP275 Performance Upgrade does not void your factory warranty when installed at any Ford dealer or Mountune USA.

Included with the MP275 Performance Upgrade. 


Also, to keep things flowing freely - we upgraded the inlet elbow to The Ford Racing 2363-IH-BLK Mountune Induction Hose; High Flow; Black - this will add some style, and some sound - plus it gets rid of that ugly accordian tube LOL



Now just need time to get it installed and roast the tires ;)