FRPP/Oscar Jackson Engineering JRSC SVT Big Boost Kit - Part I

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Acronyms. Gotta love 'em. They exist to make our lives simpler. What we're here to discuss today is the FRPP JRSC SVTF BBK. What? There is a good chance that you know exactly what that means. If you're a bit unsure, let me break it down.

FRPP aka Ford Racing Performance Parts is the aftermarket parts division of the Ford Motor Company. This group of engineers and other professionals have been given the keys to the back room and are enlisted to inject more excitement into a variety of Ford vehicles. I've met several members of this team. I've even seen some of their playgrounds. Trust me, these guys are serious gearheads with one mission: Make it better.

Next, we have JRSC, which stands for Jackson Racing Supercharger. Jackson Racing is well known in sport compact circles as the company that made supercharging a household word. (Is there such a thing as "garagehold"?) Founded by Oscar Jackson, here we have another guy who "can't leave well enough alone," and we love him for it. Oscar has since left Jackson Racing but did have a hand in helping with this kit. Also, rumor has it that he is floating around ready to make another assault on the market. Watch out!

Then comes SVTF. Most Focus enthusiasts fondly know that this is the Special Vehicle Team Focus. SVT needs no introduction to the seriously performance-minded. And, when they turned their attention to the Focus, they produced what is arguably the best example to date of a Focus to be sold in North America.

This brings us to the final portion of our acronym, which by the way, isn't really an acronym but an initialism. But seriously, who uses that term in everyday life? BBK is short for Big Boost Kit. Logic would tell us that if boost is good, then BIG boost must be better. And logic, being what it is, would be right. Of course, there is something as 'too much boost,' but we'll leave that discussion for another time.

So, there we have it. The Ford Racing Performance Parts Jackson Racing Supercharger SVT Focus Big Boost Kit. I honestly don't know if there has been any product in the history of mankind with a longer name. Fortunately, all these words add up to something that should get your attention if you are an SVTF owner and even more so if you are a JRSC-powered SVTF owner.

So, what is it? The kit consists of a few new key parts. There is a smaller diameter pulley for your supercharger, a supercharger belt, a MAFS (mass air flow sensor), four bigger fuel injectors, and maybe most importantly, a "tune" for your car's PCM aka 'computer'.' See, we managed to lay down even more acronyms for you.

In regards to installation, if you initially installed your supercharger yourself, then adding the BBK parts will be pretty familiar territory. You will need to remove the supercharger to fit the new pulley. The new drivebelt fits exactly like the old one so that should be a snap as well. The MAFS is easily tackled, and the injectors, while not something that you would have done in the initial installation, is a pretty straightforward affair. Just make sure that all the injectors are properly seated in the fuel rail upon reinstallation. The kit should take most average people under 2 hours to install.

The only thing you can't do yourself is the tuning. For this, you will need to send your car's ECU in to Ford Racing for a quick reflash. This is accomplished via a pre-paid shipping service, so plan on your car being out of commission for a couple of days. The nice thing about the reflash is that it has been developed by actual Ford Racing engineers, and all the programming allows you to remove the original Jackson 'Power Card.' This simplifies the electronics and is a much cleaner installation. Since this kit comes directly from Ford, It also provides drivability enhancements. Plus, you can rest assured that it has undergone extensive hot and cold weather testing at Ford's proving grounds.

In Part II of this review, we will actually strap this bad boy on a dyno and see what kind of numbers we can produce. In the meantime, a "seat of the pants dyno" tells us this kit makes the car finally perform the way most people had originally hoped when they first installed the JRSC. The most noticeable gain is in torque, which makes daily driving all that more fun. While some of you who haven't decided which route you want to go with your stock SVTF may want to wait for Part II to make your decision, we can eagerly say that for those of you that already have a JRSC on your car, this kit is a no-brainer. For a reasonable cost of $499, it will definitely increase your grins per mile quota.