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2012+ Ti-VCT intake kit test! Results with dyno graphs inside!

64K views 206 replies 34 participants last post by  OldGray320i 
#1 · (Edited)
So, the day has finally come. All this anticipation, all the waiting has led up to this. If you haven't jumped down to the graphs already, I will say it was an exciting and eye opening day at the dyno. First things first....I want to thank Extreme Performance in Goodyear, AZ for the help and excellent dyno rate I was able to get.

Now, I want to give you a rundown of my car in its current state so that you completely understand what state my car is in. Mileage arriving at the dyno today was 10,980. I run 5w-20 Synthetic in the car, and it is about 2,000 miles away from needing an oil change. My car is equipped with the 6spd DCT, which surprised me in its own way today with how efficient it is. Now, the procedure for dyno'ing with the DCT was a little tricky. I put the car in "S" mode, and with 4th gear being as close to 1:1 as we can get, I made my way through the rpm's until I was able to get in 4th gear and started the runs when the transmission wouldn't downshift into 3rd anymore, which was about 3800rpm. *3 runs were made with each setup!* Front tire pressure was 35psi, and the car has premium fuel in it. The dyno was a DynoJet without load control turned on. The car is absolutely bone stock down to the paper filter. No silencer delete, no snorkel mods, nothing. The car in stock form dyno'ed as follows....

http://i892.photobucket.com/albums/ac122/98whitesteed/Focus%20Dyno%20Charts/12FocusStock_zps0fb612c1.jpg

First kit to go on the car was the easiest to install. We all know FS Werks and the excellent products they put on the market for us Focus enthusiasts to enjoy. Their intake kit was no different. The ease of install was second to none. The quality of the kit was very nice as well. The price/performance ratio was untouched. Here are the results for the FS Werks kit.

http://i892.photobucket.com/albums/ac122/98whitesteed/Focus%20Dyno%20Charts/12FocusFSWerks_zps051a2c7c.jpg

Second on the list was the Injen kit. I found the black gloss intake pipe to be very nice, and liked the fact that they had you remove the MAF sensor from the housing and use that in their pipe. I think it adds a nice touch to not have the stock MAF in the middle of a nice looking intake tube. Install was also not too difficult. One thing to mention, the supplied hose clamp that holds the filter shield to the filter itself is a little undersized and one slightly larger would make install easier. Here are the Injen kit results.

http://i892.photobucket.com/albums/ac122/98whitesteed/Focus%20Dyno%20Charts/12FocusInjen_zps4e187b73.jpg

Third to go on the car was the K&N. We all know the reputation they have, and they didn't let me down one bit. This is my personal favorite of them all because of the fit and finish along with the nice looking shield with the K&N logo stamped in it. They were second place in the price/performance ratio. Here are the results from the K&N.

http://i892.photobucket.com/albums/ac122/98whitesteed/Focus%20Dyno%20Charts/12FocusKN_zps852c48bd.jpg

Finally, the most difficult kit to install. That is not a negative point, just stating the fact since it is the only in the test to be a true cold air type of kit. Now, take these results with a grain of salt because the real gains will be pulling the cooler air from down in the fender and with the car moving that effect can only be increased. Here are the AEM kit results.

http://i892.photobucket.com/albums/ac122/98whitesteed/Focus%20Dyno%20Charts/12FocusAEM_zpsc326983e.jpg

So, there you have it. Simply amazing what an intake kit will do on these 2.0 Ti-VCT Duratec's. I was initially shocked at the FS Werks numbers, amazed that such performance could come from a sub-$200 kit. Then, the K&N stepped up and put up numbers I didn't think would be possible with just an intake kit. All of the kits provided a solid boost of power, and none of them would be a bad purchase. Aside from price and horsepower gains, I would also put weight in which kit you think would look nicest under your hood. With all of them being within a few horses of each other, its worth it to get a kit you may like because of the way it looks.

To those that reserved kits...payment can be made by paypal, phone (credit card), or sending me a money order. Just be advised, I can't ship until payment is received. Also, we all know the delays that I have had trying to get this dyno experiment done. With that being said, I am also taking off an extra 10% from the kits that people reserved. Its just my way of saying thank you for reserving a kit, thank you for being patient, and most of all thank you for being a part of the best Focus community on the internet.

Almost forgot, if anyone is looking to purchase the K&N or AEM, I would love to help you out and make you the proud parent of a new intake!
 
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#5 ·
Wow, those are some frankly amazing findings! Very, very impressive results, from all of the kits. I'm a little taken aback. Also, is there a reason you guys didn't try the Steeda kit? I may have read why in the other thread and have forgotten already (curious since I have one on the way, haha). Well done, guys, and thanks for contributing to the Mk. III development knowledge base!!
 
#6 ·
I found the Steeda to be very very similar to two kits I tested, FS Werks and Injen. Also, for the price, I would choose either of those other kits all day long. Now, some people like the Steeda name and quality that comes with their products, thats perfectly fine. I just didn't see that kit being too popular being priced where its at.
 
#8 ·
Fair enough. That explanation is as good as any for me. So, in your experience, it delivers similar figures to those two?


You know what floors me the most about this test? That the test car was a DCT. I'm really, really impressed at its ability to put the power down.
 
#10 ·
You know what floors me the most about this test? That the test car was a DCT. I'm really, really impressed at its ability to put the power down.
I agree 100000%! I was just as shocked! Apparently getting the automatic doesn't suck so much power anymore.
 
#12 ·
Ford really needs to put paddle shifters on the DCT models, and suss out the rocky shifting and they'll have a winner with the DCT at this rate. Anyhow, this is by far one of the more useful pieces of information to come around lately, I hope one of the mods stickies the results for future reference for anyone looking for intake kit results.

Do we have a comprehensive Mk.III dyno thread, by the way?
 
#14 ·
The graphs scale differently for HP and TQ. HP goes up to 170 on the graph and TQ only goes up to 150. The Injen, for example makes 142hp/142tq at 5250 rpm if you map out those two points at 5250 rpm.

They didn't sniff the tailpipe, that is something I wish they had included in the 15 dyno runs, but didn't.
 
#17 ·
Yeah, a roughly 14% power gain from an intake alone is nuts.

This was on premium gas....which is what, where this was done? 91, or 93? I know some regions are different...
 
#16 ·
K&N kit is $299 + $15 shipping. Add tax to that if you are in AZ.

Catback shootout would be fun, but a lot of times those require permanent modifications. If I can verify that most of the kits are truly bolt-on, its a possibility.
 
#21 ·
Being that these charts don't start until ~4k RPM, is it safe to say there's really no difference in performance between these and the stock setup below 4k? I ask because I'm rarely above 3.5-4k, and wouldn't want to shell out the cash for an intake to see no gains.
 
#22 ·
Unfortunately due to the dct always wanting to downshift in manual mode he had to start at 3800 rpm. I would assume that some gain would still be had below that mark. What that is well unfortunately I don't know.
 
#25 ·
Yeah, it seems most mods hurt low-end numbers.
 
#26 · (Edited)
With the DCT, below 3800 was impossible without a downshift to third.

Also, the buyer for the AEM switched, so I have an AEM on eBay with serious discounts. Taking a big hit on this thing so I don't have to sit on it for months. Under my shop name of "Modern Motorworks". Thanks!
 
#30 ·
From an email exchange with FSWerks:

Me:
Looking at the dyno chart for this product, I notice the HP and torque numbers are lower compared to the stock setup until about 3k RPM, when the FSWerks intake finally takes over completely. Could you explain why this setup produces smaller performance numbers in the low-end band? I'm doing some research to find out if I want to purchase an intake, however I don't really go over 4k RPM.
Them:
The numbers are so close there's no way you'd feel any difference at WOT below 3k. There's really no difference in the low rpms. That's just normal dyno fluctuation. We've never had anyone call and say they weren't impressed with the kit once they had installed and driven it. However, if you never go beyond 4k, modding your Focus is probably not going to be the best way to spend your money. Almost every mod will give mid range and top end gains, not low end.
 
#33 ·
The HP and TQ scale differently on the two sides of the graph. They do equal each other at 5250rpm.



The reason you see some dyno graphs cross over at that point is just because they have the HP and TQ scaling evenly on each side of the chart.
 
#36 ·
I think it might just help the graphs look nice an even on the chart, even though they aren't. To have one curve peak really high (HP) and the other somewhat low (TQ), it might make the graphs look a little lopsided. I think its purely aesthetic.
 
#38 ·
Thank you all for prompt payment. Just waiting on 87astro and to sell the AEM on eBay. Thank you all for the compliments also, there was a good deal of work involved in getting this executed, but it was well worth every bit of effort.

I am already planning another phase of testing for the super-budget conscious Focus owner. More on that soon.
 
#41 ·
I know the k&n made the most hp and torque and all that, but I just feel that it's aesthetically unpleasant. Lol

I am happy that a smaller company has done such a great job with their intake and come so close to a big heavy hitter like k&n. job well done in my opinion to fswerks.

Plus I think under the hood it looks better and I know that doesn't mean much to those seeking the most hp, but to me it does.
 
#42 ·
Also, why does "sniffing the tail pipe" matter??? What does that do? What information does it provide?
 
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