[bflesher]

It does just keep getting better. Nice work!

 

[hemet2.3]

Sick! I never get tired of the pics you post of this car.

Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk

 

[jackstrath]

So another update.


So as you can see above the main winter rebuild was complete, now just moving along the little jobs that arnt very exciting but do need done.

So first things first, The BMW :shock: ! Bought this back in March, lovely 340i Touring, replaced my trusty 335d and so far does everything just as good if not better! But it didn't have a tow-bar fitted! So bought the fancy electric auto fold out BMW job, retro fitted it and got it all working! Happy Days!

So rugged the focus (with easy) up to Calum Haynes Fabrications where he was tasked with making some side skirts!

Made out of alloy to keep the weight to a minimum i was handed the car back with theses!

They line up very very well to the kevlar panels! Follow the lines very nicely! Supper chuffed with them!

(ignor the exhaust)

Quick wrap and we had some side skirts

So next up was in my quest to get a bit more camber and in turn help turn in, power flex now do a rear bush for the lower arm that gives you another half degree caster, so while i was doing that i figured i might as well change the front bush for power flex's camber bush (off-centre bush that allows +- 0.5 degree of camber to be added) Quick phone to part-box and next day this lot showed up.

Old bushes were already power flex so removed them fairly easy and then installed the new ones.

One new bush'd arm! Il change the ball joints as well, They feel fine but they are a few years old now so might as well!

And lastly, I was told there was a rear bumper that matched the kit, placed an order and phoned up the other day to see what sorta delivery date i could expect, turns out there was no rear bumper and i had missed a message saying this. So i set about cutting up my standard bumper and making it fit.

Took alot of cutting tbh, the rear 1/4 sit down about 5mm so it pushes the bumper down and that then turns into a big budge in the rear. Good bit of trimming was needed to get it all to line up. Its not perfect but its going to have to do. Once i get some more pop off buttons il get it neated up and fitting a little bit better!

This is with the wets on so when the 9J alloys are on it fairly pokes out!

Cheers

 

[rotaryrocket]

Actually saw your pictures on Flickr a few days ago, nicely done Jack!

 

[jackstrath]

Actually saw your pictures on Flickr a few days ago, nicely done Jack!

Haha a good place to follow if your just after the photos with none of my bad English getting in the way ! The offshore rigs i work on block flickR (and every other social network) so i tend to upload all the photos from the trip at home, copy the hotlinks and then put the text together on my down time, kills a night of the trip

 

[rotaryrocket]

Haha a good place to follow if your just after the photos with none of my bad English getting in the way ! The offshore rigs i work on block flickR (and every other social network) so i tend to upload all the photos from the trip at home, copy the hotlinks and then put the text together on my down time, kills a night of the trip

I appreciate the photos as you take nice detailed ones. Always like looking at them as they may inspire ideas for me as well..

 

[jackstrath]

So, The car is pretty much done.

In all the years the focus has had this manifold and turbo set up iv never had a turbo gasket fail! Until now!

Noticed a bit of carbon build up on the manifold so knew right away the turbo gasket had failed.

Turns out one of the aero nuts had backed off, Race engine mounts people.... rattles everything!

New gasket bought, new nuts, bought new studs but as they were all intact didnt feel the need to change them.
Turbo off on and everything torqued back up. Gave the ceramic coating a little spray with iron out and a tooth brush to get the worst of the carbon off, Next time the manifold is glowing it will clean that right off!

Happy days!

IMG_3117 by Jack Strathdee, on Flickr

The car hasnt been driven other than moving about yards ect, so shows how quick a gasket fails!

One little job that iv just got round to doing was the new isolator.

The last one (that i bought in 2013) had failed. Not sure what went wrong, but i was a little disappointed.

Even though the unit was well out of its warranty period i decided to give Cartek a email just to see if there was anything i could try.

Mine was "locked" in off mode so i couldn't get power to the car, Cartek were great and a good few emails back and forth trouble shooting sadly confirmed the unit was dead. But there customer support went above and beyond and i got a great deal on a new unit! So got that fitted up yesterday and its back to working perfectly again!

So big thanks to Cartek for keeping the support going even in these uncertain times!

And that takes the car to where it is today, sitting waiting ready to go once this global issue is over! Few snaps of it, its back tucked away under the cover and i doubt il be lifting it anytime soon sadly

Il be the first to admit the car looks a little funky on the 8J alloys, they will be my wets only so hopefully not on alot, im half tempted to get a set of 9J wets now as well tho! More tyres in even the rain has to mean more grip right!

Anyway! heres the photos.

Hopefully get to pick up where we left off this year but for now, stay safe everyone

 

[jackstrath]

Minor update.

Gearbox (dont worry i havn't f**ked it again 🤣)

Trying to be as soft as i can with the gearbox for this years racing. I have a well documented point to start fresh with oil changes, wear material in said oil, and mileage history.

One thing i was keen to get working was the flat floor shifting and more so the throttle blip on downchange.
My issue was inputs, i had used the last for my flex fuel sensor so only had 1 spare input.
This input was from the clutch switch so i could actually do flat floor shifting already. But thats not a big thing for me as i can easy come off the power to unload the transmition to allow me to shift. What i really was after was a blip on the down change.

This was slightly harder, i could have set up TPS values and such like but i couldn't get it working correctly.
Then one day someone posted on the syvecs forum there way around doing exactly what i was after! a bit of back and forth an several relay diagrams later i have a working ignition cut for up changes and a blip for down changes (they are set in syvecs to currently allow me to do them in neutral but that was just for testing)

Super happy, ignore the wiring mess as i had just finished it when i had to video it working!

 

[Bart_FRS]

Hi Jack, good to continue your build here 😉 Hopefully we can hit the track this year, stay safe and healthy ✌🏼

 

[jackstrath]

Welcome Bart! Have yet to be kicked out of here so fingers crossed we can continue the focus journey uninterrupted !

 

[jackstrath]

Little job updates.

Mounting the ECU has been a meh area for me, ty wraps had done their job well over the years but it was never ideal and it was something i wasn't really happy with.

So armed with more time on my hands a few ideas in my head i decided to give designing a bracket or clamp a go!
AutoCad hadn't been used since i made the coil pack bracket and that was a fairly basic 2D shape. This was going to have to be 3D for it to work.

A few hours (ok closer to 6) later i had a drawing that i was happy would do the job. It was simple, clamp over the ECU, using the Syvecs logo to hold it in position and allow me to bolt the ecu down.

Rev 3 (as rev 1 and 2 didn't even make it to print haha) was printed off by Dave at Track Formula !

I got it home and had stupidly made a mistake! I had forgotten about the lip that ran around the ECU. It would have still worked but i wanted it to snug the ECU a bit better!

So onto Rev 4 and it was sent to Dave again and it fits perfectly!

3D printing is a process that I'm fascinated with and if i was better at AutoCad 100% id be buying one and would be printing everything!


Next on the list was a job i had forgot about!

Dry break fuel sample point. Was something i had bought ages ago and only remember about it when clearing out my spares and coming across the fittings!

Required by Motorsport UK, a dry break fitting and barb to allow for fuel sampling. Simply installed into the return side of the fuel system and allows for quick and easy sampling!

Old trusty fuel requlator still going strong, i think i might change this out at some point as the fuel lines were kinda rushed all them years ago!

Into the return side go's the fittings

Then made up the open-ended fitting, this has to have at least 30cm of hose for the scrutineers to use to sample!

And a little rubber boot fitted once the line was disconnected!

Job done!

 

[jackstrath]

Sooo nothing super exciting going on, iv been thinking of more things id like to do, 3.5" exhaust is the main one. When i get that done i think il change up the rad and intercooler a bit and also get another bonnet and move the air vent to above the manifold as im going to try some ducting of the rads up out the bonnet!

But something iv been working on over the weekend. I had a old Morrette headlight, i used to stick it in for track days but couldn't really use it when racing as it didnt have any lights. It allowed some fresh air into the air filter.

I decided i wanted to try and use it again even if it gives the car a bit of a pop eye look i like it. And enclosed air box is really needed but im not happy with the other version i made so il end up making another one i think!


so first things first onto ebay and got what would normally be a fog light with a halo ring, did a bit of digging and found one with an orange ring, ideal indicator then!

Its bright enough tbh! And the indicator is also fine! Had an old headlight that i had robbed bits off before so managed to save a plug and use it so its direct plug and play which is nice!

But i noticed when fitted there's a massive path for the air just to go into the front wing and not into the engine bay...

So i found a little bit of carbon weave that i had forgotten about so decided to make a deflector for it!
Sadly didnt take any photos, couldn't be bothered with the whole moulding and shaping thing so i just got an old 5l bottle, cut the top off, and just wet layed the carbon on top! wasn't expecting it to turn out perfect but it actually turned out pretty well haha!

So some ti wraps and rivets later it was fitted to the morrette light and will do the job just nicely!

Thanks

 

[Bart_FRS]

Looks good Jack !
I recently found some morettes and going the same route you're doing. I don't need the lights as doing trackdays.
I'd be very interested if you're doing the airbox, keep up the posts and updates please !

 

[jackstrath]

2 years ago this month focus set its quickest time ever round Knockhill, an amazing feeling with an absolute rapid time that I still hold my head high for!

It’s sadly brought me to realize that this years motorsport is over for me.
Few out of control things as a result of the covid-19 pandemic has delayed the finishing touches needed, and although the car is ready to “go” in last years spec, for me it’s just not worth it.
I always want to better myself and the car, never settle for the same, once I start that is the day I sell it.

So after much thought ending the year before it’s started Is the right thing to do and get a start on what would of been this years winter upgrades.


So like nearly every person building a race car at club level, new things to do normally comes from browsing the internet, Case in point I came across solid bushes for the steering rack. These 2 bushes holding the rack in place were the only 2 remaining bushes left on the car that were not polly or pillow bearing so was excited to get on and try them out. J9 Performance Parts had these shipped to me next day. First job is to get the subframe out and strip the rack off.

First things first was a quick jet wash. The rack was coated in bilt hamers dynax uc - a clear wax oil like product, does a good job, but side effect like all wax oil, dust sticks to it. But power wash later and it was looking very respectable.

Next was press old bushes out, i don't have a press so my vice worked, but sadly my lack of attention missed me nipping one of the fluid transfer pipes .

A bit of digging later i found a uk company called Power Steering Store - Send next day, pipes copied and made same day, and then sent next day back all for a very reasonable price! Love having companies like this still on the go in the UK!

Next was a call to Part-box.com for some new Ford OEM track rod ends, nothing wrong with mine but figured id replace them now in case I run into issues setting up the car next time out! Fun fact, TRW now must be the chosen supplier for Fords after life cars! Could've been before but there's a bit of info for you!

So subframe was all assembled, coated once again in dynax UC.

While i had the subframe out i got the front half of the floor pan and fire wall painted and up to scratch to match the rear! Thank god that's the underside finally complete!

Some new seals for the power steering rack fittings and it's good to drop back down on the ground.

Cheers!

 

[jackstrath]

Sooo little updates, seeing as i didnt get to any race events this year iv a little bit of savings saved up so iv been shopping for a few bits and bobs with a few ideas in the making!

First is temps, the temps are fine for sprints, fine for about 3-4 mins flat out driving, but then things start to heat up. Now i have never pushed on to see it the temps remain stable or continue to climb, but they are hitting the hotter side of things when i start to back out of it. Looking at the rad and intercooler set up the ducting isnt the best so iv got a few plans there.

Going to move the rad and intercooler tight together, and then hopefully duct the lot up out the bonnet. So got a bonnet vent from the late spec WRC focus mk1 and a new carbon bonnet to chop up. Iv also got a few other vents to help pull some hot air out the bay.

Quick mock up has it looking roughly like this.

But there is a few things i have to do before im able to sort this, mainly rebuilding the front frame again !

So another project for me was the dash v2, the first one was my first attempt and i learnt lots, its perfectly fine tbh, but the finish isnt the best, the fake leather effect on the dash transferred through and you can see it if your looking for it which annoyed me!

So with what i knew i set about making the v2, spent alot of time filling holes and smoothing it all to make it pretty!
Plug ready!

And mould made! few wet sanding bits needed but as a hole its pretty good so might try make a dash next time im home!

Next big update dragged on a little due to waiting on bits from the USA, Tial parts waste gate and exhaust housing seem to be the main hold ups but got there in the end!
Now one of the big updates needed for moving the rads and doing the ducting was a change in exhaust location, or more keeping it neater and tighter.
And because i cant leave anything normal i took this chance to move up to 3.5", people say its not needed but iv seen first hand data that bigger bore helps everything, from turbo spool speed, EGTs and back pressure drops ( although thats not an issue here)
So armed with all the bits it was off to calum hayes fabrication and he was given the task of making the new system! Its tight in places but im mega happy with how its turned out! it was a bit patchy before and was letting the underside down!

Will get the important bits off next time im home and get them coated!

Also took it out for a few photo before its away under the knife again ! haha

Thanks

 

[rotaryrocket]

Exhaust looks fantastic! Hopefully you'll share the rumble in the future... I'm curious to how a 3.5" exhaust sounds...🙂

 

[jackstrath]

Only thing i will prob have this side of the year sadly! Didnt spend all that time doing the underside to take it out in the salt.

 

[rotaryrocket]

Only thing i will prob have this side of the year sadly! Didnt spend all that time doing the underside to take it out in the salt.

Sounds great Jack!