Intake, exhaust, header, tune – at last I have all four!

As I have mentioned before, I wanted a new tune to go along with the header to better take advantage of the new additional flow and ensure the Focus was running optimally. There are a few tuners for the N/A Mk3s and I opted for Rebel Devil’s. Earlier this week it arrived and I wasted no time in getting the ‘install’ started.

All of the instructions are on RDC’s site, outlining how to get your custom tune and download it to the tuner. From there it’s a simple matter of plugging it into the car’s OBD-II port and following the on-screen instructions.

I asked Mike for two tunes for the time being – one for 87 octane and one for 91 (which is what I’m running now). Fortunately our gas prices are really low currently so 91 costs less than 87 used to, but even when they rise up again the Focus will still be pretty inexpensive to fill given the mileage it gets. On that note – so far I haven’t noticed any significant change in my fuel economy as compared to before installing the header and tune. On my current tank I’m averaging around 7.5L/100km.

Tuesday evening I received the word from Mike that my tunes were ready so I promptly loaded them to the tuner and then plugged it into the car. In no time the process was complete so I took the car out, topped it up with more 91, and went for a moderately long cruise to try it out. Later that same evening I received a message from Dom asking how the tune felt, and since I had nothing scheduled for the following morning and therefore could afford to stay up late…

…I decided the best idea was to drive across town to meet up with him and take him for a ride. Haha.

So far I have been happy with the results following these new power-adders. As long as I keep the car naturally aspirated I don’t intend to go crazy with the engine, and I feel that this quartet of upgrades are a good package and they cover the basics. The header made a noticeable difference in the car’s power in the upper half of the rev range, and the tune made a noticeable difference in the lower half. Together, and with the existing intake and exhaust, the car now has a decent bit of grunt and a nice soundtrack to go along with it.

Of course, all of my measurements of power are based purely on feel and I have no actual numbers to share. The sedan has never seen a dyno, though I would like to get it on one someday. Arguably though, feel is more important than numbers and based on that alone, I’d say the sedan has enough power under its hood.

For now…

-Bill