Ecoscort - 98 Ford Escort ZX2 ecomodding thread

[Tygen1]

I've learned that in almost all cases, stock is best for FE. The header I have helps torque in too high of an rpm range, however it is lighter and more durable than the original cast iron manifold which cracks easily. It's a compromise I was willing to take for the one or two times a month I go WOT. A light weight header option could be a stock Focus Zetec header, it's small and light and you can affix a nice small light cat to it (at some point this is the route I will most likely take). The stock pipe size will not hurt FE, in fact it will be lighter than any 2.25 or 2.5" cat back exhaust you put on. (I will probably go to a lighter exhaust in the future as well)
You can pretty much leave airflow through the engine alone and focus on parasitic losses, weight reduction, rolling resistance and aero resistance. There is a lot of low hanging fruit here that is much easier and cheaper to get than a full performance exhaust.
I have a wideband and with no MAF fooling happing, it idles at a perfect 14.7:1, I'm not sure where you got 13.5 from, not even in open loop in cold weather does it idle below 14.7, doesn't seem like it has a cold start up enrichment. When I leaned it out to just above 15:1 I started to have problems with idle fluctuation and surging, it was really annoying, after many trials I found it just didn't give the results I was hoping for in fuel savings. At one point I got the idle gph down to 0.08, then I did the math on the actual distance I was coasting (about 3.4 miles each way) and realized the savings was so minimal it was not worth all the hassle trying to get it work right. When I did the math on DFCO or EOC, I found a much better pay off for the work. Doing the homework there really helped me refine my driving and my commute route
If your serious about lean burn, you need to start with a wideband and I'd suggest jumping right into some tuning software, don't go the route I did, it's quite a headache. You'll pay back the software in a year.
Watch your Keman Intake (PVC Pipe), it will warp from heat in about a year an start throwing lean codes.

Focus on parasitic losses, weight reduction, rolling resistance and aero resistance. They all work together and start to add up quickly, get after the aero and you will find your opportunities to DFCO will improve and lengthen, you could even wire up an engine kill switch so you can open the throttle 100% and stop the pumping losses that are slowing you down so much. Alternator kill switches are good for helping reduce parasitic losses as well as underdrive pulley's and P/S & A/C deletes. You gotta get some RE92's to really understand what they can do for your FE, they are almost magic. Sell what you have and get some as soon as possible. Super light wheels help also. Lean burn is a more advanced technique and I'd recommend you build a good foundation with a focus on parasitic losses, weight reduction, rolling resistance and aero resistance and when you go lean it will work a loooot better.
:-)

[BabyDiesel]

Your writing style amuses me. Digging the detail and the amount of explanation you provide

Being truthful, I know that the exhaust is not the best place to pick up FE and probably the best place to screw up FE! However, I do know that headers work on V8s and with this motor being half of that... My thoughts are that it can't hurt, especially changing out the 16 year old cat!

A light weight header option could be a stock Focus Zetec header, it's small and light

Would this be it?? ->

focus on parasitic losses, weight reduction, rolling resistance and aero resistance

I... must... focus! Lol. These are all in the works, thanks for the clarity!

I have a wideband and with no MAF fooling happing, it idles at a perfect 14.7:1, I'm not sure where you got 13.5 from

Second paragraph of post #14 of Little Blue Project Log on TeamZX2.com. You said it first, not I

At one point I got the idle gph down to 0.08, then I did the math on the actual distance I was coasting (about 3.4 miles each way) and realized the savings was so minimal it was not worth all the hassle trying to get it work right.

Good to know that somebody else has wasted their time before me! I'll put this off till later... when I go for the 70's, I'll need every lil' trick to save fuel.

When I did the math on DFCO or EOC, I found a much better pay off for the work. Doing the homework there really helped me refine my driving and my commute route... you could even wire up an engine kill switch so you can open the throttle 100% and stop the pumping losses that are slowing you down so much

Some questions here Tygen, and anyone else who wants to chime in! I thought we could not do EOC and/or kill switchs since they would cut off power to the engine and cause transmission problems? Or did you mean E-On-C? What kind of homework did you do? If the kill switch is possible, I will definitely install it soon!

If your serious about lean burn, you need to start with a wideband and I'd suggest jumping right into some tuning software, don't go the route I did, it's quite a headache. You'll pay back the software in a year.

Oh I'm dead serious lol. What brand of wideband O2s and tuning software would y'all recommend? I like the sound of fast payback $$$

Yeah, I want to avoid the "limp mode" Tygen discovered. Kinda funny

Watch your Keman Intake (PVC Pipe), it will warp from heat in about a year an start throwing lean codes.

I'm using high heat CPVC, so I should be in the clear. I'll keep a watch on it

Alternator kill switches are good for helping reduce parasitic losses as well as underdrive pulley's and P/S & A/C deletes.

P/S & A/C deletes are coming if I can ever find time around college!!! My P/S has been causing some problems for the entire time I've owned the ZX2. Only when it has first been crunk and I cut the wheels to turn, the car acts like it is going to cut off. It starts bucking and shaking bad for a few seconds and then foes away with time or releasing the steering wheel. This was the reason that the previous owner put new injectors in... I'm not complaining I don't trust the Powder U/D pulleys... I have seen that they wear out rather fast. Alt. kill switch will be saved as a later mod for when I start squeezing!

You gotta get some RE92's

Maaaaaannnnnnn Don't even get me started!!! I was going to get me a set of these not too long ago! I had my tire choices narrowed down and it was in the top 3... but lo and behold, I couldn't afford any tires so my parents offered to help me get new tires. How Generous! Buuttt... they were against buying tires offline and I had to get what they wanted me to get... so I got stuck with Blacklion BH15's. They are not bad tires... chinese made though. Don't even want to know their RRC compared to the RE92's

Tygen, you said in the LBPL that your cruise mpg @ 50 with a tps of 21 was around 55... I ask, HOW?!? I nkow all cars are different... mine doing the exact same as above with a load of 50-51 to maintain speed is only 44-48 mpg. Thoughts? O2 sensors perhaps making the car run slightly rich or lean?

[BabyDiesel]

00 04 2000 2004 Ford Focus 2 0 Zetec Exhaust Manifold Metal 0 14 E | eBay

This was the link for the header at the top of the previous post

[BabyDiesel]

To update some progress, I finally had time to change the oil today and start an aero mod! I have been using 5w-30 Pennzoil Platnium synthetic for over a year with good results... 5000 mile change intervals. But seasons go, and it was time for a change. 0w-20!!!



Here is some of the additions I use when I change the oil. A good quality fuel cleaner, an oil filter with an anti-drain back valve, and STP oil treatment with ZDDP.




The ZDDP additive is used to quieten down valvetrain noise and provide protection during cold starts. It is slick stuff, and seems to create a film over the cam lobes from what I can feel. It is needed at this mileage



Crossed 260K this morning!

Pic of the "aero mod" that got put on tonight... failtastic as it is! Partial front pan



This is from a couple days ago after a 32 mile drive to my gas pump from college. I did 45-50 mph the entire time, no stops, with some coasting and DWL, not very aggressively though.

[BabyDiesel]

I was able to make some aero-advancements to the Ecoscort yesterday afternoon

Pics of the carnage...

Wheel covers made


"Ghetto" side skirts on!!!



There has been a colossal cold snap here (as it is everywhere in North America) so I am unsure of the benefits so far. FE is down from the cold

Funny story - I bet my brother that the exact words my mama would say when she saw the skirts were "What the hell is that?!" 10 minutes later, those exact words came from her mouth So apparently I am disowned in public if I am on my car... Winning.

[Cd]

Winning !
Laughed out loud looking at the side skirts.
You are of course going to flat black them ...of course.

I might suggest trimming the front edge of the skirt so that it flexes outward when you hit something low, versus tearing off. ( angle it or round it off )

[BabyDiesel]

Originally Posted by Cd

Winning !
Laughed out loud looking at the side skirts.
You are of course going to flat black them ...of course.

I might suggest trimming the front edge of the skirt so that it flexes outward when you hit something low, versus tearing off. ( angle it or round it off )

Yes, of course I am Cd I'll have to wait for the temps to warm up before I can paint. I had to cut off material twice before I could make it out of the driveway

Already done so! The corners were cut before the car could move foward lol!

[BabyDiesel]

You're welcome


I admit, it looks so much better.

Started putting these on tonight as well. They are being ziptied through the spokes and seem to be sturdy. Only got one on, the others are going on in the morning before I make the 32 mile trip to school. Can't wait to see the result

[Xist]

Were you specifically trying to get the names on your skirts? Your wheel covers look like buttons they hand out!

[BabyDiesel]

Were you specifically trying to get the names on your skirts? Your wheel covers look like buttons they hand out!

How did you know? Lol. I didn't try, it was just to way the cookie crumbled! It looked ridiculous... They made several people's day when they saw it on the road seeing them laugh was worth the price of being slightly ghetto

I be dag gone if they didn't! I shouldn't had painted them... I could have had a political theme going