Left front strut/damper malfunction, resulting in knocking when making left/right turns. Fixed.
Gas tank seal broke at the neck, resulting in a pungent raw gas smell. Fixed.
I can't say enough good things about my S/R. It will beat any Civic Si any day! I put a header, cat back exhaust, an air box conversion, and some plug wires - and I am estimating that the car has close to 160hp now. It sure feels like it!
This guy estimates 160 horsepower? That's a laugh. I would bet the car makes only 110 at the wheels. Since a stock Zetec makes 130 horsepower at the flywheel and 100 at the wheels (manual transmision). His modifications add maybe at most 10 horsepower. He is feeling the better responsiveness of the engine.
The Zetec engine can make with a super charger or turbo a maximum of 170 horsepower before the rods break.
Overall, the Zetec engine with or without variable valves (Zx2 has variable and Zx3 does not *SVT has variable*) is sluggish and really just an economical small car engine. It makes a lot of noise and does not behave normaly due to some wacky emision setup. You cannot use the engine to brake or downshift well because the engine seems to hang too long.
Do you actually own a S/R? It sound like you are simply bashing the dudes impression of his car.
I am aware of the output of the engine. However, you seem to have the idea that it is a small car engine and nothing more.
Have you ever driven a "regular" 4 banger? Apparently not, since you fail to point out that most 4 bangers would be better off as lawnmower engines. Not so the S/R. It is a well regarded engine in the automotive world, (not your's obviously) and performs as a well tuned engine should. At least a factory engine.
You state that the S/R would throw a rod at 170 hp. Where did you get this figure?
A lot of people throw statements around without any qualifications. These are just words.
Provide evidence, and your statements may be taken a little more seriously.
Till then, happy motoring.
I own a S/R and although the horsepower output I've heard of has ranged from 130 to 150 HP, and that's stock. I have had my car up and running at 135 MPH and can routinely run at 120 MPH for extended lengths of time.
Don't know too much about the US spec Focus, but here in the UK, where we know and love four cylinder motors, the Ford 2.0 Zetec engine is well regarded.
The statement that it breaks rods at 170 hp is total nonsense. This is a strong, tuneable engine. The UK spec Focus is available with a 170 hp 2.0 Zetec direct from Ford, and a turbocharged 225 hp "RS" version was also built as a limited edition. The latter will eat and spit out any Japanese rival, as it sprints to 60 from rest in 5.6 seconds and tops a genuine 150 mph. This is a standard Ford car, straight off the price list.
The UK tuning industry has already built scores of these engines running well over 200hp without turbos, and well over 300 with! One tuner had 230 out of the 1.8 version about four years ago. This was no rough idling race special - it delivered peak torque at under 3,000 RPM, would sit in traffic all day and not overheat, yet handle a track day or two the next. I've been in the Focus this was bolted into, and it smoked the tyres in 3rd on a bone dry road before nailing you into the seat. Oh, and it had done 60,000 miles at this point without a rebuild or any more than routine servicing.
Granted we have some kind of advantage in the UK with 98 octane fuel readily available on the high street (albeit at house remortgage prices!) and a long history of four cylinder expertise, but to call the Ford Zetec engine weak is blatantly untrue.
Yeah I have a 1998 ford escort zx2 but went to the dealer when the s/r came out and had them install the package I think with labor and what not about $4000 and it was soooo worth it. Not to mention I threw on an Eaton Supercharger and I am pushing about 2--hp so to who ever has a v-tech or a civic. Just continue on getting gas mileage because that's all that car is good for. The s/r how ever is an extremely powerful vehicle and performer. I'll tell you what, I recently beat a Dodge Neon SRT-4. I will be back to post more info and a link to my website. S/R POWER!
To those bashers of the s/r. I have the regular zx2 and with header and cat back I throw down 150 hp. I have proof. But the s/r came 150 hp stock so stop bashing him.
Hmmmm...VTEC crap then is it??? I don't think so. civic vti's kick out 160bhp from the 1.6 litre standard, the japanese version SIR kicks out 168 from the same engine and I have the JDM honda integra type R with 197bhp standard and only weighing 1060kg.so to all the little boys here who want to bash VTEC engines give it a go. and toi the comment about the RS Focus the 0-60 time is 5.9 and the top speed is 147, I know this as my mate has one who I have raced by the way and I won... althooug not by much. (before turbo conversion)
I now have a turbo fitted as well and now power is around 300bhp with a t3/t4 turbo hybrid... bring it on Ford boys.
It is a fact that honda engines respond quite a bit better to aftermarket performance parts then your everyday focus.. (I own a ZTS sedan... 2.0 Zetec)... but you also must take into consideration cost differences between the hi-po honda and the run of the mill focus... quite a bit of a difference... now take the money saved and invest it properly in the car... makeing the ammount of overall money spent the same... and the focus would beat the honda if the driver knows what they are doing...
The honda and the focus are both nice cars... it all just depends on where you like to buy your stuff I suppose... and how much money you have in your pockets... I have seen several of the 2.o zetecs pushing out upwards 500whp and still getting 25+mpg... with dyno sheets to prove it...
If you know what you are doing with either motor... they can both be quite potent... it all ends up coming down to the driver... in my opinion.
I would like to add to the comment about a Stock ZX2 making 100 hp at the wheels... The Stock ZX2 non S/R makes 116 hp at the wheels with a manual transmission, also with MANY dyno sheets to prove this. I myself own a ZX2. Altho it is hard to find ZX2 SPECIFIC parts... Parts can easily be exchanged with the focus counterparts. My 2 cents.
The Focus SVT alone has 170hp, which is 10 more than a silly little Civic.
The Focus WRC makes 300+ hp and 420+lb ft of torque with the same displacement zetec engine and garret turbo charger.
The base ZX2 has been dynoed already to make 122hp at the wheels. The base Mondeo with the very same 2.0 liter Zetec makes 145hp stock. It doesn't take much to get 15 more hp out of it. Caterham 7s use 200hp versions of the 2.0 liter Zetec engine.
The Eslinger ZX2 had over 300 hp NATURALLY ASPIRATED version of the same 2.0 liter Zetec engine. What's more is 80% of the of the torque is available at 2000 rpms. So much for the theory that only power is available at high rpms in DOHC 4 cylinder engines.
There are carb kits one can bolt on to your 2.0 liter Ford Zetec engine that can give you 250 horses naturally aspirated. The Zetec engine is one of the most rock solid engines ever designed. LOL There's even a VW Vanagon conversion that some company can do by adding a Zetec engine to the van and making it ridiculously fast. Search for it on the Internet; you can find it. I might add the ZX2 S/R corners unbelievably well at .96g.
The famed Cosworth Escort RS even uses a precursor of the Ford Zetec Engine. LOL If you think that is slow watch this video of a Cossie and Supra racing through the streets of Stockholm. Man was that guy dumb. http://www.dailymotion.com/relevance/search/police%2Bgetaway/video/x1gwlg_supra-vs-escort-getaway-in-stockhol
I have a Zx2 with intake and exhaust. I just beat my friend in his VTEC Del-Sol, making 160 at the crank. So how much HP does it have at the wheels again? Are you trying to say that my CAI and exhaust added 60+ hp?