St220 Exhaust System Help - Flexi Pipes Failure

[mrrossdude]

Hi all,

Had a full car the other week and dinged my first silencer on a bit of metal poking out of the ground, stopping me in my tracks and causing a loud BANG - this has pulled the exhaust backwards and damaged one of my flexi pipes, causing a massive roar now from the front end when I rev it. Took it to a garage and he says all I need to do is replace the flexi pipes before the first silencer, but I've been quoted £112 for one part.

As I was considering getting a full Milltek Cat Back system soon anyway, can someone explain whether or not I'd need the flexi pipes replacing before I get the exhaust or not.

Here's the stock exhaust diagram, with part number 3 needing replacing

http://eucatparts.com/?action=cat_ford_part&s_id_part=22371&s_id_model=88

And here's the milltek system

http://www.millteksport.com/images/custom/225.jpg

Looking at the Milltek, it looks like it replaces the stock exhaust from the flexi pipes backwards, meaning I'd have to replace them anyway.

If anyone could shed some light on whether or not I'd need to replace the flexi pipes, I'd appreciate it.

Many thanks.

:)

[FOCA]

It looks like you will need to replace the flexi as well, the Milltek joins after the flexi (you are correct)

The Milltek appears to "delete" the two middle silencers, so will increase noise (a little) performance (a bit more at the top end) and reduce weight

Have you any other modifications so far? the Superchips bluefin and a car-specific CAIS can bring it up to about 250Hp (from memory i think pipercross makes the best one,it has a maf pipe and the filter sits in the wing) the exhaust system has pre-cats, apparently the extra cat/s is/ are not required for the MOT, and removing them can boost performance, might be worth checking this out if you need to replace the flexi/ system anyway

Milltek has a strong reputation

Does yours have the 6-speed box?

[mrrossdude]

Thanks for the input, guess it's going to be an expensive month regardless :(

It's a completely stock 6 speed.

Was going to go for the Milltek, the Pipercross velocity X (the one with the carbon tubing and sits in the wing) filter, and possibly a pumaspeed (or take it somewhere they can map it on the rolling road as it get's dyno'd, depends on the cash situation - never really trust the ones that you do yourself)

Also because it's the six speed I'm having a look this weekend at filling up the second intake (the hole where they used to be on the 5 speed) with a cold feed. I'm thinking cheap tubing and a cheapo filter, just to avoid the heatsoak, nothing too fancy.

I've heard good things about the Bluefins for Diesels but not so much the ST's, but I'll have to look at some owner reviews in the meantime.

Thanks for the information about the cats, I was under the impression that the 2 pre-cats would be sufficient for the MOT but needed more than one persons confirmation. Might take it down to the garage and ask them.

[FOCA]

Thanks for the input, guess it's going to be an expensive month regardless :(

It's a completely stock 6 speed.

Was going to go for the Milltek, the Pipercross velocity X (the one with the carbon tubing and sits in the wing) filter, and possibly a pumaspeed (or take it somewhere they can map it on the rolling road as it get's dyno'd, depends on the cash situation - never really trust the ones that you do yourself)

Also because it's the six speed I'm having a look this weekend at filling up the second intake (the hole where they used to be on the 5 speed) with a cold feed. I'm thinking cheap tubing and a cheapo filter, just to avoid the heatsoak, nothing too fancy.

I've heard good things about the Bluefins for Diesels but not so much the ST's, but I'll have to look at some owner reviews in the meantime.

Thanks for the information about the cats, I was under the impression that the 2 pre-cats would be sufficient for the MOT but needed more than one persons confirmation. Might take it down to the garage and ask them.

Apparently the linkage for the 6-speed box takes up some of the space the 2nd feed for the airbox (that was fitted to 5-speed models), you can fit another feed but it may have to curve round the battery and/or be quite a small diameter (the second feed as fitted to the 5-speed won't fit the 6-speed car)

Only one pair of cats (per bank of 3 cylinders) is "active" (with a lambda sensor), this has to be left in place (for the lambda sensor to feed data back to the ECU to get the correct fuel/ air ratio etc) - the other pair are "passive" - it is the "passive" ones (without the sensor/s) that can be removed - many garages/ mechanics (but not all) are clueless about these things especially Ford ones - tuning is a specialised subject -

Superchips is the oldest established remapper (1977, off the top of my head) the Bluefin is a great product, a Monkey could install it, it can be removed at any time and your original (stock) map is saved, they work well on standard or mildly modified cars, i would trust them sooner than a mobile or "not-so-well-established " remapper, NA (naturally asperated/ non-turbo) Bluefins are cheaper than turbo ones, you get much less of a power/torque boost on an NA car than a turbo car (from any remapper)

You can get Superchips to download revised maps into the handset over the net (ie, to work better with a cais, or sports exhaust etc) but you only get one (+ stock) at a time, there are other similar "remap systems" where you have several maps you can load/ choose yourself - they are more expensive than the Bluefin though

Bluefin (on otherwise stock car, modest increase is typical of NA engine/ expect bigger gains with CAIS + performance exhaust)

http://www.mybluefin.co.uk/curves/st220.pdf

Dreamsience strategem - (includes CAIS) -

http://www.dreamscience-automotive.co.uk/tuning-graphs/mondeo-st220-cais.php

Pumaspeed (shows that the milltek+ remap/ filter (+ high octane fuel) would bring it up to 250HP, would never fit an open cone filter (eg- k&n) under the bonnet though - might work great on the dyno with the bonnet open, but will loose power drawing warm air when the bonnet is closed) -

http://www.pumaspeed.co.uk/product-Mondeo-ST220-Power-Upgrade-ST250_596.jsp

[mrrossdude]

Thanks for the input, I have heard differing opinions on the bluefin with people saying it makes zero difference and some saying it makes the drive a fair bit better with minimal power gain. To be honest I'm thinking about giving the 7 day return a try; any difference, keep it. Not satisfied, send it back.

If all else fails I might go for the full milltek, pipercross and pumaspeed - no point with the 57i in that bundle without it being in a place that won't soak up the heat. To be honest I'm surprised they bundle it with it given the amount of people who disagree with them.

Now the only problem is the cost. A man can dream, but then again it is my birthday in a couple of weeks, so who knows :)