Supercharger on a 1.6 focus zetec

[Destiny930]

Hiya 

 

i am getting a 07 plate focus off my dad its a 1.6 petrol zetec thats that best i know right now 

 

just wanna know is it possible to add a supercharger to this car!!! or would it be easier to add a turbo

 i know i am gonna have to remap it/ new ecu and added parts kinda hoping there is a kit i can get to make the part selection  quicker 

thanks in advance Rob

[MasterTechTip]

Rotrex do a kit for this engine I believe, but to be honest I think it would be far easier to trade it against a more powerful car i.e 2.5t ST or Mondeo and get it remapped (if you're after power I guess). 

[JW1982]

Before even considering this you should be aware that the whole process involves a serious amount of money. The total costs to get everything up and running perfectly can easily be multiple times the value of the car. A 2.5 ST conversion will be both cheaper and results in more power. A complete totalled/scrap Focus ST with running engine can be found for low prices these days.
 

In case of a supercharger or turbocharger setup you need to consider the following things:

* Custom build intake manifold which is capable to handle the pressure. The stock plastic intake manifold is not strong enough for this and will split. (Both supercharger and turbocharger).
* The size of the supercharger can be a problem. A decent supercharger setup usually takes quite some space. I doubt there is enough space unless you get rid of the airconditioning system. (supercharger)
* You will need an intercooler. You can use the intercooler of an existing engine type (for example TDCI or 2.5 ST) but this also requires modifications. (Both supercharger and turbocharger).
* All pipes and hoses to connect all parts need to be custom made. (Both supercharger and turbocharger).
* A custom made exhaust manifold is needed. (turbocharger).

Next to the supercharger/turbocharger setup itself you should also look at the engine itself. It is recommended to perform an engine rebuild using uprated engine internals that are capable to handle the extra power (stock internals are only capable to handle low boost values). You should also lower the compression ratio and upgrade the fuel system (pump, pressure regulator, injectors, etc.).

The biggest point of concern will be the software. After installing a supercharger or turbocharger you need full custom designed software. The development and testing of this software can take a lot of time and money. Be prepared to spend thousands of Pounds on software alone. Writing and testing the software on a dyno can take several days or even weeks.

In case of a turbocharger setup installing a 1.6 ECOboost engine will be the easiest option. The 1.6 ECOboost is also based on the Sigma engine family. Why would you develop a full custom turbocharger setup yourself if Ford already did that. However installing a 1.6 ECOboost in a Focus MK2 also needs a lot of modifications to make it fit and run correctly. 

In case of a supercharger quite some calculations are required to select the correct supercharger. The capacity of a supercharger needs to be matched perfectly to the displacement of the engine. If the capacity of the supercharger is too low or too big the engine will never perform as it should or fail prematurely. Apart from this the supercharger needs to be properly driven by the engine. This requires a properly designed belt drive system with the correct (calculated) drive ratio. 

Also be aware that a supercharger can generate a lot of power but driving the supercharger also requires quite a lot of power from the engine. A significant part of the power gain will be needed to drive the supercharger.

Below an example to (theoretically) calculate the correct supercharger and drive ratio based on the budget friendly 0,5 Liter Aisin AMR500 supercharger:

Max RPM X Engine displacement = Theoretical required amount of air of the NA engine
(6450 X 1.6 = 10320 Liters per Minute)

This result needs to be divided by 2 because it is a 4-stroke engine.
(10320 ÷ 2 = 5160 Liter per Minute)

Desired boost + Atmospheric pressure ÷ Atmospheric pressure = Boost ratio
(6 PSI + 14.7 PSI = 20,7 PSI) (20,7 PSI / 14.7 PSI = 1.4 Boost ratio)

Theoretical required amount of air of the NA engine x Boost ratio = Required amount of air under boost.
(5160 x 1.4 = 7224 Liter per minute)

Required amount of air under boost ÷ Capacity of the supercharger per revolution (in Liter) = Supercharger speed at 6450 RPM engine speed.
(7224 ÷ 0.5 = 14448 RPM)

The Aisin AMR500 supercharger has a maximum permissible continuous speed of 16000 RPM. At 6 PSI boost the calculated RPM is within the maximum permissible RPM range of the supercharger.

This theoretically means that the Aisin AMR500 supercharger needs a 1 : 2.24 drive ratio (1 revolution of the crankshaft is 2,24 revolutions of the supercharger) to generate 6 PSI boost on a 1.6 Duratec engine. The major downside of a supercharger is that it generates a lot of heat and is very noisy. The higher the RPM of the supercharger the higher the temperature of the compressed air. At higher supercharger speeds a major intercooler is required to cool the compressed air before it is forced into the engine. 

Note that these are just theoretical calculations for reference only. In real life the values can be different.