So I have now got my blank and my spare gasket (just in case), I opened my bonnet yesterday to plan my job and - oh dear - the ford focus isn't like the mondeo in terms of easy access to the flange which meets the inter cooler, its under the shelf which houses the wipers and other bits and bobs.

I read a guide on talk ford about installing a blank on a 1.8 on the mondeo and assumed the bonnet space was pretty much the same, nope.

So for those 1.8 owners here who have done this, did you install your blank between the intercooler, or did you ramp it up and put it some where else..?

What i did was was just losen the valve and slip the blank in sideways. a good ratchet tool (i forget the name) helped. only managed a quarter turn a time which was pain but saved removeing blades and everything else. Ill get a picture of it for you up when i get my lunch break,

On inspection I had a suspicion that a ratchet was only going to make small turns. My blank has finger slots, but a rule of thumb is to also change the gasket.

Well Blank is in place and overall my acceleration is more constant, no more waiting around.

As i didn't have any black smoke or other major issues as my car was running very well before installing, that is the only improvement I can tell but it is early days.

The side effects of this is my engine doesn't get as warm as it used , it is now around 70-75 degrees as apposed to 85-90 from before install.