Puma Performance Modification Guide

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FlashBastd

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The most important thing before any modifications, is to make sure that the car is running properly, and is not in need of any maintenance, either to the engine, suspension or tyres. By all means replace worn parts with a better alternative, but there is no point in having a 160 PS motor in a car that is all over the road due to worn tyres and bushes, etc.

Engine;

If you are running the 1.4, then you are probably limiting yourself to start with, and the most cost effective option might be just an engine swap to a 1.7. The same could be said for the 1.6, but there are more tuning options available for the 1.6 than the 1.7, in terms of cams, etc. Some elements, such as inlet and exhaust work are the same across all three engine variants.
The best place to look for inspiration is to the Ford Racing Puma (“FRP”). Ford and Tickford engineers spent considerable resources investigating how to reliably get more power from the 1.7 litre engine. Their solution gained around 30 horsepower compared to a standard car (155PS Vs 125PS). The changes made were limited to;
• Revised ECU mapping (1.7 only)
• Completely new inlet manifold with plenum chamber
• Reworked airbox, with resonator removed and additional cold air feed
• Mildly revised camshafts, retaining the variable cam timing (1.7 only)
• New larger bore exhaust manifold and system, with sport cat replacing the original close coupled cat

The FRP’s engine management map can be uploaded onto any “TAPE” (digital dash) or “MUFF” (analogue dash) powertrain control module. If your car doesn’t have one of these, you will need to acquire one, ideally with two working transponder chips so you can reprogram your existing keys. The FRP map can be added as a standalone option, and is reputed to add a few extra BHP. It also increases the rev limit to around 7,200rpm, and reduces the impact of the torque limiter in first and second gears. Various specialists can upload this map, with prices typically ranging from £100 - £250.

The FRP inlet manifold is a great bolt-on unit. Not only does it look good, but it also increases power by around 8 BHP. This component can be fitted to any Zetec-SE engine (1.25, 1.4, 1.6. 1.7). Unfortunately only around 600 were made, most of which are (hopefully) still fitted to FRP’s, and used prices remain high, typically from £500-£800.

The airbox modification is very cost effective and while it won’t make a vast difference, I noticed that inlet temperatures drop much quicker under an open throttle than without the extra cold feed. Again, this can be performed on any Puma, and the benefits should be similar.

The FRP camshafts are another step towards the magical 155PS, they aren’t especially aggressive and shouldn't have an especially detrimental impact upon drivability. The original cams were made by Piper, however replicas are available from various sources.

The original exhaust manifold, with it’s close coupled catalyst is quite restrictive. There are really two common types of 4-2-1 performance manifold, those which are copies of the FRP manifold and have a flange to connect to the mid / sport cat, and those with a flexi-pipe and sleeve fit connections. The first type are manufactured by Janspeed (mild steel original FRP and stainless FRP copy, made on original FRP jigs), Piper, Protek and Milltek. The mild steel Janspeed is prone to corrosion, and there were a few questions regarding the quality of the stainless steel Janspeed, but I believe users are generally happy. Piper and Milltek are both perceived to be good quality, though the flanged Milltek does apparently hang a bit lower than any of the other makes. The only point with the Protek is that some users have questioned the quality of the flange mounting, both in terms of the welding, and the angle. Each of these FRP copy systems should be interchangeable with each other.

When fitting any of these flange type manifolds, it is important to use sprung bolts from the manifold to the next section of exhaust, be that a plain mid-section, decat or sport cat. The original system on a standard car has a flexi-pipe to absorb engine movements relative to the body of the car, these systems do not, hence the sprung bolts. It would also be a good idea to replace your torque restrictor, this is the rear engine mount which limits the amount the engine can rock back and forth. The FRP had an uprated item, but a new standard item should be fine.

In addition to the FRP copy manifold, Milltek also offer a manifold with a flexi-pipe and a sleeve fitting. This is supposed to have slightly better ground clearance than the standard Milltek. The sleeve mounts also make it easier to improve the alignment of the system, which you can’t really do with the flange mounts.

When fitting any new exhaust manifold it is a good idea to replace the exhaust manifold gasket. These are quite cheap and are available from your local Ford parts counter. You will also need to extend the lambda sensor wiring. While earlier cars only have one lambda sensor, mounted before the cat, later cars are fitted with two, with the second going after the cat to check that the cat it reducing the emissions from the level measured at the first sensor. The only sensor that affects fuelling is the first one. This will need to be extended by around 450mm to reach the sensor mounting hole at the bottom of the 4-2-1 manifold. Ford did offer an extension loom for earlier single lambda cars, but it is quite straightforward to make your own using a lambda plug and socket from a scrap yard, and the appropriate length of 5A wire.

It is only beneficial to extend the second lambda if you are going to fit a sport cat, and there is a provision behind the sport cat for the second lambda. If there isn’t, or if you aren’t going to use a cat, then your best bet is to just unplug the blue lambda and ignore the inevitable Check Engine Light (“CEL”, AKA “MIL”). Your other option is to fit a TAPE ECU which doesn’t use the second lambda, or the CEL.

If you are running a sport cat, it is important to be aware that the CEL may still come on. The 1.6 engine when fitted to the Focus is very sensitive of aftermarket catalysts, which can make the CEL come on after only a few months, though I haven’t heard of this problem with the 1.7. Also, the original cat is mounted close to the engine so it will get up to it’s optimal operating temperature as quickly as possible, while a sport cat is located further away, and is less restrictive, which both mean it takes longer to get up to an efficient operating temperature, and can therefore cause the CEL to come on.

You can make a “MIL Eliminator”, this is a device that plugs into your second lambda to make the ECU think that the emissions measured at sensor 2 are lower than sensor 1. Quite cheap to make yourself, but reliability can be questionable. I made one and it was rubbish, so I switched to a TAPE ECU, latterly running the FRP map.

The original FRP exhaust system has three parts, manifold, mid section with integral sport cat, rear box. The only silencer is the rear box, there is no silencer in the mid section. Both Milltek and Piper made copies which were interchangeable with each other and the original. I believe the stainless steel Janspeed kit should also be interchangeable. Milltek sleeve fit systems are not interchangeable with their flange fit systems, also Piper do a cat-back system, which is not compatible with their manifold, as it is smaller diameter and was developed before the FRP was launched. Piper also do their own system, which is compatible with FRP copy manifold, but is not compatible with anything else further down the line.

One thing to be aware of is that the standard FRP system does sit quite low at the rear centre elbow, this isn’t a problem, but can’t be easily adjusted, and can be prone to catching on the ground.

Something to be aware of is that lambda sensors seem to have a shorter life in cars fitted with a 4-2-1 manifold. This isn’t a huge factor, but is something to be aware of.

Beyond the FRP engine modifications, a ported head is a good way of liberating more power, but is typically quite expensive. Could see an additional 8-15BHP though, in conjunction with the other breathing modifications.

Induction kits – there are mixed views on these, in my opinion if Tickford / Ford thought they were good, then they would have been used on the FRP, but they didn’t, instead they used a modified standard item. Generally speaking, so long as you don’t mount the cone where it will get wet, they can be beneficial, in terms of noise if nothing else!
Something that some people on zsoc.com have tried is the fitment of the 1.7’s alloy inlet manifold and larger throttle body, to the 1.6 engine. There doesn’t seem to be a definitive view on this, but it is unlikely to do any harm, and may well add an extra horse or two.

Another option is to “flow” the air flow meter and throttle body, this should enable the cool air to enter the inlet with fewer restrictions, improving throttle response along the way. I am unaware of any proven power gains from this modification, but those who have done it speak highly of the improvement in throttle response.

Suspension;

Bushes

There are a few choices for suspension bushes, plain aftermarket, standard original Ford, FRP and polyurethane. In most cases, even just fitting new plain aftermarket bushes would improve the handling of slightly tired Puma, while fitting new Genuine Ford would hopefully have the same effect, but keep it that way for a bit longer. Many people go straight from knackered rubber bushes to Powerflex and then rave about the improvement, but compared to new standard bushes there would be much less of an improvement.

Rear beam bushes – choices here are really standard or polyurethane. The poly’s are much easier to fit, but WILL make the ride quite harsh over broken tarmac. Fine for a track car, but perhaps a bit rough for the road. I swapped my poly’s back to standard and couldn’t believe the improvement in ride, with no noticeable trade-off in handling.

Anti-Roll Bar Bushes – these tend to wear quite well, even replacing standards is a real pain. I am not aware of any problem with going to poly’s if they need to be replaced.
Front lower arm bushes – there are two bushes, front and rear. For the rear bush you have a choice of standard, FRP uprated, or polyurethane. Given that the FRP items are only around £6 each new from Ford, that are a great value choice. I am not aware of poly’s causing any problem here. For the front bush you can have either standard or poly, I believe the poly’s can make quite a positive difference in this application.

Anti-roll bar

All Puma’s run the same anti-roll bar as a diesel Fiesta / Courier, while the Mk5 Fiesta Zetec-S, which was developed from the Puma has a slightly chunkier item. Changing the anti-roll bar is a pig of a job, however I have just fitted the larger ARB, together with new drop links and bushes, and it does seem to roll slightly less.

Springs & Dampers

A major part of the appeal of the Puma is the handling. By changing the springs and dampers you will have a big impact upon the handling. Think carefully before going for a budget option here. Lowering springs are an option, but remember you will have to do pretty much all the same labour again if you later decide to replace your dampers too. Given the age of Puma’s now, it might be a good idea to replace your top mounts at the same time. Even if they look ok, they can still knock, and have a detrimental impact on handling.

Rear Beam Spacers

Earlier cars, with fork mount rear dampers, had a narrower rear beam and a 10mm spacer fitted at each side between the beam axle and the back of the drum. Later cars had a wider beam and did away with this spacer. Spacers are available in 10mm, 12.5mm and 20.5mm, and are an easy way to extend the rear track of the car. Please note however that with a rear disc conversion, anything more than a 12.5mm spacer will cause the wheel to foul the arch.

Wheels & Tyres;
The original wheels are 6J x 15, ET34. The ET34 bit refers to the offset. This is the distance from the centre line of the wheel to the mounting face where the wheel meets the disc or drum. The lower the number the wider the track of the car, the larger the number, the further in the wheels sit, and therefore the narrower the track of the car. When the Puma was launched, one of the key changes to the chassis over the Mk4 Fiesta was an increase in track front and rear. At the rear, this was done with 10mm spacers between the rear beam axle and the drums, while at the front it was solely down to the change on wheel offset from around ET41 to ET34, 7mm per wheel, increasing front track by 14mm overall. The point here is that if you change the offset of the wheels, perhaps to the more commonly available ET40, you are effectively reducing the track of the car, and handling will suffer.

Some will argue that if you are fitting wider wheels, then a minor reduction in offset won’t matter, however the important point is the centre line of the wheel, this is what is mostly affected by a change in offset.

You can compensate for a change in offset by using wheel spacers, these fit between the mounting face of the wheel and the brake disc / drum, and space out the wheel. The issue with these is that you can’t really get away with anything more than 3mm, and still successfully mount the wheel on the centre ring. Not mounting the wheel on the centre ring can lead to vibration and potentially wheels falling off as the studs then have to take the full load, rather than just having to hold the wheel against the hub, and letting the spigot take the load.

If you want to fit a spacer larger than 3mm, you really need to go for a full hubcentric spacer. These are supported by your original spigot and provide a new one for the wheel to mount on. Spacers like these aren’t really available in anything less than 15mm as you need a certain amount of depth to cover the original spigot, while providing strength to the new one. The main problem with these larger spacers is that you will need to fit longer studs. To fit these at the front means the dismantling of the hub, otherwise the ABS tone wheel will prevent the removal of the old studs and the fitting of the new ones. If you split the hub you will then need to replace the wheel bearings, as they tend to collapse when removed.

Tyres fitted when new were 195/50R15. If you are sticking with a 15” wheel, then this is the best size tyre to fit. If you are going to a 16” wheel then the sizes recommended by Ford are 195/45R16 or 205/45R16. Personally I would stick with the 195 tyre if possible to retain the same rolling circumference and minimise the chances of the tyre fouling the body or suspension. If you are going to fit 17” wheels, I believe your tyre choices are limited to 205/40R17. Anything much bigger and you will probably have significant issues with body / suspension contact. The general consensus of opinion is that 17” wheels look best, 15” wheels drive best, and 16” wheels represent a good compromise. If you are fitting 17” wheels it is advised to modify the inner wing seam at the top of the front wheel houses to minimise the chances of contact under suspension compression.

Brakes;
FRONT BRAKES

The standard Puma uses circa 240mm front discs to 2000, from 2000 on they are 258mm discs.

Upgrading an earlier car to 258mm discs is quite straightforward, aside from Fiesta Zetec-S and later Puma, most Fiesta / Fusion’s from 2002on should be good candidates.
If you want something larger than this, or have a later car and are after an upgrade, your choices are as follows, beware however that fitting larger brakes will typically increase your unsprung weight and may have a detrimental impact upon handling.

Mondeo V6 / 4x4 1993 - 2001, Sierra / Sapphire / Escort Cosworth 4x4 (280mm)

Each of these vehicles uses broadly the same caliper and a 280mm disc, so the information is essentially the same. They will fit, but the caliper mounting bolts are a little bigger, so the mounting holes in the knuckles need enlarging. While the calipers are similar, I don't think the pads are interchangeable.

Beware of people trying to charge more for parts allegedly from an ST24 / ST200, the brake components are identical to an Si or Ghia of the same model year. Similarly don’t pay a premium for Cosworth 4x4 calipers, they are no better than the Mondeo ones, and are probably older.

Sierra / Sapphire Cosworth 2WD (280mm)

As above, but with a 4 pot caliper.

With each of the above 280mm conversions, you should try to get the correct discs and pads for the donor vehicle. All should fit behind standard 15” wheels. Beware of the spacing reducing the wheels contact with the spigot ring.

Fiesta ST (2002 - 2008) (280mm)

This car uses a 280mm disc with a single piston caliper, this is a direct bolt on conversion, no spacing necessary, and no enlarging of bolt holes. Unfortunately because of the relative scarcity and newness of the Fiesta ST, this conversion can be expensive. Should fit behind standard 15” wheels.

Mondeo Mk3 (2001 - 2007) / Focus ST170 (2002 - 2004) (300mm)

While the calipers on the above cars are different, the conversion is the same. In each case you need the 300mm front discs from a Focus ST170. No spacing is necessary, but you will need to enlarge the mounting holes in the knuckles. This conversion can be made to fit behind standard 15” wheels by grinding back the caliper carriers, but it is very tight. You would be better off with 16”; wheels.

Additionally, some wheel designs do not have enough clearance behind the spokes, meaning spacing in front of the disc could be necessary. I understand that the 15” “Propeller Style” Puma alloys, and the 16” 4 spoke Turbine alloys commonly fitted to the ST24, will need spacers, certainly for the Mondeo calipers. I have personally tried both and prefer the ST170 calipers, those these are more expensive, there is a greater range of aftermarket performance pads available. It has also been suggested that the ST170 calipers require much more grinding to fit behind 15” wheels than the Mk3 Mondeo calipers.

In each of the above cases, the Puma’s original brake lines should be suitable.

REAR BRAKES

The only real upgrade for the rear brakes is rear disc brakes, be aware though that this is probably more for aesthetics than stopping power, as the standard rear drums are more than upto the job in every day driving.

Focus Mk1 (1998 - 2004) / Fiesta ST (2002 - 2008)

As with engine tuning, the best place to start is with what Ford did for the Racing Puma. This uses standard Ford Focus Mk1 (1998 - 2004) rear spindles, discs and calipers, with the only modification being to the ABS tone wheel and ABS sensor mounting.

The Racing Puma is fitted as standard with 253mm rear discs, as fitted to all 2.0 and I think all TDCi (115PS) Focus. Possibly more engine variants toward the end of the vehicles product lifecycle. The exact same rear setup is also fitted to Fiesta ST (2002 - 2008).

If you aren’t concerned with ABS, then this setup will bolt straight on to your Puma with no modifications. You will need a different handbrake cable (ideally FRP, but Focus Mk1 with rear discs will definitely fit, and Fiesta ST would probably fit better), and different brake lines. While FRP brake lines are perfect for the job, and are modified to minimise the possibility of rubbing, they are also pretty scarce. Puma front brake lines can be used, but you should monitor them carefully to make sure that they can’t come into contact with the wheel and tyre.

Focus ST170, Focus RS (2002 - 2004)

The Focus ST170 and Focus RS (2002 - 2004) both use essentially the same rear hub setup as a 253mm equipped Focus, but with 270mm discs and a larger caliper carrier to compensate. The Focus RS does use a different offset disc, and IIRC a slightly wider hub. Calipers are the same on all variants.

Racing Puma

The Racing Puma setup bolts straight on, as mentioned above, this is the same as fitted to the standard Focus, but with modified ABS sensor hole on the near side, a completely different ABS sensor hole on the offside, and with the back of the hub modified to take the standard Puma tone ring. The splash shields also have to be modified slightly to accommodate the larger Puma ABS sensor.

Escort MkV / IV

As an alternative to the Focus rear disc setup, you could use the setup from the back of an Escort with rear discs. I am not certain of the issues involved, but condition is probably the biggest issue, given that the last rear disc equipped cars were probably manufactured in 1996 (last was RS2000 4x4). The Escort uses a similar ABS system to the Puma, so this part should need less effort to make the ABS work properly.

All Focus / FRP Comment

Beware with any of these options that the rear disc setup will extend the track of your car by 11mm (more in the case of the FRS). If you are already running 20.5mm spacers, you will probably want to consider changing for smaller spacers. I have changed to 12.5mm spacers and so far things seem ok.

Transmission;

The Puma, like most sub 2.0 petrol FWD Ford’s, uses an IB5 gearbox. There are a number of options regarding gear and final drive ratio, from chopping and changing with the ratios used in other Fords.

A great option is the fitment of a Limited Slip Differential. There are various different types, the cheapest option being fitting one from a Series 2 Escort RS Turbo, some of the Ford Racing Puma’s were fitted with a slightly better LSD, though these transmissions are few and far between. A third choice is the fitment of a Quaife torque biasing differential. These are very expensive, but are arguably the best option.

The FRP uses a standard gearbox, but with shot peened first and second gears, which I believe makes them tougher, along with the final drive ratio from the 1.6 litre car, to compensate for it’s larger wheel & tyre combination.
 
Invaluable information!

Stickied :eek:k:
 
Loads of good info there covering almost everything in one entire post! :eek:k: My only quible would be to put all the headings eg 'Brakes' or 'Racing Puma' in bold or something to make the stand out more if ppl were to flick through it quickly.
 
Thanks, major headings now in bold, but for some reason I really struggle with editing long posts on here, always wants to shoot up the page.
 
This is meant to be a discussion document though, so if anyone has anything to add, or disagrees with any of it, this is the place to do it.
 
It's a great guide, has very useful information.
If we put rear disc brakes, a focus mk1, we must use the ABS sensors focus mk1?

Thanks
 
_xabi_ said:
It's a great guide, has very useful information.
If we put rear disc brakes, a focus mk1, we must use the ABS sensors focus mk1?

Thanks

No, you need to modify them to accept the Puma tone wheels and Puma ABS loom. The Focus ABS sensors, etc. are not compatible with the Puma ABS system, hence the FRP rear brake parts are based upon the Focus parts, but modified to accept the Puma ABS parts.

TyeBoi said:
what a post!

well done flash!

Cheers!
 
awesome post!

for the frp airflow iv added a custom made cold air feed for behind the lower passenger side vent in bumper (sell them on ebay occassionally) which has helped, iv 'flowed' the airbox lower half by adding shaped inserts, top half is next, flowed the maf, fitted & flowed a mondeo 2.0l throttle body (idling problems due to air leaks which should be sorted now), will be flowing the intake flange on the manifold to match the throttle body soon also.

all have helped & you certainly miss them if you have to take them off!
 
FlashBastd said:
_xabi_ said:
It's a great guide, has very useful information.
If we put rear disc brakes, a focus mk1, we must use the ABS sensors focus mk1?

Thanks

No, you need to modify them to accept the Puma tone wheels and Puma ABS loom. The Focus ABS sensors, etc. are not compatible with the Puma ABS system, hence the FRP rear brake parts are based upon the Focus parts, but modified to accept the Puma ABS parts.


Cheers!

Somebody did and have photos?

Thanks for the help
 
hi, new to the site and to the puma in general, finally i can afford one!!!!

Really cool guide lots for me to do i'm sellin my old car and putting about £800-£1000 into my new puma, can do all the work myself well 95% lol... tea breaks an all that... any suggestions to which changes I shud do with my limited budget or as I like to think of it, "the stage 1 kit."

Never driven the puma before but have loved the super 1600 rally car since i first saw it debut season.

Thanks again great guide/ ideas

Mo
 
We're did u get the uprated anti roll bar, I'd it a of the shelf piece, off of a mother car, or custom made??
 
From a Fiesta Zetec-S, but unless you are suffering from a really stiff rear, i.e. excess oversteer, then I wouldn't bother. Stiffening up the front on a FWD car typically leads to understeer, which you probably don't want.
 

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