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Reviewed: INJEN Air Intake for Fiesta ST

11264 Views 34 Replies 11 Participants Last post by  dreamernyc
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http://blog.modbargains.com/expert-review-injen-air-intake-ford-fiesta-st/

The full review can be found at the link above.



Welcome to another Expert Review – We at ModBargains got the word from Injen that their new SP Tuned Intake System for 2014 Ford Fiesta ST was now out of the prototype stage and that the final production part is ready- and now available at ModBargains. We got our hands on one of the first intake systems for Fiesta ST and had to give it a try for ourselves.



I've previously discussed the different types of Air Intake Upgrades – this particular intake for Fiesta ST is a “Short Ram” type that adds a conical filter just ahead of the mass air sensor, but also replaces the entire intake tract rear of the MAF sensor to the turbocharger inlet. The OEM Fiesta ST Intake System, while a true ram-air type system, it’s restrictive and the integrated silencer baffles keep you from enjoying the happy spool of your turbo.

As an enthusiast myself, I have been waiting to upgrade my intake system as nothing up until now was an appealing option – the few competing systems on the market now require cutting or modifying the EGR/PCV system and even modifying the harness.

Injen‘s Intake System for the Fiesta ST is the first one available that is a true plug-n-play type upgrade. Given how many Fiesta ST owners are concerned about their warranties, the idea of a system that required no modification to other systems and left the EGR/PCV system intact was particularly attractive. California ST Owners take note, because I know you want to know: This intake does not yet carry a CARB number – It may in the future.

With a few basic hand tools (7, 8, 10, 12 and 13mm deep sockets + T20 torx), I was able to install the intake system myself in my carport in about forty minutes. I found that having a set of really wide pliers was especially valuable to pop the vacuum connections off their retainers without destroying their retainer clips. I found that the most difficult part of the installation was actually removing the old intake tube that connects the inlet to the junction by the battery. This tube is secured by the 12mm ball stud that the engine cover mounts to (save this and reinstall it) and a 10mm nut. Remove the nut then remove the grommet liners, then remove the grommets. This makes it much, much easier to rotate the intake tube so you can actually get it off. Aside from this minor snag, everything installed quickly and the experience was not at all frustrating.

I’ve been driving the car for a few days now with the Injen intake, and here are my findings. Before you even get out of your driveway the first time, you will immediately notice how much more you hear your turbocharger. This is not to say it is overly loud or drones, but rather, you actually hear the turbo spooling – and you can hear the system let off excess pressure – giving you that cool “PSSHHH” sound most people buy a blow-off valve to get.
(Protip: The Ford Fiesta ST and Ford Focus ST do not need a Blow-Off Valve or Upgraded Wastegate Actuator – There is no performance gain for BOVs)
So, if nothing else, you will love the improved intake tone. I have been having a hard time keeping my foot out of it! In addition to now being able to actually hear your turbo doing its thing, I notice that throttle response is improved and the car definitely feels like it has a little more gusto on the ol’ butt-dyno. (Dyno figures from us coming soon…)

When we picked up our intake, we got the chance to see the intakes being produced, right here in California – in the USA , as opposed to being imported. What’s more, we got the chance to talk to Injen’s Intake Engineers about the system for the Fiesta ST.
“We designed the system so you don’t have to cut any of your EGR or PCV lines,” said one Engineer, “While we were designing the intake for the Fiesta ST, we tried several different size intake tubes – 3″ was too large for the motor, but 2.5″ hit the sweet spot and that’s what we went with for final production.” Injen specializes in “Tuned” intake systems (different from ECU tuning), which tailor the air flow characteristics of the intake for maximum power and torque gains. So, what is the power gain of the tuned intake system?



Injen reports that on an otherwise Stock Ford Fiesta ST, the Injen Air Intake got +8.71 more Horsepower and +9.15 more lb/ft of torque at the front wheels on the dyno, hitting a peak of almost 180hp at the front wheels (stock baseline is around +-170) with a stock tune and this cold air intake. Given that my own Fiesta ST is running a Cobb Stage I 91 Octane map, my gains are likely a little higher because the factory computer’s torque truncation in 1st and 2nd is disabled by the tune. If you’re running an ECU Tune like I am, you can probably expect similarly improved gains. While an enhanced intake system also can improve fuel economy, I’ve not yet noticed any change in economy – neither improved nor decreased (I will update this if I do).

In closing, if you want a little more fun out of your Fiesta ST, this Injen Intake will definitely deliver. You’ll feel the added power, but you’ll hear the difference with every shift, and having that spool and blow off valve sound really does makes every drive a little more fun. If you’ve got a little cash burning a hole in your pocket, picking up one of these intake systems is a fantastic idea and delivers real, tangible wheel-horsepower increases (many upgrade “gain” figures are Crankshaft HP, not Wheel HP). I hate to use this phrase, but you really do get “more smiles per mile”, as it’s certainly left me grinning. Availble at ModBargains for just $250.80, the price is also hard to beat for actual wheel horsepower gains.

Check back soon for a short video clip so you can hear this intake for yourself.

newest video, best sound


Story & Photos Blue Bomber
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Ordered mine this week. DaveSave do you already have a tuner (Cobb AccessPort, etc) or are you running stock programming? I am hopeful that a performance tune will be able to take advantage of the intake and make some added power.
Installed the Injen intake last night, and I must warn all that it will take far longer than 40 minutes to install, no matter how experienced of a mechanic you are. Mating the intake tube to the turbo with the supplied rubber connector is damn near impossible. The rubber material is just thick enough to barely stretch over the piping, while thin enough to fold and bend when you don't want it to (just be ready for a fight). Overall product quality is very good and the intake and turbo sounds are well worth listening to. No noticeable power increase or improved throttle response.
That's interesting you struggled with that part - the part that was an unbearable bastard for me was getting the OEM tube off of the same connector you mention off the turbo. That was the hard part. But, I did something extra I forgot to mention. I lubricated the mating edges of the tube beforehand with a little bit of water to help things slide easier, which helped - actual install/assembly of the unit went quickly for me.

Cobb actually recommends using silicon spray to mate some of their parts - and using a little lube really does help a LOT.

Glad to hear you otherwise like it, I did notice a marginal increase on the butt dyno - you may want to turn off ESC (hold the button instead of pressing it - a status bar appears on the MFT screen and once the status bar fills ESC is 100% off). There is definitely an increase in response, especially low end. try cruising with as little throttle input as possible and the difference is more noticeable. I have tried my Injen intake with my stock tune, Cobb Stage I 91, Cobb Stage 0 and Cobb Economy tunes. Again, I think you get a greater gain off the intake when combined with a tune.

But if you wanted a blow-off valve beforehand, getting this intake eliminates that need lol
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That's interesting you struggled with that part - the part that was an unbearable bastard for me was getting the OEM tube off of the same connector you mention off the turbo. That was the hard part. But, I did something extra I forgot to mention. I lubricated the mating edges of the tube beforehand with a little bit of water to help things slide easier, which helped - actual install/assembly of the unit went quickly for me.

Cobb actually recommends using silicon spray to mate some of their parts - and using a little lube really does help a LOT.

Glad to hear you otherwise like it, I did notice a marginal increase on the butt dyno - you may want to turn off ESC (hold the button instead of pressing it - a status bar appears on the MFT screen and once the status bar fills ESC is 100% off). There is definitely an increase in response, especially low end. try cruising with as little throttle input as possible and the difference is more noticeable. I have tried my Injen intake with my stock tune, Cobb Stage I 91, Cobb Stage 0 and Cobb Economy tunes. Again, I think you get a greater gain off the intake when combined with a tune.

But if you wanted a blow-off valve beforehand, getting this intake eliminates that need lol[/QUO
Hope I get a warm day soon to install the new toys ...
Auto part Bicycle part Pipe Vehicle Metal
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Looking forward to seeing the Red installed ..
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Yeah Rod I am hoping it doesn't clash too bad with the orange car. It was really my only choice though. Black is invisible and I think polished looks a little cheesy on a street car.
Should be Fine :)
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Check it out. New video of how it sounds actually fitted on the car.
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Sweet Sounds Great..
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Turns out the color is pretty orangey ... sorta a Chinese red. Cool sounds :) Install was generally easy. I have some commentary on design/quality that I will post later.
Land vehicle Vehicle Car Motor vehicle Engine
Vehicle Engine Auto part Car Supermini
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Looks Good ..
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Ok so the quality and fit of the parts is good. There were a number of things that annoyed me. Guess I have really high standards: a few spelling/grammar errors in the instructions. The required tools list wasn't complete because the factory hardware as well as the provided hardware needed extra sizes. I got an extra nut and was missing one washer. The bolts that hold the heat shield to the rubber air box grommets came with regular washers. They need to be fender washers. Installed with the regular washers they never really got tight and I easily pulled the shield free of the grommets ... pulled the nuts/washers right through. The fender washer provided to attach the shield to the rad support covers a pretty large square hole. The washer deforms easily when tightening the socket head bolt and ends up looking cheesy. I'd like to see a machined aluminum thicker washer here. The silicone coupler fits pretty sloppy on the turbo. It gets tight with the clamp, but seems like it should fit tighter before clamping. The clamps seem big with probably 1.5" of tail sticking out when tightened. The clamps don't operate very smoothly ... just don't make 'em like they used to I guess. The machined bosses for the two vacuum/breather connections and the MAF were powder coated instead of being left un-coated. This made seating the connectors quite difficult. In fact, the small hose still isn't on all the way. I will revisit that tomorrow. The self-cut/fit weatherstrip on the heat shield is pretty cheesy and I would really like to see something that attempts to seal around the tube and against the hood and other surrounding parts. I know there has to be room for things to move, but the CAI on my '08 Mustang (I forget the brand) was much better in this respect.

All in all I like the kit a lot. It fits well looks great, and sounds great. I guess you can call me picky :)
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Oh and a couple things were left for me to figure out, like I had to cut the MAF harness free of a couple tape wrapped restraints to make it reach the new MAF location. The heat shield impinges on the hood release cable a bit. I suppose it might chafe over time.
My findings after my install:

Make Sure MAP Sensor is not hitting the Plastic cover behind. When you launch hard engine moves back with the intake and hits that plastic. You might damage your Sensor and wiring. When you installed supplied Rubber Mount/Support for the intake did you remove the 2nd Big Nut ? If not make sure to remove it then install the rubber mount. It only holds the wire bracket. Do not touch the smaller nut. Also make sure your Hood Support or holder whatever you wanna call it is not touching the Filter itself.

When you install heat shield you use 2 supplied bolts to secure it down. The one close to the Fender could be touching the wiring below. I used shorter bolt.
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