Stuck at 280whp?

[CreepyOldMan]

Hey all, last summer I upgraded to the S280 turbo and reached ~280whp on 93 pump gas, tuned by Adam. This year was meant to be the next step, with supporting mods to go beyond, hopefully somewhere in the neighborhood of ~350whp. I reached out to Adam to inquire about his recommendations for reaching my power goals and he said there is no power to be gained unless I can run E85. I can’t, unless I want to drive a long ways away regularly (I don’t). So apparently, even with fuel upgrades, cam, anything you can do with the car I am at the limit of what the Fiesta ST can do with an S280 on pump gas.

My question is; has anyone been able to reach the 300whp+ club on pump gas with the S280? What did you do and who tuned it? I would love some advice. If this is truly the end of the road power wise then I have some serious thinking to do. Thanks in advance to any who can provide insight and most importantly, experience.

 

[slopoke]

I'd say with pump gas you are at your limit. I had the S280's little brother, the S242 and was able to only get 250 whp on 91. The next was E30, then the next level was with aux fuel and topped out at 300whp. You might be able to get more by using an octane booster, like Octanium or Boostane. I'm not sure that a tuner will make a tune for it though. I'd still use an octane booster to help keep the detonation gremlins at bay.

I run Boostane with my Whippled Mustang to help keep the engine from going POP.

Edited: I wrote before reading the post completely.

 

[CreepyOldMan]

I'd say with pump gas you are at your limit. I had the S280's little brother, the S242 and was able to only get 250 whp on 91. The next was E30, then the next level was with aux fuel and topped out at 300whp. To get to 300, I would assume that you will be able to get it with E30 or E40, blend. To get to 350, you are probably going to have to install aux fuel or bigger injectors with larger HPFP.

So bigger injectors, a larger hpfp AND ethanol blend? Just wanting to make sure I’m understanding. Because my next step was bigger injectors and a new hpfp and I was told that there was nothing to gain unless I could also run E85. If that’s what you’re saying it sounds like what I was told is true. Which is a major bummer.

 

[slopoke]

I modified my original post. Since you aren't able to access E85, you're at your limit.

 

[CreepyOldMan]

I modified my original post. Since you aren't able to access E85, you're at your limit.

Got it, thanks for the confirmation. 😭

 

[Bull Run]

My question is; has anyone been able to reach the 300whp+ club on pump gas with the S280? What did you do and who tuned it? I would love some advice. If this is truly the end of the road power wise then I have some serious thinking to do. Thanks in advance to any who can provide insight and most importantly, experience.

Can you get a hold of methanol? WMI with 70/30 mix may get you to 300whp, maybe more with 100% methanol.

 

[slopoke]

Can you get a hold of methanol? WMI with 70/30 mix may get you to 300whp, maybe more with 100% methanol.

I completely forgot about WMI. I do believe if he got 280, he should be able to get 300 with it. So long as his tuner will tune for it.

 

[CreepyOldMan]

Yeah, this is my daily so if it’s not on pump gas I’m not interested. But thanks for your suggestions all the same. It seems crazy that I could get a cam for it and still not get anything? Ah well. It simplifies my upgrade path if anything. I appreciate your insights.

 

[M-Sport fan]

I am guessing that the new Sunoco 94 would not get all that much more measurable power, if any at all (especially given how they most likely got that octane level by upping the ethanol content, but not sure ), correct?

I definitely 'get it' about reaching/breaking that 300 to the wheels barrier, especially after dropping well over $2K for a DIY install with tunes and ancillaries, or close to $3K with labor, if it is just impossible for one to do this install themselves, for whatever reasons.

 

[CreepyOldMan]

I am guessing that the new Sunoco 94 would not get all that much more measurable power, if any at all (especially given how they most likely got that octane level by upping the ethanol content, but not sure ), correct?

I definitely 'get it' about reaching/breaking that 300 to the wheels barrier, especially after dropping well over $2K for a DIY install with tunes and ancillaries, or close to $3K with labor, if it is just impossible for one to do this install themselves, for whatever reasons.

I don’t have 94 where I live. But I spent way more than $2k. $2k for the turbo, $300 for the tune, another $100 for gaskets and bolts, then the down pipe, wastegate, intercooler, crossover pipe, intake, s hose for the intercooler, oil, filter, Cobb AP and $1k install (I have no tools or space or skill mechanically speaking). Probably around $5k all in. So yeah, it was tough to accept 280whp as a permanent stopping point. But it’s all my fault. I didn’t do my homework. I’m living the sunk cost fallacy big time now though 😅

 

[NOVA_Ranger]

Not a bad number to be 'stuck' at, IMO, for this platform. If I can get my car to a reliable 280whp I think the car will have all the power that it ever needs. No salt flat racing here, haha.

 

[Bull Run]

Yeah, this is my daily so if it’s not on pump gas I’m not interested. But thanks for your suggestions all the same. It seems crazy that I could get a cam for it and still not get anything? Ah well. It simplifies my upgrade path if anything. I appreciate your insights.

You'll be using pump gas with WMI. It just sprays the mixture at certain boost level. I have mine start at 10psi and max at 20psi. I rarely boost over 10psi so 3 quarts last me over a month.

 

[M-Sport fan]

Not a bad number to be 'stuck' at, IMO, for this platform. If I can get my car to a reliable 280whp I think the car will have all the power that it ever needs. No salt flat racing here, haha.

Agreed!

As once into the setups much bigger than the S280, you are heading more towards that 'highway roll racer', old school, ALL top end, house-sized turbo MKIV territory, which for me at least, is absolutely and totally useless.

(There is NO cop-less 'Mexico' around here at all. )

 

[gtx3076]

Agreed!

As once into the setups much bigger than the S280, you are heading more towards that 'highway roll racer', old school, ALL top end, house-sized turbo MKIV territory, which for me at least, is absolutely and totally useless.

(There is NO cop-less 'Mexico' around here at all. )

Where I'm driving definitely affects how I enjoy the car. On twisy backroads, I'm just fine with the stock turbo. Once I get on the highway where traffic is moving 70-85mph, I am wishing I had a bigger turbo.

 

[esp_martin]

I don’t have 94 where I live. But I spent way more than $2k. $2k for the turbo, $300 for the tune, another $100 for gaskets and bolts, then the down pipe, wastegate, intercooler, crossover pipe, intake, s hose for the intercooler, oil, filter, Cobb AP and $1k install (I have no tools or space or skill mechanically speaking). Probably around $5k all in. So yeah, it was tough to accept 280whp as a permanent stopping point. But it’s all my fault. I didn’t do my homework. I’m living the sunk cost fallacy big time now though 😅

Sunk cost fallacy infers the 280WHP was a mistake and now you are throwing more parts/money at it just to justify your original purchase. which isn't true in your case.

*everything* you installed were things you should install anyway to get to 280WHP on an S280. yes some of it doesn't help with power at all but it certainly helps with everyday reliability and everyone here would recommend everything you got regardless of ethanol or 93OCT tune. you didn't "get stuck" at that HP number. you reached the summit of what the Fiesta ST can reach with pump gas.

if you wanted to break past 280WHP and get north of 300 on your way to 350WHP, you'd need to upgrade the suspension (at the very least add some negative camber and maybe even positive front caster is a must); most likely the transmission too with an LSD and better clutch if you decided to go stickier tires to take advantage of the upgraded suspension to go with all that HP; and also upgrade your brakes (BBK is what most people do here but there are others who figured out ways to upgrade our existing braking). we're not even talking about upgrading your bushings, bracing, motor and tranny mounts (all of them), I COULD KEEP GOING.

yes you dropped $5K to get 280WHP to the ground. want to get 330WHP to the ground on the Fiesta? (first of all LOLOLOL, good luck) that would cost you $5K more. you're sending all that power to the front wheels. you're already at the point where the stock build is roasting those tires. think adding 330WHP only needs sticky tires? congrats, you just broke your tranny. think you don't need an LSD with that upgraded clutch? congrats, the "e-diff" is warping your brake rotors because now it's trying to rotate the car with 150 more horses to corral around corners. just the brakes you say and no LSD? fair. but now you're grumbling how the car doesn't have more speed coming outta corners than a stock Fiesta ST...lol, yeah the deeper down the rabbit hole you go the more you realize how much needs to get put into this car to get past 280WHP.

look up how much a performance car that gets 300+BHP (your engine clears 300 brake horsepower now easy) and see how much they cost; you saved *a lot* of money getting a Fiesta ST and getting to 300+BHP yourself.

pat yourself on the back for a job well done. don't beat yourself up over something that never could've been.

EDIT: all of this was written with the understanding maybe you would've never went down this road if you couldn't get 350WHP. maybe you would have bought a different car to get there or just done an easy whoosh hybrid upgrade and be done with it. i completely understand either feeling but still want you to know you did a good job here.

 

[Dpro]

I will just add to this as I am another S280 owner tuned by Adam that has access to E85 and do have a E30 tune for the car. I have hit 300whp and 340 wtq . All I can say if you’re not going drag racing ya it’s not needed in this platform.IMO

My car was silly fast at those numbers and had TQ steer that needed to be severely tamed with full mounts and LSD. I do run sticky rubber as well.
Oh and you know that donky kick hybrid owners seem to love that totally roasts your tires in low gears well it’s alive and well with a base E30 tune. Ya because even if you could go E30 Adam cannot tune it farther without you adding injectors at least. I was thinking of doing that till I realized I could never get even near legally smogging my car with higher flow injectors.

In the end I have come to believe for street driven and Canyon driving 280 hp is a great number for our cars . I actually pulled 284whp on vdyno. Car is fun but still drivable. I would say be happy you have a car that will run over a lot of cars a lot more expensive than the $5k over your purchase price . It’s a relative bargain performance wise.

 

[Jabbit]

Why couldn't you smog your car with injectors? How could anyone possibly tell?

 

[M-Sport fan]

Why couldn't you smog your car with injectors? How could anyone possibly tell?

I am guessing that it could not be tuned to pass a sniffer test with the very high flowing injectors, and/or even if solely an OBD2 plug-in the necessary tune for it to run at all would betray Dpro's S280 to the inspection workers if they somehow missed it in the first place, maybe??

 

[esp_martin]

Why couldn't you smog your car with injectors? How could anyone possibly tell?

i'm just happy i live in a state that only checks the tailpipe emissions and that i have a gas cap and not throwing any codes.

 

[M-Sport fan]

i'm just happy i live in a state that only checks the tailpipe emissions and that i have a gas cap and not throwing any codes.

If you are still registered/plated in Joyzee, they should not even be doing a sniffer test, even on ancient cars (let alone your '19!), at all.

Unless this is something that was just implemented at the start of the year??
Do they even do that leak-down check gas cap test on the cap-less systems like ours?
(I go next Tuesday for my first Garden State inspection in 14 years.)