B3 Mods

[TurboSVTF]

With my old festiva, I never modded the B3, I went for the B6 DOHC (one of the pioneers). Im buying a new Festiva and swore to keep the B3 in for a while til I found a solution Id want, so here's the plan...

1) Ported Intake manifold/ TB
-Does anyone make a larger TB?

2) Port/ polished/ decked head
-Would I see more benfit from using a B6 SOHC Head and p/p/d that?

3) FMS B3 Header
- Is it still made? How's it perform?

4) High flow cat
-Is such as thing out there?

5) Custom 2.5" Exhaust
-Would 2.25" be better?

6) Adjustable cam gear
-Does such an item exist?

7) Chip/ Tuning
-Whats recomended? I have a Diablosport predator for my SVT Focus, and its GREAT, does anything like this exist for us where we can re-write the ECU?

Thanks in advance..

[FestYboy]

going down the list:

p/p the entire intake system (best results from extrude honing process) and find a larger TB from another car (sry i can't give you a list of what works but i bet someone here can).

find a good B6 head and have it shaved just enough to square everything up and have the chambers filled in and then worked w/ larger valves if you can find any to fit (water jackets may hinder this)

FMS still has B3 headers as well as B6 headers.. both will fit to either head, but i recommend the B3 version over the B6 as it will provide better gas velocity at lower speeds than the B6 header. i have the B6 header and it's great after about 4000rpm but i don't see any benefit at lower rpms.

there are high flow cats available but why spend the money when a new 2.25 or 2.5 oval cat will flow more HP than your festy will ever produce?

i run a 2.25 exhaust system w/ mandrel bends and i personally think it doesn't provide enough back pressure. a 2" cat back will work as well as anything larger.

FMS sells an adjustable cam gear as well as a performance cam (i recommend this WITHOUT the dual valve springs that come with them. find a good set of beehive springs that work (I'm going with the beehive springs when i rebuild the head again.

no rewrite for the stock ECU that i know of. if you're doing all the above, you'd want a standalone like Mega-squirt anyway.

and just because I'm nice, a list of things i wish i did when i did my work:
wrap the headers and put a blocking plate next to the radiator and skid plate the length of the engine bay to keep crap off the exhaust and engine.
beehive springs instead of the duals that FMS has (nothing wrong with the FMS springs but they're too strong for the cast cam)
port match the intake
adjustable cam gear
B3 header

one other thing you can do (but i strongly advise you get the beehive springs that are just slightly stronger than stock or get a billet cam) use Aspire roller tipped rockers. i had a set on the festy before it got the B6 and i felt a noticeable improvement in the mid range power. DO NOT go this route if you use heavy duty springs!!! as the added pressure of the springs and smaller surface area of the rollers WILL chew up your cam!!! the cast cam can't handle the pressure and you will loose lobes.