How To Improve The Breathing,performance And Economy Of The Galaxy

[johnswlondon]

in general terms,the cooler the air surrounding the engine the better the fuel economy and performance of the engine.this is because a cold (air)induction charge is more dense than hot air induction,making the combustion process more effective.

so removing items which insulate the engine from cold air(especially ram effect cold air as you accelerate) will help the engine breathe

 

1.remove the plastic sump tray which doubles as a splash guard,how important this is to you may depend on how much deep water you regularly pass through,but for townies it is of limited use

 

2.on the 2.0 and 2.3,remove the front pipe in front of the air filter box completely to aid ram effect,the air will then be drawn from around the base of the passenger side headlight.

 

3.remove the base of the air filter housing,and make 3 half centimetre holes by sticking a screw driver through the dirt collection cones moulded into the base

 

there will be a slight increase in induction noise but this just tells you the intake is less restricted

[seatkid]

Removing the sump tray on a Galaxy is a safety hazard as the power steering pump belt is exposed to water spray (on a diesel at least), causing intermittent loss of power assistance. This is well documented and anyone who has experienced this (as i have) will tell you what a frightening experience it is. I doubt if a woman could steer a Galaxy without power assistance....

 

Removing under trays will also affect aerodynamics, IMO for the worse.

 

Fuel economy is governed totally nowadays by the fuel management system. On petrol models it is dictacted by the lambda probe which controls mixture ratios accurately irregardless of air intake conditions.

 

The one thing your suggestions may affect is performance, but tbh I think all it would do is make it noisier.

[mumof4]

Im sorry but after experiencing steering loss and not being able to steer the the galaxy..i agree with seatkid...the tree i hit wasnt a soft bendy rubber one..it was tall hard and felt like it was made of stone!

 

I dont know where you get your info from John...but i totally disagree with removeing the splash guard under a car..it is there for a reason..Specially needed on diesels.If the car didnt need one..why would the manufacturers put one on??

 

 

I have heard of putting holes where you suggested....but to be honest....im starting to wonder where you are getting your info from.

 

we have to be careful on this forum..as a newbie may join..see what you recommend..do all you say..what then if an accident happens??..most of us say we are not qualified mechanics...even though we do have mechanics coming on here asking for help!!

 

if you are going to post like you have above..please say that if anyone does all this...it is at their own risk...what would happen if a newbie joined..took his undertray off..misjudged a puddle of water on the road..lost his steering...who is he going to blame????

 

I may be overthinking here...but all that is put on these forums is our own experiences..dashboard removals...stripping an engine etc...

 

its all well and good posting what you have and yes it may help someone...but you need evidence to back up your facts.

 

or am i talking out my ass again????

[insider]

in general terms,the cooler the air surrounding the engine the better the fuel economy and performance of the engine.

 

. . .

 

1.remove the plastic sump tray which doubles as a splash guard,how important this is to you may depend on how much deep water you regularly pass through,but for townies it is of limited use

I disagree - it's not the air surrounding the engine that needs to be cold (and therefore dense) but the air going into the engine. That's why intercoolers are fitted to some of the diesels. So, removing the undertray would have no beneficial effect and, as stated above, could be a safety hazard.

 

this is because a cold (air)induction charge is more dense than hot air induction,making the combustion process more effective.

 

2.on the 2.0 and 2.3,remove the front pipe in front of the air filter box completely to aid ram effect,the air will then be drawn from around the base of the passenger side headlight.

 

3.remove the base of the air filter housing,and make 3 half centimetre holes by sticking a screw driver through the dirt collection cones moulded into the base

 

there will be a slight increase in induction noise but this just tells you the intake is less restricted

I agree with the first statement, but the ram effect will be negligible until you reach high speed and would then probably have little effect.

Making holes in the air filter housing would allow a little more air in and would increase induction noise. Again, the effect is probably negligible and the improvement in performance you claim is probably a false perception - the car sounds louder and hence feels more powerful.

There are many after market air induction kits that claim unrestricted air flow and ensure that cold air is drawn in by re-routing the air intake to the front of the car, away from hot engine components (exhaust). The benefits gained from these is questionable and many actually have a detrimental effect on performance, especially on modern fuel-injected, emissions-controlled engines. The manufacturers have spent millions tuning the complete engine system - induction, combustion and exhaust for optimum performance. As mo4 says, if it was that easy the manufacturers would have done it!

[raymac]

mo4 , i totally agree with everything you have said and highlighted ;) now about this talking out you ass bit B) there could be a lot of money in that if you can get a good agent :lol:

[insider]

I doubt if a woman could steer a Galaxy without power assistance....

 

A bit sexist! There are a few "beefy" females out there (not sure how many drive Galaxys though :lol: ) and quite a few "feeble" men.

But seriously, I'm sure we'd all have difficulty without power assistance, especially if it was a sudden, unexpected loss.

[mumof4]

I doubt if a woman could steer a Galaxy without power assistance....

 

A bit sexist! There are a few "beefy" females out there (not sure how many drive Galaxys though :lol: ) and quite a few "feeble" men.

But seriously, I'm sure we'd all have difficulty without power assistance, especially if it was a sudden, unexpected loss.

 

Believe me..its bloody hard..in fact nigh on impossible unless you are hanging off the steering wheel on one side and yanking it.And i aint exactly no lightweight.

[mumof4]

mo4 , i totally agree with everything you have said and highlighted ;) now about this talking out you ass bit B) there could be a lot of money in that if you can get a good agent ;)

 

 

Know any good agents???? :lol:

[morticiaskeeper]

A ram air effect will help engine breathing, but the ECU will ultimately control the fueling.

 

Aerodynamics are witchcraft!! I worked on racing cars and my brother now works in the wind tunnel of an F1 team (they give you wings), I also work a lot with kites.

 

Turbulence created by an object in the airstream will exist for between 7 and 11 times the height behind the object. If a 30 ft tree is upwind of a kite, the kite will not find clean air untill at least 210ft beyond the tree.

 

On a car, that will explain why speed attempts and racing teams spend so much time on polishing and smoothing the airflow. Taping over half inch body clips even makes a difference.

 

Losing the floortray is likely to increase turbulence and drag under the car. Shaping a floortray to direct air into the turbulence behind the wheels would have a better effect. That's why F1 cars have complicated wing endplates, and Ferarri have the vents in the side of the "Hubcaps".

[me myself and I]

A ram air effect will help engine breathing, but the ECU will ultimately control the fueling.

 

Aerodynamics are witchcraft!! I worked on racing cars and my brother now works in the wind tunnel of an F1 team (they give you wings), I also work a lot with kites.

 

Turbulence created by an object in the airstream will exist for between 7 and 11 times the height behind the object. If a 30 ft tree is upwind of a kite, the kite will not find clean air untill at least 210ft beyond the tree.

 

On a car, that will explain why speed attempts and racing teams spend so much time on polishing and smoothing the airflow. Taping over half inch body clips even makes a difference.

 

Losing the floortray is likely to increase turbulence and drag under the car. Shaping a floortray to direct air into the turbulence behind the wheels would have a better effect. That's why F1 cars have complicated wing endplates, and Ferarri have the vents in the side of the "Hubcaps".

 

 

 

 

Now thats told you all

[Andrew T]

I agree with you. In the 80s when manufacturers to began to take Aerodynamics seriously they tried fully enclosed underbodies to smooth out the airflow. Although they worked well they found that much of the improvement was due just from sealing the engine cavity and satisfied themseves with doing just that. Imagine what driving with the bonnet off would do to the Aerodynamics and you get the picture of what removing the undertray would do. I suppose that at 50 MPH it would not make a huge differance as aerodynamics only start coming into play above that speed.

Here's an interesting bit of trivia. VW's box-on- wheels Kombi actually had a lower drag co-efficient that the E-type Jag, and a lot it was due to the smooth underbody of the Kombi compared to the Gaping chasm of an E-types engine bay.

[mumof4]

Where do you get your info from JohnswLondon??personal experience ?or another website??..Just curious.

[raymac]

mo4 , i totally agree with everything you have said and highlighted ;) now about this talking out you ass bit :lol: there could be a lot of money in that if you can get a good agent B)

 

 

Know any good agents???? ;)

 

i'll look into it ;) the agents that is :P

[MadBaz]

Just to add my two penneth worth, removing the under tray could allow dust & dirt ingress into the bellhousing compromising those not so robust clutch slave cylinders, extremly expensive and a pain to replace.

[Paul B]

I'm sorry, but I thinking I may be getting addicted to this forum, and John's other post was the cause!! "How to Double the Fuel Economy of your Galaxy".

 

It never ceases to amaze me how we all have different viewpoints, some well informed and some not so well informed. I just cannot image anybody going to the lengths that he describes, or am I naive? If things are that tight, why not just put a brick in the toilet cistern? (Before you ask, NO I don't have one my cistern!) Yes we all want better performance, and better fuel economy, but you can go too far! By the time you've bought the basic Galaxy and stripped it down to resemble a Fiesta, you might as well have bought a Fiesta in the first place!

 

I love my Galaxy, sad as it may be, but I want it to be a Galaxy. I want to keep all 7 seats in it in case I need them (no good at home in the garage), I want to have the Climate Control on and use the Heated Seats in the winter. If I didn't enjoy these things, I just wouldn't have bought a Galaxy. OK so I've LPG'd mine to get better Fuel Economy and I'm proud of it! But that's as far as it goes. There is more to life than watching the Fuel Gauge and Driving round 20 mph under the Legal Limit just to save fuel. I simply can't be bothered. It's far more important to drive safely and sensibly than be worried out of my mind the two extra seats I'm carrying are costing me a extra few pence!

 

I love to read and hear other people's point of view, I think it's an important part of life. There is a lot to be learned from others. But sometimes, just sometimes............you do hear some daft suggestions! Maybe I'm daft for not following these ideas, I dont' know? But I can vouch for driving with no undertray and losing your PAS when you've been through a big puddle!! Happened to me in July (rainy July, you remember it too well) after I had removed it to repair my Air Con, and it certainly ain't nice! Especially without Bendy Trees around.LOL

 

Anyway, just to say, this forum is gr8! I love reading through it, keep it coming. I might disagree with you, but I'm always willing to hear the other side! I love the little digs certain people have at each other, I don't complain, after all life's too short to take it all seriously. We all use this forum for the same reason, to learn from others experiences, or to put across our own to help others. The forum has definitely saved me some serious money in the short time I've been on it, and I don't think my life would be the same without it, sad eh??

 

Now all I need to do is learn to condense these essays.......... :rolleyes: Where can I find the essay condensing forum I wonder?...

[mumof4]

Damn good post there paul B!..

 

Found those agents numbers yet Raymac???.. :rolleyes:

 

All i wanna know is where he gets his info from..if its from another website or experience.

[Paul B]

Thanks MO4! I need to get some Diacalm, suffering from verbal dirrahorea today!

 

I meant to ask too, is there ever a meet of Galaxy owners? I did try and join the FGOC (Ford Galaxy Owners Club) I followed their online instructions, but never heard a thing back, you're supposed to within 24 hours. Don't know what that's all about?? Anyway, I work quite a lot and don't have much time, but I just wondered whether there were any set dates when Owners meet up at a set venue or anything? I can't find any info anywhere else about it? Unless I'm looking in the wrong places, which is highly possible!

[Paul B]

It's official!! I am a Divvy!! Just noticed the logo at the top left on the home page, Ford Galaxy Owners Club, I have never noticed it before!! What an idiot!

 

But then why did they never email me back?? Any ideas?? Is it because they don't divs like me?? LOL

[mumof4]

the FGOC is a different galaxy club.I cant answer why they didnt reply.As it was set up by a couple of members from here..wont go into details..but.......the two clubs are not connected.

Dont you dare defect!!!!LOL.

 

There is a regional section on here where i TRY and organise meets..there is one with the FFOC as we have been invited by them to show at their second national day.All the info is in the national meet section.

 

your east mids..where abouts are you??As i think im east mids organisor ..not sure..but i am the national one.

 

Can always pm me if you want more info.

[Paul B]

Don't worry, there's more chancing of defecting to the KGB, you can't even get a reply out of them!LOL

 

Anyway, proves my point, at least I've learn't something new today! Other than how to end up driving round a bend into a non bendy tree after buggering my PAS up! It's not verbal diarrhorea, it's foot and mouth, everytime I open my mouth I put my foot in it! I wonder......Does Diacalm work the other way around?? If I put it in the other end, will it cure my problem??

 

Anyway, I will have a look and try and find this info. If I'm available I'd love to come along.

 

I think East Midlands was the closest description to my area. I'm in the outback, back of beyond, NORFOLK!! Well, Norwich actually. Where everybody drives in "Economy" mode, especially on a Sunday. Better not go into that, I'll end up getting banned! LOL

 

Thanks for the info though. If I can't find it, I will get back to you.

 

Cul8r

[gregers]

I did try and join the FGOC (Ford Galaxy Owners Club) I followed their online instructions, but never heard a thing back :22: :rolleyes:

It's not verbal diarrhorea, it's foot and mouth, everytime I open my mouth I put my foot in it! I wonder......Does Diacalm work the other way around?? If I put it in the other end, will it cure my problem?? :lol: :23: :lol:

[lazyb5]

Hi all,

i would love to meet up i`m between pauls place and the midlands so paul when your passing wait for me :lol:

Edited August 15, 2007 by lazyb5

[mumof4]

Blimey..all those in east mids who wanna meet..go put yer name down in the regional section..:lol:

 

Maybe do an impromptu meet if you want??

[katman]

:lol:-->

QUOTE(Paul B @ Aug 15 2007, 15:57:04) 113614[/snapback]

I think East Midlands was the closest description to my area. I'm in the outback, back of beyond, NORFOLK!! Well, Norwich actually. Where everybody drives in "Economy" mode, especially on a Sunday. Better not go into that, I'll end up getting banned! LOL

 

Im on the edge of beyond about to fall into the sea.

 

20 miles away from you in Great Yarmouth :lol:

[Neils TDi again]

Can I be so bold as to pull this back onthe original subject ?

 

Why would we want to make a Galaxy breath easier or run cooler on the oil burners we have a aux heater cos the engine dont get hot enough already.

 

I am sure I havent been dreaming this was a thread about Galaxy's and breathing ?