K&N 57i Induction kit

Lift up any Zetec Mondeo's Bonnet and the first thing that will strike you is the mass of black plastic blocking any access to anything. Once you've had the car a while you'll also realise that all this plastic and the air filter that's inside it is actually suffocating the engine. So here's a solution that not only opens up the breathing but gets rid of a lot of the plumbing as well.

I fitted the K&N 57i kit that is made especially for this model. It cost £75 from Croydon Race and Rally. The kit is very comprehensive and includes everything you need to fit it. Fitting time was about 40 minutes

The kit has two parts, first there is the Filter and its adapter tube that is used to replace the plenum and old filter housing. This includes a rubber section with a T fitting in it that the air temp sender goes into (its a very firm push fit), and a bracket to support the unit. It all goes together very well and looks good

The second part of the kit is a long flexible black foil hose that you use to duct air up to the filter from out side (You can just see the top of it beneath the K&N itself by the red battery lead). I routed this down behind the battery, under the battery and then forward around the radiator to the lower grill vent holes, so I am ramming air up the hose into the engine bay. The original ford air intake also still exits near the filter. (the rise and bend ensures water cant go up the tube). Fitting this hose took longer than the filter

Impressions afterwards were that there was some more grunt, but I now had flat spots in the power band. Induction noise was much better and access is improved. So not a major difference on its own, but a base that all other mods can build on and hence a must have.

Quality and fit of the kit is very good and I would buy another. The only down side is that the chrome end cap on the filter fell off after 2 years (frightened the life out of me, as it went under the car)