If you look through my posts, you can see when the clutch was replaced with a RAM HDX clutch, along with a ton of other parts. While at Mustang Week 2014, I was having problems getting the clutch adjusted correctly. I have the UPR quick release quadrant and firewall adjuster and it was grabbing just off the floor no matter how it was adjusted. To have it grab a bit higher, I had to really stretch the cable. Something was definitely wrong.
When I got back I did a bit of research and decided to replace the cable. I ordered the maximum motorsports cable (which was already in there as of 100k miles ago) because it was the least expensive piece to replace. It also came with a spacer - MMCL-17 is the part number, and it's not on their web site. I did need to use this spacer eventually.
So the cable shows up and I replace it. Trying to adjust the thing I'm having the same issues. It was soon obvious that the cable was not the root of the problem. I had my dad start the car while it was up on jack stands. After making sure that everything was secure, I got under there and looked up inside the bell housing while the fork cover was off. What I noticed the fork was vibrating like crazy! Now I know this is not due to the previous install. I've done this more than once, and my buddy that assisted me is a seasoned veteran when it comes to clutch installs. We shut the car off, and bumped the motor over without starting the car. What I finally noticed was a heart breaker. The fingers on the pressure plate, where the release bearing would push on, were not all the same height. This meant that some fingers were touching the release bearing, some were not. This explained why I had to have the cable so tight to get the clutch to release - it had to PULL those 'high' fingers into the low ones enough that when the pedal was depressed, the clutch would release. I knew I was going to be pulling the clutch setup again. It had to come out of there.
A couple days later, surgery began again. In a few hours I had the pressure plate in my hand. It looked fine! We checked the flywheel, we checked the disk, we even used calipers to measure the flange on the pressure plate. I couldn't see anything wrong. I got on the phone with tech support for RAM. they gave me a bunch of troubleshooting procedures which I followed. Eventually the issue pointed to a distorted pressure plate. I boxed it all up and sent it to them at their request the following day. At the same time, I ordered the exact same kit, brand new, from a retailer and it arrived two days later. I installed the clutch again, and I also replaced the rear main seal once again (and it still leaks by the way). This is the part where I also installed the MM spacer I mentioned above. Everything seemed perfect. I adjusted the cable according to the instructions and I was immediately pleased with the pedal feel. Everything now FELT perfect. The clutch release was great, pedal feel was fantastic, and the quick release quadrant and new MM cable made for great feedback. I couldn't be happier, except for the fact that I had to buy TWO clutch kits in less than 20k miles.
After two weeks, I followed up with RAM since I had not heard from them. I know that the package was delivered 3 days after I sent it out to them. At first they had problems finding it (summer help will do that), but they eventually tracked it down. The gentlemen who originally helped me with tech support called me up. He told me they finally found it, and that a brand new kit was on the way to me, and should be delivered today. I was pretty shocked, but definitely pleased! Sure enough, it was on my doorstep after I hung up the phone. It must have been delivered earlier in the day. Now I have in my hands the exact same kit that I had just ordered two weeks ago, and installed in the car. I called up the retailer and explained what happened. I wanted to make a full return. They had no problems with that! I shipped it back to them (my dime) and once they received it and saw that it was unopened and exactly what I had ordered from them, they credited me a full refund. I love a company that stands by their product. RAM clutches definitely took care of me here!
Tuesday, September 30, 2014
Thursday, August 7, 2014
94 Mustang GT: New Coil!
My 94 GT is very stock-ish. that being said, I did need to do a tune up every now and then. At one point I tried out some MSD Streetfire wires. I figured I would give them a shot since I had a Streetfire coil in the car already. What I learned is that the fitment of the wires was terrible. They also didn't come with an angled boot. This eventually led to the wires being stretched, and one even got melted. Developed a misfire and needed to replace the wires again. I decided to get a good set and went with the moroso Ultra 40s - and these were awesome. We even went as far as cutting a piece of both sets of wires open to compare them. The ultra 40s are certainly worth the extra money. They aren't even in the same league. I immediately noticed a difference in performance - and I'm comparing Pre-misfire condition to post Ultra 40s.
fast forward to this past sunday, when the car left me stranded on my way back from running an errand. It was definitely an ignition problem - No spark. Immediately I thought - this is the TFI. background - TFI left me stranded before, same symptoms, and I replaced it with a used one from a foxbody distributer I had laying around. I get towed home and my buddy shows up for a clutch replacement job - he also has a 94 GT. after tearing his car apart for the clutch, we did some parts swapping and I eventually found that it was my coil that had failed. Yup, that same 'line' from MSD - the streetfire coil. In defense, I put about 100k miles on that coil, and put it in used so I dont know how many miles it had on it already. It now lives in the trash bin. I replace the failed coil with a Mallory 29214 coil - it had great reviews. in the meantime while I waited for the mallory to arrive, I put my stock coil back in, which worked fine and i was able to drive the car around.
I took the car for a spin, and it definitely made a difference. There is something to be said about a performance coil and some good wires and plugs!
Thursday, July 24, 2014
94 Mustang GT: Daily Driver Motor: Engine Block Prep
An update on this engine is long overdue!
Thread chasing:
I took the block into the center of my garage and chased almost every single thread in the motor. The reason I say almost every thread is because I found ANOTHER broken bolt. It is a timing cover bolt, lower left. That will also need to be extracted. I would have never noticed it if I didn't chase all the threads. The chasing of the threads went well for the most part. I was honestly amazed at how much junk came out of the threads. I took my time and went through everything. I mean everything. Each time the thread chaser came out, I cleaned it with the air gun. This process took a good chunk of time.
Cleaning the gasket surfaces
Next I cleaned up all the gasket surfaces. I scraped with a plastic scraper and used some other methods to get the surfaces really cleaned up. This was a fairly straight forward process. It was pretty easy since the engine was on an engine stand where I could spin it around.
Cleaning the block
The last thing I did was clean the engine. I did this outside due to ventilation reasons. I have a 2 gallon parts washer - it's pretty small. I ran an extension cord out to where the parts washer sat - right in front of the engine stand. I have a HUGE catch pan - the type they use under washing machines. I plumbed this to return the drippings from the block back to the parts washer. Then I connected a 4 foot tube to the parts washer nozzle. I used this to apply the parts washer solution to the engine block while I cleaned it with a parts cleaner brush. There was some splashing (I was wearing eye protection) but for the most part everything did drip back into the pan and subsequently into the parts washer. This process went on for a while. It was pretty amazing how much dirt and debris came off of the block. I also realized that when I spun the block, a bunch spilled out. It took some time, but after a while the block was looking pretty good!
Next I employed the compressed air gun to dry off the block. This again made for a lot of splatter, but it did dry everything out pretty quickly. The last step was to coat the block with some WD40. I have it in a handheld sprayer, so I was able to adjust the nozzle to a fine mist. I coated the block, let it drip for a bit, turned it over and coated everything else. I went through that process twice.
Once it was done dripping, I used the garbage bag and wrapped it up again. It went back into it's resting place until 7/22/2014.
Dropping it off for honing.
A very close friend of mine had agreed to help me do the cylinder wall correction and finishing hone on the block. He is a machinist and toolmaker, so he has a LOT of experience here. The problem is that he was not able to make time for me in almost a year - so I decided to look elsewhere. On a recommendation, I reached out to a machinist in a nearby town. After speaking with him, I dropped off the block on 7/22 so that he can put it under his honing machine. He will also be extracting that broken bolt! Hopefully he doesn't run into any unforseen issues!
Thread chasing:
I took the block into the center of my garage and chased almost every single thread in the motor. The reason I say almost every thread is because I found ANOTHER broken bolt. It is a timing cover bolt, lower left. That will also need to be extracted. I would have never noticed it if I didn't chase all the threads. The chasing of the threads went well for the most part. I was honestly amazed at how much junk came out of the threads. I took my time and went through everything. I mean everything. Each time the thread chaser came out, I cleaned it with the air gun. This process took a good chunk of time.
Cleaning the gasket surfaces
Next I cleaned up all the gasket surfaces. I scraped with a plastic scraper and used some other methods to get the surfaces really cleaned up. This was a fairly straight forward process. It was pretty easy since the engine was on an engine stand where I could spin it around.
Cleaning the block
The last thing I did was clean the engine. I did this outside due to ventilation reasons. I have a 2 gallon parts washer - it's pretty small. I ran an extension cord out to where the parts washer sat - right in front of the engine stand. I have a HUGE catch pan - the type they use under washing machines. I plumbed this to return the drippings from the block back to the parts washer. Then I connected a 4 foot tube to the parts washer nozzle. I used this to apply the parts washer solution to the engine block while I cleaned it with a parts cleaner brush. There was some splashing (I was wearing eye protection) but for the most part everything did drip back into the pan and subsequently into the parts washer. This process went on for a while. It was pretty amazing how much dirt and debris came off of the block. I also realized that when I spun the block, a bunch spilled out. It took some time, but after a while the block was looking pretty good!
Next I employed the compressed air gun to dry off the block. This again made for a lot of splatter, but it did dry everything out pretty quickly. The last step was to coat the block with some WD40. I have it in a handheld sprayer, so I was able to adjust the nozzle to a fine mist. I coated the block, let it drip for a bit, turned it over and coated everything else. I went through that process twice.
Once it was done dripping, I used the garbage bag and wrapped it up again. It went back into it's resting place until 7/22/2014.
Dropping it off for honing.
A very close friend of mine had agreed to help me do the cylinder wall correction and finishing hone on the block. He is a machinist and toolmaker, so he has a LOT of experience here. The problem is that he was not able to make time for me in almost a year - so I decided to look elsewhere. On a recommendation, I reached out to a machinist in a nearby town. After speaking with him, I dropped off the block on 7/22 so that he can put it under his honing machine. He will also be extracting that broken bolt! Hopefully he doesn't run into any unforseen issues!
Tuesday, July 22, 2014
94 Mustang GT: Odometer fix and LED bulbs
At 226,000 miles, the odometer stopped working. This was a serious nuisance for me, because I track all of my fuel, repairs, scheduled service, everything using an app on my iPhone called Gas Cubby. Since I got the car, I have 488 entries and $27,685 tracked since January 2009! There is a great how-to video on youtube created by latemodel restoration on how to do the replacement.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7k_DbsSxRg8
You can buy the replacement gears from a variety of different vendors. I went right to eBay for mine. They showed up a few days later. I also ordered some replacement LED bulbs for the dashboard (set of 10). There are only 5 bulbs in the dash cluster. There are another two in the heater controls. There are yet another two for the license plate illumination. I wound up with one bulb left over, which was fine. It's always nice to have a spare. Here is a link to the bulbs:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/150793635333?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT
I followed the youtube vid exactly and it didn't take long to have the odometer gears replaced. The next step was to pull out the bulbs and put the new LED bulbs in there. This can be a bit tricky because the new LED bulbs have a polarity to them. There is two different ways to install them, and only one way will work. I had to install them all, then plug the dash back in and turn the lights on. then I found which ones I had installed incorrectly. I pulled them, turned them around, and they all worked.
I moved on to the heater controls. I removed the shift boot and the trim for the radio. This opened up a can of worms for me even before I got to remove the heater controls.
The shift boot was pulling away from the trim, and the trim had pulled away from the bezel. I had to unplug the cig lighter connections, and the shift knob so that I could get that in my hands. I spent some time here and made some repairs.
I also found that the vents had broken away from the console trim. Once I had that in my hand (had to disconnect the radio), I needed to do some repairs here as well. I employed some super glue and clamps to keep things in place while it cured. Now I could get back to the heater controls.
I removed the torx screws that held in the heater controls. I was able to pull the controls out enough to get my hand behind there and remove the bulbs. I put the new ones in and hit the lights. I had to rotate one of them because it didn't light up. After rotating the bulb, it came to life. I re-installed the heater controls. After some time, I re-installed the trim for the radio with the vents. Then re-installed shifter boot, shift knob and cig lighter connections.
Finally I got to the license plate I opened the trunk and removed the retaining screws for the bulb casing. It isn't a true phillips head screw. It pushes in, which spreads the housing. I was able to loosen it enough to get my fingers around the head and pull it out. Then the rest of the retainer comes out. the bulb housing twists to come out of the plastic outer housing. I replaced the bulbs and re-installed everything. Now the license plate bulbs were MUCH brighter!
So that was it! The odometer works now, the dash bulbs are worlds better and the license plate bulbs have new life. I wish I would have done this LED mod a long time ago. It was super easy and the dash looks worlds better!
94 Mustang GT: Interior Parts and Fog Light Mod
I have made some progress with the interior!
Sun Visors:
The sun visors were replaced with new ones. I removed the molding going across the top of the windshield on the inside. Then removed all the screws for the sun visors where they bolt to the windshield frame. Then I unplugged the visor. I ran new wires from the visor lights to the connection since the wires weren't long enough. Installation was the reverse of the removal. It was pretty simple actually. While I was at it, I also routed the wire for the Valentine V1 Radar detector (it is hardwired) to hide the wire a bit better. I also did the same with the microphone for the bluetooth.
Door Cups:
The door cups on both sides were broken, cracked, chipped and generally in bad shape. I picked up a set of 03 cobra convertible door cups and installed them. It was pretty easy to pop out the old ones, remove the screw that holds the switches there, and install the new ones. I had to be very careful not to break any of the tabs - those are really fragile!
Fog Light Mod:
The fog lights cannot be turned on without the headlights being on. This defeats the purpose of having fog lights. Fog lights work best WITHOUT the headlights being on. There is a modification you can do so that the fog lights work when the driving lights are on ( the setting just before the headlights come on). There is a great video on Youtube for this mod:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rvQGD1Fq23Q
I followed the video exactly - it was pretty much the same for my 94 GT convertible. Now I have fog lights with the parking lights on!
Tuesday, April 15, 2014
94 Mustang GT: Fuel line hazard and fix.
I'm not sure that everyone is aware, so I figured that I would post this up. On the corral in the 94/95 tech section, this is a sticky. There is a defect by design issue with the fuel lines that run from the rails to the firewall. for a long time people were building their own to replace these. Now there is a really NICE solution that I figured I would share. I'll do the write up once all the parts come in.
The adapters yield 6 AN fittings.
Here is a great pic: https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Jh7uBzSssVo/T4CVgswMk-I/AAAAAAAABNg/WnHAr7Fq_d0/s912/2012-04-07_12-22-13_127.jpg
And here is the parts list:
5/16 to 6AN hard tube adapter - 640863 or 491990-BL
1/4 to 6AN hard tube adapter - 641303
Ford Pressure Side EFI x 6 AN - 640903
Ford Return Side EFI x 6 AN - 640873
Fragola - 373030 (2)
I ordered from Race-Mart as they were cheaper than Summit. you could also make your own, but I prefer the pre-fab Fragola lines.
Once the order came in, I found some time to get out into the garage and get to work. I started by starting the car and popping the trunk. I removed the trunk panel enough to grant me access to the emergency fuel shutoff switch. I unplugged it, essentially turning off the fuel pump. Once the car shut down I knew that the fuel system would be unpressurized. I shut off the key and popped the hood. I removed the intake tube between the throttle body and the mass air sensor. This gave me the room to work. Next I used my fuel line disconnect tool to remove the fuel lines from the rails. Some fuel did come out, and there was some pressure still there so if you are doing this, use caution! I put some rags there to catch the excess fuel. After that I moved to the firewall. These are held in by clips. One goes in from the side, which is pretty easy to pry out with a screwdriver. The next one goes in from the bottom. It is kind of a pain, but you need to press the tabs on both sides simultaneously to remove the clip. Then I was able to remove the lines.
Installation was pretty straightforward. I used WD40 to lubricate all of the O-rings before installation. I installed the fittings in the fuel rails - this was simple, they just push in and click.
[img]http://i821.photobucket.com/albums/zz135/geargambler/MyCars/1994%20Mustang%20GT%20Convertible/IMG_1384_zpsc5e9c93e.jpg[/img]
I did the same for the lines on the firewall. one just pushes on and clicks. The other one is two pieces. One sits between the two shoulders on the fuel line and the other one presses on. I screwed the bottom piece into the top piece until it was snug.
[img]http://i821.photobucket.com/albums/zz135/geargambler/MyCars/1994%20Mustang%20GT%20Convertible/IMG_1382_zpsfe402bb6.jpg[/img]
Next I moved onto the fuel lines. These are already assembled. I screwed them onto the fittings on the rails first, using the side with the bends. I hand tightened them. I followed the same path as the stock lines, and attached them at the firewall side as well, again by hand. Keeping them loose allowed the lines to twist. The last part was to tighten the fittings to the lines.
[img]http://i821.photobucket.com/albums/zz135/geargambler/MyCars/1994%20Mustang%20GT%20Convertible/IMG_1388_zps052fb62d.jpg[/img]
I plugged in the fuel safety cutoff connection and then primed the fuel pump by turning the key. I didn't start the car yet. I went out to check for leaks. Everything on the firewall looked good. One fitting on the fuel rail needed to be tightened up a bit more. These don't take a lot of torque, they are all aluminum so I was trying to be very careful. I figured I would tighten it in increments if they leaked rather than over tighten and strip the fittings.
I dried the fitting that was leaking and started the car. I let it run for some time and there were no leaks. Everything looked good!
Looking back, I would probably have went with one shorter line. So instead of using two 30 inch lines, I would have gotten a 28 or 29 inch and a 30 inch.
Tuesday, February 18, 2014
94 Mustang GT: Fuel Pump Failure and Replacement
It finally happened. I pulled into the gas station, shut the car off, filled it up. When I tried to start the car again, it just cranked and cranked without firing up. I hit the key a few times listening for that familiar noise from the fuel pump priming - Nothing…
The helpful guys at the station pushed me into a parking spot where a tow truck could scoop me up. They pushed, I steered. Tow truck came and brought me home to my place, frustrated.
I KNEW that the pump would eventually fail. I'm really glad it wasn't while I was on a road trip across the nation. I already have a new pump - Walbro GSS307, a new gasket and a new filler neck grommet. While cruising around online I found deals on these things, and I picked them up and kept them in the car just in case I was in a remote place. At the least, I didn't have to wait for the parts.
Back to the fun. I did have to wait a few days because of other priorities, but I finally got some time to get the car up in the air. Here is what went down!
Removal:
I jacked the car up and got some jack stands under the subframe connectors. Then I moved the jack under the gas tank, and jacked it up under the car. Now remember, the gas tank is absolutely full. There's no way to syphon fuel out (the 95 fuel neck prevents exactly that), and the pump is dead, so I can't pump it out. I removed the bolts for the straps that hold the tank up. I removed the retainer for the filler neck - single bolt that goes through the tank frame. Then I began to lower the tank.
At this point i realized that fuel escaping the tank was inevitable. I got out my large catch pan (same aluminum pan used to catch water under a hot water heater). Its BIG and offers the best chance to catch the fuel. I also got a two empty gas jugs (VP Racing of course!). I figure the tank's capacity is 15 gallons, so getting at least 10 out of there would be great.
Back to lowering the tank. As the tank came down, I worked to remove the filler neck. This is the tricky part. I sprayed some wd40 around the neck and inside the grommet and that helped free it up. I needed to lower the tank and move it toward the passenger side in order to remove the neck. As soon as the neck was removed, fuel began to spill out, all over the place, right into that big aluminum pan! I'm so glad I had that. So while this was going on, I now had a way to get the fuel out. I got an old fuel line and put it in the tank through the filler neck hole. I syphoned the fuel into the fuel jugs. By the time I was done, I got out about 7 gallons. This was enough for me. Note: to start the fuel flowing, I sucked on the end of the fuel line until I got a mouth full of fuel. It was awful and I do NOT recommend this. I washed my face and used some mouthwash and that helped. By the time I was done cleaning up, the first jug was full. I moved onto the second jug and stopped after about another gallon in there.
I moved those out of the way, and plugged the filler neck hole with a rag. I lowered the tank a bit more and disconnected the electrical for the fuel level sensor and the fuel pump. I also removed the vent line that goes through another grommet.
The fuel lines were a bit tricky. There is a clasp on top of each line (feed and return). The feed is the bigger line, and the return is the smaller one. Once those two were removed via a screw driver prying them away, I moved to the lines themselves. Starting with the return line I pushed it ON TO the fuel pump. Using a fuel line disconnect tool (look it up), I pressed it into the end of the line while pushing it towards the fuel pump. this releases the 'catch' inside the end of the line. Then I pulled the tool and the line away from the pump and it came apart - spilling some fuel in the process. I did the same exact thing, using two sizes up disconnect tool, to the feed line. At this point the tank was free of any connections to the car.
I plugged the vent grommet with another rag and lowered the tank carefully. Balancing it on the jack while fuel is sloshing from side to side is a chore to say the least.
Pump Removal:
Using my air tool blow gun attachment, I cleaned up the top of the tank. 20 years of road grime and gravel can really build up. I paid special attention to the area around the top of the pump. I wanted this to be as clean as possible so that nothing fell into the tank. Once I was happy there, I moved onto removing the pump. There is a cap on the top that needs to be loosened. You do this by hitting each of the upright tabs in order to move the cap in a way that loosens it. Now the next part is very important. You cannot use steel here or anything that will make a spark! Remember, you are working on a fuel tank here! I used a brass punch and a dead blow hammer - no metal. I hit each tab, working my way around and eventually the retainer ring was free. I noted the orientation and worked the hanging assembly to remove it. It is not straight, so there was some twisting involved here. I also made sure to remove the O ring along with it. It is basically the gasket between the pump assembly and the tank. I was also careful not to loose the boot / filter on the bottom of the assembly. Once it was close to the top i used the brass punch again to pry it out of the hole. I made sure it was in hand. I've lost these a few times inside the tank and its a pain to get it out.
Pump Replacement:
Now that the pump assembly was in hand, I could remove the old pump. There is a hose clamp for the hose that goes to the feed line. I loosened that, and removed the hose. Then I unplugged the pump electrical leads and removed the boot / filter. I had to change the negative lead to a larger female flat blade connector, insulated. The positive lead is not insulated - I don't want these two to make contact! I installed the rubber grommet that goes between the bottom of the new fuel pump and the assembly. Then I installed the new pump - a Walbro GSS-307. It has a built in screen unlike the stock one. I installed the hose and tightened the clamp and finished up with connecting the electrical leads - making sure I had the polarity correct. Then I installed the boot / filter on the bottom remembering that I have no idea how to orientate it. I did mark how the assembly was orientated in the tank. I held the assembly over the tank and looked for where the boot should sit. I shined a light into the tank and a few adjustments of the boot and I was happy with the orientation. I used a new O ring and installed the assembly. I had to work it around a bit to get the boot into the 'compartment' inside the tank. I guess it is there to prevent sloshing and fuel pump starvation. Once it was sitting in there nicely, I made sure the O ring was in the right location and added the retainer ring. I tapped the tabs like I did to remove it, just in the opposite direction this time. You will see when it will not go any further.
I also replaced the filler neck grommet - I've heard of these leaking and the cost was cheap. I pulled out the old one, sprayed the new one with some wd40 and installed it. It took a little prying, but it went in.
Installation:
I worked the tank back onto the jack and centered it. I'm not going to lie, this took a minute! I jacked it up enough to connect the electrical, installed the vent, the fuel lines (they just snapped right back in) and the fuel line retainers. next I sprayed the filler next with some more wd40. I had to work the tank to get the neck to go into the grommet. After fighting this for a while, I opened the gas filler door, removed three bolts and had a lot more wiggle room. I got the neck installed and continued to jack up the tank slowly. eventually I worked it into place, but the fuel neck was not aligned in the fuel door. I had to lower it and center that neck so that it lined up with the three screw holes for the screws i removed before. This was a frustrating process. If there were two people one could stand there and hold it center, and the other could jack up the tank. It was tough to do both. I eventually got it right and installed those three screws. I moved the tank into place and was able to re-install the straps. The last step was to install the filler neck retaining screw to the tank, and the gas cap.
Check!
While the car was still up in the air, I got inside and turned the key to prime the pump. I turned the key off, did it again and started it. It cranked it over and started! I jumped out and looked for leaks. Nothing (thankfully)! I shut the car off and opened the garage doors. Remember, its winter here in the Poconos so it was COLD. I warmed the garage up before I started doing anything, but I shut the heat off once I started smelling fuel while I was working. I needed to air it out. While that was going on, I filled the tank up with the fuel I syphoned out. I jacked it up and removed the jack stands. Then I lowered it down. I cleaned up my tools and took it for a ride. It seemed OK!
One thing I did notice unrelated to the fuel. In the process of pushing, towing and getting the car back into my garage, I had turned the wheel a few times. This caused the power steering fluid to overflow from the pump. On the test drive the pump was whining. I did some very slow oscillations of the steering wheel, lock to lock, to work the fluid back and forth and it seemed better. While I was out I picked up some power steering fluid just in case. Then when I got back, I cleaned up the PS fluid that had dripped onto my garage floor.
The car seems fine now. I drove it a bunch but did not commute with it. If anything goes wrong, I'll report back!
Pics!
[img]http://i821.photobucket.com/albums/zz135/geargambler/MyCars/1994%20Mustang%20GT%20Convertible/AF5BEE51-B0EE-4816-A955-5ADB28D18D5B_zps3afosilj.jpg[/img]
[img]http://i821.photobucket.com/albums/zz135/geargambler/MyCars/1994%20Mustang%20GT%20Convertible/0E2400CF-16F4-4617-9BF4-15AEA841722C_zpsb1i1ewdn.jpg[/img]
The helpful guys at the station pushed me into a parking spot where a tow truck could scoop me up. They pushed, I steered. Tow truck came and brought me home to my place, frustrated.
I KNEW that the pump would eventually fail. I'm really glad it wasn't while I was on a road trip across the nation. I already have a new pump - Walbro GSS307, a new gasket and a new filler neck grommet. While cruising around online I found deals on these things, and I picked them up and kept them in the car just in case I was in a remote place. At the least, I didn't have to wait for the parts.
Back to the fun. I did have to wait a few days because of other priorities, but I finally got some time to get the car up in the air. Here is what went down!
Removal:
I jacked the car up and got some jack stands under the subframe connectors. Then I moved the jack under the gas tank, and jacked it up under the car. Now remember, the gas tank is absolutely full. There's no way to syphon fuel out (the 95 fuel neck prevents exactly that), and the pump is dead, so I can't pump it out. I removed the bolts for the straps that hold the tank up. I removed the retainer for the filler neck - single bolt that goes through the tank frame. Then I began to lower the tank.
At this point i realized that fuel escaping the tank was inevitable. I got out my large catch pan (same aluminum pan used to catch water under a hot water heater). Its BIG and offers the best chance to catch the fuel. I also got a two empty gas jugs (VP Racing of course!). I figure the tank's capacity is 15 gallons, so getting at least 10 out of there would be great.
Back to lowering the tank. As the tank came down, I worked to remove the filler neck. This is the tricky part. I sprayed some wd40 around the neck and inside the grommet and that helped free it up. I needed to lower the tank and move it toward the passenger side in order to remove the neck. As soon as the neck was removed, fuel began to spill out, all over the place, right into that big aluminum pan! I'm so glad I had that. So while this was going on, I now had a way to get the fuel out. I got an old fuel line and put it in the tank through the filler neck hole. I syphoned the fuel into the fuel jugs. By the time I was done, I got out about 7 gallons. This was enough for me. Note: to start the fuel flowing, I sucked on the end of the fuel line until I got a mouth full of fuel. It was awful and I do NOT recommend this. I washed my face and used some mouthwash and that helped. By the time I was done cleaning up, the first jug was full. I moved onto the second jug and stopped after about another gallon in there.
I moved those out of the way, and plugged the filler neck hole with a rag. I lowered the tank a bit more and disconnected the electrical for the fuel level sensor and the fuel pump. I also removed the vent line that goes through another grommet.
The fuel lines were a bit tricky. There is a clasp on top of each line (feed and return). The feed is the bigger line, and the return is the smaller one. Once those two were removed via a screw driver prying them away, I moved to the lines themselves. Starting with the return line I pushed it ON TO the fuel pump. Using a fuel line disconnect tool (look it up), I pressed it into the end of the line while pushing it towards the fuel pump. this releases the 'catch' inside the end of the line. Then I pulled the tool and the line away from the pump and it came apart - spilling some fuel in the process. I did the same exact thing, using two sizes up disconnect tool, to the feed line. At this point the tank was free of any connections to the car.
I plugged the vent grommet with another rag and lowered the tank carefully. Balancing it on the jack while fuel is sloshing from side to side is a chore to say the least.
Pump Removal:
Using my air tool blow gun attachment, I cleaned up the top of the tank. 20 years of road grime and gravel can really build up. I paid special attention to the area around the top of the pump. I wanted this to be as clean as possible so that nothing fell into the tank. Once I was happy there, I moved onto removing the pump. There is a cap on the top that needs to be loosened. You do this by hitting each of the upright tabs in order to move the cap in a way that loosens it. Now the next part is very important. You cannot use steel here or anything that will make a spark! Remember, you are working on a fuel tank here! I used a brass punch and a dead blow hammer - no metal. I hit each tab, working my way around and eventually the retainer ring was free. I noted the orientation and worked the hanging assembly to remove it. It is not straight, so there was some twisting involved here. I also made sure to remove the O ring along with it. It is basically the gasket between the pump assembly and the tank. I was also careful not to loose the boot / filter on the bottom of the assembly. Once it was close to the top i used the brass punch again to pry it out of the hole. I made sure it was in hand. I've lost these a few times inside the tank and its a pain to get it out.
Pump Replacement:
Now that the pump assembly was in hand, I could remove the old pump. There is a hose clamp for the hose that goes to the feed line. I loosened that, and removed the hose. Then I unplugged the pump electrical leads and removed the boot / filter. I had to change the negative lead to a larger female flat blade connector, insulated. The positive lead is not insulated - I don't want these two to make contact! I installed the rubber grommet that goes between the bottom of the new fuel pump and the assembly. Then I installed the new pump - a Walbro GSS-307. It has a built in screen unlike the stock one. I installed the hose and tightened the clamp and finished up with connecting the electrical leads - making sure I had the polarity correct. Then I installed the boot / filter on the bottom remembering that I have no idea how to orientate it. I did mark how the assembly was orientated in the tank. I held the assembly over the tank and looked for where the boot should sit. I shined a light into the tank and a few adjustments of the boot and I was happy with the orientation. I used a new O ring and installed the assembly. I had to work it around a bit to get the boot into the 'compartment' inside the tank. I guess it is there to prevent sloshing and fuel pump starvation. Once it was sitting in there nicely, I made sure the O ring was in the right location and added the retainer ring. I tapped the tabs like I did to remove it, just in the opposite direction this time. You will see when it will not go any further.
I also replaced the filler neck grommet - I've heard of these leaking and the cost was cheap. I pulled out the old one, sprayed the new one with some wd40 and installed it. It took a little prying, but it went in.
Installation:
I worked the tank back onto the jack and centered it. I'm not going to lie, this took a minute! I jacked it up enough to connect the electrical, installed the vent, the fuel lines (they just snapped right back in) and the fuel line retainers. next I sprayed the filler next with some more wd40. I had to work the tank to get the neck to go into the grommet. After fighting this for a while, I opened the gas filler door, removed three bolts and had a lot more wiggle room. I got the neck installed and continued to jack up the tank slowly. eventually I worked it into place, but the fuel neck was not aligned in the fuel door. I had to lower it and center that neck so that it lined up with the three screw holes for the screws i removed before. This was a frustrating process. If there were two people one could stand there and hold it center, and the other could jack up the tank. It was tough to do both. I eventually got it right and installed those three screws. I moved the tank into place and was able to re-install the straps. The last step was to install the filler neck retaining screw to the tank, and the gas cap.
Check!
While the car was still up in the air, I got inside and turned the key to prime the pump. I turned the key off, did it again and started it. It cranked it over and started! I jumped out and looked for leaks. Nothing (thankfully)! I shut the car off and opened the garage doors. Remember, its winter here in the Poconos so it was COLD. I warmed the garage up before I started doing anything, but I shut the heat off once I started smelling fuel while I was working. I needed to air it out. While that was going on, I filled the tank up with the fuel I syphoned out. I jacked it up and removed the jack stands. Then I lowered it down. I cleaned up my tools and took it for a ride. It seemed OK!
One thing I did notice unrelated to the fuel. In the process of pushing, towing and getting the car back into my garage, I had turned the wheel a few times. This caused the power steering fluid to overflow from the pump. On the test drive the pump was whining. I did some very slow oscillations of the steering wheel, lock to lock, to work the fluid back and forth and it seemed better. While I was out I picked up some power steering fluid just in case. Then when I got back, I cleaned up the PS fluid that had dripped onto my garage floor.
The car seems fine now. I drove it a bunch but did not commute with it. If anything goes wrong, I'll report back!
Pics!
[img]http://i821.photobucket.com/albums/zz135/geargambler/MyCars/1994%20Mustang%20GT%20Convertible/AF5BEE51-B0EE-4816-A955-5ADB28D18D5B_zps3afosilj.jpg[/img]
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Wednesday, January 8, 2014
94 Mustang GT: Drivetrain Upgrade: Clutch and Other Goodies Installed!
I had a chance to finally get this done. I had a wedding to go to this weekend, left on Friday night and came back on Sunday. I had Friday off so I tore the car apart on Friday. put it back together last night and its PERFECT. Let me get into the details.
First, the throwout bearing came out in 4 pieces. The pilot bearing needles also crumbled. The pressure plate, disk and flywheel looked pretty good, but they got replace anyway. I saved the flywheel, pressure plate and disk since it is already matched. The trans already had a steel bearing retainer on it, and that was pretty well worn due to the TO bearing failure The steel bearing retainer should be standard equipment on these t5s.
Here is what I learned:
1. to get out the pilot bearing, soap is probably not the best stuff to use. Play Doh is probably best, and you want to use the alignment tool to force it all in there and eventually pop out the bearing. i broke two alignment tools using the soap, and eventually wound up using a T5 broken input shaft that someone had laying around the shop - came out of a busted t5. solid steel worked better with soap than the hollow plastic alignment tools. there's plenty of vids on youtube about this using grease, so I wont get into details.
2. my engine is going to come out soon - there's another thread on the upgrade to the 306 - so I didnt bother doing the rear main when it probably needed it. I cleaned it up really good and smeared it with black RTV. when the motor comes out I'll let everyone know how well that worked.
3. The steel bearing retainer does not come with a race for the input shaft bearing. luckily my parts store had the bearing / race in stock (part number A5 from national bearing). I should have shimmed the back of it so that there was no end play. spec is 0 for end play. the trans was so sloppy that I'm just going to shop for a rebuilt one for when I do the engine swap. Use RTV on the back side of the bearing retainer and DONT spin the trans while the bearing retainer is off. it holds everything in place.
4. Test fit the throwout bearing on the steel bearing retainer. If its tight, use some sandpaper to get a good fit. make sure to lube the contact surfaces of the clutch fork after you clean that up really good.
5. I had a freshly surfaced flywheel going in. make sure you test fit the pressure plate / disk on the flywheel before putting it in the car. there was one of the three dowl pins that needed to be hammered straight before the pressure plate fit right on the dowls.
6. loctite the flywheel bolts. this does two things - prevents them from backing out and acts as a thread sealer. there's oil behind the crank!
7. having a plug for the trans will save you from having to drain it / refill it. OR use a stock yoke from an old driveshaft. I had one, should have used it, but figured I would replace the trans fluid anyway.
8. Doing this job with a friend makes it go exponentially faster. geting out from under the car every time to get a tool is a pain, but will double as an ab workout.
9. make sure you have a firewall adjuster and a good quadrant. The HDX I put in required the firewall adjuster to come almost all the way out. It would have helped to have the triple or even a double hook quadrant. I had the Maximum motorsports kit (cable, FW adjuster, quadrant) and that was only a single hook. Good thing that firewall adjuster had enough thread!
10. the clutch will be grabby to start with, and will eventually let the pedal raise up a bit once its broken in.
I'm really happy with the way it shifts now. and the aluminum driveshaft makes it feel like there's more power. I'll be commuting with this on thursday so I'll report back with how it feels on the highway.
- - - Updated - - -
one more thing. the RAM 501 bearing seemed OK. if it shows any signs of failure - i'll report back!
- - - Updated - - -
one more thing - the sn95 clutch forks are completely different than the foxbody forks.
94 Mustang GT: Drivetrain Upgrade - Clutch and other Goodies: Intro and Background
I have owned and driven my 94 gt for over 115k miles now, and never touched the clutch. I did replace the driveshaft with one that I put fresh U joints in some time ago when I rebuilt the rear. I also replaced the cable / quadrant and added a firewall adjuster (maximum motorsports kit). The t5 has a tri-ax shifter in it. from the engine to the tailshaft of the trans was never touched.
over the past few months, the clutch release bearing (throwout bearing) has been chirping... then chattering, now its even shaking the clutch pedal unless I adjust the firewall adjuster enought to keep pressure on the fork. I can do the same thing by resting my foot on the pedal. obviously not good signs. The other day, I couldnt get the car into gear so I adjusted the cable to make it a little more loose. that worked, but I can tell the days are numbered. the pedal grabs lower, and the release bearing is still making noise / rattling the pedal. That means that the fork is jumping around.
over the past few months, I have been buying parts to prepare for my 306 build. I was planning on doing the clutch along with the engine swap but it looks like the clutch is going to happen before then. Good thing I got some parts stockpiled!
Heres the list:
ford racing aluminum driveshaft
RAM HDX clutch and pressure plate
new ford racing dowl and pressure plate bolt kit
ARP flywheel bolts
freshly resurfaced stock flywheel
RAM 501 clutch release bearing
Ford Racing pilot bearing
Ford Racing steel bearing retainer for the T5 - I'm sure the stock one will be mangled with all the noise thats happening.
timken tailshaft seal for the T5
I also have a few clutch forks just in case. This is still a daily driver car and this setup should maintain drivability. It should be nice and smooth when its all done!
94 Mustang GT: Daily Driver Motor: Valve Springs
Update: I got a package from Flow Tech Induction! Package included the custom grind cam, new set of lifters and a new set of valve springs. Forgive me, but I didn't take any pics.
I took the heads over to my buddy's place and we removed the springs / retainers / locks / shims. After looking at the new valve springs and the specs on them we measured the installed height. Then we tested the springs to find out if they would need any shimming to have the correct seat pressure at the installed height. It was really close. It turns out that we used shims on the intake side, but the exhaust was OK.
There are two different sets of locks that come with the retainers. one set is for the intake and the other for the exhaust. When we were done, everything looked great. We also found that some of the guides were not seated correctly. This was also corrected. After seeing the new spring package installed on the heads, and the specs on the cam - I'm pretty excited to make some more progress!
I also received the main and rod bearings, and the piston rings. Here they are, summit racing part numbers for reference:
Clevite Rod Bearings: CLE-CB634P
Perfect Circle piston Rings: PCR-3150036-030
Clevite MS590P main bearings
Next step is to clean all the gasket surfaces on the block, and get the block cleaned up. Then we will correct the cylinder walls and give it that nice cross hatching. At that point, re-assembly can begin!
I took the heads over to my buddy's place and we removed the springs / retainers / locks / shims. After looking at the new valve springs and the specs on them we measured the installed height. Then we tested the springs to find out if they would need any shimming to have the correct seat pressure at the installed height. It was really close. It turns out that we used shims on the intake side, but the exhaust was OK.
There are two different sets of locks that come with the retainers. one set is for the intake and the other for the exhaust. When we were done, everything looked great. We also found that some of the guides were not seated correctly. This was also corrected. After seeing the new spring package installed on the heads, and the specs on the cam - I'm pretty excited to make some more progress!
I also received the main and rod bearings, and the piston rings. Here they are, summit racing part numbers for reference:
Clevite Rod Bearings: CLE-CB634P
Perfect Circle piston Rings: PCR-3150036-030
Clevite MS590P main bearings
Next step is to clean all the gasket surfaces on the block, and get the block cleaned up. Then we will correct the cylinder walls and give it that nice cross hatching. At that point, re-assembly can begin!
94 Mustang GT: Daily Driver Motor: Crankshaft Polish
Another update!
I was finally able to sync up with my buddy who has his own machine shop. We got a LOT done this sunday. before that, I modified my parts washer so that I could clean up the crank. I used a basin for a hot water tank, plumbed a drain, and ran an extension on the spicket. This gave me a much bigger basin to work in.
[img]http://i821.photobucket.com/albums/zz135/geargambler/MyCars/1994%20Mustang%20GT%20Convertible/D8551E41-27BB-4315-8567-539FDDB6998C-12533-000006734DF8F7F6_zps0e4d7885.jpg[/img]
After the crank dried, I coated the journals with some WD40. A few days later it was off to my friends shop!
The first thing we did was mic the journals. they were all in spec but needed to be polished. The crank was put into the lathe and turned at a slow speed. the journals got 600 grit first, then crokus paper - which is 8-900 grit. this polished everything right up. That is a boot lace he is using to work the paper back and forth while the crank is turning.
[img]http://i821.photobucket.com/albums/zz135/geargambler/MyCars/1994%20Mustang%20GT%20Convertible/A8E7EFB7-193F-4E75-960F-B9D59A4960E8-12533-00000672F80F051B_zpsa53e6269.jpg[/img]
once all the journals were done, we used a main bearing to hold the last journal in whats called a steady rest. the snout was chucked int he lathe. We needed to clean up the bore where the pilot bearing lives. some idiot must have chiseled the last one out. we basically removed the high spots without removing any material from the bore. We cannot remove any material because the bearing wouldn't seat right - its a press fit.
[img]http://i821.photobucket.com/albums/zz135/geargambler/MyCars/1994%20Mustang%20GT%20Convertible/7C3DCF3D-2A83-4E5C-9F00-2AC4B7EBCE3B-12533-000006730893C96C_zps5456a2e0.jpg[/img]
While the engine was there, we used a bore mic and checked all the cylinder bores. they need to be corrected due to some scoring, but they are still in spec! this was great news. We also used a straight edge and made sure the main journals were in line. Everything looked good.
then we drilled out a broken WP bolt and removed it using an easy-out. inspection told us that the bolt had bottomed out in the hole. whoever built this motor was really sloppy.
[img]http://i821.photobucket.com/albums/zz135/geargambler/MyCars/1994%20Mustang%20GT%20Convertible/F2EB0999-58FB-45A3-893E-B64F9A129215-12533-000006731042C1A1_zps05eff757.jpg[/img]
So the crank is ready and the block has been checked. Now I can order the main / rod bearings and the new rings. The perfect circle rings are what are used by most of the engine builders on the corral. The clevite bearings are stock replacement bearings. Clevite makes all sorts of bearings for different applications (billet / forged crank for example) and in a variety of different sizes. These below are stock replacements only. I'm not racing this car, so I won't waste the money on the high end race stuff.
Here are the part numbers and cost:
Mahle Perfect Circle Rings: PCR-3150036-030 - 109$
Clevite 77 Rod Bearings: CLE-CB634P - 4.25 each - 34.00$
Clevite 77 Main Bearings: CLE-MS590P - 39.97$
The next step is to clean the crank again and prep the engine. for the engine prep, I need to chase all the threads, clean the gasket surfaces, clean the block with the parts washer and then coat it with WD40 again. then we can fix the cylinder walls and double check the main bores when the caps are torqued with the new bearings. then it needs to be cleaned again. at that point the re-assembly can begin!
94 Mustang GT: Daily Driver Motor: Disassembly
Finally got started last night. I cut a piece of plywood to span the two legs of the engine stand. that does two things - place to put the tools and a makeshift oil drip tray.
First thing I did was remove the oil pan. I noted which bolts were missing - the 4 for the timing cover, and two on either side of the rear crank, one or two from the pan itself. good thing I have extras of these! I got out a package of zip lock bags and labeled one "oil pan bolts" and put them all in there. I removed pan rails - they go between the pan and the bolts - and the pan and set it aside. Next was the oil pickup and the pump. I remove the two bolts from the pickup to pump, and the main cap nut that holds the pickup. then I removed the pickup. two bolts for the pump and that came off too. another zip lock for the oil pump bolts. i put the pickup in a big cardboard box along with the oil pan rails that live on either side of the pan. This oil pan is tapped for an oil return - likely from a supercharger, so I wont be re-using it. I wont be re-using the oil pump either.
next up, I checked the orientation of the pistons as they sit in the block. the bottom of each of the TRW pistons is scribed with a number, and an arrow. the arrow points to the front of the motor (good idea!). I'm not exactly sure what the number is for. The number 1 cylinder piston Rod and Rod cap were stamped with number 1 (the other 7 are correct as well - rod and rod cap stamp match the number of the bore), but the scribe mark was number 3. I'll disregard the scribe mark unless I figure out what that is for.
motor is upside down. I set number 1 at TDC - piston closest to the deck, rod centered in the bore. then I removed the rod nuts and carefully removed the rod cap. I put some nylon tubing on the rod bolts so that they wont nick the crank. this part is super important! if that crank gets nicked - its a very expensive mistake! I plan to polish the crank - not replace or turn it. back to the pistons - i used a 1/2 inch wooden oak dowel - about 2.5 ft long and a hammer. I put the oak dowel on the piston and gave it a few taps. someone was on the other side of the motor ready to catch the piston when it came out. it came right out with just a few taps. I put the rod cap back on the piston, along with the rod nuts. then I did the same thing for number 5, which is across from number 1. Repeat for the rest.
had about 2 hours into it, which included pulling everything out - tools, stand, etc, making the plywood piece, labeling everything and eventually putting it all back away. The engine lives in a plastic garbage bag while its tucked away.
Pics:
[img]http://i821.photobucket.com/albums/zz135/geargambler/306Build/0B69471B-634A-45B1-8337-09164A685231-920-000000B1B1B5EBD1_zpse72b92d2.jpg[/img]
[img]http://i821.photobucket.com/albums/zz135/geargambler/306Build/E1808E02-F423-4771-86E3-AB9FD11DEDBA-920-000000B1AA90E644_zps40b9f62c.jpg[/img]
[img]http://i821.photobucket.com/albums/zz135/geargambler/306Build/BC13F868-DEFA-43A4-8612-AB4D1FFB52EC-920-000000B1A30D27E4_zpsc1818b83.jpg[/img]
94 Mustang GT: Daily Driver Motor: Intro and Background
A little bit of a background here. My daily driver 1994 GT has 212k miles on the clock. I drive about 150 miles a day, three times a week into work. This doesnt include any driving on the weekends and other trips outside of my commute. Needless to say, they add up quickly. Thinking ahead, I have been planning to give the motor a bit of a refresh. I picked up a genuine Ford 1994/5 cobra intake and GT40 iron heads for CHEAP. that is what started this whole thing. I got the heads cleaned up / upgraded / rebuilt / heli - coil some threads / and milled a bit. they are perfect! I also had the intake cleaned up and powdercoated. I picked up the gaskets necessary for the intake and heads, and even a set of scorpion 1.72 pedestal rockers for those heads. I was going to do the head and intake swap last winter - but the car lived in the body shop instead, so that project got held up.
I'm glad it did! Along came this:
[img]http://i821.photobucket.com/albums/zz135/geargambler/MyCars/1994%20Mustang%20GT%20Convertible/920CEF96-7DBA-4F73-B546-B54BEBE2FE33-3239-0000022D5C0D0556_zpsa7178c02.jpg[/img]
its a 306 with low miles on it. TRW forged pistions, stock everything else with all ARP hardware. For the deal I got on it, I couldn't say no.
It looks like when it was rebuilt the crank wasn't polished. The cylinders could also use a good hone - maybe they didnt clean the block correctly. So I'll disassemble, freshen and reassemble with new rings and bearings. I plan to keep a running journal of the work that gets done. The idea is to get this into the car BEFORE mustang week next year! I'll keep this first post updated with the parts on hand / ordered and I'll also keep a spreadsheet with the total $ spent.
PARTS on hand
Cobra Intake - powdercoated
GT 40Heads, with trick flow springs fresh
scorpion 1.72 rockers, and shim kit
ARP Head Bolts
head, intake, exhaust gaskets
intake bolts
Timing Cover
Total so far (includes work done below): $1775
Work Done
heads rebuilt
heli coil heads
powder coating intake
94 Mustang GT: Upgrade the plugs and wires!
I've been through a few sets of wires / etc lately and I thought it would be good to share my experience. I originally went with the motorcraft replacement wires. they worked great for a while until one of them melted on the header. my fault for not separating them correctly!
I've ben running autolite 24's for a plug since I had the car (one heat range colder). I picked up MSD's street fire wire set thinking that this would be an economical replacement for the motorfcraft wires. I also replaced the plugs with the same ones again.
The street fire wires didn't really fit well - they were tight. they also have a straight boot rather than an angled boot. By the time it was all said and done, they were installed and worked just fine… for a while.
After a few months, the straight boot on the number 4 cylinder had gotten hot enough to crystalize the boot and eventually cause the spark to jump. I also found that since the wires were stretched so much, there was some other 'jumping' going on. I replaced the bad wires with some spares I had, and ordered a new set.
I took the advice from Mr Shifter, and the set I ordered is the Moroso Ultra 40 MOR-73718. It is a shielded wire set, numbered. I also needed to make the coil wire. I replaced the plugs and in the process found that the porcelain on number 8 was cracked. good thing I was replacing them. At a dollar a plug, its cheap! I installed all the wires and made sure they were separated nicely.
I also borrowed the MSD wire crimping tool (thanks again man!) for the coil wire. I cut the coil wire to length. Then installed the shrink wrap. Then I stripped the shielding and scraped the wire (it has a coating on it) to make sure it made contact with the metal end. I tested it to make sure it was good and installed and crimped the end. Then I had to push the boot on there and take a heat gun to the shrink wrap. Fits perfectly!
I also want to add that this made a NOTICEABLE difference! its a lot more snappy now, for sure! I have a MSD coil, but other than that its a stock ignition.
one more thing - I cut and dripped the street fire wire and put it beside the ultra 40. it is now engrained in my head that not all wires are created equally!
94 Mustang GT: 8.8 Upgrade
when I recently replaced the clutch in my 94 i realized that the rear was leaking at the pinion seal. I completely rebuilt it about 102k miles. The car now has 220k on the clock. I know from experience that just replacing the pinion seal doesn't work - it almost always leads to issues with the preload / crush collar. I enlisted Shifter for help and he suggested that we install the ratech solid spacer instead of the crush collar on the pinion. Make no mistake about it, he did all the technical stuff and is absolutely THE MAN when it comes to building an 8.8. Here is what went down!
With the help of my lovely fiancé, we pulled the rear out of the car. I also proceeded to mash one of the ABS sensors in the process. Best is to tap these out with a brass punch or something soft - maybe a wooden dowel? I tried to twist it - don't do that - 55$ mistake here. The other side I tapped out with no issue.
here is the rear on saw horses:
[img]http://i821.photobucket.com/albums/zz135/geargambler/MyCars/1994%20Mustang%20GT%20Convertible/AF0FB261-D74A-4DB7-9EC5-BF8F6B12299F_zpsvc2jl1zn.jpg[/img]
and the brakes - marked per side so they go back on correctly
[img]http://i821.photobucket.com/albums/zz135/geargambler/MyCars/1994%20Mustang%20GT%20Convertible/0FDBF007-358A-47EC-AAC4-64A9BDA4B680_zpsuavlezus.jpg[/img]
sometime later I was able to get it over to Shifter's place. We pulled out the carrier and he got to work welding the tubes and then straightening the axel tubes.
Heres a shot of the jig installed and the tubes prepped for welding
[img]http://i821.photobucket.com/albums/zz135/geargambler/MyCars/1994%20Mustang%20GT%20Convertible/C02A9402-1183-4FF4-9030-D6320F7BC481_zps5zdhdmf5.jpg[/img]
Verified with the jig- they were perfect after being corrected / straightened.
[img]http://i821.photobucket.com/albums/zz135/geargambler/MyCars/1994%20Mustang%20GT%20Convertible/EDD94D11-BA1D-4133-868B-319D5AA66514_zpsdgeiqg62.jpg[/img]
Next we pulled out the pinion gear and found out that the bearings / races were done. The carrier bearings / races looked ok, but the pinion was pitted and needed to be replaced. Luckily this guy keeps spare parts on hand. Installed the new races and bearings for the pinion. Then he went though the process of finding the correct shims for the solid spacer that gave the right preload on the pinion.
the surgery table, also the solid spacer is on the pinion gear
[img]http://i821.photobucket.com/albums/zz135/geargambler/MyCars/1994%20Mustang%20GT%20Convertible/8E5B5B53-9EA8-485F-9D74-627E0E64F4A8_zpsagyderei.jpg[/img]
Once that was established, the new pinion bearing was pressed on and installed in the rear. then the carrier was installed. This was also shimmed to tighten it up against the spacers. At that point we were done for the night. I took the rear, cover, axles and parts back to my place.
I put it back up on the saw horses so I could clean it, paint the welds, and install the axels. I have a 2 gallon parts washer. I also got an aluminum pan for under a hot water heater. I plumbed it to return back to the parts washer. I also installed a flex hose to the spicket of the parts washer so I can get the fluid up into the housing. here is a pic of the setup when I used it to clean the crankshaft: [img]http://i821.photobucket.com/albums/zz135/geargambler/MyCars/1994%20Mustang%20GT%20Convertible/D8551E41-27BB-4315-8567-539FDDB6998C-12533-000006734DF8F7F6_zps0e4d7885.jpg[/img]
I installed the axels, c clips, shaft and shaft retaining bolt. Then I got to spraying the fluid into the rear to flush it out. You wouldn't believe the shit that came out of here! Once I was done and it was dry, I installed the fluid. I used 75w140 synthetic. One of them already had the friction modifier added. the other quart did not have the friction modifier. I installed the cover with some black RTV and it was ready to be installed. With the help of my neighbor, I was able to install the rear into the car and get all the control arm / shock bolts torqued to spec. I also made sure to grease the bushings in the 8.8 housing as well as the ones in the lower control arms. I also reinstalled the brakes lines. I installed the busted ABS sensor and the ABS light came on. I installed the brakes, hub centric spacers and the wheels. Everything looked good!
when the new motor craft ABS sensor came in I replaced this (drivers side) and it worked perfectly - the connection for the ABS is under the rear seat.
A very HUGE thank you to Shifter for all your help! Let me know if anything here needs to be added / changed for accuracy. I think I got it all though!
I also have to thank my Fiancé and my neighbor for the help on the rest of the surgery.
Good Times!
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