I ordered new gears a few minutes ago from Summit Racing.
The gears are $189.95. I used $40 in Summit Bucks I received after purchasing the rear differential. Additionally, I received a gift from Summit and on the receipt was a code to redeem for another $20. Finally, I paid using PayPal which had $35.61 from recent eBay auctions for a final price of $94.34!
I decided on a gear ratio of 3.25. This will put me at 3,000 RPM when driving down the road at 70. This is high but is reasonable considering the amount I drive on the highway. These will also work with a T5 transmission if I ever upgrade.
I'm told this is a great rear ratio. This is suppose to be one of the best performance modifications you can perform. I look forward to the result but will likely wait a little while to install the gears.
Monday, December 28, 2009
Sunday, December 27, 2009
Miller Regencye 250 Welder Connected
I received a Miller Regency 250 welder from my father earlier this year. I've been unable to use it as I needed a 220 outlet and some additional parts. I wired the 220 outlet on Monday of last week and picked up the wire feed box (S-22A) and the cabling this past weekend.
The wire feeder was not in very good condition. The 14 pin connecting plug was damaged such that it could not be connected. An extention was included for the 14 pin connector which was made out of standard electrical cord. I used this to create a 50' cable but it took at least an hour of reviewing wiring schematics for the unit.
There was an 1/8" of grease and grime in the bottom of the wire feed machine. I disassembled much of the box and cleaned up all of the components. I was able to test it out an everything seems to be working just fine. I hope to get better at welding over the next few months so I can replace the floorpans.
The wire feeder was not in very good condition. The 14 pin connecting plug was damaged such that it could not be connected. An extention was included for the 14 pin connector which was made out of standard electrical cord. I used this to create a 50' cable but it took at least an hour of reviewing wiring schematics for the unit.
There was an 1/8" of grease and grime in the bottom of the wire feed machine. I disassembled much of the box and cleaned up all of the components. I was able to test it out an everything seems to be working just fine. I hope to get better at welding over the next few months so I can replace the floorpans.
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Quarter Mile Test
Although the carburetor hesitation is not fixed, I wanted to see what type improvement switching to the Holley made. It was about 45 degrees outside tonight so it was at least 30 degrees colder than it was when I performed the same test back in July.
I tried to avoid the hesitation and not spin the tires which led to a slow start. I ran up to 100 to make sure there was no issue with the meter as I experienced previously. Despite the slow start and wheel spin, I ran a 16.75 at 85.4.
My time decreased only by a 1/4 second but the MPH increased by 5 MPH. According to a calculator I found on the internet, the best ET possible with this MPH is 15.87. The best ET with my previous MPH was 16.85 (actually ran a 17.0).
My '60 time in July was 2.63 with wheel spin. My '60 time today was 2.83 so I easily lost .2 seconds with my slow start. If I had the same '60 time as before, I would have run a 16.55.
I still run up to 4500 RPM which may or may not be needed. I don't want to do anything more as I'm not sure the engine could handle it. I really only do this when testing the car and try to stay under 4000 the rest of the time.
I tried to avoid the hesitation and not spin the tires which led to a slow start. I ran up to 100 to make sure there was no issue with the meter as I experienced previously. Despite the slow start and wheel spin, I ran a 16.75 at 85.4.
My time decreased only by a 1/4 second but the MPH increased by 5 MPH. According to a calculator I found on the internet, the best ET possible with this MPH is 15.87. The best ET with my previous MPH was 16.85 (actually ran a 17.0).
My '60 time in July was 2.63 with wheel spin. My '60 time today was 2.83 so I easily lost .2 seconds with my slow start. If I had the same '60 time as before, I would have run a 16.55.
I still run up to 4500 RPM which may or may not be needed. I don't want to do anything more as I'm not sure the engine could handle it. I really only do this when testing the car and try to stay under 4000 the rest of the time.
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Intake Gasket Replacement II
I was undecided on how much I wanted to work on the Mustang today so progress was slow at first. The thermostat housing was discolored around the gasket so I decided to replace the gasket. When I removed the housing from the gasket, I found the gasket was wet. I’m not sure if it was loose or because I used RTV on it originally.
I cleaned up the thermostat housing with a wire wheel and primed the part. I put a thin bead of RTV on the inside where the actual thermostat is placed. I then covered the gasket with the High Tack Gasket Sealant I used on the intake last time. I put it on both sides of the gasket and on the metal. I torqued it down to spec (15 ft/lbs) and then waited about 15 minutes. I checked it again and found it was no longer to spec so I tightened it again.
I needed to turn the heater hose elbow mounted in the intake when I removed the spacer a few months back. When I removed the hose, coolant covered the top of the engine. I tried to soak some of it up but decided I would just wash off the engine afterwards. Ends up, the coolant discolored all the recesses in the intake. I took the time today to clean the intake with Acetone and put another coat of paint on it and on the thermostat housing.
I considered stopping at this point to just relax. I’ll be helping my parents move to their new house next weekend and the following weekend starts my Christmas vacation. This was the motivation I needed to decide to finish up this project today.
I started scraping the gasket material off the head. It seemed to have been sealed very well. I noticed a little paint discoloration around the water passages at the front. Once I removed the gasket, I cleaned the heads with Acetone and a towel until I could no longer see any dirt or oil on the towel. I then cleaned the intake at least three times with the Acetone.
When I installed the intake the first time, I only used the gasket sealant on the gasket. This time, I covered the gasket and the head. I waited about 10 minutes so it would get sticky and then installed them. I pressed the gasket down firmly around all the passages. I then lined the front and back on the lifter valley with a ¼” bead of RTV. I also put a small amount around the water passages on the intake itself. After the RTV set up, I installed the intake. I torqued it down to spec using the Shop Manual torque sequence.
I decided I would let the RTV dry overnight before doing anything more. However, after about an hour, I decided to see if the bolts were still tight. I found they were not tight at all. I torqued the outside four to 15 ft/lbs again and the inside eight to 25 ft/lbs. I’m going to leave the bolt heads unpainted for now so I can check them again tomorrow and after the engine is warmed up for the first time.
I’m not sure why the bolts keep working their way lose. I did not put thread lock on the bolts as the instructions just indicated a sealant was needed since they are exposed to oil and possibly water. I wonder if this is something which happens with everything and I’m just now figuring this out.
I cleaned up the thermostat housing with a wire wheel and primed the part. I put a thin bead of RTV on the inside where the actual thermostat is placed. I then covered the gasket with the High Tack Gasket Sealant I used on the intake last time. I put it on both sides of the gasket and on the metal. I torqued it down to spec (15 ft/lbs) and then waited about 15 minutes. I checked it again and found it was no longer to spec so I tightened it again.
I needed to turn the heater hose elbow mounted in the intake when I removed the spacer a few months back. When I removed the hose, coolant covered the top of the engine. I tried to soak some of it up but decided I would just wash off the engine afterwards. Ends up, the coolant discolored all the recesses in the intake. I took the time today to clean the intake with Acetone and put another coat of paint on it and on the thermostat housing.
I considered stopping at this point to just relax. I’ll be helping my parents move to their new house next weekend and the following weekend starts my Christmas vacation. This was the motivation I needed to decide to finish up this project today.
I started scraping the gasket material off the head. It seemed to have been sealed very well. I noticed a little paint discoloration around the water passages at the front. Once I removed the gasket, I cleaned the heads with Acetone and a towel until I could no longer see any dirt or oil on the towel. I then cleaned the intake at least three times with the Acetone.
When I installed the intake the first time, I only used the gasket sealant on the gasket. This time, I covered the gasket and the head. I waited about 10 minutes so it would get sticky and then installed them. I pressed the gasket down firmly around all the passages. I then lined the front and back on the lifter valley with a ¼” bead of RTV. I also put a small amount around the water passages on the intake itself. After the RTV set up, I installed the intake. I torqued it down to spec using the Shop Manual torque sequence.
I decided I would let the RTV dry overnight before doing anything more. However, after about an hour, I decided to see if the bolts were still tight. I found they were not tight at all. I torqued the outside four to 15 ft/lbs again and the inside eight to 25 ft/lbs. I’m going to leave the bolt heads unpainted for now so I can check them again tomorrow and after the engine is warmed up for the first time.
I’m not sure why the bolts keep working their way lose. I did not put thread lock on the bolts as the instructions just indicated a sealant was needed since they are exposed to oil and possibly water. I wonder if this is something which happens with everything and I’m just now figuring this out.
Saturday, December 5, 2009
Replacing Intake Gaskets
Today I decided to remove the intake to fix the leaks. I was able to take the intake off fairly easily. I tried to slowly loosen the bolts so I would not warp the intake. I was surprised to find the back right bolt was not tight at all. I suppose these worked their way lose much as the intake bolts did. Regardless, I was able to remove the intake with no trouble.
The current gasket I originally installed still looks great. I posted on StangFix about using the same gasket again. It looks brand new but most suggested I go ahead and use a new one. This was the best idea. Once I started removing it, I found it was not sealed perfectly along the bottom. So much so I wondered if I could have had a leak into the lifter valley.
I decided to stop at this point as I had been working all day. Kimberly went shopping in Houston for the day so I was lucky the kids let me get this much work done. Since it was extremely cold, they did not even want to come outside and spent much of the day playing inside and watching TV.
The current gasket I originally installed still looks great. I posted on StangFix about using the same gasket again. It looks brand new but most suggested I go ahead and use a new one. This was the best idea. Once I started removing it, I found it was not sealed perfectly along the bottom. So much so I wondered if I could have had a leak into the lifter valley.
I decided to stop at this point as I had been working all day. Kimberly went shopping in Houston for the day so I was lucky the kids let me get this much work done. Since it was extremely cold, they did not even want to come outside and spent much of the day playing inside and watching TV.
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Water Pump Leak
I noticed there was a small leak from the water pump a few days ago. I was only able to notice as the leak discolored the paint on the block slightly. Otherwise, I’ve not noticed any fluid on the ground or on the engine.
I checked tonight and realized the leak is actually at the timing cover. I suppose when I took off the water pump, loosening those bolts also loosened up the timing cover. This created a gap in the timing cover gasket which was not sealed when I tightened the water pump back down.
I checked the Shop Manual and the water pump should be torqued down to 15 ft/lbs. I checked the bolt closest to the source of the leak and found it was lose. I checked the one next to it and it was also lose. I believe I can probably fix this problem by just tightening all the bolts back to spec. I suppose they loosened after driving the car around and heating the engine up.
I’ll need to take off the water pump pulley and fan to tighten all the bolts. I’d also like to paint the area of the block which is discolored. I’ll wait and handle this project when I decide to replace the intake gasket.
I checked tonight and realized the leak is actually at the timing cover. I suppose when I took off the water pump, loosening those bolts also loosened up the timing cover. This created a gap in the timing cover gasket which was not sealed when I tightened the water pump back down.
I checked the Shop Manual and the water pump should be torqued down to 15 ft/lbs. I checked the bolt closest to the source of the leak and found it was lose. I checked the one next to it and it was also lose. I believe I can probably fix this problem by just tightening all the bolts back to spec. I suppose they loosened after driving the car around and heating the engine up.
I’ll need to take off the water pump pulley and fan to tighten all the bolts. I’d also like to paint the area of the block which is discolored. I’ll wait and handle this project when I decide to replace the intake gasket.
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