Removal of Steering Box for Rebuild

I've wanted to have the steering box rebuilt by Stanger (http://www.stangersite.com/) for a while now. Unfortunately, I've it takes a couple of months to have the job done. Since I don't expect to finish this project until at least the end of March, I decided to go ahead and have the steering box rebuilt.

In order to remove the steering box, I first needed to take out the driver side exhaust manifold and z bar. The exhaust manifold on my car are very unique. It appears someone took a shorty style headerm, cut it where the primary tubes meet, and then just welded the exhaust solid from that point to the tailpipe. As a result, I needed to cut the exhaust near the bellhousing so I could remove the manifold.

It took a little while to find a way to remove the exhaust. It was obviously not made for the car so it was a very tight fit. However, I did get the exhaust removed. It has 1 5/8" primary tubes which are of unequal length. The exhaust on the car is 2 1/4" outer diameter. The only identifying mark on the exhaust is the number 603 09 02 on the exhaust flange.



Once the exhaust was out of the way, I removed the steering box. I was able to pull it out through the area right beside the head. I did not need to remove the export brace or anything. The job was no doubt made easier by the fact there was no floorboard in the way so the long shaft could move around inside the car without any interferance.

I sent Stanger an email and then packed the steering box up for shipment. I'll wait until I hear back from him before shipping it off. I'd like to make sure he has time to do the rebuild before spending the money to ship it to him in San Antonio.



01/03/11 - I received an email back from Randy (Stanger) this morning stating he is still rebuilding steering boxes. He said he would be able to get to mine in early February. I shipped it to him for $21 at UPS.

Removal of Remaining Floorboard Pieces

I removed the majority of the floorpan the Wednesday before Christmas. However, I did not have time to remove the last of the transmission tunnel or the pieces behind the torque box in the rear which connect to the wheel wells (see picture below). I decided I'd remove these this morning since I have the day off work.



I've stopped using the spot weld cutter. It required a 1/8" hole be drilled through the spot weld. I quickly got tired of welding up these little 1/8" holes. Instead, I'm using a 5/8" drill bit to drill out the spot weld on the piece of metal to be replaced. I then separate the panels with a small chisel and hammer. This may sound like a bad approach but it works really well.

I'd hoped to have everything ready for the floorboard this weekend. It is still possible but highly unlikely. I made a mistake and cut too much out of the floorboard for the drivers toe board. That is why I've been dragging my feet on that part of the project. If it were not for that mistake, I could likely meet my goal.

At this point, I need to grind off what is left of the ajoining panels to prepare them for the new floor. I need to then fix a few holes from old exhaust hangers in the panel behind the rear seat. I then need to treat the inside of the rear frame rails. Finally, I'll install the driver side toe board and will be ready to start working on the floor.

Underdash Wiring Restoration (Part 1)

I removed the underdash wiring at the beginning of my current project back on August 29th. I've planned to restore the wiring since the beginning. However, since restoring the wiring was not time sensitive, I just set the project aside for later.

As I worked on other parts of this project, I questioned how to include a constant power for the radio, how to run a wire to the electric choke, and several other non-original items. The best way I found to handle these would be to replace the fuse block. I could add one with additional circuits and upgrade to a new style with blade fuses.

For Christmas, I received a Painless Wiring fuse bock kit. I'm going to incorporate it into the stock wiring using solder and heat shrink. The fuse block includes an additional constant and ignition circuit so I can handle all the non-original items. I can wire everything with this fuse box and have it look as original as possible.



I plan on working on this project for the next several nights. Tonight, I started stripping all the tape from the stock harness. I started with this so I can see where all the stock wiring goes so I can find the best way to incorporate the fuse block. I'll incorporate it first and then continue to work from there.

Passenger Toe Board Installation Part 2

I've spent some time over the past few nights working on the passenger side toe board.

The USC All Metal filler is difficult to sand smooth. It gets very hard when it dries. However, I managed to get it sanded smooth. I then painted the panel with some Krylon Rust Tough paint which has a similar color to the stock primer. I then put a little Eastwood seam sealer on the sides of the panels to protect the metal where it is overlapped.

I'm pleased with how the side turned out. I still have the driver side to go.

Passenger Toe Board Installation

On the weekend of December 4th, I started work on the passenger side toe board. I already had a replacement panel which I ordered from CJ Pony parts a few weeks prior. I slowly trimmed on the panel to place the butt welds in the least visible locations while still removing all the rust. The panel was contoured very similar to the original toe board but it did require some work at the top which took a little while.

After the panel fit perfectly, I slowly started cutting out the original toe board from the car. The picture below is during the process of test fitting and cutting out metal so the new toe board could be butt welded into place. Once I had the panel very close to fitting perfectly, I had to call it a day.




On the weekend of December 11th, I started welding the toe board into place. I used a copper backing plate to keep the bottom side of the weld looking nice. The welding went much better than expected. As beginner, I expected to have a tremendous amount of trouble. While it was not completely necessary, I then spent some time on Sunday grinding down the welds . I'll ultimately cover them with sound deadener but I wanted it to look presentable anyway.

Over the nights of the next few days, I put a little USC All Metal filler on the panel and sanded it smooth. Again overkill but this gave me a little experience and allowed me to see how well I could finish off a panel. I'm fairly happy with the result.

Temp Picture for Someone Else

I've been working to install a torque box on the passenger side of my Mustang.  There is one on the driver side but they did not start installing one on the passenger side until '68.  The box ties the front frame rail to the rocker panel and makes the subframe stiffer.  Paired with the new subframe connectors I should have a stiffer frame.

Some vendors sell the torque box welded together and some sell it in two pieces.  Mine was a two-piece box from Dynacorn.  If it were one piece, I would have had to cut the welds to separate it to get it into the vehicle.  It fits quite well and I'll just need to sand off the paint on the edges and get to welding.

New Air Conditioning Vents

I recently placed the air conditioning vents which came with my Mustang on eBay. The vents were not original to the car as they came from a '68 with woodgrain trim. I did not want to keep the woodgrain trim so I listed the parts to gain money to purchase replacement air conditioning vents.

I sold the passenger side air conditioning vent for $45. The center vent only sold for $16.50. The driver side control piece was broken along the bottom. I tried to fix it but was not successful so I sold just the removable vent portion for $8.50.

I purchased a new set of air conditioning vents in a single auction for $150. It is a little pricy but all the parts were there and in very good condition. I figure this is $50 each which is a good price from what I've seen on eBay.

Upgrading to an Electric Fan System

At the beginning of September, I started preparing to upgrade the cooling system on the Mustang to include an electronic fan. The fan I selected is a 16" Flex-A-Lite Syclone fan (FLX-398 which has S shaped blades. To operate the fan, I purchased an adjustable Flex-A-Lite temperature controller (31147). The total cost for the items was around $142 from Summit Racing.

One the fan arrived, I removed the old fan and spacer from the Mustang. The fan blade was a six blade fan but it was not an original Ford fan. I placed it on eBay with another spare spacer I had which was too long for my Mustang. The set sold for $66 dropping the cost of this project to $82.

I installed the new electric fan today inside the stock fan shroud. It fit perfectly inside the shroud and is much more hidden from view. The casing for the controller was tan so I painted it with a little black paint to hide it better. I mounted it on the lower passenger side fan shoud bolt. The temperature probe is at the top of the radiator by the inlet hose.





I need to wire up a relay and fuse for the fan controller. I'm waiting on this part as I'm tempted to move the battery to the trunk. I'm not sure if I would leave the battery tray or not and I was going to hide the relay under the battery. I'll wait to finish this part of the project up until I decide on what I want to do with the battery.

The following picture shows the engine compartment with the standard fan:



This picture is from a little different angle but shows how the fan is concealed by the shroud.

This new fan generates 2,500 CFM of air when running. It should reduce the load on the engine when running at higher RPM. I'm not expecting an incredible improvement but it should help some. The only issue now is the 17amp draw on the alternator.

Driver Floorpan Removal

I decided to go ahead and buy the bottle jacks from Harbor Freight. When I arrived, I found the 2ton versions were only $7.87 each. I purchased six, two spot weld cutters, and a few other items.

When I made it home, I put the car up on the jacks. I then started work on the driver floorpan. The front and back pans are so badly rusted they hardly exist. I don't have the subframe connector in yet but with the jacks in place is should not really matter.

I removed most of the floorboards and then realized the car was not up on the jacks any longer. It seems the jacks lose pressure within a few minutes. The car then goes back to sitting on the tires. No wonder these jacks are only $8 each, they don't work.

Regardless, I removed the seat riser and the majority of the floorboard from the driver side. I still need to clean up around the front frame rail. Things are moving along well but the project is going to take some time. I'm still trying to decide if I should do the full floor or just the sides. I'm still leaning towards the full floor as it requires less welding.

Passenger Subframe Connector

Today, I started work on welding the passenger subframe connector.

I cleaned the surface of the front and rear frame rail this afternoon. I planned to spot weld in the rear of the connector first. I'd then place a couple of spot welds at the front. The spot welds were more difficult than I expected. They would stick to one piece or the other but not both. I finally managed to get a few welds down which certainly represent my skill level (they look horrible).

It is very difficult to weld under the car without it being on jacks. I'm tempted to put the whole thing up on jacks before I go any further. Unfortunately, I'd need two bottle jacks on each of the side rocker panels and two at the end of each frame rail. Harbor Freight Tools sells a few different bottle jacks which would work for between $9 and $14 dollars so I'm considering that option.

Before I can work on the driver subframe connector, I'll need to remove the fuel line. It runs across the back frame rail where the subframe connector is welded. I'll replace it with a '69 version which crosses to the rocker panel further back. Hopefully, I don't get gas everywhere removing the line but I'm sure I'll find a way.

Passenger Subframe Connector Preparation

The starting point for the floorboard replacement is the installaton of subframe connectors. These connectors serve as the structure of the floor when the floorpans are removed.

I cut open the rear portion of the front frame rail the weekend before last. Today, I straightened the metal a little and then stripped around where I will spot weld in the subframe connector.



The two tabs you can see on either side of the subframe were originally folded in to form the back. Many cut them off completely leaving a straight weld surface around the back. That would be a little easier but this way will keep it from having the straight cut and welded on look of an aftermarket piece. I don't care much but just want it to blend in a little.

There are a few holes around the stock frame rail. There is no purpose for these holes. They can cause dirt and water to get in the frame rail so I plan to just weld them all closed. I'm very new to welding so I'll obviously need to practice a little first.

The back frame rail was very easy to clean. I just used a course wire wheel in my cordless drill and a few minutes later everything looked ready for welding. I'll need to cover it and the subframe connector with primer so that nothing rusts while before I can paint the underside of the car.



I cleaned both the subframe connectors with mineral spirts and primed them with Krylon Rust Tough primer. I planned to use weld thru primer but have read it is not really worth the money. I'll clean the weld areas and then primer them after welding.

Subframe Connector Purchase

I had the day off work today but did not work on the Mustang.

I started thinking about the structural integrity of the Mustang during the floorboard replacement. If I took out the entire floorboard, the frame of the Mustang could shift slightly. Since I want subframe connectors, I decided it would be best to go ahead and install these to lock things into place.

I purchased a set of subframe connectors from Tin Man Fabrication for $165. The website stated they should be here by this coming weekend.

I'll need to practice a little with my welder so I can install these soon. I'd like to make plenty of progress with the Mustang over the Winter. Installing the subframe connectors is going to be the first step.

Dash Component Removal & Floorboard Inspection

I stripped the remaining components from the dash this morning leaving only the metal shell. The next step involves stripping the surface of the dash panels. Before moving to this step, I removed the carpet and seats so they would not be covered in debries.

I decided to stop for the day and went inside for much of the afternoon. I then decided there was no reason to refinish the entire dash only to possibly damage it when replacing the toe boards and floorpans. This caused me to return to the garage to work on the floorpans.

The previous owner cut out pieces of sheet metal and riveted them over the original floorpan from the inside. I drilled the rivets out easily and removed the replacement pieces. The date was written on one of the pieces an I believe it was May 2004 or 2007.

There was caulk around the replacement sheetmetal. This only helped to seal in the moisture between the two panels. This caused a great deal of rust to form on the floorpans. There was much more rust than was detectable from the bottom of the car. I knew there was enough rust to need an entire new floorpan so this really was more surprising than depressing.

The riveted sheetmetal was not the first repair to the floorpans. I could tell the driver floorpan had been repaired previously. It had an 1/8 to 1/4 inch of fiberglass on the metal. This was fairly easy to remove. I then started removing a bit more of the rusted metal just to see the extent of the damage.

Underdash Wiring Removed

I spent a little over an hour today removing the underdash wiring. I documented each connector as I removed the wiring with my digital camera. After removing the harness, I reconnected the door pins, flashers, ignition switch, and headlight switch. The purpose of the various wires is easily to determine with these items connected.

I'm tempted to replace the fuse block with one produced by Painless Wiring. This aftermarket fuse block uses the newer style fuses. Additionally, it would contain three extra circuits to run the constant power for the radio and other accessories without taxing the stock system.

I'm also tempted to use the aftermarket fuse block because of some damage to the stock item. The wires which led to the back of one of the fuses were cut at the back of the fuse block. They were then wires together using an inline fuse from an auto parts store. I'm not sure yet if this is because of something wrong with the block or just ignorance of the previous owner.

In addition to the wiring, I removed the defroster vent, fresh air vent, and a few other small items. I plan to remove a few more items so that I can soon start to strip the underdash area.

I was able to check the driver side cowl and it looks in acceptable condition also. This will allow me to use the plastic replacement cowl hat on the driver side without the need to replace the entire cowl panel.

Interior Parts Order - Shopping Therapy

I'm not one to go shopping to feel better but today was the exception.

I've been wanting a new steering wheel for the Mustang since I purchased the car. The steering wheel I'm currently using is the stock wheel which is cracked, large, and looks horrible. I passed time on Saturday looking at steering wheels on the Summit Racing website. A LeCarra Mark VI Elegante steering wheel caught my eye. The steering wheel looks great and is 14" which works well with my manual steering configuration.

I've also been thinking about how I'm going to handle the gauges in the Mustang. I need a better oil pressure and water temperature guage. Since I'm restoring the dash, I'd like to go ahead and decided how I want to mount these new guages. Ideally, I'd replace the two outside guages in the stock cluster. I've tried working with a cheap 2 1/16" guage I have to see if I could get it to look good in the stock bezel. Unfortunately, I've not had any luck.

I posted about it on StangFix.com and they suggested using a 2 5/8" guage. The guage could be mounted from the back or from the front. I searched Summit Racing and found two nice Pro-Sport series guages which would work well. I consdered buying one to see if I could make it fit properly but then started worrying how it would look next to the other stock guages. The lighting, guage faces, and lenses would look entirely different.

I'd love to have a 5" tachometer and speedometer. Since I was day dreaming, I decided to look at them also. I found the same Line Pro-Sport Autometer tachometer for $150. If you purchase one now, you can get a $100 rebate from AutoMeter. Additionally, Summit will give you $50 in Summit Bucks.

I was feeling down about recent events at work today and started thinking about the Mustang to brighten my day. I then decided to just go ahead and buy all of these parts. I'll test fit the guages to see if I can make them work. If it does not look good, I can always return them to Summit.

Beginning the Dash & Firewall Restoration

I recently purchased a new hood, driver side fender, front valance, and trunk lid from Mustang Mania in Katy, Texas. The parts were available at the price charged by other Mustang Suppliers but I could pick these up and not pay any shipping charges. This was at a considerable savings considering the size of the items and the potential for damage in shipping.

I'd like to work from the front to the back of the Mustang repairing the sheetmetal problems. I don't want to work on the hood until I'm certain no work is needed on the cowl. As a result, I've decided to start working on the firewall and undersdash restoration. Since I'll need to take all the dash panels off and wiring out, I'll be restoring the dash during this phase.

I removed the glove box and dash bezels from the Mustang this afternoon. I checked the passenger side cowl vent. The cowl hat is badly rusted. Fortunately, the rust did not extend beyond the cowl hat. A plastic replacement cowl hat is available which I should be able to use to repair this area.

I'll need to remove the fresh air vent and some wiring to inspect the driver side cowl. What I can see seems to have more rust than the passenger side. If only the hat is rusted, I'll be relieved as both can be repaired simply using the plastic replacement cowl hat kit.

Procrastination and Planning

I've been intimidated by the metalwork needed on the Mustang since the beginning. There are several areas with rust which need attention. I have a welder but don't have the needed gas tank. Instead of purchasing the tank and practicing, I continue to focus on small projects leaving this task until the end.

I'm going to force myself to focus on the bodywork needed. The basic metal structure of the car needs to be addressed. I'll start at the front and begin working my way to the rear. I'd like to be finished with this part of the project by next Summer. If I don't set a timeline, I'm sure I will drag it out forever.

I've started considering painting the car myself. If I pay someone to paint the car, it will cost a couple of thousand dollars. I'm sure I would be very critical of all the work done. I'd be concerned about small areas which would be missed. If I did it myself, I could ensure everything is painted as I would like. However, I don't know that I could handle a metallic paint.

I'm considering painting the car a matte black color. While black is not an easy color to paint because of how it shows issues with the bodgy panels, I like the sinister but understated, minimalistic appearance. I'll obviously need to research this a great deal more before I could handle this type of project. I'd like to do this soon so I can paint parts as I move towards the back of the car.

If I go with the matte black color, I plan to remove all the stock emblems. This would have a cleaner appearance and save a little money. I keep stating how certain things are going to save money. This is partly the budget part of my mind at work. However, I need to save money as I plan to do a little more with the performance of the car than originally planned. The money I save in these areas will allow for a 347 stroker engine, a very nice set of heads, and a 5 speed transmission.

A Slow Return to the Mustang

I've had personal matters diminsh the importance of working on the Mustang for about five months now. During this time, I've thought very little about the Mustang. I lost all interest in driving the Mustang or doing anything for that matter. While this tough time is not over, my interested in the Mustang has slowly started to return.

The time away from working on the Mustang gives me a little bit of new perspective. I've been watching every dime I've spent on the Mustang since the beginning. I've treated working on the car as something like a job. The goal has been to maintain the budget in case I ever need to sell the car. I've since decided focus on this as a hobby as it is certainly not an investment.

The goal of the restoration remains the same. I want a very clean, well constructed vehicle which offers fun and driving comfort. I should enjoy the car so much I want to drive it every day. Overall, the appearance will be simple and understate. Care need s to be taken in constructing the car so it does not ride or sound as if it were thrown together with little money or attenton to detail.

I'm not sure where I want to start. When I left off on the project, I was ready to start on the floorpan replacement. I could still start at this point but need a gas tank for my welder. I'll also need a significant amount of practice. I plan to put some thought into my next steps and will update this blog again soon with my thoughts.

Carburetor Hesistation Cured!!!

After Gary left today, I decided to try to fix the choke. I loosened the choke cap after letting the engine warm up. Unfortunately, turning it does not have the impact he described. It does not do anything to the flap.

Since I had the car warmed up, I thought I would go ahead and decrease the initial timing. I set it to about 8 or 9 degrees. The idle was at about 900 RPM so I went ahead and dropped it to about 700 RPM. I then tried to set the idle mixture screws. This time, it seemed to have a little impact. They are about 1 3/4 turn out.

I thought I would try to take it for a drive with the new timing. I really expected it to hesitate even more but it did not. In fact, I put it in gear and slowly started rolling. I floored it at 700 RPM and had nothing but tirespin. There was no hesitation. I'm glad to have it fixed.

I'm not sure exactly what fixed the problem. I'm not sure it matters.

Unexpected Help Arrives

I was working on my wife's car today and Danny stopped by with a friend. Danny helped me a little more than a year ago with some welding on the Mustang. He said he had a friend who was really interested in Ford's back when he came by and his friend (Gary) was with him today.

According to Danny, Gary is an old Ford tech. Danny wanted to show him the type job I did on the engine compartment. I showed them and then started up the Mustang.

I mentioned my troubles working on the carburetor. They both commented that the car was currently running a little rich. They said they could smell the unburnt fuel (which must be faint or I'm used to it) and they could hear it in the exhaust. I'm not sure how they can do that but I would like to learn.

The choke was not turning off again and they thought I just had the idle that high. I pushed the choke release and they commented that it idled well. Gary said the way to set the choke cap is to get the car all warmed up, loosen the choke cap screws and then turn it until you just see the choke flap move. He said to then tighten the screws and it should be perfect.

Gary also said my initial timing of 14 degrees was too high. He said to drop it to 8 or so and then try to set the idle mixture screws. He said I should have better luck then.

I now have a few projects for the Mustang. Coincidentally, I just finished work on my wife's car a few minutes ago. I'm not sure I'll get to these things this weekend but I'm glad to have a few new ideas to try.

My Daily Driver

I needed to make some fairly lenghty repairs to my wife's car this past weekend. I knew I would not be able to finish over the weekend due to the need to order parts. I decided to move forward and they use the Mustang as my daily driver this week. While things have not going perfectly, they have gone very well.

I had to drive at night once this week. The headlights seem almost non-existent. They really should be replaced with somthing a little brighter. I've heard of people using a relay setup to ensure the lights receive a full 12v. If the headlights alone don't fix the problem, I may wire up some relays.

The choke is not set correctly and it is annoying. When the car is first started, it does not seem like the choke engages immediately. If I rev it a few times, it will catch and begin to idle at about 1500. If I walk back in side to finish getting ready, I can come out a few minutes later and it will be idling at about 2,00 RPM. If it has been idling for 15 minutes, it can still idle at 1,500 RPM which does not make sense as the choke should be off by then.

The other issue I noticed is the idle speed kept dropping yesterday. It would drop and the car would sputter as if were going to die. At one point it did die in the driveway. It then started doing it again this morning as I idled in the line to drop my son off as school. A few seconds later, it was back to idling at 1,500 RPM.

There is a rattle under the dash behind the radio and another behind the driver side A/C vent. I'll need to look around under the dash to see if I can find the cause.

I've had to leave theMustnag out overnight the past week. There is a little water in the passenger floorboard. I've completely sealed the cowl vent on that side so I'm not sure of the cause yet.

The car still rattles alot when going over bumps. I really need to go around the car and make sure every bolt I see is tight.

Finally, I learned on VMF this week that the 7&8 spark plug wires should not be run beside one another. It can cause a cross fire problem. I've done this since I purchased the car. I'll need to fix this when I have a moment.

Other than these items, everything went great. I do not consider these a big deal as they did not stop me from getting to work or anything. These are just a few kinks I found while driving it more than normal. I'll try to fix all these and then it should be better for the next time it needs to serve as my daily driver.

Hood Support Restoration

I started restoring the hood support about a year ago. I basted the majority of it in my father's media cabinet but ran short on time and could not finish the job. I expected to finish it up in a few weeks so I put a little grey primer on it and reinstalled it on the car. I just made it back to this project this weekend.

I finished blasting the hood support on Saturday night. I primered it this morning and painted it with the Krylon 1613 paint. I placed the hood striker in a bowl of phosphoric acid. After a couple of hours, I pulled it out, hit it with some steel wool, and then installed it. I already had new concours correct SEMS bolts to put it all back together.

The project did not take long but makes the engine compartment look much better. In the picture below, you can see a place where the paint is chipped. This is where the safety latch for the hood slides along the support brace and secures the hood in place.

Odometer Ticking Noise

While driving around last weekend, the speedometer suddenly started making a loud ticking noise. The frequency of the noise increased with my speed. However, the speedometer continued to work and did not jump or change when the noise occurred. I was not sure of the cause and since it was already Sunday, I just parked it.

I noticed the noise again this weekend. After driving around a while, I noticed the odometer was no longer working. Tonight, I took out the speedometer to determine the cause. I spun the speedometer by hand and was able to get it to make the click noise. I'm still not sure of the cause.

More than a year ago, I purchased a '67 instrument as the one currently in the Mustang is from a '68. I took out the '67 speedometer, set the odometer to the correct number, and installed it in the Mustang.

A cold front came in today and it is late so I don't want to start up the Mustang to make sure it works. I'll do it in the next few days. I'm sure this will fix it as long as there are no problems with this untested speedometer.

02/20/10 Edit: I had a chance to drive the Mustang this week and the speedometer problem is fixed.

Shocks and Ignitor II Installed

I installed the KYB shocks I received for my birthday. All the shocks I removed were in bad shape. They would not compress smoothly and did not rebound quickly.

Replacing the shocks gave me an opportunity to fix the shock tower caps. The paint on them chipped around the bolts when I installed them about a year ago. I sanded them down and put a lighter coat of paint on them so it would not chip.

I drove around the block after installing the shocks. The ride is improved when going over small bumps. When I hit a large bump, I still hear a loose bolt sound on the front driver side of the car. I checked the bolts this morning and cannot find a cause for the noise.

I also installed a new Petronix II. It took all of 10 minutes to install and will hopefully correct the issue with the engine dying randomly. I drove for about 20-30 minutes after replacing the parts and had no trouble.

New Shocks for My Birthday

The Mustang rides well on smooth roads. When I drive down a road with even small bumps, the front of the car sound like a few bolts are loose. I originally thought there were loose bolts but after checking numerous times I've never found any. I later though it was the sway bar end links but was incorrect.

I know believe the cause is the shocks. The shocks were one of the few items I did not replace as they seemed to be in good condition. I decided it was time to replace them and my wife purchased a set of KYB GR2 shocks for my birthday.

I pulled the passenger side shock to compare to the new shocks tonight. The old shock is a Monroe Monro-Matic 33059. They are nitrogen filled to provide a smooth ride. The shock is a little larger in circumference than the KYB measuring 5.25".

There is something obviously wrong with the Moroes. The first half of the compression is easy to compress and then it stiffens to match the KYB. The opposite is true of the rebound as it rebounds quickly at first and then slows greatly. A total of 7 seconds is needed for the shock to rebound. If you compress it entirely, it sticks and does not rebound at all.

The new shock is a KYB GR2 343146. They are a low pressure gas shock produced to perform better than stock. The KYB is 4 7/8" in circumference. I can compress the new KYB shock but it requires a good amount of force. Once compressed, it rebounds back out completely within 2 seconds. The fact they are smaller makes me question them a little.

These are not performance shocks. I considered performance shocks by Bilstein or Koni but they are between $100 and $125 each. These were only about $100 for the entire set. I can then us the money saved to improve the car in other areas. Most recently my thoughts are on making it faster!s

Speedometer Gear Mystery

I can't seem to select the proper speedometer gear. I learned the speedometer in the Mustang was incorrect early on. I've tried three different speedometer gears but have had no luck.


My Mustang has a 3 speed toploader transmission (1:1 final gear), 3.25 rear gears, and 25.5" tall rear tires. As seen in the picture below, the internal transmission speedometer gear has 6 teeth.




According to NPD, the first step is to calculate tire revolutions per mile using the following calculation:
63360/(3.1415*tire diameter) = tire revolutions per mile
63360/(3.1415*25.5)
63360/80.108
790.9298 tire revolutions per mile


I then insert tire revolutions per mile into the following calculation to determine the speedometer gear needed:
(# drive teeth X rear gear ratio X tire revolutions per mile) / 1000 = speedometer gear teeth
(6 X 3.25 X 790.9298) / 1000
15423.13 / 1000
15.423


I started off today with a 18 tooth speedometer gear which was obviously not correct. Using some online calculators, I found I should be at 3,000 RPM at 70MPH. With the 18 tooth gear, when the speedometer stated I was going 70, I was at 2650 RPM. With a 16 tooth gear, when the speedomter stated I was going 70, I was at 2400RPM. While the calculator states the speedomter gear should be have fewer teeth, my test seem to indicate that is taking me in the wrong direction.

Ignition Problem Strikes Again!

I decided to take the car around the block and it would not start. From past experience, I knew I only had a few minutes to troubleshoot the cause so I started immediately.

I connected my test tool which replaces the spark plug to confirm the ignition is working. The tool clips to a ground and has an adjustable gap which the spark should jump across when trying to start the car. There was no spark.

I checked voltage to the positive side of the coil and there was 12 volts. I then disconnected the coil and check continuity between the positive and negative terminals. It was at 3 ohms which is correct for the coil.

The next step was to check the Ignitor using the procedure I published before. I tried it and there was nothing registering on the volt meter. I came in and checked the document again. I walked out and started testing it again with no result and then it started registering voltage. I connected everything back together and the car started fine.

While I really believe I was testing it properly the first time. The fact it started working while I was testing makes me think I was missing something. I'll likely just order another Ignitor as that is all I could imagine causing the issue at this point.

Exhaust Leak Repair & New Radio

I've mentioned previously the exhaust is welded solid from the header flanges to the tailpipes. In order to get the transmission out, I had to cut the passenger side exhaust pipe. I tried to put it back together with a patch piece and a few clamps from O'Reilly. This leaked horribly.

I received a set of band exhaust clamps from Summmit as a Christmas present. I installed on today. I had to put a little RTV along the clamp area so it would seal. Once tightened up, it looks nice and works great.

I hoped to have the new Alpine CD player installed by now but it has not arrived. I sent an email about the radio and the seller responded stated he had not mailed it yet! He did not realize I had paid. I ready to have it installed.

I switched back to the size 35 accelerator pump nozzle and the car runs much better. The timing curve changes paired with the new nozzle has fixed much of the hesitation.

I've not been able to get the car to die in the garage. I drove to the gas station today and it died on the way home. I was able to restart the car without any trouble. I drove it home and let it run for 10 minutes but it did not die again. I performed a baseline check on the coil voltage and it was at 11.2.

Adjusting the Timing Curve Further

I've been attempting to duplicate the problem which causes the engine to die randomly. I've started the Mustang and let it run at least twice a night for the entire week. The issue has not reoccured.

I decided to work on the timing curve tonight. I thought running the engine and working with the distributor parts might cause the problem to happen again. Unforatunely, I was not so lucky but I feel better about the timing curve.

When I started, my timing curve was as follows:

850 - 14 Degrees BTDC
1000 - 14 Degrees BTDC
1500 - 20 Degrees BTDC
2000 - 31 Degrees BTDC
2500 - 39 Degrees BTDC


I originally had a hard time getting the timing to increase early. Total timing would come in earlier with the new springs I purchased but not as early as had been recommended.

I worked on bending the mount tabs for the springs and actually switched to use one slightly stiffer spring. I basically use a light spring to control early movement. The stiffer spring is looser and keeps all the timing from coming in too early. This resulted in the following:

800 - 14 Degrees
1000 - 18 Degrees
1200 - 22 Degrees
1500 - 24 Degrees
1800 - 26 Degrees
2400 - 34 Degrees
2600 - 37 Degrees


The comparison of the two timing curves looks as follows:


The new timing curve works a little better than the previous curve. With a base timing of 14 and the reluctor arm set to 10L, I should not have more than 34 total degrees of advance. However, I set the timing light to 34 and reved the engine and it passes 34 to about 37 or 38.


When it reaches the 37 or 38 number, the timing seems to bounce around more. I'm not sure if this is because of the quality of the original distributor or something else. It could be cross fires across cylinders since the distributor cap is small.

Ignition Problem Strikes Again!

When driving 70 MPH yesterday, I noticed the tachometer read 2,600 RPM. With a 25.5" rear tire and the new 3.25 gear, I should run near 3,000 RPM at 70MPH. This would lead me to believe the new 18 tooth speedometer gear is not correct. I asked my wife to follow me around the block so we could see if the speedometer is indeed off and if so by how much.

I started the Mustang to warm it up and it died after about two minutes. I tried to start it again but it would not start. I immediately started troubleshooting parts as I know from past experience this intermitent problem does not last long.

I disconnected a spark plug wire (#5 cylinder) and connected it to a test tool. The test tool connects to a ground and has a small, adjustable gap. If the ingition is working, you can see the spark jump across the gap. This was not occurring so I know the problem is ignition related.

I then grabbed the spare coil from the trunk and installed it in the car. I left the spark plug tool in place and tried to start the car. I still had no luck starting the car and no spark. The only thing left are the components inside the distributor (primarily the Ignitor I).

I was not sure how to check the Ignitor. After a few minutes, I tried to start the car and it started just fine. I searched the internet and found the following image which contains the test procedure for an Ignitor. If I can get this to happen again, I'll test the Ignitor.

I'm ready to begin driving the Mustang again. This has me tempted to go ahead and buy a replacement Ignitor points conversion kit. However, there is now an Ignitor I, II, and II kit. Each works best with a different coil which stinks as I just purchased the one which works best with an Ignitor I.

I considered buying a new distributor but most are billet and would look entirely out of place. My distributor currently in the Mustang is not original to the car. The part number for the distributor is F3OF-17127-HB. The part number for the correct distributor is C7OF-12127A.

Rear End Project Complete

I finished up the rear axle restoration this morning.

Last night, I torqued all the bolts down properly. I then installed the drum brake hardware on the driver side. I moved to the driver's side and found I was missing one of part of the drum hardware. I called it a night and planned to buy the missing part this morning.

I drove around for almost an hour and a half trying to track down the missing drum brake part. It was one of the special washers used with a spring to hold the brake shoe to the backing plate. Two places said they had a set but could never find them. The only place I was able to get a set was in North Bryan.

I came back and finished up the driver's side brake. I then put the axle vent hose on with a hose clamp, installed the driveshaft, and then connected the parking brake lines. I was then able to put the rear wheels on and take the car off the jack stands.

I drove around rather slowly at first to make sure everything worked fine. The rear end might be a little quieter. The car does not seem much faster than it was before but its been 1.5 months since I last drove it. The RPMs do increase much faster so I'll need to get used to it so I don't do anything stupid.

I tested the TrueTrac differential on a paved road with no houses. It works well without any jerk or indication that the limited slip has activated. I expected a greater performance increase than I noticed with the new gears. It seems a little faster but not much.

I drove down the road at 70 MPH and the RPM gauge only read 2,600. I thought I purchased the correct speedometer gear but this can't be correct. I'll need to have my wife follow me in my truck to determine how far off the speedometer is before driving it too much.

I've noticed a small rattle in the passenger door over the last couple of months. Today the rattle was much worse. I took off the door panel and found it was the window regulator roller rattling in the track. I used a body hammer to tighten the track a little and then coated the tracks with lubricant. This fixed the rattle and the window now works much better.

Evening Work on the Rear Axle

I've spent a little time after work yesterday and today on the Mustang. I really want it in working order by this weekend. Work has been stressful and I want the project done. I'm doing a little in the evenings so I can spend more time this weekend relaxing for the week ahead at work.

Last night, I installed the brake backing plates, wheel cylinders, brake junction/hose, and then ran the brake lines. I rolled the rear axle under the car on my creeper and positioned it on the leaf springs which were still laying on the ground (but connected at the front). I put on the U-bolts, spring plates, and nuts. At this point, I called it a night.

Tonight, I installed the axles and put gear oil in the rear axle. I then raised one leaf spring at a time to install the shackles. It was a little difficult to get everything to line up on the shackles but they are in.

The remaining work includes:
- Connect rear shocks
- Torque shackle bolts
- Torque U-bolts
- Connect rubber brake line
- Reinstall drum brake hardware
- Bleed brakes
- Install driveshaft

I'll easily be able to complete this project by Saturday morning. It has started to rain and is expected to rain on Saturday. I hope everything dries quickly so I can drive around some this weekend.

New Alpine Radio

I need a new radio for the Mustang. I've looked at new radios but did not like the styling of them. They look more modern than I would like. Additionally, the displays are now multi-color when the old Alpine matched the dash illumination very well.

I've checked eBay a few times over the past few weeks for another radio. I found an Alpine CD player for $40 on eBay and placed a bid. A few hours later, I found I won for $46. The radio is not new but should work out well. I can then use the $100 I saved on something else.

Here is the picture of the radio from the auction:

Installation of 3rd Member

I decided I would install the 3rd member tonight. Three days have past since I painted the housing so the paint is now fully dry.

I coated the gasket with RTV and then waited 10 minutes for the RTV to setup. I then put the gasket on and slid on the 3rd member. I then noticed the gasket was too large and would be visible all around the outside of the 3rd member. This detracted from the appearance but there was nothing I could really do at this point.

I placed a copper washer on each stud and then started hand tightening the nuts. I could only tighten them so far with my hand and then used a socket wrench. After working each one down, I noticed the paint chipped from the 3rd member around every bolt. I thought I would touch them up later but the more I tightened, the more the washer expanded, and the more paint came off.

I took all the nuts and washers off. I tried to clean up the chipped areas but it does not look near as good as it once did. I installed the washer and nut with the paint wet so it would sink in rather than chip. This worked but the paint still wrinkled up around the nut. Additionally, the clear coat wrinkled and cracked in several areas.

I should have called it quits earlier but kept pushing on and getting more and more aggrivated. I've called it a night now. I have all the nuts on except the one which holds on the tag. I can't get it tight and keep the tag straight. If I try to hold it straight, the tag just starts to bend up because it is so thin.

Hopefully I'll have better luck tomorrow.

Cleaning & Waiting for Paint to Dry

I started off the morning by installing the axle seals. I used National 9569S seals. They are thicker than the NAPA ones I used about six months ago. I installed them with a seal driver from NAPA because they deformed slightly when I used a socket on the last set.

I then put a second coat of paint on the backing plates and the axle flange bolts.I cleaned up the garage and organized everything for reassembly. Finally, I cleaned up the mounting surfaces of the axles. I then put a little Krylon Satin Black on the ends of the axles.

The Extreme Chassis Black paint seems dry enough to assemble but I'm going to wait the full 72 hours. By waiting, I won't worry about the painted parts sticking together during assembly.

This picture captures what I like about restoring the Mustang. There is nothing better than well restored parts ready for reassembly. Just looking at the picture makes you want to sit down and put it all together.

Painting and Detail Work

The Extreme Chassis Black takes 72 hours to completely dry. Unfortunately, this means I'm not able to put together the rear axle until Tuesday or Wednesday. Today, I focused on work I could do so the axle can go together quickly when the time comes.

I started by cleaning up the U-bolts which mount the rear axle. I cleaned the with a wire wheel and then put them in a phosphoric acid bath. When they had sat in the bath for about 6 hours, I pulled them out and rubbed them with steel wool. The parts now look like new. I'd replace them but since I'll need to pull the axle out again later, I'll wait to replace them then.

I cleaned the axle flange bolts with a wire wheel. I considered putting them in the phosphoric acid bath but decided to paint them. I don't think the phosphate coating would hold up very well. I ended up painting them with Extreme Chassis Black and put the nuts for them in the phosphoric acid bath.

I stripped the top of the leaf springs were the axle will sit. There was rust there and I wanted to clean it up good. I put a little primer on followed by some grey paint.

I covered the pumpkin with some Kyrlon Crystal Clear Satin clearcoat. I put three light coats on the piece within a couple of minutes of one another. I have Eastwood's Diamond Clear but was told the Kyrlon would work on the bare bolts and Eastwood's would not. The clearcoat made the red oxide paint darker. It looks great but lost some of the original look.

I then took apart the brakes as the backing plates did not look good. I cleaned them up and painted them about six months ago. I used a flat black paint by Rustoleum. It looks like the old axle seals may have leaked just a little. When I took off the brake lines, a little brake fluid got on them also. I did not want to put them back on in their current condition. I took them apart, sanded them, scuffed them up with a scotbrite pad, primed them, and painted them with the Extreme Chassis Black. Since it holds up to brake fluid, this should be a better choice and the sheen will match the axle.

I then put a second coat of paint on the axle housing. I ran a rope through the axle housing and hung it up in the backyard. I could spin the entire housing on the rope to make sure I had good coverage on all the surfaces. Once it dried for an hour, I carried it to the garage for it to await reassembly.

The Extreme Chassis Black is dry to the touch within a few hours. It's incredibly hard not to go ahead and start putting things together.

Getting Ready for Installation

I've decided to paint the axle housing with the Eastwood Extreme Chassis Black. I'm going to use the Satin version which is a little too glossy (in my opinion) but should still look really nice.

I ordered the Eastwood paint from CJ Pony Parts along with the rear brake hose. I ordered these parts from them because the paint is cheaper than Eastwood sells it. The rear brake hose was the best price I found. Additionally, CJ Pony Parts has free shipping.

I purchased the rest of the parts from NPD because CJ Pony Parts did not have everything I needed. The NPD order included the backing plate gaskets, rear brake lines, speedometer gear, and a few other odds and ends. Both of the parts orders arrived on Tuesday of this week.

Tonight, I put a second coat of Rust Encapsulator on the axle housing. There is no real rust aside from the spring perches. The inside of the perches were sanded by hand to get almost all of the rust out. I'll need to wait a day to start painting the housing with the Chassis Black. You must wait 24 hours between coats and 72 hours after the final coat.

I plan to have everything ready for assembly by the end of the weekend. I don't have a large amount of work to do. I just need to clean up a few more parts (U-Joints, backing plates, axle ends, etc). I'll be busy at work next week at least through Wednesday. I'll either start late next week in the evening or just wait for that weekend to finish the installation of the rear axle.

Rear Gear Install Complete

I picked up the 3rd member today. The work cost much more than I expected. I was told it would be $115.00 labor. The total was $186 due to the pinion and carrier bearings. Although this is more, it is still less than labor alone at any other place in town.

Jason showed me the wear pattern on the ring gear. It was centered on both the drive and coast side of the gear. He commented that the gears must be very well made. He stated they lined up perfectly which is becoming a rarity.

They had all of my original parts in a box. I loaded them up without going through the box. I was dressed in a white shirt and tie which would have been covered in grease had I dug through the box. Unfortunately, I made it home and found I was not given the Timken bearings I provided which were not needed. This would normally make me angry but I'm too stress from work to think about it now.

I'm ready to install the rear gears but have not finished the housing. Since I've been so busy at work, I've not been working on the parts at night like I originally planned. I'm not too concerned. The main thing is I'll need it all together by February because that is when work is going to get really busy. I don't think I'll have trouble meeting that deadline.

Differences in Case Design

I noticed something on my 3rd member which looks different than others I've seen. The normal style is picutred below. The front has a waffle appearance with gaps between the raised grid pattern on the case.



While mine has the same grid pattern, one of the holes is filled in. I've not seen one like this before. It does not look as if it was filled by welding. It looks more as if it were cast that way but I don't know why. The back (inside) of the case at this spot looks perfect.

I've made a few postings to figure out the reason. No one has seen one with this feature. Additionally, the part number, date code, and other items are different. I did not notice but it was pointed out by Jeff Speegle. It is believed this was just sourced from a different (and not often seen) casting plant or subcontractor.

I learned the DIF casting stands for 'Detroit Iron Foundry'. Many believe it is an abbreviation for differential.

Installation of Rear Gears

I dropped off my 3rd member, 3.25 Motive Gear set, and Detroit True-Trac differential at J&K Transmission today.

I asked about the warranty and was told they do not provide a warranty since they are using my parts. However, he would show me the ring gear pattern when complete. He said there have been recent issues with alignment of ring and pinion sets. He believed it was because of the location where some of the sets are now made.

I told him the Timken bearing set I ordered from Summit did not have they right pinion bearing. He looked and immediately said I need an early style bearing. The then said the bearing number, walked out into the shop, and immediately returned with the bearing. I was a little suprised he knew the exact bearing I needed and had it in stock.

He called a little later this afternoon and said the carrier bearings are not correct. He rattled off several different bearing numbers and stated he wanted to me to confirm. The Detroit website stated the carrier used stock bearings. I called the Summit Tech department. In under 2 minutes they told me I would need a RAT-9011 bearing. I called back and Jason said he would get the bearing and finish up the job.

Axle Housing Restoration

I started work on the axle housing this morning. I placed it in the utility room sink for cleaning. The Super Clean degreaser with a brush cleaned almost all the grease deposits off the housing. I let it dry a little in the sink and carried it to the backyard to let it dry completely.

Once dry, I used a wire wheel, a sanding disc, and sand paper to clean the axle housing. There was a light layer of surface rust over most of the housing. The wire wheel worked well at first but then I switched to the sanding disc to take the surface rust off. There are several little scraps into the metal from jacks which I want to fill.

I fould the number 10 written in white permanent crayon inside the housing. On the bottom of the housing, I found the number 12 written with a white marker. There was also a bright orange paint on one side were the axle tube meets the housing. I'm not sure what these mean but I took pictures of them and traced the numbers so they can be duplicated later if needed.

I'm not sure how I'm going to clean inside the spring perches. There is a litte dirt and rust inside. The only tool which reaches the dirt is the dremel and it does not do much good. I decided to stop for the day and relax. I coated the axle housing with Rust Encapsulator except for the spring perches. I'll take it into the garage once it dries and work on it a little more during the week this week.

Painted 3rd Member

I painted the pinion last night using the VHT Cast Iron paint (SP997) which I used on the transmission case. I put a total of three coats on it. According to the can, it takes 7 days for the paint to fully cure.

I cleaned up the pinion gear, ring gear, and carrier this morning. I want everything to be clean for the installation of the new gears. I also want to take the assembled unit in for the installation of new gears. I believe it would be helpful for them to see the location of all the bearing as they likely don't rebuild one of these 3rd members very often. I also plan to take the torque specification pages from the '67 Shop Manual.

This afternoon I cleaned up the main case for the third member. I really don't think their were any paint marks on the outside of the case. It looked as if their could be some white near the fill plug. It was so faint and small I'm not sure if was original or just white dirt mixed into the grime.

I cleaned all the grease off with the Super Clean grease remover. This cleaner actually removes the red paint from the case also. I used a wire wheel to clean some of the spots of thicker paint or grease. I removed most of the original paint and then wiped down the entire case with Acetone. Once the Acetone dried, I painted the main case with the Brite Touch paint.

After the paint dried, I reassembled the third member. I'll find a box to pack everything in and take it to J&P Transmission for installation of the new gears this coming week.

Restoring Pinion and Outer 3rd Member Case

This afternoon, I cleaned the remaining grease and paint from the pinion and outer 3rd member case.

I put two coats of Rustoleum Red Oxide Rusty Metal Primer on the pinion piece. It is misting and cold outside so I decided against painting it today. I would have waited to primer the piece but I did not want any surface rust to develop. I'll paint it a cast iron color once the primer dries (2 days according to the label).

The outer 3rd member case was painted with a single coat of the Brite Touch Red Oxide Primer. I'll put a second coat on it when it is not as humid outside. Again, I just put a little on it now to avoid surface rust.

I don't think I'll have everything ready to have the new gears installed until next week. I plan to refinish the main casing, two parts which screw in on either side of the carrier, and the bolts which mount the outer casing to the main casing. I'll then reassemble the 3rd member so the shop is able to see it completely assembled. This will likely help with assembly.

I'm sure the primer on the case will be messed up while the gears are installed. However, the factory painted the case before it was installed. This ensures all the little areas are covered properly. I expected to clean it up once the gears are installed and put another coat on the part and then cover it in a satin clear paint.

Taking a Break to Clean

I made a tremendous mess of the garage yesterday. I spent time this morning cleaning up my tools, the original parts I removed, and the garage floor. Part of what made the mess so large was the gear fluid which did not come out of the axle housing until the 3rd member was removed. This spilled all over the carboard I had laid out.

I made sure to keep the drums, axles, and backing plates arranged by side. While it should not matter much, I did not want established wear patterns to be messed up by switching parts to a different side.

I decided to go ahead and pull the seals from the axle I intalled about 6 months ago. One side leaked and this will make it easier to clean inside the axle housing.

I'm hoping to finish cleaning the third member this week and paint the housing. I'll then take it to have the new gears installed. Once the third member is complete, I'll turn my attention to the housing.

3rd Member Cleaning

I spent today cleaning up the parts of the 3rd member.

I started by scraping off the large grease deposits with a little chisle. The part was rather bulky to work with so I decided to go ahead and disassemble the piece. Once it was disassembled, I cleaned it with some Super Clean Engine Degreaser and a brush.

I noticed the bearings and races in the 3rd member have Timken on them. The front seal was still the stock style fabric style seal. When I noticed the Timken bearings, I immediately questioned if the gears were still stock. I counted the teeth on the ring gear and found there were 39 and the pinion has 14 teeth. This works out to a 2.79 gear ratio which is what I expected.

I expected to find a few different paint markings on the 3rd member. It was the stock color (orange/red) but I did not find many markings. There was yellow paint on each of the carrier end caps, what appeared to be a slight amount of yellow on one side of the pinion, some yellow near the fill hole, and some white on the opposite side of the 3rd member. There was not much paint so the only one I'm confident of is the first paint spot.

The 3rd member has a cast date of 7C2 (March 2nd, 1967) so it is original part. The part number of the main case is C70W-4025-A. The smaller portion of the casing has a cast date of 6M8 and the part number seems to just be C60W. The pinion itself has no part number.

While not completely clean, the current state is shown below. The cleaner I used removed much of the orange/red paint. The black areas are grease deposits I'll need to work on cleaning tomorrow.



I read quite a few posts about the proper detailing of the 3rd member today. From the VMF Concours forum, I learned many use Red Oxide Primer (BT51) made by Brite Touch because it is so close to the original color. I found some at O'Reilly today for $2.99. Since the paint was mostly intact on the underside of the 3rd member. I sprayed just a little in the middle to compare it to the surrounding original paint. It is still a little wet in the picture below which makes it look shiny but the color is an exact match.



I've not decided what paint I'll use on the axle housing. I'm thinking the Eastwood Chassis Extreme Satin paint. According to the VMF Concours forum, the original color was similar to the engine compartment but with more gloss. I'd like it to look original but durability is more important.

The following picture is of a properly detailed rear axle. It was restored by Charles Turner. I'm told they all looked about the same for the early Mustangs. This one is a '65 or '66. I'd love to have mine turn out like this one except I think the 3rd member appears a little more red in this picture.

Begining Rear Axle Restoration

I decided to start off the new year with a Mustang project. I want to go ahead and restore the rear axle. I won't strip and restore the rear undercarriage at this point. Work is going to be very hectic for the next few months so I'll focus on this small project for now.

The back side of the rear axle is fairly clean but has surface rust. The front is covered in grease from a leaky pinion and also from the transmission shift seals.

I received new miloden spring shackles and U-joints for Christmas. I'll use these but need to place an order with NPD to get the rear brake line. I'm sure I'll find other things I need but I'll wait to place the order until I am almost done so I don't forget anything.



To remove the rear axle, I did the following:

1) Jacked up the car until the rear tires were about two inches off
the ground and then put it on stands.
2) I then used my jack on one side of the axle at a time to take
weight off the left springs.
3) Took off the stock nut, u-bolt nuts, and shackle nuts. With these
loose, the spring feel to the floor.



4) I then removed the parking brake lines and disconnected the
brake line. Oddly, the clip which holds the rubber brake hose
to the body was one of the more difficult parts to remove.
The nuts were all a little rusty but not bad.
5) I removed a wheel at a time and laid the axle on my creeper
and pulled it out from under the car.





The rear axle weights a tremendous amount. I ate supper and then after the kids went to bed started work again. I removed the drums, axles, brake assemblies, and then the brake lines.

I loosened all the nuts which hold the pumpkin to the axle. I took all of them off except four which were fairly loose. I then tried to tap around the edge with a rubber hammer to brake the seal. Unfortunately, I've had no luck. I'll finish this part up in the morning and drain the fluid from the axle.

Lack of Progress Update

It is time for a progress update. I've not made a great deal of progress lately.

The ignition problem just went away. I'm using all the parts I was when it happened but it just was never reoccurred. I keep the spare coil, wires, and spark plugs in the trunk just in case.

I've not been able to restore the hood support. I would need to media blast the part. I've been helping my parents move and the media blaster is out of commission at the moment. I don't view this as critical so I'll work it in when time allows.

I received some nice exhaust couplers from Summit for Christmas. I asked for two in case I decide to cut the driver side pipe when replacing floorpans or restoring the rear undercarriage. I'll end up pulling the passenger side on in a couple days.

I ordered some exhaust wrap on Monday with the new gears. The exhaust rattle is caused by one of the retainers for the parking brake. When the parking brake is off, the retainer bounces around on the exhaust. I plan to wrap the exhaust to cushion it a little to stop the rattle.

I've fixed the rear window handles, reinstalled the intake, tightened the water pump bolts, sanded the pulleys to stop the alternator squeal, straightened the distributor, and painted the harmonic balancer.

I still want to paint the intake bolts and touch up the valve covers.

The carburetor hesitation is not fixed. I researched the pump cams and changed them out. I found it seems to run better with a less aggressive pump cam. Seems I was going the wrong way with the adjustment. I checked the spark plugs after driving around and the are not as dark but there is still a small hesitation. I'll likely just wait to fix it more as I'll just need to repeat the process when I put in the new gears.

I've about determined the rough ride is caused by the shocks. I don't think they can control the new springs. The springs just have their way with the shocks. I recall now being able to push them in with my hands. The car does not bounce up and down when I push on it but I still think this is the cause.

I've not fixed the shock tower caps or the spot on the firewall.

Does not seem like I've done much in the last month. Work is about to get much busier so I'm not sure I'll be able to do much for a while. Since I have the rear gear parts, I would really like to tackle the project and might try to fit it in shortly.