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.