Build Thread 1978 Mercury Cyclone. The pig is in the pen.

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#5,421
I wasn't sure about the wrinkle paint from that first picture you showed us Mike.

It looks better now though, and I definitely like the black over the orange. Now you just need to paint the engine bay orange to offset it:jester:. Have the wrinkles tightened up a little?

The hose looks way better than I thought it would to.

I'll offer my uninformed opinion about the spring. You're going to change it eventually, do it now while it's apart.

Looks good Mike:nice:.
 
#5,424
95BlueStallion said:
I dont know any better, but I always trust mechanical parts over electronic parts.
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That's what I'm thinkin, but I have the boost controller installed, and the springs will cost 60 bucks.

But when it comes to boost, and consistency of that, I believe that a mechanical fail safe is better than an electrical WTF any day.
The question then becomes.....

Do I need 10 pounds of boost?

And isn't that like a crack addiction?

7 pounds today, 10 pounds tomorrow, 15 pounds in a couple of months,.....
1813aqov5wc2jjpg.webp
 
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#5,426
a91what said:
Manual boost controller. Cheaper than the springs and easy to adjust.

Or we can cuss at the boost controller.:nice:
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If I use a manual boost controller,...(and isn't that the same thing as the goofy assed little thingy made w/ a brass "T" a spring, and a check ball?) I wont really have any reference for how much boost I'm cranking up short of steppin on the gas and seeing where it goes at first right?
 
#5,429
95BlueStallion said:
I feel like you have probably wasted $60 in much less useful ways...
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And again we agree.

I'm thinkin that 10 pound springs are happenin'. Then, all I gotta do is figure out how much fuel I need to cover the lean condition and I gotta go buy me a new pair of old pants...

Cause,...it'll be hammer time.
mc-hammer-02-435.webp
 
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#5,431
Ok then.

After considering all of the pros and cons,
I've decided to purchase a cheap manual boost controller. I considered a spring upgrade, but after thinking about it, decided that changing out the spring would just start a snowball rolling downhill in a already obnoxiously loud driving car.
Fast, would never be fast enough.

And that goes the opposite direction I wanna go with this car.

Seriously It already is fast enough....Forcing in a 10 pound spring will require even more fuel, even smellier exhaust, even more stress on the junk that was never intended to see this much stress...And even a simple WG spring upgrade will require hours to change it back.

What does the finger think about it?.....

I'm only gonna invest 25.00 dollars more into the "do I even want to do this sht?" fund...easily reversible if I change my mind.....


Who knows?.......I waffle badly when I have to wait for junk,.......waiting on the oil pump, and the powder coated charge tube..maybe next week I'll pull the engine and retrofit a Barra head on it...maybe I'll swap in a LS, and cut the front fender aprons off of it....Maybe I'll paint the thing Kona Blue.....
Maybe I'll sell it...


...
 
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#5,435
I hope this isn't too late, or doesn't matter.

Mike, I know nothing about manual boost controllers, but I have noticed that you keep having to replace parts which were of lower quality initially. I hope you know the value of the cheap controller you are (considering) buying. Ya got a beauty of a car there, but you're thinking about selling it due to (it seems) frustration with mechanical issues. I hope you're not adding in another one. And nobody in the world is going to appreciate your work like you can, if it does come to selling it. 272 pages covers a lot more labor than I can likely guess, and I make stuff.
 
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#5,437
dr. Dan W. said:
I hope this isn't too late, or doesn't matter.

Mike, I know nothing about manual boost controllers, but I have noticed that you keep having to replace parts which were of lower quality initially. I hope you know the value of the cheap controller you are (considering) buying. Ya got a beauty of a car there, but you're thinking about selling it due to (it seems) frustration with mechanical issues. I hope you're not adding in another one. And nobody in the world is going to appreciate your work like you can, if it does come to selling it. 272 pages covers a lot more labor than I can likely guess, and I make stuff.
Click to expand...

No worries,...there are plenty of home made "brass, spring and ball" boost controllers out there doing the simple job of bleeding off boost pressure like they're supposed to do.

I see the 25.00 thingy that I'm buying as just a better looking version of the thing I could make myself out of the hardware drawers at Ace. I think it's different than the money wasted on the Chinese waste gates in the respect that this thing alters boost signal. It's still a threaded piston putting pressure on a check ball held in place with a spring..(I think they all are)...So in the end,...it's cheap enough to put it in a drawer if it doesn't work worth a crap.


I'm no where at the selling it part yet,...I haven't even had it a summer yet... How it behaves in the Alabama summer heat will be the tell tale w/ regard as to how long it'll occupy one side of the garage...
After thinking more about it, a large part of my discontent with the final product is the noise coming from the engine.
The solution is either a new flat tappet hydraulic cam from the Aussie cam grinder, and 20th century hydraulic flat tappet lifters, or getting the current one reground to accomodate hydraulic roller lifters. One will require a new timing gear.

Both versions will require softer springs, possibly new pushrods,....1000.00.

A hydraulic flat tappet cam will be a power trade off,....but if the noise is the core problem,..that is the cure.
 
#5,438
With today's oil, flat tappets can be a pain to get to live. Even the old standby, diesel 15w-40 has a too little zinc in it. Put a hydro roller in it and be done. Then remember, there's no replacement for displacement, except boost and lots of it! If a little goes a long way, then too much is just right!
:nono:
 
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