2Blue2's 1977 Cobra2 Driveway Build

[2Blue2]

We got the front dress together mostly. The 289 block doesn't have this cast bolt boss and tapped hole the '77 does to hold alternator brackets.
Water pump goes drivers side so different casting , 289 brackets don't fit.
Gonna make something that hooks onto bolt on side of block there.

 

[2Blue2]

So close to starting but need oil in it and this is holding me up.
wish I had got this oil pan plug dealt with before engine went in.

Smooth and Shiny with almost no threads.

 

[LILCBRA]

The drain plug sucks, but it's easily dealt with. I don't think I've ever seen that casting before. The original engine didn't have it that I recall (it's been a LONG time though.... ), and the 302 that is currently in it is actually from a 68 Cougar - it doesn't have it either. Interesting.......

 

[2Blue2]

The drain plug sucks, but it's easily dealt with.

On order be here tomorrow or so ( its Hawaii and it could take a week)

I don't think I've ever seen that casting before.

I got a '74 - '75 302 block in the pile and it has it. I pulled it out last week and compression tested it too.
Failed miserably. But it got the chevy orange pan during the starter swapping and testing.
Still dreaming of that 5.0 block.



The big toe photo bomber strikes again!

 

[2Blue2]

We spent an hour of quality time after work with the death Wheel and some angle iron and this coupling nut.


I thought welding might melt the threads on the in side so I brazed or brass welded the nut on to a square I cut from the angle iron. then cut an angled piece and drilled for the bolt then regular welded the two together after mock up.

The coupling nut now occupies the space that was one of three spacers before.
Found a shorter bolt but will have to go buy one a little shorter.

 

[2Blue2]

i got the rag joint heat shield so I want to use it.

But no attaching point down below
Old block has this but different thread size from 289 block



No problem just weld a nut and bolt to the 289 plug.

Some teflon tape and done. it looks little long but gonna work fine I bet.

 

[2Blue2]

Waiting for plug to show up. Was cleaning car and sorting the extra parts and this one got me thinking about modifying this to do away with the prancing pony and make a 78 cobra style emblem steering wheel


What I got




What I want is like this. I don't think these two are stock



I seem to remember 78 steering wheel having the goofy wheel center snake on it too.

Any one got a picture of the horn button for the king cobra?

 

[2Blue2]

The wheel came wrapped with leather and black paint on some late 70s Ford products


Gran Torino?



Honorable mention

 

[LILCBRA]

I don't have any pics, but I used to have the same wheel in one of my old cars. I don't remember the center though, probably the Stallion - seems that it was a pretty common piece in the II.....

 

[429MII]

that red one looks like the center out of 73 mustang wheel cap.

 

[2Blue2]

Package of 4 means wheels right?

 

[2Blue2]

one more

 

[2Blue2]

A quick tap and new oil plug is in.



Some oil and hit the key
Nothing, no spark. It ran before wtf
Chased it down to main wire from batt side of solenoid, a previously burned fuseable link that had been eyelet crimped for repair.
Soldered up a decent repair now I got spark
But spark looks weak.
Onto chasing grounds.

 

[2Blue2]

So new battery cables and engine ground strap and battery chassis ground
Cleaned every other ground i could find under the hood
Spark still looks wimpy
After some cranking and lots of backfiring.
I figured out this 289 engine has the late model 5.0 firing order ( chevy orange paint guy?)
That was a head scratcher for a moment and kind of embarrassing that it took a half hour in front of my son.

Now she fires right up by reaching in window and touching key
Sounds like It has a little lope to the cam and idles fine
Set timing to 7 degrees initially for this unknown cam.

 

[2Blue2]

Exhaust leaks underneath, New engine and trans mounts make engine sit up higher than when it was welded up yrs ago.
It fire right up and idles nice.

Engine has off idle stumble and back fire. Won't rev properly.
I thought it was coil so got a new one.
No change in spark color or rev.
Traced this down to vacuum advance diagram leaking and advance plate frozen to floor of distributor.
After much fiddling it is not going to ever work again. I need a better distributor.

Even if I replace the distributor everything else is old junk plus the crispy wiring.

I want an MSD or a Pertronix or maybe this GM style stand alone one wire distributor.
I wonder which one is best. Speed way has the GM one for $130 which is cheap, but will it get long with the air cleaner. IDK
What did you guys do?

 

[429MII]

lol crispy wiring...I know what you mean. Oil and 40 years equals crispy wiring.

 

[429MII]

I think some of those wheel centres fit the steering wheel cap. If not you could probably modify one to work.

 

[2Blue2]

modify one to work.

This is the plan but maybe with a new cobra wheel cap

 

[LILCBRA]

As for your distributor question, I used an MSD setup. It hasn't given me a lot of trouble since the install and works well with my air cleaner setup.

 

[2Blue2]

I used an MSD setup.

I got one MSD billet and 6AL on my 65 and it has been very reliable, just expensive. but very happy with it.

With an engine install you expect some problems.

I put some gas in and some leaked out the bottom of quarter panel.


I think the 'accessory' tank has some pin holes or the rubber is rotten, got to pull the interior panel out and have a look.

nothings easy

Also it leaks oil out the rear main seal, A lot! Should of took a pic. 4 table spoons in 4 min of running.
I made my kid learn to replace the ;
trans yoke seal
trans torque converter seal
Timing chain seal / gasket
We didn't do the rear main because I was excited I guess, ( or stupid)