Progress Thread 74 Mustang II - Build as semi-daily driver

spring is coming (slowly)... so I started to work on one of the bigger items that are still not ok: drive shaft
I have vibrations, the seals of the u-joints are long gone, they have a little play and there is a play of the slip yoke in the T5 (and a small drip at the seal).
So I removed yesterday the u-joints (which i never did), took a japanese putty (?! thats what google translates) and removed underbody protection (that was partly on the driveshaft), some sand paper magic and paint.
Beside that i took a new tailshaft bushing and put it onto the old yoke which showed a lot of play, where the running marks where. I also measured that it has 0,1mm less diameter where the running marks are. So I ordered the last slip yoke from rockauto (dana 2-3-8251X)...
So I will use my new tailshaft bushing puller the first time and than put a drive shaft together the first time. Great that my car forces me to learn new things :-)
 
Any of you have one with a 2.8?
Used to have to put timing gears in those once in a while
One of those is what I think of when you mention a daily driver

I used to have one with a 2.8, but that was long ago. There have been a few who pop in from time to time, but no regular contributors that I can think of aside from @jozsefsz when an occasional question pops up.
 
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Those 2.8's had solid lifters and a valve adjustment IIRR, lasted forever except for the cam gears
Means you should be able to slap a hotrod 4.0 out of an Explorer or Ranger
Agree, those old Cragars are cool, those were the first wheel to have a magnesium or aluminum center welded to a steel rim IIRR
Means they could make them in any offset and any width easily
I would NOT sheet can the original 2.8 that was in it extra stout
Have fun with a V8 in it
That car is way less rusty than the ones I see over here
 
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The slip yoke is a little longer than the stock one. And because it doesn't have the damper element its more slim the the stock one. Which is good because it reduces rotational mass (better response). But it fits.
I will make pictures when putting everything togehter.
But I'm unsure regarding the fitment of the bushing to the yoke. I put the new bushing over the slip yoke there is a little play. It's a lot less than with the old slip yoke, but I'm unsure if it should fit tighter.
I read somewhere in the interwebz that some aftermarket bearings are :poo:... but you know the interwebz, sometimes people write BS in forums.
I have this bushing USA STANDARD GEAR ZMBSHWT26662 where I thought its a brand that is ok
So my question to you guys: is there a little play allowed or should it fit more tight?
 
Many thanks. I measured around 0.005 wear on the old slip yoke and have double the wiggle as with the new yoke. So when putting together I will verify your numbers numbers.
Very helpful that you have specific limits :nice:
 
The second important thing in the interwebz beside talking BS in forums: pictures of big long and stiff shafts!
And just to get it right: @2Blue2 asked for this kind of pictures...
IMG_20250323_154930_131.webp IMG_20250323_164406_389.webp
IMG_20250323_165824_028.webp IMG_20250323_165922_064.webp


Here a comparison of the old original yoke (with removed damper) and the new one from dana spicer
IMG_20250323_154912_058.webp

IMG_20250323_154924_110.webp
 
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Put it in. Whiggle room was ok, so I left the tailshaft bushing in the transmission, put everything together and took it for a test drive.
Ran great, ran up to 100 mph on the Autobahn and the big vibration is gone. A little is there, but that's perhaps related to the carb/igniton, in between 1000 and 1500 RPM. I think its the idle RPM screw setting and is related to the exposure of my transfer slot.

Had a lot of fun. And find a nice spot to make some pictures
 

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Drove this week 200 KMH which is 125 MPH on the autobahn :cool:
The problem is, that 5th gear is so long that the engine has not enough torque/power to go much faster, at least at the short distance I usually drive and where is no speed limit.
Next thing is to measure speed with GPS and try also 4th gear, where I will reach 130 mph with around 5500RPM.
Lets see whats better, but I think in the RPM between 4000 and 5500 there will be my exhaust manifolds the big limitation.
But much faster I do not won't to try yet. On the 1gen Mustang race car drivers had problem with aerodynamics beginning at 140 MPH... in a way that the hood did act like a wing and the car did get light at the front wheels. I don't want to experience that. On the other hand I' glad that I have a big hole in the hood...
I think if I would use a 3.25 rear end ratio instead of 2.79 the 130 mph would not be a problem.
Anyways 200 KMH work fine.