Progress Thread 95 5.0 first timer

Cannon77550 · Apr 16, 2020

Hey everybody, thought I would try a build thread. I have never done anything of this scale on a car before, but I'm an amusement ride mechanic by trade so I've done a few rebuilds on a "larger" scale. My project is a 95 gt that I picked up a few years back. Shes been through some just since I got it. First issue I had was some major flooding from rain that flooded it out. I ended up pulling the carpet and rear seats. Then a few months after that I had some over hearing issues that I'm assuming was a head gasket. She has been sitting a few months and about a month ago I started on it. The first part of this thread will be on my top end rebuild/restore. During my tear down and rebuild I have been working on repainting/restoring or replacing everything. But I'm doing it on a poor man's budget lol. I'm a dad of 4 so as you can imagine the car doesnt get as much love as it deserves. Now I didnt plan on doing a thread so I didnt take as many pics as I should have but I do have some that I can share up to this point. I'll try to take more pics from here on out. Unfortunately do to funding there wont be a whole lot of performance parts right now but hopefully in the future.
Here's what I started with:

All tore down:
Starting to sandblast and paint:

General karthief · Apr 16, 2020

Looks like a good start. Will be watching.

95BlueStallion · Apr 16, 2020

Nothing wrong with restoring a car’s factory parts. Sometimes I wish I would have left my fox stock, because it felt and sounded more like my high school car than it does now. I kinda ruined its nostalgia by wanting more and more out of it. Getting yours running well and looking good again is cool.

Cannon77550 · Apr 16, 2020

Ya I've had a blast so far. Here's a few more pics.
Lapping valves and cleaning up heads:
Flat black for the heads since they were outta gloss:
Also had a bit of a hiccup, didnt get all the coolant out of the cylinder and had a little corrosion in cylinder #5. But I'm just gonna run with it because hey, budget build man.... broke dad here.
I will post some more stuff tomorrow. Got the driver's side head back on and torqued down today, but forgot to take pics.

Olivethefet · Apr 16, 2020

I'll be watching!

revhead347 · Apr 16, 2020

That first picture got me a little aroused. That's a totally unmolested SN. All original parts just dirty and corroded as nature intended. It all looks good so far. Don't sweat that little water spot in the cylinder bore; it won't amount to anything.

Kurt

Cannon77550 · Apr 16, 2020

Haha shes gonna be pretty when done... cant say I'll miss the pile of rat on the top of the intake manifold. Here's a pile of painted parts:

revhead347 · Apr 16, 2020

Amazing what a can of engine enamel will do. I like to see a dirty engine like that. It means all the bolts have only been screwed in once.

Kurt

95BlueStallion · Apr 17, 2020

Put a little oil on the cylinder walls before you slap the other head on. And maybe squirt a dab in the spark plug holes on the side you already assembled. Will help keep the piston rings from scoring the cylinder walls more when you first start it up again.

Cannon77550 · Apr 17, 2020

95BlueStallion said:
Put a little oil on the cylinder walls before you slap the other head on. And maybe squirt a dab in the spark plug holes on the side you already assembled. Will help keep the piston rings from scoring the cylinder walls more when you first start it up again.

I oiled down the cylinder walls before I put the head on, and I'm using assembly lube on the lifters, push rods, and rocker arms.

Cannon77550 · Apr 17, 2020

Alright guys.... newbie mistake. Came down to work on the mustang and realized i f'ed up and put the passenger side head on the driver side yesterday. My question is do I need to get new head bolts and gasket for the drivers side? I'm using felpro gasket and head bolts.

General karthief · Apr 17, 2020

Ahhh, are you sure you mean heads? There is no right and left, you can put the head gaskets on backwards though.
Well unless you are looking at the egr tube in the back.
As for the head bolts, I believe they ar TTY and one time use unless you bought regular head bolts.

revhead347 · Apr 17, 2020

Cannon77550 said:
Alright guys.... newbie mistake. Came down to work on the mustang and realized i f'ed up and put the passenger side head on the driver side yesterday. My question is do I need to get new head bolts and gasket for the drivers side? I'm using felpro gasket and head bolts.

The heads are the same. You have to take the thermactor plug that's now in the back of the head, and put it in the front of the head. That might not be easy to do. Usually you overtighten a bolt into it, and then back it out. There are screw driver slots in it to take it out. If you can't get it out, then yes, new gasket and bolts.

It's this thing.

Amazon product ASIN B0009RMAIYView: https://www.amazon.com/Replacement-Smog-Plugs-Ford-Threaded/dp/B0009RMAIY

Kurt

revhead347 · Apr 17, 2020

General karthief said:
Ahhh, are you sure you mean heads? There is no right and left, you can put the head gaskets on backwards though.
Well unless you are looking at the egr tube in the back.
As for the head bolts, I believe they ar TTY and one time use unless you bought regular head bolts.

Yeah, that's a good thing to look out for. The head gaskets aren't one way up, you have to make sure you put the end that says "front" towards the front of the car.

Kurt

revhead347 · Apr 17, 2020

Oh, and I've done stupider than that. Don't worry, it happens.

Kurt

General karthief · Apr 17, 2020

There used to be a thread on stupid stuff we've done.
To our cars.

Cannon77550 · Apr 17, 2020

Ya those plugs aren't going anywhere, I went ahead and pulled it off and got a new gasket and set of bolts. When I came home I managed to get it back to where I left it yesterday before the storms rolled in... except they are on the right side now. Haha, ya this isnt the first thing I've f'ed up. Luckily its ussually on the companies dime. This one was on me. So hopefully tomorrow I can make the headway I wanted to make today.

revhead347 · Apr 17, 2020

Cannon77550 said:
Ya those plugs aren't going anywhere, I went ahead and pulled it off and got a new gasket and set of bolts. When I came home I managed to get it back to where I left it yesterday before the storms rolled in... except they are on the right side now. Haha, ya this isnt the first thing I've f'ed up. Luckily its ussually on the companies dime. This one was on me. So hopefully tomorrow I can make the headway I wanted to make today.

I kind of guessed that it would be more trouble to pull that thermactor plug than it would be to swap the head over the other side. Getting to that thing at all with the engine in the car, and the transmission installed is almost impossible. happens, you live and you learn.

Kurt

Cannon77550 · Apr 21, 2020

Hey guys, Been kinda crazy around here the last few days and havent been able to get much done on the mustang. I did manage to make it down there yesterday for a little bit while the septic guy was here. Got both heads on now.... on the right side haha. Got push rods and rocker arms put on too. Ready for valve covers and lower intake manifold now. Got a little surface rust to clean up on the drivers side head where the intake manifold gaskets go before I put it back together. You guys got any recommendations? Or will it be fine... it's not "feelable". I should make some decent progress tomorrow if things go as planned. We shall see.

revhead347 · Apr 21, 2020

The correct procedure would be to take the head back off, and use a rust dissolver to neutralize the rust, then re install the head. The reason being is that if you apply any chemical to the head and let it sit while it's on the car, the chemical will get into the valley.

I am not going to recommend that route. I always tack all my gaskets anyway. The tack will contain any rust and seal the irregularities. Just cover the metal surface in this stuff and stick the gasket to it.

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Kurt

Progress Thread 95 5.0 first timer

Active Member

wonder how much it would cost to ship you a pair

My assy trans to myself

Active Member

I will own your nuts! LOL

Apparently my ex-husband made that mistake.

Active Member

Apparently my ex-husband made that mistake.

My assy trans to myself

Active Member

Active Member

wonder how much it would cost to ship you a pair

Apparently my ex-husband made that mistake.

Apparently my ex-husband made that mistake.

Apparently my ex-husband made that mistake.

wonder how much it would cost to ship you a pair

Active Member

Apparently my ex-husband made that mistake.

Active Member

Apparently my ex-husband made that mistake.

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