Ever regret working on the Mustang?

Dr Jay · Apr 11, 2009

I pulled the stang from storage this week and decided to try to find an exhaust leak that has been a PIA for over a year now. I tracked it down to the drivers side where the manifold bolts to the MRT H pipe. The flange on the H pipe is too big to seal properly on the ball of the stock manifold so I decided to pull the H pipe to try a trumpet bell insert like the ones that some of the manufactures are shipping with their mid pipes now. The real fun started when I broke the lower stud off the manifold on the passenger side

I went back inside, and said to myself....I always wanted headers

Now I'm about half way through dropping the k member using the article on FnSweet as a guide. I guess that's why I bought the Mustang, deep down I enjoy the pride of doing this stuff myself. But when I go back out in the morning, I'll probably have regrets....lol

lvmustanggt · Apr 11, 2009

I hate working on my car now a days as I don't have time or power on my body as I just turn 32 few days ago

mazen189 · Apr 11, 2009

i dont mind working on my car, but , tools are expensive, well, the good tools are, and thats what really limit me from trying really hard tasks, plus, i am not confident in heavy duty work because im afraid of screwing up. But good luck with your headers, should be a blast man.

darkside03gt · Apr 12, 2009

I have always enjoyed working on cars. I like working on my stang but it also sucked because it was untill now a daily driver so any pojects I started had to be completed by sunday night. There have been more then a few times where I worked all weekend and showed up looking like a zombie on monday. But now that its payed for and I will be picking up a daily driver I will be able to take my time and if a project isnt done by sunday no big deal.

BaXTeR3221 · Apr 12, 2009

Thankfully my mustangs were never the only car i owned at any one time. So when i tackle a mustang project that takes a while or when something goes wrong in the middle (like it usually does) i can let it sit for a few days while i track down parts/tools and still be able to get where i need to be.

I don't know if i would ever really want to work on a car that was my only mode of transportation. I feel like that's just doomed for trouble.

mijo_latino · Apr 12, 2009

lol, same thing happened to me on the 98'. I broke the passenger side stud flush. I thought of the amount of frustration to try and fix that so I got headers! No regrets though, only way to learn right? hehe

bhuff30 · Apr 12, 2009

I have only regretted working on the mustang once. The rear end was making noise and leaking fluid from the front seal, so I figured a new pinion bearing and seal was in order. The job was a NIGHTMARE from the start. After getting the car up in the air, the driveshaft bolts were rediculously tight. The last time the driveshaft was out, they were aparently put on with a 400lb*ft impact by the transmission shop. After nearly stripping those, I was able to use a 3'+ pipe and 3/8" ratched (because 1/2" was too bit to clear the other parts) and break them free with all my strength (and I'm not a small guy at 190lbs). The next trial was getting the pinion out. The bearing had worn severely enough that it was siezed to the pinion. Using every bit of strength and quite large sledge hammers and it didn't budge.... So I decided it would be much easier to work on if the rear end was out of the car. Another Disaster. The lower control arms bolts were siezed to the bushing. Using a die grinder, I ground the bolt head and shaft off flush with the control arms and pried the arms of place. Then, with the rear end supported, I still could not get the pinion out. Finally, after beating on the pinion bearing directly with a large hammer and huge swings, I pushed it out! The pinion was now damaged enough that it couldn't be used. At that point, I decided I had enough fun and handed all the parts over to a shop to have them rebuild the rear end, with new gears bearings and seals.. and of course new bushing for the control arms.

Moral of the story: Use the impact gun on the bolt side of control arm bushings and they will pop free, but if you take the nut off first, you are royally screwed.

LaserSVT · Apr 12, 2009

I enjoy working on my car. I cant wait till it gets back from the shop so I can install the new toys I have for it

BurningRubber · Apr 12, 2009

Can't say so, but the day will probably come when I start on something that I wish I wouldn't have. lol.

Most aggrivating thing on my car so far was a front brake job. Lower bolt holding the metal bar that sits around the rotor was FROZEN tight, by the time it was done I took it to Sears and told them to get the son of a bitch off by whatever means needed. Luckily they did, but that bolt head is about six times smaller now, lmao.

Most PITA thing is working under the car with it sitting so low to the ground... I'm used to crawling under my Jeep without ramps or a jack and wrenching away.

Dr Jay · Apr 12, 2009

I'm doing this in my driveway and it snowed for 1/2 the day today and it's been raining for the rest of it so I guess it will sit until next weekend. Thankfully the mustangs not my daily driver.

what9612 · Apr 12, 2009

i love workin on my car, i could wrench all day. i used to be scared todo things but after the header install in the driveway i aint scuurred no more. BTW i live in michigan so i kno about ****ty weather

SFC.Kill · Apr 12, 2009

I'm 50 and have loved working on cars. Doing P.I.Swap now on my 98.

squeak93 · Apr 13, 2009

I have built two cars now, a 351 swap fox and now this 98. I love to work on them but I too have had my fair share of projects go bad as well.

And I hear the op about the dang passenger header studs, I have a bolt in one b/c the stud if junk. Thank god it came out and I only had to clean the threads up.

DeadLurker · Apr 13, 2009

I let Mustang Magic in Long Island NY and Modular Powerhouse in GA do most of the work on my car.

I dunno....I'd just rather someone who really knows what they are doing make the changes plus I can't really work on the car where I live.

89lxsport50 · Apr 13, 2009

BurningRubber said:
Can't say so, but the day will probably come when I start on something that I wish I wouldn't have. lol.

Most aggrivating thing on my car so far was a front brake job. Lower bolt holding the metal bar that sits around the rotor was FROZEN tight, by the time it was done I took it to Sears and told them to get the son of a bitch off by whatever means needed. Luckily they did, but that bolt head is about six times smaller now, lmao.

Most PITA thing is working under the car with it sitting so low to the ground... I'm used to crawling under my Jeep without ramps or a jack and wrenching away.

I had the same problem with that bolt. After trying everything I could think of, I went and bought a small propane torch. It broke loose after I heated it up pretty good.

PULMEOVR · Apr 16, 2009

Only regret has been recently, these past few weeks. I modded my car with a MAC Prochamber H-pipe with cats (when they use to make them) a few years ago. I needed to pass emissions this year, and I failed my emission test, twice. So I had to get the car diagnosed and I ended up running the emission test again and passed just barely. It seems the first shop had faulty emission test equipment, but I know my cats are on the way out. I almost regret this mod as its cost me so much. $700 for the mid-pipe, $325 for install, 3 E-tests later ($90), diagnostics at dealer ($313), and new cats will need to be welded on in 2 years for my next E-test ($400). Just for an h-pipe. Damn.

Also, if it wasn't for dumping more than $5,000 into repairs for my beater, I'd have one hell of a Mustang instead of a stock one.

Dark_Horse · Apr 16, 2009

BaXTeR3221 said:
Thankfully my mustangs were never the only car i owned at any one time. So when i tackle a mustang project that takes a while or when something goes wrong in the middle (like it usually does) i can let it sit for a few days while i track down parts/tools and still be able to get where i need to be.

I don't know if i would ever really want to work on a car that was my only mode of transportation. I feel like that's just doomed for trouble.

Yah tell me about it. My car has been a plague since I first got it. She hasn't been very well maintained (I blame the previous owner for that) and with 78K on the clock, I'm finding stuff that should have been done a long time ago. First I found the battery leaking into the hold down tray and it was all coroded and nasty down there. Then I decided to change the spark plugs...wow probably the biggest OH **** moment I have ever had:

HELP!!! Spark plug broke off in head!!! - IMBOC

Breaking off a spark plug in the head is probably just about as bad as blowing one out. Thankfully that's not happened yet :knocks on wood:

Ever regret working on the Mustang?

Dr Jay

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lvmustanggt

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mazen189

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darkside03gt

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BaXTeR3221

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mijo_latino

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bhuff30

LaserSVT

Got FB banned again for saying nards

BurningRubber

Dr Jay

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what9612

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SFC.Kill

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squeak93

DeadLurker

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89lxsport50

PULMEOVR

I need a bigger E-Penis.

Dark_Horse

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