Progress Thread Finally got my first Fox Body - 1988 GT

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So I poked around the fuel tank a bit after I got done working today. I forgot to take a before picture but it did look like the vent hose had been pinched between the tank and the frame. I loosened the bolts on the tank and gave the vent hose a bit more wiggle room.

I drove the car to a gas station (different one than last night). Universe was messing with me at first. I pulled up to a pump, inserted my card, and was prompted to pick my grade and start fueling. Nothing came out of the pump. I put the nozzle in all the way, part way...tried everything and couldn’t get the pump to start. I was convinced for a second that something was wrong with the filler neck and it was somehow stopping the fuel from starting.

Eventually I moved to another pump and was able to put gas in. I did it slowly and carefully but fortunately didn’t have a repeat of last night. Got about half a tank in and then took the scenic route home. No issues so far, no leaks (aside from the usual oil leaks). Thanks for the tip @General karthief and @Steel1 :D

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I got my latest video edited and uploaded...documenting the first part of the dropping the fuel tank experience and flushing the differential fluid.


View: https://youtu.be/EzrIyyhCdNI
 
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Will have a new video up on this next week but a little preview of what else I got done recently:
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So on a non-rear suspension related note, one thing I wanted to get some input on from folks here - I have been thinking about buying the Holley Terminator X, partially because it seems like it would help get rid of the rats nest of wiring in my engine bay and also because presumably, it would help my car run as strong and efficiently as possible. My car doesn't have a ton of mods though. Basically its a stock engine as far as I know, with shorty headers, off-road X pipe, and Flowmaster catback/mufflers. I have the Cervini's ram-air intake setup but the intake manifold is stock and the car still has speed density.

Any thoughts on whether the Holley system would be worth buying or does anyone have any suggestions on upgrading wiring in the most efficient/cost effective way? I set aside some money initially with the intention of buying new wheels and tires for the Fox but then I started reading about the Holley system and it has me sidetracked. Thanks.
 
If it was me I'd buy a Megasquirt system just because I would know for sure that I would be able to get a lot of support for setting it up and and troubleshooting it on this site. Unless you are having issues with your current setup I would suggest getting the rims and tires. Now if you'er planning on big engine mods that the factory system can't handle in the near future, then get the upgraded ECU.
 
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If it was me I'd buy a Megasquirt system just because I would know for sure that I would be able to get a lot of support for setting it up and and troubleshooting it on this site. Unless you are having issues with your current setup I would suggest getting the rims and tires. Now if you'er planning on big engine mods that the factory system can't handle in the near future, then get the upgraded ECU.
Thanks. I was considering the Holley system because it allegedly tunes the car as you drive it and it seems like it would require less involvement from me to do any "tuning", if that makes sense. I really don't have any big engine mods planned. I would like to eventually do something like a GT40 style tubular intake manifold mostly because I love the way it looks but not planning to go too crazy horsepower wise.

If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

If the car runs well on the current OEM style ecu, let it be. Especially at near stock levels.
Thanks. It idles a little rough sometimes but I can't say much worse other than that. Makes sense.
I agr

I agree , if you had heavy mods I would think differently.
If you're really concerned about the harness I believe Ron Francis sells new harnesses.
Thanks for the rec. Will check out Ron Francis' site.
 
Megasquirt will do autotune as well. The tuning support for the MS community is VERY good.

I'd investigate things like pulling the codes, a basic tuneup and checking for vac leaks and such before pulling out the ecu and going full aftermarket. If you question your wiring, your entire harness should also be replaced. It's a huge undertaking, and not one i'd do for a near-stock engine. You should do your due dilligence to see if you can improve the current setup or identify any issues as it would be far more easier to find and fix a vac leak (very likely) than to rewire the car, install the ecu and then tune it all.

Haver you dumped codes? Or done a smoke test?
 
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I was considering the Holley system because it allegedly tunes the car as you drive it and it seems like it would require less involvement from me
Full disclosure I have no experience with the Holley set-up, that being said.........
I've had 2 different piggy back systems, (PMS and Moates quarter horse) , I now currently run a stand alone Megasquirt based Pimp XS,
NONE of those systems are self tuning .
Yes, the Pimp does have an autotune feature but this can be very misleading ,it's not a magic button you press and drive car around for
a bit and presto ...it drives like stock.
I've been tinkering with my set up for 2 yrs. now although car runs really good I'm still learning.
You will need to learn how to tune to some degree, like Mustang5l5 said there is a lot of support for Megasquirt we have a tuning guru
on here.
I would be really impressed if this was the case with the Holley system but I doubt it's that simple , could be wrong though.

Just figured I'd comment on this in case you ever go the stand alone route you won't be discouraged.
 
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Obviously an aftermarket ECU setup has many pros but given your car is basically stock it isn't really needed.

In regards to the Holly Terminator X system. It's a good system that doesn't have a high learning curve especially for first start and autotune.. You don't have to worry about having a complete retune and paying for a chip etc each time you make a big change to the setup. Another big factor is the terminator x comes with everything out of the box to replace your factory wiring, ecu and sensors. It even comes with a wideband 02 from go which was nice. So if your like so many out there with damaged or hacked up harnesses or broken clips on your injector harness then your good because you get new wiring harnesses with this and like my buddy did, You can sell your factory ecu and wiring and make back a few hundred if need be.

There are also tons of videos out there on how to setup and tune with the terminator x as it's become very popular and really easy. So I would do some research and see what platform appeals the most to your needs and learning curve. For the terminator x was easy to get going and is easy to use with plenty of support. I can't personally speak for megasquirt since I don't have any experience with it but there are plenty of people on here that do and can help with that.

*edit
Here's a good video of exactly what is needed to start driving the car after a terminator x install

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oX5VAHYSiJ0
 
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Obviously an aftermarket ECU setup has many pros but given your car is basically stock it isn't really needed.

In regards to the Holly Terminator X system. It's a good system that doesn't have a high learning curve especially for first start and autotune.. You don't have to worry about having a complete retune and paying for a chip etc each time you make a big change to the setup. Another big factor is the terminator x comes with everything out of the box to replace your factory wiring, ecu and sensors. It even comes with a wideband 02 from go which was nice. So if your like so many out there with damaged or hacked up harnesses or broken clips on your injector harness then your good because you get new wiring harnesses with this and like my buddy did, You can sell your factory ecu and wiring and make back a few hundred if need be.

There are also tons of videos out there on how to setup and tune with the terminator x as it's become very popular and really easy. So I would do some research and see what platform appeals the most to your needs and learning curve. For the terminator x was easy to get going and is easy to use with plenty of support. I can't personally speak for megasquirt since I don't have any experience with it but there are plenty of people on here that do and can help with that.

*edit
Here's a good video of exactly what is needed to start driving the car after a terminator x install

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oX5VAHYSiJ0

Thanks. I think I watched this one after first reading about the system. Still very intriguing...but I think I will keep focusing on fixing/upgrading the things that need fixing/upgrading and eventually revisit tuning options depending on how things evolve with the car.
 
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So I got my latest video up, documenting the installation of the new OEM style upper control arms and completion of the fuel tank stuff.


View: https://youtu.be/e5hug-7-Aag




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My latest adventure (this past weekend) was installing the new lower control arms. Let’s just say that the projected three hour installation time was insanely optimistic, lol. Video on that should be coming sometime soon.
 
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Yeah... those bolts really enjoy seizing themselves to the metal insert sleeves of the bushings making removal a load of fun
For me, I think the problems were self-inflicted - not getting the car lifted up high enough and taking too long to even attempt to get the mufflers out of the way.

Speaking of the LCAs, I just finished editing and uploading my video on that process. My facial expression in the thumbnail photo reflects my naive optimism prior to the installation process.


View: https://youtu.be/XUiLgZGVWhk

I've now replaced front lower control arms on my 2014 Mustang, rear LCA relocation brackets on the 2014, rear lower control arms on the Fox, and upper control arms on the Fox. The rear LCAs on the Fox were definitely the worst installation to date. If I ever have to replace the front control arms, I seriously might consider paying someone else to do it, lol.
 
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Just picked up some 16 inch Pony wheels for the Fox. I will need to clean and paint them but got the set for $80 so I can’t complain.
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The guy I bought them off of had a black fox (93 I think) that was in pretty impressive condition.
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