Progress Thread Fire Hazard GT build: On the road

Husky,
I won't get rid of my 1993, so any car I get has to be something I'm willing to sell at some point. There has been alot of California 1965-1967 Stangs out here, but if I get one, I won't want to let it go. I just cant get the wife to pull another trailer......lol. I found a sumped tank for mine for $100. I know that i'll need it with the motor I'm planning, but will have to continue with the Aeromotive 340 in-tank until then. I'll hit you up on the fittings portion when I get there. It's good to know we're both getting something done.

Joe,
I'd love to see what you have. I keep going back and forth on it. Just can't decide exactly how I want to do it. Any help is appreciated.
 
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Joe Line Lock 2 Step.jpg
Joe,
I'd love to see what you have. I keep going back and forth on it. Just can't decide exactly how I want to do it. Any help is appreciated.

Joe Line Lock 2 Step.jpg


Obviously its not my own original idea. I have my line lock wired with a toggle switch to a 12v source, which allows me to use just the line lock for burnouts. I then tied the linelock into the 12v source for the relay and used a diode to prevent the 2 step from recieving power from the linelock toggle switch. In this fashion, the line lock works without the 2 step when it alone is activated; however, when I active my 2 step, it also activates the linelock so I never have to worry about rolling in or out of the staging lane.

For the grounding source for the relay, look at your clutch pedal switches. There are two of them, each has three wires going into it. The top switch has three red wires, two of them are close together and one of them is slightly seperated. Out of the two that are together, one of them becomes a ground when the clutch pedal is pressed to the floor. It breaks its ground when the clutch is released. I believe this switch is for the cruise control, but I am not certain. I tapped into this wire for my relay ground.

Once staged, press the clutch to the floor, activate the momentary switch, the relay will latch and stay latched until the clutch pedal is released. It will never relatch the relay until both the clutch pedal and the momentary switch are pressed at the same time.

My car is a 1993 original 5 spd car with cruise. Different years may differ, but you can probe around until you find a ground source.

Good luck with it!

Joe
 
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Joe, for some reason my reply didn't hit. Thanks for the input. I figure (stick car) I can limit the rpm (or utilize the soft touch rev limiter) in the water box, but need to figure out a way to limit the wheel spin off the line. Your diagram sparks some ideas. I'm possibly looking to limit second gear depending on wheel spin (turbo was making 512 ft lbs on a stock motor). It will be trial an error, but you have given me something to build off of. I need to do more research, but I have an AEM stand-alone that may actually help in this area. Honestly, I think more strip than I ever attend. It gets driven more than race, but that's my goal for the build. My father was a fairly well known builder and always said you can’t make a reliable and fast street/strip car. Hopefully I can.

At this point I still need to do some odds and ends, but will be doing research for the next few months. I plan a Dart build of 327 or 331 (same build different cam) and learning about the AEM system I happened on. My knowledge of self-tuning is not as good as I believed as I regretfully don't remember my previous (under load) air fuel ratios. So, I'll take my "time off" to learn.

I’ll resurrect this post from time to time, but want to acknowledge the guys who have turned this from a “I don’t want to work on it” to an actual progress thread. This community has taken me from a basic bolt-on car and given me the resource to build something I wouldn’t have touched 10 years ago.
Semper learning
RD
 
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RD: Is your "time off" coming up soon? If so, be safe, and know folks are praying for you.

Is it safe to assume the "Semper learning" is indicative? If so, then I'll make sure to use smaller words, and won't hold it against you!

(Retired ARMY!)

Greg
 
Well, after too many months, I dug her out of the garage. After charging the battery and turning the oil pump for a while, she fired right up. Still need to figure out where my timing, fuel pressure are best set at; fix my A/F gauge wiring; check brake lines and check for exhaust/air leaks. At least i am back on it.
 
So I managed to get several small things done. My crossover pipe had some heinous leakage and I managed to dispose of a couple of hours in correcting it. I figured it was up on stands so I would work on the front coils to get the front end back up. I love UPRs stuff, but sent several iterations getting my aluminum spanner wrench to make enough contact to stay on the adjustment ring without an extreme amount of hand-hold on over the wrench. I'm hoping that I do not need a whole lot more height or I'm going to need a better wrench in order to sin the ring under the spring's load. Did manage to tri over my hood pins in the process. More UPR goodies. So it's dark and I figure I'll put them on and possibly give myself a chance to improve on my fiberglass and painting skills. Well, I managed not to screw it up much, but don't like the looks of them. The billet just doesn't look right on the white paint. Nice pieces, so hopefully I'll warm up to them. I'll post pics once I learn how to use this new windows 8 computer.
 
Finaaly finished building and installing the new truck motor for the Dodge. Only 460 more miles to finish break-in. I figured "what the heck" lets fire the Mustang. Its been sitting for about a month and needs some attention. Go to start, no joy. So looks like I will be working that out as I try to remembe the list of things she still needs done. Istill need to get the stand alone back to AEM for updating/functionchecking, but plan to start making time to finish it up. I did read the thread again....someone needs to change the title. I actually wanted to stop workin on it after reading. I think all the Mopar time has made me appreciate the need to get the Mustang going.
 
I'm looking to sell the Fairmont now. I just fixed a belt problem on the mustang. After the heat of the summer, coupled with some chitzy under drive pulleys, the belt started to stretch and touch. Got it set, spun the oil pump and decided to ensure TDC. Pulled the number 1 plug to do the old finger TDC gauge and had no pressure. Every other cylinder dry tested at 140-150lbs. Awesome, so I'm thinking bad ring, broken spring, or (more likely) the jackass that adjusted the valves got a little too crazy. Best case scenario, I'm pulling the upper intake and minus the gasket. Worse case scenario, I'm building the Dart 331 (I always wanted) in an economically tight scenario. Time to get rid of the rest of the projects and focus on the one that needs it.
 
I'm looking to sell the Fairmont now. I just fixed a belt problem on the mustang. After the heat of the summer, coupled with some chitzy under drive pulleys, the belt started to stretch and touch. Got it set, spun the oil pump and decided to ensure TDC. Pulled the number 1 plug to do the old finger TDC gauge and had no pressure. Every other cylinder dry tested at 140-150lbs. Awesome, so I'm thinking bad ring, broken spring, or (more likely) the jackass that adjusted the valves got a little too crazy. Best case scenario, I'm pulling the upper intake and minus the gasket. Worse case scenario, I'm building the Dart 331 (I always wanted) in an economically tight scenario. Time to get rid of the rest of the projects and focus on the one that needs it.
Pictures RD.
Pictures are the missing element to engage others in conversation.
Your last several dozen or so posts are woefully photo challenged. What? you don't got a camera phone? Pictures are what keeps guys like @RaggedGT happy.;)
As far as you thinning out the herd so you can focus on the one most likely to be broken, and ride able, I don't know why it took you so long.
 
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So I'm back at it and searching through a garage for the tools I need. Just to recap, cylinder no1 was pushing zero compression.
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After stripping some of this pig down, I decide to drain the coolant out. Not a big deal to most, but I have a deep personal hate for anti-freeze. That's right oil, hydraulic fluid....even gear oil doesn't bother me.
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So of course that little green pan stays under the car to catch anything important I drop...sometimes it actually catches the antifreeze. Oh, particular thanks to the Ford engineer that ensured every lower head bolt requires a new introduction to antifreeze on my chitzy tiled garage floor.
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So at some point I'm cleaning anti-freeze from my face and happen to look at the injector on no7 (center in the picture). Due to my superior powers of observation I noticed that the blue colored ring on the injector is actually looking green. Interesting, they are all the same 42#s. Further research shows that the injector cup on the fuel rail is discolored and "tear dropped" vice circular. Well, thank you cylinder No1 for failing, because I know the aeromotive pump works really well and fiberglass burns really hot. Anyway...
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Oh, while diving for tools in my drain pan, I found that the new rack and pinion doesn't like the turbo cross over pipe. Not sure what I'm doing on this one yet.
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So before the flaming begins, this motor came with the car. I had some contact with the guy that owned it and a basic listing of what it entailed. Yes, I popped the turbo on it full expecting to learn if my faith in the partially remembered build sheet would pay off....or give me the excuse to do the "big Dart build". Needless to say, she's been run pig rich for quite some time. Ok, note to self, check fancy aeromotive fuel pressure gauge. Oh, and really look at the pistons that have been getting comfy with the gasket. Finally, guess if No1 has a busted ring....
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Nope, hard to tell, but that is the most beautiful cylinder I have ever seen. None of the pesky cross-hatch that commonly indicates a healthy motor, Just the most beautifully polished surface I have seen since the morning shave.
IMG_20151106_164958234_HDR.jpg

Time to yank this thing as it is waaaayyyy to pretty to be in the engine bay.Oh, and all of its friends look the same. The good news is the slugs are actually forged Probes.

So I'm going to haul this one off to the machine shop to see what's savable. I'll pull a piston or two and let you guys know what I find. I imagine whatever it is, it's tired and worn out.
 

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What I'm seeing in addition to your smooth bore, is a significant vertical gouge at the front of the cylinder. That gouge,........probably a seized or broken ring. #2 has been tagged by a valve that didn't fit in the valve reliefs ( are these TW heads per chance?) if that's the case, #2 would probably suck compression wise too. Hell for that matter, all of the valves need to be checked to see if they are bent, in addition to your dead cylinder.
 
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Well Mike, it wouldn't have surprised me if you found something I hadn't, but the vertical scratch is actually a reflection in the picture. Told you they are the prettiest washed cylinders I have ever seen. The areas that look like valve contact are actually yours truly searching for the piston part number. I will say there are some small vertical scratches in the cylinders, but nothing I couldn't remove with a ball hone. The problem is that they are tied to this little miracle...
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So I pulled 1 and 5 (the cap for 5 is in the lower right, against the main). The crank journal has a step in it that that would impress James Brown. Looking at the bearings, I'm down into the brass. Though it adds an artistic element to it, I don't know how she didn't sin a bearing before the compression went south.

So I plan to tear it completely down tomorrow and will hopefully find that the cam is still decent. I want to see if I can salvage anything from this motor, so I'll see what we can do about grinding the crank and checking the rods. Well, that's if I don't find anything worse after tomorrow.
 

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Just noticed what you are actually talking about Mike. Oddly enough, there are two distinct cuts for the valves in each of these pistons. I'll snap another photo tomorrow so you can get a better angle.
 
Ouch. That crank don't look so good. :rolleyes: Those gouges look pretty deep
Yeah, there's probably no "turning" in this cranks future. Matter of fact, the only thing it'll probably turn is into scrap.

Rebuilder cranks ground at .010/.010 are cheap. Cast steel Chinee cranks start at about 250.00 with the plethora of stroker versions right behind that. Given that I already had the wheezer on there, I'd probably just buy a crank kit, and be done. ( heh,.....me stating that I'd probably take the short path to anywhere.........that's funny)

You might wanna ignore anything I got to say.