Progress Thread fox racer's 89 LX - Earl

Mustang5L5 said:

ANy updates?

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Only the best kind of update: minimal work on the car, just driving it. I’ve put more miles on the car in the last two months than I have since I owned it.

I’m still getting a small hanging idle issue, even after cleaning the salt and pepper shakers. We set base idle (pulled Spout/IAC, no codes when started) to about 600-650Rpm, but the car likes to settle at around 900-950 with everything plugged back in. TPS is in range. After some sprited driving the car likes to sit at 1,100 ish, and won’t come down if I shut off turn back on. I may swap the IAC. I cleaned it a while back it it helped, but maybe it’s getting old or I didn’t clean well enough.

Also fixed the PS leak at the rack. The low pressure o ring from the new line was undersized (green o ring). Even the parts store o rings where thinner. The high pressure side, with the black o ring (from the new line) had a nice heavy feel when sliding the fitting (not dry). The low pressure was super light, almost like there wasn’t an o ring at all - didn’t feel right. The parts store replacement felt worse. I committed the mortal sin of re-using the unknown aged old o ring, but it felt nice and snug and had no visual indication of rot or tears. I’ll ride this way until I regret it.

I modified the shifter bezel to fit better, but still thing the trans sits too high. The LMR boot feels too short, when I shift into odd gears the back of the boot pulls the bezel up. It’s a brand new t5z, used tri-ax with new ford crossmember and trans mount (big hump on passenger side).


Did the 3g swap. My replacement 2g the prior owner put in was actually hardwired - poorly. One of the two power lines (orange/black) wasn’t even spliced correctly and loose. Serious fire hazard. The upper bolt was also ~0.5” too short, so I helicoil’d the 3g and put a nice new 1.25” bolt in. Also took advice from elders here and added a ground from the stock ECM ground on the fender apron to the stock battery ground on the timing chain cover.

Coming up before the winter:
- I grabbed a 190lph Walbro that will go in
- Maybe paint the trim SEM trim black... maybe.
- I found some old underdrive pulleys in my parents shed, the FRPP blue crank/water pump. I *may* toss the crank pulley on (~4.36” dia). Will either keep the stock water pump pulley or grab a smaller cobra one - the underdrive water pump pulley (~5.25” dia) is garbage in my eyes. Grabbed a 1.9” alternator pulley to keeps its RPMs up

Spring time:
- I have a new contour fan, ordered a Derale 16795 and think I’ll grab a Be Cool radiator (not needed, but a want). Very on the fence with Mishimoto, but really don’t want to do things twice. Looking forward to fabbing up my own bracketry, I love the LMR kit but at $140 and dinner isn’t even included...

Summer time:
- Looking at 11r 170s to go with my explorer intake (TMoss ported lower). Keeping the stock cam/bottom end, maybe 24lbs injectors
- want to smooth/lightly touch up the upper explorer intake, might as well grab 70mm TB (Accufab) since the opening is ~67mm on the intake.
- Would like an off road H/X pipe (my current is 2.25” with cats) but really don’t want to throw codes (removing smog pump) or frustrate future me when getting an inspection.

Finally, not going with the ATS Brembos on this car. Cobra brakes are plenty enough for me - I’ll either sell/trade, or maybe get a new edge project to put them on.

I have reached the depths of boredom and I’m about to put the car away for the winter, but, two minor :

1. Fixed the door chime. Mine was in excellent condition, just a little dirty and the foam ring was shot. Cleaned it up, and used this stuff cut to shape. Great sound now.


2. Cleaned up the dimmer switch. This was sort of fun - drilled out three rivers, and the metal/black plastic halves come apart. I gently pulled the white wheel out from the two prongs resting on the spring. Cleaned everything, removed some corrosion build up on the contacts, added a tiny bit of lithium to the gear mesh, put it back together using some ⅛” rivets. This will go in when I fix the dash lights.



Think my IAC sensor is dying, helping cause the idle issues after the salt and peppers were cleaned. It’s very inconsistent now, sometimes not even an issue. When I cleaned the old sensor (which I think is original), it rattled and the new one doesn’t. I may have been born yesterday, but I’m going on a hunch the 31 year old sensor is past its useful life.

Mustang5L5 said:

Just to update. I did call back and got a friendly gentleman who was able to get me the right line. On it's way! Thanks for the part number as it made things much easier.

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Awesome! Glad it helped. Having a fresh line professionally made gave me some piece of mind and one less thing to worry about. Fit was spot on too, thanks for the idea to begin with

One week into winter storage and I’m already having withdrawals.
Grabbed some 3/8” brake line and a tubing bender on clearance to make a PCV tube for my explorer intake. Length is rough cut (and flare although not sure it’s necessary) so still need to fine tune, but happy with the results:



I’ll use this in lieu of the stock rubber tubing (which I preferred since it’s molded to shape, but those seem to be long gone).

Also grabbed 8mm 1.25 x 25mm bolts for my triax shifter to trans mount. I’m currently using the stock lengths (20mm)and I baby the t5z so not critical but certainly a piece of mind fix.

... 8 months later

Finally fixed the hard start problem. Prior owner put in a cheap Bosch fuel pump that had a tiiiiny little pickup opening (underneath, with sock off, was about 80% blocked off by design and only a small mesh opening to pickup fuel). It also wouldn’t hold pressure when turned off, so had to prime 2-3x to just start the car and often still hard started. Walbro 190 swapped out and starts up great. Waited 24hrs, barely heard the starter engage before the car started.

Yes yes, working in street in front of a hydrant... we chased the shade on a hot day. Once my move is done I’ll have a garage to work out of.

Sometimes life gets in the way and the fun stuff gets put on hold. The move to Texas is done, and after delays then a cancellation from one of the more recommended carriers out there - I was forced to go with a broker to ship Earl.

I used Montway as the broker and they contracted me with “We Out Here Transport.” Long story short, they showed up on time, were, super nice to my mom who supervises pick up, super nice to me on drop off, super thorough and regularly communicated. Also ridiculously fast (pickup Thursday noon, drop off Saturday Noon) from Jersey to Houston.

I’m at the in-laws for a few months before we buy our own, so getting this back to a “progress thread” is still some time away. But once that happens, I should have a nice rear-end refresh with some 3.55s to post about. Hoping to get more active here now that things calmed down as well.

Pick up:




Drop off:

Rdub6 said:

Nice man! Good to see it safe and sound!
.......... what is up with trailer? That second pic looks like it’s a block long. Lol

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It was massive. Fit my car + two more Porsches. Front car (mine) was up on a ramp and back two were flat.