Got FTI combo'd car started finally... simple questions inside also...

[5spd GT]

Well today we got the car started...after getting my intake back on after the coolant leak...so we go to start it up and it turns right over and on ...it died after about 5 seconds of idle...so I restarted it and we adjusted the idle screw to hold the revs up around 1500rpm to keep it from dieing...it sounded dang good...but we have a lot of work to do on tuning this thing...we shut it off after the temp was starting to climb...but anyways...I probably took it up to 3000rpm (steady climb to help us on checking the total timing) and we see no problems with the p-v clearance...(haven't tried 6000+ rpm though)...the gas was considerabley (sp?) more touchy so I'm assuming the power is there... ...tomorrow I might do the good ole' test drive

Got some simple questions:

My fuel pressure is currently on around 35 psi (vac off) and when I went to start screwing the AFPR it turned very easily and the pressure wasn't going up...is it just that I haven't got the nut screwed down far enough to actually adjust the FP...the Kirban is right out of the box...I didn't turn anything on it until we fired it up...I bet I just haven't screwed it down enough...

I need a good header gasket: The gaskets I got were for a stock 5.0 and the ported holes on the gasket are to small for the AFR's and Mac 1 5/8 in. headers...what does everybody else use...I tried trimming them and it caused me to mess them up a bit...so know I have the infamous (tick tick tick) sound...from the headers...exhaust leak...

I'm making a seperate thread on this one on stangnet.com : My friend actually knocked my Black Magic fan over and all the wires came off...I don't know how they are wired...anybody got a diagram or pic of how theirs is...??

Also I need an overflow tank...the Griffin Radiator (31x19) doesn't have fittings to mount the stock overflow tank on it...right now I just have the overflow hose pointed toward the ground...any ideas...

Thanks for all the help,

David

 

[Michael Yount]

The Kirban should work for you. Once you get it settled down with vacuum line off and plugged - set it around 40 if you have more than 15 inches of vacuum at idle; set it around 38 if you have less than 15 at idle.

Can't help you with the fan wiring, although, I strongly recommend this controller for any electric fan - it's so much better than anything else out there it's not even funny. www.dccontrol.com.

You said "we see no problems with the p-v clearance...(haven't tried 6000+ rpm though)..." PLEASE tell me you're not determining whether safe p to v clearance exists by starting/revving the motor. You can check it this way - the downside is that if you end up not having enough, the way you discover you didn't have enough clearance is by bending a bunch of valves and/or pushrods. And you may not discover it until you miss a shift, over rev it and float the valves. So that mystery will haunt you until/unless you actually measure.

Others will have to help with header gaskets - I've always used whatever came with my headers with no problems. However, did you lay a straight edge along the header/head flange to see if it was completely flat? A lot of headers aren't true there - and you literally have to bend the flange flat when you bolt it on if that's the case - makes for easy exhaust leaks. If they're shorties, when you pull them to replace the gaskets, see if the flange is true. If it's not, it costs very little for a machine shop to mill a few hundredths off to true them up. Then they'll usually seal the first time out. If you've got long tubes - well, I know you don't want to pull them back out - so good luck getting them to seal.

The combo will like a lot of ignition timing, I'd get it cranked up around 16-18 degrees btdc initial and see how it behaves. Congrats on the crank up and good luck with the tune.

 

[5spd GT]

I figured the Kirban would work but was just wondering if I didn't have the "nut" engaged enough to actually let the adjusting begin...make sense?

On the p-v clearance...I was basically referring to when you put that I could be acting on a guess or a prayer and should check it before I start it up...and all seems well...I'm not saying "I'm cured" or nothing...but just feeling good that nothing horrible went wrong on the startup...

Will get the header leak fixed...I just would like a good flowing header gasket that is durable and matches the ports on the AFR's...right now the header gasket is about a 1/4-3/8 of an inch over the ports...disrupting flow and performance...maybe more...

Yeah were going to try to get the timing set tomorrow...we were planning to work it around 14-20 degrees at idle to see which works better...

Whats a good way to get the air bubbles out of the system?

David

 

[MadMatt5oh]

Soft copper header gaskets are great for sealing the longs down. I had bought used longs and they probably werent all that straight. They sealed right away. I did tighten the header bolts every couple of days to weeks and might check them soon though. Theyre probably fine

 

[MadMatt5oh]

I used MAC header gaskets Im not sure how they mate to AFRs.

The P to V issue. I think you should clay both sides to be sure

 

[autoXr1]

Call up AFR to get the correct header gaskets to fit your exhaust ports. In fact, you can order from them.

The overflow tank, you can order from Jegs or Summit as they have a wide assortment to choose from.

The fan wires, I'd just call up the company and see if they can help you out.

The fuel pressure, I'd just set it at 40psi as this is where most Ford injectors are calibrated at. Your computer should adjust the duty cycle up and down to help maintain the proper A/F ratio. Fuel pressure adjustments really come into play during WOT, so I'd wait to get it tuned before doing any full throttle games.

From there, find a shop that will do some dyno/computer tuning to get things dialed in. Your stock computer will likely have some difficulty with the cold start and cold idle stability. I found an idle air adjustment plate that will help the idle and have found that setting my warm idle around 1000 RPM seems to be the ticket...at least with my combo.

Good luck and have fun.

 

[5spd GT]

Call up AFR to get the correct header gaskets to fit your exhaust ports. In fact, you can order from them.

The overflow tank, you can order from Jegs or Summit as they have a wide assortment to choose from.

The fan wires, I'd just call up the company and see if they can help you out.

The fuel pressure, I'd just set it at 40psi as this is where most Ford injectors are calibrated at. Your computer should adjust the duty cycle up and down to help maintain the proper A/F ratio. Fuel pressure adjustments really come into play during WOT, so I'd wait to get it tuned before doing any full throttle games.

From there, find a shop that will do some dyno/computer tuning to get things dialed in. Your stock computer will likely have some difficulty with the cold start and cold idle stability. I found an idle air adjustment plate that will help the idle and have found that setting my warm idle around 1000 RPM seems to be the ticket...at least with my combo.

Good luck and have fun.

I'm going to set the FP at 39 psi...I was just wondering why the FP wasn't going up...probably just because the nut was "engaged" enough...it spun like it was just going down threads instead of pushing against something...hope that made sense...we just messed with the car for a bit...I just turned a couple times (tightened it)...from where it was out of the box...so it may not have engaged anything...probably got to turn it a couple more times to get it started...

I would like a nice overflow tank for my car...one that people have found good...works nicely...doesn't look out of place...etc...

Don't have any accessible dynos in my area...a couple hundred miles a way is one that actually tunes full time...

I've got to get my car cooled down before I can drive it...it seems driveable right now...besides the cooling part...

Tomorrow were actually going to try to home tune it so I can drive it...my buddies had to get ready for a race (dirt track racers) so we all left until tomorrow

David

 

[ratrapp]

i think the reason your f/p isn't moving is because you loosen the nut and turn the stud to adjust f/p and when its set you use an allen wrench to hold the stud and lockdowm the nut to secure the stud.

 

[5spd GT]

i think the reason your f/p isn't moving is because you loosen the nut and turn the stud to adjust f/p and when its set you use an allen wrench to hold the stud and lockdowm the nut to secure the stud.

Yep thats it right there...I always wondered how loosening the nut would drop fuel pressure because it didn't do anything...alright...thanks...

 

[Rick 91GT]

So you did check PTV? What was it on the intake and exhaust?

A Fel-Pro 1415 should work well for your headers. Remember to use anti seize on the bolts!!

Most aftermarket overflows are not a returnable system like the stock one, however there are a few out. If you buy one that isn't for a returnable system you can braze a piece of tubing to the top fitting that goes down about 1/2" from the bottom of the overflow, this will allow the rad to pull fluid as well as put fluid in the tank. Use the bottom fitting as your drain....