Progress Thread Komo's 1990 GT - Parts Gathering Purgatory & Home Remodel

Noobz347 · May 2, 2025

It looks like the alternator needs some grinding and the bracket needs some adjustment.

nicholase · May 2, 2025

Your alternator is probably hitting the smog pump here

If that's the case, you'll want to clearance the smog pump like this

When you get that sorted you'll want to snug up the long alternator bolt. Then check the alternator stay sits flush against the alternator ear. If it doesn't you'll have to bend it until it does. If it's not sitting flush it will pull the alternator out of alignment when you tighten it.

gkomo · May 2, 2025

nicholase said:
Your alternator is probably hitting the smog pump here

If that's the case, you'll want to clearance the smog pump like this

When you get that sorted you'll want to snug up the long alternator bolt. Then check the alternator stay sits flush against the alternator ear. If it doesn't you'll have to bend it until it does. If it's not sitting flush it will pull the alternator out of alignment when you tighten it.

I just went out this morning and see the exact spot you’re referring to on the smog pump, so I will dremel that down. Makes sense that it ‘cockeyed’ the alternator when I snugged the stay bracket down because that smog pump boss is offset.

I’ll definitely doublecheck the pulley alignment once together and bend that bracket if needed.

gkomo · May 2, 2025

@nicholase did you install the long alternator bolt from the back (like the instructions say to) or from the front? I only ask because i was reading online that people install the bolt from the front so one could remove the alternator without having to remove the entire s/c bracket assembly. Looking at it, there is a little bit of space on the backside of the bracket for the nut to fit if you did install the bolt from the front.

nicholase · May 2, 2025

I put it in from the back. I never looked to see if it had enough clearance to put the nut on the backside or if you could even get a wrench on it. Maybe I'll check it out when I get to that point.

If it fits OK, may as well put it in from the front.

gkomo · May 2, 2025

Got the smog pump boss dremel’d off, and the alternator on with the stay bracket. Pulleys ‘look’ to be lined up eyeballin it and I put a straight edge on them and there’s no gaps that I can see:

gkomo · May 2, 2025

Got the main accessory bracket on the front of the engine. Jesus I hope I got everything right because I do not want to do that again by myself. It’s heavy, tight space, heavy, and tight space. The top right bolt is a pain, many adjustments shimmying the whole assembly up/down/left/right to get it to line up correctly.

Need to route wires and connect the alternator back up. Want to look at the fuel lines as they seem tight.

Next step I think is the smog pump modifications.

Oh and I found out I reeeeaaaaally need to flush the coolant.

gkomo · May 3, 2025

Does anyone know if I need to swap out my plugs to ‘colder’ plugs? And gap them smaller? I keep reading online that supercharged people put colder plugs and gap them to like .34 or something. With the smog piping modifications coming up next this would be the time to do it (although I literally just replaced the plugs with motor craft ones).

Paxton instructions don’t say to, but just curious.

gkomo · May 3, 2025

Got the alternator hooked up, smog pump hoses modified, almost finished with the radiator hose modifications but the kiddo woke up from her nap.

I’ll leave the radiator hose only connected to the thermostat housing until I drop in the head unit and stuff.

limp · May 3, 2025

gkomo said:
but the kiddo woke up from her nap.

Put a little brandy in their milk and they will sleep longer....

gkomo · May 3, 2025

limp said:
Put a little brandy in their milk and they will sleep longer....

Hmm not a bad idea

gkomo · May 3, 2025

So I ordered new upper and lower radiator hoses cause mine are all crusty. I cleaned out the upper and used it (obviously) to make the new modified upper pipe. I wanted to replace the lower anyways.

I think I’m going to redo the upper modified coolant piping with the new upper stock hose coming because I hooked it up to the radiator to test fit and it kinks pretty significantly at the thermostat housing side. I can’t adjust it anymore, like with all my strength I can’t even spin the hose on the metal pipe anymore. I think the stock hose I used is just too crusty and has lost its flexibility.

gkomo · May 4, 2025

Got the belt tensioner on and put the fan and shroud back on:

Just need to tighten the fan/waterpump bolts down, they are just finger tight. One thing I had to do was move a coolant pipe up and over the thermostat housing (closer the TFI module) because it was getting sandwiched between the new tensioner bracket and the thermostat housing, which wouldn’t let me put the tensioner bracket on.

Next is running the serpentine belt, and then I get to put the supercharger head unit on! Don’t see why I couldn’t start all that before my new radiator hose comes in.

gkomo · May 4, 2025

I feel like this is the biggest milestone in this endeavor and it was like the easiest part. Bolts not tight yet but she mounted. Got the oil drain line on and ran it down the side of the smog pump, will zip tie it in a good location.

I had to revert back to the stock GT length drive belt, the cobra one was just too short. Luckily I kept it and it was almost brand new from the PO… tensioner is almost right in the middle, little more on the tight side but still perfect IMO.

I also reconnected the battery and turned the key on (didn’t start the engine) to let the fuel pump prime a few times and checked for leaks at the new fuel line connections and FMU, which I did not see any. Not sure if it would tho as it’s all return line stuff. I’m not smart on the fuel system.

I do feel accomplished though lol

91AOD5.0LX · May 4, 2025

Nice work! Almost there! Rooting for you!

gkomo · May 4, 2025

91AOD5.0LX said:
Nice work! Almost there! Rooting for you!

Just need to redo the coolant pipe, put the S/C belt tensioner on, assemble the intake tract, double check my work, double check the supercharger oil level, drain/fill the coolant… then start her up! Close yet so far away haha

gkomo · May 5, 2025

Got the supercharger belt tensioner on, for such a simple part this was actually quite the pain in the ass due to where the bolt heads are in relation to the actual belt. And whoever designed the pivot bolt location needs to be fired. It’s so close to the tensioner pulley you can hardly get the wrench head on. Was a game of 3/4” wrench 1/16th turn, random small crescent wrench 1/16th turn… and so on.

I also went through all the front bolts and double checked my tightness and marked them with a sharpie.

Then, with the 5 minutes I had remaining I wanted to test fit the intake cover… got damn I can’t even get it down into its space. Literally no room between the head unit and the fender. Gonna fiddle with it more tomorrow hopefully.

gkomo · May 5, 2025

Making a little more progress on the intake tract. Got the filter assembly in. This was a major pain in the ass, the stock MAF housing is definitely too big for the opening of the plastic shield. I had to lightly sand the plastic opening, as well as heat gun it slightly to finally get the MAF housing to go on:

Then, when I tried placing this whole assembly down into its final resting location, I now know I need to retract my previous statement (somewhere above) when I said I didn’t see why the ground cable need to be relocated per the directions. Not only does the ground cable need to be relocated, but both those wire bundles do as well. You can’t have ANYTHING there, it will snag the filter. So I’m in the process of getting those wire bundles moved. I’m going to move them down into the bottom fender channel and run the more up near the radiator side:

So here I’ve already rerouted the ground cable and one of the two wire bundles. Need to reroute the other wire bundle shown on the left side of the photo. Again, the instructions are garbage.

Edit: Also finished up the upper coolant hose modifications with the new hose i received. Thats on and done.

gkomo · May 6, 2025

Anyone know the size of the allen head required to get the Paxton 'shipping' plug on the top of the head unit off, so i can put the breather plug on it that comes with the kit? I have two sets of allen wrenches, and neither set has the correct size so i'm assuming its an oddball size.

Edit: Found it, "allen/hex key (3/16)" - interesting though, i feel like that size should be in my sets.

Noobz347 · May 6, 2025

I was going to say:

"The one you don't have."

*Some dude on the other side of the planet, laughing his ass off.

Progress Thread Komo's 1990 GT - Parts Gathering Purgatory & Home Remodel

Stangnet Facilities Maint Tech... Er... Janitor

I lubed and pushed, until it was all the way in

Attachments

now i can hopefully expect to receive the shaft

now i can hopefully expect to receive the shaft

I lubed and pushed, until it was all the way in

now i can hopefully expect to receive the shaft

now i can hopefully expect to receive the shaft

now i can hopefully expect to receive the shaft

now i can hopefully expect to receive the shaft

wrap a little cheese around it and its a done

now i can hopefully expect to receive the shaft

now i can hopefully expect to receive the shaft

now i can hopefully expect to receive the shaft

now i can hopefully expect to receive the shaft

I have a slight sag in my rear

now i can hopefully expect to receive the shaft

now i can hopefully expect to receive the shaft

now i can hopefully expect to receive the shaft

now i can hopefully expect to receive the shaft

Stangnet Facilities Maint Tech... Er... Janitor

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