Progress Thread Let's try this again...

#41
Alldegree said:
Also, with the ford performance alphabet cams, which one is milder, E or B? The diagram on their website says B, but all the Youtube videos and online forums say E.
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Be prepared for the "don't waste your time on an alphabet cam, get a custom grind" crowd. They have valid points, and they ARE "outdated" - but if that's what you want to use then by all means use one. I have a B cam that I got for the paltry sum of $20 - I intend on using it for the simple facts that I got it so damned cheap AND I already have it, so why waste the money on another cam?

As for which one is more aggressive, it's actually the B cam. I think many that have used it went with 1.7 rockers to increase valve lift - which I intend to do with my build once I get to it - the E cam actually has more lift. Here's one site that gives a quick rundown on the letter cams, I'm sure you can look at other sites like Summit to get information as well.

www.onallcylinders.com

Ford Alphabet Cam Specs: E303 vs. B303 vs. F303 vs. X303 - OnAllCylinders

Ford’s famous Alphabet Cams (a.k.a. Letter Cams) have been around for decades and are often the go-to choice for Mustang owners looking for more performance from their 5.0L engine. Ford Performance …
www.onallcylinders.com www.onallcylinders.com
 
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#42
CarMichael Angelo said:
What ever is this place coming to?
Now we're teaching people how to drive a stick on the internet?
Click to expand...


Just had a question since I've read different things. I'm not going to rely on just the internet, I know a few people who are willing to teach me.

Olivethefet said:
:shrug: He asked.... I was bored.
Click to expand...

I appreciate your time, I'll be sure to put that into practice.
 
#46
She's finally here! The seller came by and dropped it off yesterday. It runs and drives (at least up my driveway), but there are still a few small things that need to be fixed. Here's what I found so far, in order of importance:
  1. Front seat belts don't lock up (I sunk some money into a new set, they're old and dusty anyway)
  2. Horn only works if you really punch the steering wheel, think it's probably the pressure switch inside which is interesting because it came off of my old car and it worked fine back then.
  3. Passenger side mirror doesn't adjust properly. I can't get it to cover the right spot on the car.
  4. Front and rear tires don't match and all 4 look old.
  5. Windshield washer nozzle sprays over the car instead of on the windshield.
There's also some small interior things like the map light and the little indicator lights at the base of the dashboard next to the clock don't work, but those aren't too critical. There's also a small lever on the right-hand side of the steering column. I thought it might be a tilt release, but when I pulled it nothing happened, so I don't know what it is or if it's broken or not.

I'm not planning on driving it until the weather clears up, so I'm going to have plenty of time to sort through all this. I also just took care of insurance and I'm planning on going to the DMV to get it registered and get the tax paperwork taken care of.


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#48
I fixed the horn, but I've run into some other issues.

When I was looking for the horn problem, I took the steering column cover off thinking maybe there was a disconnected wire somewhere. Everything looked ok to my untrained eye, so I moved on to the steering wheel. I took the pad off thinking the spring or the contact on the switch had gone bad, everything looked ok there too. I put the pad back, hooked up the battery and the horn worked. I don't know what I did, but now it works.

The problems started to arise when I started putting things back together. The column cover was held in by 2 different size screws. One was longer and self-tapping, so I had a sinking feeling that the plastic threads had been stripped. Luckily I was able to use the one good screw in a different hole on one side and I managed to get the big screw back into it's original position on the other side.

Then I tried starting the car to make sure I hadn't done anything to the ignition switch or wiring when I put the cover back on. The engine cranked a couple of times and then stopped. Pretty sure the battery is dead. I think it's from starting the car a couple of times and only letting it run for a couple of minutes, since the battery wouldn't have had time to recharge itself. Is that a valid theory? It's also pretty cold out today, and garage it's in isn't heated.

edit:
The negative terminal arcs when I connect it, I know that a little bit is normal, but wouldn’t that indicate that the battery has a charge? Did I fry something when it sparked? Would I blow myself up if I tried to jump it?
 
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#49
The battery could be weak and will spark a little, but not crank the car. If you have a charger I would put it on the charge for the night then check again. If you live close to a auto parts store you could pull the battery and take it to them to check it out. They can load test it to see if it is bad. A lot of times they have charges that they will put your battery on and charge it in a couple of hours. I prefer the trickle charger method personally for charging a battery.
 
#50
If you go to all the trouble to take the battery somewhere to get it load tested...

Purchase a cheap ass multi-meter and a node or test light while you're there. They are cheap!!!!!

If you're not taking the car to someone to get it fixed and instead reaching out on the interwebz, you're going to need some basic diagnostic and hand tools. Electric system wise, those are the first two.

www.autozone.com

Innova Hands-Free Digital Multimeter

Shop for Innova Hands-Free Digital Multimeter with confidence at AutoZone.com. Parts are just part of what we do. Get yours online today and pick up in store.
www.autozone.com www.autozone.com
 
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#51
Olivethefet said:
The battery could be weak and will spark a little, but not crank the car. If you have a charger I would put it on the charge for the night then check again. If you live close to a auto parts store you could pull the battery and take it to them to check it out. They can load test it to see if it is bad. A lot of times they have charges that they will put your battery on and charge it in a couple of hours. I prefer the trickle charger method personally for charging a battery.
Click to expand...

There's an autozone on my way to and from work, so I could probably pull it out and take it there.

Noobz347 said:
Purchase a cheap ass multi-meter and a node or test light while you're there. They are cheap!!!!!
Click to expand...

I'll grab those too, they would be good to have even if I end up not needing them in this case. Electrical issues are my biggest concern, partly because I have no idea how to diagnose or repair them but mostly because I don't want to get electrocuted or set on fire.

I also ordered an interior hardware kit from LMR, so hopefully I'll be able to take care of the missing screws. It's a little unnerving to find so many little things out of place, but I'll take it over the softball-sized hole in the shock tower that my last car had any day.
 
#56
Mstng93SSP said:
I would try jump starting it. The battery should not go dead just from sitting a day or two, unless the battery is bad or has a MAJOR electrical draw on it.

Chris
Click to expand...

I was thinking the same thing, and I'm planning on trying that first. The biggest power draws that I can think of are the aftermarket head unit and an electric radiator fan, but both of those things only run when the ignition is in accessory.The battery was only hooked up for the period of time it took me to see if the horn was working, and I don't think sounding the horn would draw that much power.
 
#58
OK, Since I fixed the horn, I decided to move on to replace the seatbelts. The set I ordered from LMR came in today and they look really nice, but installing them is turning into a project on it's own. The instructions make it seem like you can just pull out the front seats, pull the screws from the quarter trim panel and then just take the retractor out. I did that, and I still couldn't get to it, so I pulled out the rear seat bottoms for more room. It sort of worked, but now it looks like the entire backseat is going to have to come out, as well as the quarter trim panel since prying it out of the way doesn't give me enough room or visibility and has already gauged a few holes in my headliner. I did manage to get the old seatbelt out, but I doubt I'd be able to get the new one in with my previous method.

Here's a link to the instructions:

Is there a certain torque that the torx screws are supposed to be tightened to? The instructions just say to use loctite.
 
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#59
This is all starting to feel somewhat familiar.

Now that half of my interior is sprawled on my garage floor, I can now replace the drivers side seatbelt, or at least I could if I had the right wrench.

stopped at autozone after work to pick up a torque wrench so I wouldn’t strip the screws responsible for keeping my fat behind in the seat in the event of an accident. The torque rating I’m seeing is somewhere around 28-30 ftlbs.

Unfortunately, the torque wrench I got was too big for the bit and I don’t have an adapter for it. Live and learn, I guess.

On the plus side, I got the quarter trim panel off and found a pretty little Rockford Fosgate speaker behind the grille, so that’s nice.
 
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