Then there's the text messages from him saying, "you know what would be cool here?".....
LOL
Build Thread Mustang5L5's Build Thread -
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LOL
I mean, how can I not. I have complete access to the underside right now, so might as well take care of some things. With the axle out of the way, it really makes everything easy.
I'm not planning on dwelling too much on this though. Gonna weld the SFC's better tonight, weld in the seatbelt mount and ordering the tailpipes and clamps as we speak. I want to be hanging exhaust by next weekend.
It never even occurred to me when I welded mine in that the mufflers would be in the way, since my car had the IRS exhaust which is simple to remove.
Yeah, with mine going over the axle, there wasn't much i could do to get some room. However, in hindsight, i should have just removed it off the hangers and let it hang down. Would have gotten me plenty of room. But, i rushed. Oh well.
I was regretting pulling the axle out but now I'm glad i did. Allows me to really go through that end of the car and inspect and address some stuff.
Sitting at work as we speak looking at my calendar to see if I can head out early to go weld it up. Wife and Kids are in FL until tomorrow so I have one more afternoon/night of freedom.
Tailpipes ordered. I'm going to use bandclamp to clamp the muffler pipes, but looking around there are also clamps with exhaust hangers that might help for supporting the mufflers.
I also realized i never installed my panyard bar.....so lets do that too. Scope creep
Story of my life! Take advantage of that for sure!!
I’m any case, excellent work Mike! Your knowledge and experience is priceless. Thanks for always sharing!
I'm looking forward to hearing the borlas.
Oddly enough (i had originally thought otherwise), they are relatively the same size and offset and my ultraflos. I'm still leaning towards super turbo's, but i'm open to other options, especially if they bolt in.
I looked at my panhard bar for years sitting in the corner of the garage, only to realize it's just not that hard to install. Same goes for the torque arm (mine is installed, but not welded, at the moment i don't feel qualified to weld something so structurally important, my buddy will come over and weld it up)
Oddly enough (i had originally thought otherwise), they are relatively the same size and offset and my ultraflos. I'm still leaning towards super turbo's, but i'm open to other options, especially if they bolt in.
I looked at my panhard bar for years sitting in the corner of the garage, only to realize it's just not that hard to install. Same goes for the torque arm (mine is installed, but not welded, at the moment i don't feel qualified to weld something so structurally important, my buddy will come over and weld it up)
Summit brand, which was made by TrickFlow.
I machined off the "summit" brand logo before I installed it.
At the time, the trick flow cover was more expensive. Now it's not so bad.
Have the TA Performance ones on my cars as a buddy was selling them and I'm pretty sure I got a good deal. Not that it really matters as they all perform the same function.
Also, man if my car looked that nice on the underside...geez I feel dirty now. Have been wanting to pull the entire driver train out of the car and power wash / scrub all the road grime off for years but I don't have access to an outside lift. My days of rolling around under the car cleaning are long gone.
Also, man if my car looked that nice on the underside...geez I feel dirty now. Have been wanting to pull the entire driver train out of the car and power wash / scrub all the road grime off for years but I don't have access to an outside lift. My days of rolling around under the car cleaning are long gone.
Is that thing complete? Might be able to get some dollars for it if you find someone restoring the type of aircraft it came from. Or will it be garage art?And randomly, a supposed main landing gear axle off a WW2 bomber. Don’t ask how I came to possess it
I haven’t confirmed that it is yet, but the part numbers I’ve pulled off various pieces that were on it do suggest it is from something in that time period due to manufacture stamps and part number formats. Finding info is rather difficult as you can imagine.
I have some spacers and the axle nut as well. All seem period correct.
The bends in the flow tubes are probably there to raise the mufflers for ground clearance. The original Fox platform cars in 1979 had 2" exhaust. Getting the exhaust to give ample ground clearance is tricky when you're trying to put 2.5" pipe where 2" was originally intended to go.Mock-up of the new mufflers. I gotta figure out the correct angle for the flow tubes. The flowmaster tubes are pretty straight, but these have a kick so not sure if it’s to lower the mufflers or raise them up a bit. I’ll have to wait until I put the exhaust tips on to see what works best.
I also may need to grab a set of SS exhaust hangers to tack onto the mufflers for some additional support.
I have to get some clamps as well.
The actual tips are in fine shape. What should I do here? Buy new SS tips or try and reuse these aluminumized tips? Hmm….
I'll be similarly redoing the exhaust on my 1995 over the coming months. I'll be using these clamps where I don't plan to weld. I used a few of these on the semi-permanent exhaust I installed on my '85 F-150. They seal up very well without local distortion in the pipe like the traditional u-bolt clamps leave.
I would make the new exhaust SS all the way through. Clean up the old cat back and throw it on the marketplace.
Redoing the SFC welds is a good idea while you have the access. I would probably grind down the existing welds completely and cut a new groove between the SFCs and the frame rails. Then, lay down some nice, continuous weld bead.Ended up pulling the other side of the exhaust off. I needed access to pull the LCA off and to drill out the broken seat belt bolt plate.
Some might remember I snapped the head off the seatbelt bolt and couldn’t get this out. So I got my hands on some new plates and am just going to weld the new one in place
So now everything is wide open. I have clear access to those inside welds on the SFCs. My flowmasters were just in too close to get the right angle. Now I just need to prep and do some welding.
I’ll prob clean up some of the brackets under here. And replace the fuel filter.
Scope creep has set in.
OMG! Did I see a speck of dirt under there somewhere? What are you doing, Mike? Get on it! 
Garage art. I haven’t conclusively identified it. I have the axle, a spacer and the axle nut.
I did identify the spacer. It’s made by A.O. smith (the water heater company) and the part number corresponds to a B29 main landing gear spacer. But, this isn’t a B29 axle. I think it’s another Boeing aircraft from the same time period.
I have part numbers and stampings I’m cross referencing on Warbird FB groups.
Here’s the wheel spacer
Ok SFCs are rewelded. They were NOT cracked. It was just some play with the light. When I got under there with better lighting, I saw they were still firmly attached but my weld looked terrible due to the fact the mufflers were close and I didn’t have the ideal angle.
So with the mufflers out of the way, got out the grinder and cleaned them up a bit and then layed down some better welds and painted.
Also, got the seat belt nut plate welded up as well.
(Paint still wet)
So now I officially have one functional 3-point belt in the back. I still need black center buckles, but finding 79-84 buckles is hard. I might just dye these.
Now to do the other side. I’m going to try one more time to get the bolt out. My hope is that the head just snaps off. Then I can drill out the spot welds and just swap the plate with this one. I’m going to try to torch the bolt from the bottom to get it hot and try removing it from the top. When the interior was out, I did weld a nut to the top of the bolt. I didn’t test it just yet. I wanted to use some heat to see if I can just get it to snap. These suckers are impossible to drill.
Tailpipes ordered, alone with some band style clamps and a clamp on hanger that I think will work. Next weekends project. Over the next few days I’m just gonna clean and paint some stuff.
Not touching the axle yet. It’s kinda in the way in my garage and I don’t feel like having all the parts in the way PLUS it smelling like ass in there if I open it up.
So with the mufflers out of the way, got out the grinder and cleaned them up a bit and then layed down some better welds and painted.
Also, got the seat belt nut plate welded up as well.
(Paint still wet)
So now I officially have one functional 3-point belt in the back. I still need black center buckles, but finding 79-84 buckles is hard. I might just dye these.
Now to do the other side. I’m going to try one more time to get the bolt out. My hope is that the head just snaps off. Then I can drill out the spot welds and just swap the plate with this one. I’m going to try to torch the bolt from the bottom to get it hot and try removing it from the top. When the interior was out, I did weld a nut to the top of the bolt. I didn’t test it just yet. I wanted to use some heat to see if I can just get it to snap. These suckers are impossible to drill.
Tailpipes ordered, alone with some band style clamps and a clamp on hanger that I think will work. Next weekends project. Over the next few days I’m just gonna clean and paint some stuff.
Not touching the axle yet. It’s kinda in the way in my garage and I don’t feel like having all the parts in the way PLUS it smelling like ass in there if I open it up.
I torched a set of those bolts with a cutting torch.
Turned them into liquid, literally.
Just keep in mind it was the lowers, so afterwards i put grade 8 bolts through the floor.
I think gear oil is the worst. I haven't found anything that cleans it off pavement either.
Oil is simple, i use oil eater and some water, but the last mess i made out of gear oil, i still see signs of.
And the smell could take months to go away.
Turned them into liquid, literally.
Just keep in mind it was the lowers, so afterwards i put grade 8 bolts through the floor.
I think gear oil is the worst. I haven't found anything that cleans it off pavement either.
Oil is simple, i use oil eater and some water, but the last mess i made out of gear oil, i still see signs of.
And the smell could take months to go away.
Unfortunately I don’t have a cutting torch. Just MAP gas to heat it up.
I don’t want to strip the interior out to grind the head off….but I might have to.
I don’t want to strip the interior out to grind the head off….but I might have to.
If you heat the base where the bolt is screwed through, then let it cool a couple of times, good chance it will come out.
I torched the bolt out when i was younger and way less educated (and less patient) on getting stuck bolts out.
I'd probably use a good set of vice grips too considering how many t50's i've broken.
I torched the bolt out when i was younger and way less educated (and less patient) on getting stuck bolts out.
I'd probably use a good set of vice grips too considering how many t50's i've broken.
Have you thought about using a fire blanket to protect the interior? Have done that helping my buddy weld up roll cages and what not in cars.
www.harborfreight.com
We bought one so my buddy could come over and weld up the Stiffler's crossmember into my dad's 69 Fastback as our welding skills are terrible. Had the car up on the lift in the shop and the floor is epoxy coated so we put the 8'x8' fire blanket directly under the car to keep from jacking the coating up. Worked very well and for as little as we will use it the right price.
Harbor Freight Tools – Quality Tools at Discount Prices Since 1977
Harbor Freight buys their top quality tools from the same factories that supply our competitors. We cut out the middleman and pass the savings to you!
www.harborfreight.com
We bought one so my buddy could come over and weld up the Stiffler's crossmember into my dad's 69 Fastback as our welding skills are terrible. Had the car up on the lift in the shop and the floor is epoxy coated so we put the 8'x8' fire blanket directly under the car to keep from jacking the coating up. Worked very well and for as little as we will use it the right price.
Tried that. Broke a lot of T50 bits trying to get it out. With some heat and a breaker bar, i was just snapping the bit. Probably broke 5-6 of them. Then i started heated the hell out of it and it probably softened the bolt because at that point the T50 was stripped out. I even welded a nut on there and then heated up the bottom and snapped the head off the other side.
Too be honest, i'd be fine with the head snapping off. Then i can just drill out the spot welds and weld in the new plate. But this bolt is in there. These two bolts are the only bolts that have ever defeated my methods to date. Cant even drill them because they are hard!
A lot of work for a seatbelt nobody will likely ever use.
Have you thought about using a fire blanket to protect the interior? Have done that helping my buddy weld up roll cages and what not in cars.
Harbor Freight Tools – Quality Tools at Discount Prices Since 1977
Harbor Freight buys their top quality tools from the same factories that supply our competitors. We cut out the middleman and pass the savings to you!
We bought one so my buddy could come over and weld up the Stiffler's crossmember into my dad's 69 Fastback as our welding skills are terrible. Had the car up on the lift in the shop and the floor is epoxy coated so we put the 8'x8' fire blanket directly under the car to keep from jacking the coating up. Worked very well and for as little as we will use it the right price.
I have one. Used it when i welded up the braces for the 3-point belts. I will likely use it if i resort to grinding the bolt head off, but I have one more shot of heating the bolt up and attempting to break it loose witht he nut I welded on top.
FYI here’s where we stand.
Previously when the interior was mostly out, I Welded a nut on best I could. As you can see I started melting the plastic seatbelt cover. These bolts are tough to weld to. It just didn’t seem to want to penetrate much.
I figure I got one shot to get it out (or snap the head) with the nut. In hindsight I should have put more weld, but I was worried about the interior.
Here’s the backside. That’s PoR-15 on the threads, so I think that might have something to do with it. I’m going to attempt to remove it somehow, before proceeding to try to heat it up and remove.
After I snapped the head on the pass side, I did attempt welding a nut to the bolt. Since I wasn’t as at risk of fire on the bottom, I cranked the heat up and it was still tough to weld to the bolt.
Previously when the interior was mostly out, I Welded a nut on best I could. As you can see I started melting the plastic seatbelt cover. These bolts are tough to weld to. It just didn’t seem to want to penetrate much.
I figure I got one shot to get it out (or snap the head) with the nut. In hindsight I should have put more weld, but I was worried about the interior.
Here’s the backside. That’s PoR-15 on the threads, so I think that might have something to do with it. I’m going to attempt to remove it somehow, before proceeding to try to heat it up and remove.
After I snapped the head on the pass side, I did attempt welding a nut to the bolt. Since I wasn’t as at risk of fire on the bottom, I cranked the heat up and it was still tough to weld to the bolt.
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