Progress Thread No Clear 92 (Lack of) Progress thread

AeroCoupe · Jul 23, 2026

I mean you read your CT and then then this and its kinda funny..."small increments in length make a big difference"

DadLife0724 · Aug 2, 2026

Me and the boy took the mustang to watch the races Friday night. On a hard pull I kinda felt a loss of power. Noticed I developed a helluva whistle. Gonna get a smoke tester. I see some on Amazon, but I don't wanna waste money on junk. Anyone have experience with Amazonian smoke testers?

gkomo · Aug 3, 2026

I haven't used mine yet, but i did do a fair amount of research when purchasing it and ended up with a Solary brand machine. It got great reviews and was fairly cheap.

nicholase · Aug 3, 2026

Look for one with a pressure regulator. That way you can set it to a given amount , 1 or 2 psi and it wont blow out any seals. I believe mine was about 80-90 bucks. Works real good.

DadLife0724 · Aug 5, 2026

Didn't want to wait on a smoke tester. I do still plan on purchasing one, but for for now I used a hand transfer pump from hobo freight and a cigar. Found zero leaks in the vacuum system.

I have gone over the car multiple times with it idling. Whistling seems to be coming from 70mm SR Performance TB. Makes sense I guess. Noticed it was hanging open just a bit too. Cleaned it up and got it to close fully. Still have the whistle. But throttle doesn't hang up anymore and I seemed to have gotten my power back.

1/2" smaller belt should be here today, hopefully that will fix my belt shavings issue and put my tensioner back into range.

DadLife0724 · Aug 5, 2026

Smaller belt is on. Kinda put the tensioner back in range. It was a bear to get on. Don't think I could go any smaller than that. Could this tensioner just be on the outs? Looks to be an OG Ford part.

TB is hanging open a tiny bit again. Idles a little high and whistles while stopped. Not every time, but here and there. I can push it closed with my finger and it idles normal and stops whistling. Next step may be to remove it and clean it up. It shouldn't be that dirty. It has less than 500 miles on it.

gkomo · Aug 5, 2026

Interesting you can push it closed. Is there a spring that holds it closed thats just not doing its job properly?

DadLife0724 · Aug 5, 2026

gkomo said:
Interesting you can push it closed. Is there a spring that holds it closed thats just not doing its job properly?

Yes. There is some slack in the spring. I am going to take a closer look tomorrow when I pull it off.

AeroCoupe · Aug 5, 2026

Tensioner may be shot. I ended up getting one from the parts store that someone returned all hacked up but the second one from RockAuto worked great

I did replace the pulley it came with with a steel one.

Post in thread 'Serpentine belt squeal after reinstall?'
https://stangnet.com/mustang-forums...lt-squeal-after-reinstall.928788/post-9422194

DadLife0724 · Aug 5, 2026

I will take a look around. I got one from a local parts store at one point to compare to my current and it looked and felt like right out the box. I returned it and stuck with mine. Seems time to look elsewhere.

DadLife0724 · Sep 6, 2026

Well this is wonderful. Second plenum this summer. Torque is always set to 18 ft/lbs.
I am starting to think torque spec might be lower with the spacer in between upper and lower. Any input on that would be greatly appreciated.

AeroCoupe · Sep 6, 2026

Only advise I will give you is get rid of the bolts and go to studs. I don’t remember the last time I used a torque wrench on the upper but I run a 1” billet aluminum spacer not a phenolic one.

Noobz347 · Sep 7, 2026

AeroCoupe said:
Only advise I will give you is get rid of the bolts and go to studs.

Exactly what I was going to say.

rednotch · Sep 7, 2026

Remove the spacer, I hate those damn things unless its a billet nitrous plate. I never torque the uppers, just hand tight with a 1/4" ratchet or one of those palm gimble ratchets if it's got some pita to reach bolts.. Never cracked one. As for the belt its the aftermarket ps bracket, its was designed to be use with the tension rod alt mount when march came out with them, not the stock one/ stock tensioner. It doesnt raise the pump location like the frpp a/c delete kit does.

DadLife0724 · Sep 7, 2026

I actually have two studs under the plaque. I will definitely replace the rest of the bolts with studs.

I will remove the spacer when I get the coolant tubes off. The EGR spacer was replaced with a 70mm non EGR spacer. Without the phenolic spacer my throttle cable hits the coolant tubes. Haven't gotten that far yet. Probly won't anytime soon. Sitting in ER with my oldest son tonight. Snapped leg sending it on his dirt bike.

Picture is the other cracked plenum, but you can see the non EGR spacer.

rednotch · Sep 8, 2026

Ah yeah either need a full size one or stack 2 of those to clear. Looks like the China 75 billet t-body. clearance shouldn't be a problem once its spaced out to the the stock location, my egr hasn't been hooked for up almost 10 years in my beater gt, heads don't even have the ports for it. no vaccum to the valve, still plugged in with the valve bolted to the accufab spacer on it, it might flash the CEL once in a blue moon for it and go away once the keys cycled. No need for all those delete nonsense besides causing more headaches or removing stuff. I don't think I have any spare ones left but I'll check my parts shed next time I'm out there.

Hope your kids ok, snapped legs ain't fun, buddy did the same thing back when atco had the dirt bike track years ago, wasn't pretty.

DadLife0724 · Sep 8, 2026

It is a 70mm chinese TB. Good eye. The spacer swap was mainly to get the bigger bore and my egr spacer was dog ass ugly... You know, the lipstick on a pig thing.

Appreciate the well wishes. Surgery is in a couple hours. Heading back to Erie shortly after I get my other kids off too school.

gkomo · Sep 8, 2026

Damn, sorry to hear about your son.

General karthief · Sep 8, 2026

DadLife0724 said:
I actually have two studs under the plaque. I will definitely replace the rest of the bolts with studs.

I will remove the spacer when I get the coolant tubes off. The EGR spacer was replaced with a 70mm non EGR spacer. Without the phenolic spacer my throttle cable hits the coolant tubes. Haven't gotten that far yet. Probly won't anytime soon. Sitting in ER with my oldest son tonight. Snapped leg sending it on his dirt bike.

Picture is the other cracked plenum, but you can see the non EGR spacer.

Wow, sorry bout the kid......is the bike alright?
Ah..nevermind, I run a fenolic with a combo of studs and bolts, I glue (blue silicon) all the upper to lower surfaces and gaskets and a good snugg, a few heat cycles and check snuggness (is that a word?) But remember, I'm a hack.

DadLife0724 · Thursday at 6:11 AM

Boy is home. The bike is fine. Thank god. He'd lose his if his bike was hurt. Lol.

Do you run a bead around everything as if you were making a gasket, or do you just put some spots of blue silicone in a few places?

Progress Thread No Clear 92 (Lack of) Progress thread

lube between the nut and the face. I know my lubes

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now i can hopefully expect to receive the shaft

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

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now i can hopefully expect to receive the shaft

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lube between the nut and the face. I know my lubes

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lube between the nut and the face. I know my lubes

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

I'd like to remain having one chocolate starfish

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I'd like to remain having one chocolate starfish

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now i can hopefully expect to receive the shaft

wonder how much it would cost to ship you a pair

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