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  • 1979 - 1995 (Fox, SN95.0, & 2.3L) -General/Talk-

Time for a rant!!

  • Thread starter Thread starter DDSTANG94
  • Start date Start date Jan 12, 2008
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DDSTANG94

New Member
Dec 9, 2006
465
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FRASER, MICHIGAN
Jan 12, 2008
#1
  • Jan 12, 2008
  • #1


Im have my AFR heads, my edelbrock intake, Fti cam, fms 65 mm throttle. fms 24#..all sitting in my basement waiting to be installed FOR EVER now...it is so frustrating spending all that money and real have nothing to show for it!!!!!.......i dont have the $$$ for a install right now....everyone want 1100 $$ to do it....i almost wish i would have just gone with a vortech and have put it in myself and be done!!!!

Does anyone know of a good shop or guy in Michigan that will install my stuff for CHEAP!
 

fastgtfairlane

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Apr 7, 2006
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Jan 13, 2008
#2
  • Jan 13, 2008
  • #2
why dont you do the hci swap yourself. it cant any more difficult than installing a blower.
 

Iggyshane

New Member
Oct 19, 2004
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Ann Arbor, Michigan
Jan 13, 2008
#3
  • Jan 13, 2008
  • #3
Arg, i wish you would of said something a week or so earlier. I'm in the Ann Arbor area and i could of helped you through it but i'm starting school on monday and i dont know how much time i will have.
 

DDSTANG94

New Member
Dec 9, 2006
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FRASER, MICHIGAN
Jan 13, 2008
#4
  • Jan 13, 2008
  • #4
Iggyshane said:
Arg, i wish you would of said something a week or so earlier. I'm in the Ann Arbor area and i could of helped you through it but i'm starting school on monday and i dont know how much time i will have.
Click to expand...

ooo... well thanks for the offer man!!
you know to do all that stuff
 

DDSTANG94

New Member
Dec 9, 2006
465
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FRASER, MICHIGAN
Jan 13, 2008
#5
  • Jan 13, 2008
  • #5
fastgtfairlane said:
why dont you do the hci swap yourself. it cant any more difficult than installing a blower.
Click to expand...

degreeing a cam seems quite intense
 

fastgtfairlane

New Member
Apr 7, 2006
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Jan 13, 2008
#6
  • Jan 13, 2008
  • #6
unless your cam grinder instructs you to degree the cam or you are building a race engine, a cam doesnt technically have to be degreed. the timing chain has several markings on it to either line the cam straight up or advance and retard the cam timing. you can talk to ed about that issue. even then degreeing the cam is not that difficult.
 

fastgtfairlane

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Jan 13, 2008
#7
  • Jan 13, 2008
  • #7
if i lived near you, i would volunteer to help you do the swap myself but i live in nc so im no good except for vocal moral support lol
 

DDSTANG94

New Member
Dec 9, 2006
465
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FRASER, MICHIGAN
Jan 13, 2008
#8
  • Jan 13, 2008
  • #8
fastgtfairlane said:
if i lived near you, i would volunteer to help you do the swap myself but i live in nc so im no good except for vocal moral support lol
Click to expand...

lol...ill take anything
 

BlownFiveLiter

have car, will race....wait, it doesn't run
15 Year Member
Nov 29, 1999
3,133
18
108
Chicagoland
Jan 13, 2008
#9
  • Jan 13, 2008
  • #9
IMO, the hardest part about the swap is setting the valve lash properly. And that's just because you have to get a feel for zero lash. Aside from that, everything is pretty straightforward and as long as you take your time and make sure you keep your water pump and timing cover bolts straight, you should be good to go. Don't get discouraged by the fact that it'll take a while to finish. It's just repetitive work of bolting things on and getting them to proper torque. Give yourself a weekend and by Sunday, you'll be driving it again. And you'll have a newfound love for your car again, too!
 

Grn92LX

Fidanza Man!
Founding Member
Jan 14, 2001
6,819
64
129
New York
Jan 13, 2008
#10
  • Jan 13, 2008
  • #10
Take your time and do it yourself. Its winter time in MI, you're not going anywhere anyway.
 

final5-0

Mustang Master
Apr 6, 2003
6,817
12
79
DFW Texas
Jan 13, 2008
#11
  • Jan 13, 2008
  • #11
Honestly ... I'm not being critical here

But ... It would seem to me

If you feel you could do a Vortech install

Why would you feel you could NOT do the heads, cam, & intake

Some of the stuff that is involved ... You may not have done before
but
There's gotta be at least a half dozen threads here laying out the details :Word:

Why not voice any concerns you might have .........
gather up the data to those concerns .........

then

See if you feel comfortable doing the upgrade
and
Saving all that money

Grady
 

DDSTANG94

New Member
Dec 9, 2006
465
2
0
FRASER, MICHIGAN
Jan 13, 2008
#12
  • Jan 13, 2008
  • #12
final5-0 said:
Honestly ... I'm not being critical here

But ... It would seem to me

If you feel you could do a Vortech install

Why would you feel you could NOT do the heads, cam, & intake

Some of the stuff that is involved ... You may not have done before
but
There's gotta be at least a half dozen threads here laying out the details :Word:

Why not voice any concerns you might have .........
gather up the data to those concerns .........

then

See if you feel comfortable doing the upgrade
and
Saving all that money

Grady
Click to expand...

Im thinking of this right now....the only thing that scares me about the swap is the cam, pushrod setup..........imm thinking thoo...it would be nice to save 1100$
 

DDSTANG94

New Member
Dec 9, 2006
465
2
0
FRASER, MICHIGAN
Jan 13, 2008
#13
  • Jan 13, 2008
  • #13
Grn92LX said:
Take your time and do it yourself. Its winter time in MI, you're not going anywhere anyway.
Click to expand...

actual its my dd,...and so far here in michigan its only snowed a few times...thankfull for that!!
 

DDSTANG94

New Member
Dec 9, 2006
465
2
0
FRASER, MICHIGAN
Jan 13, 2008
#14
  • Jan 13, 2008
  • #14
StangGT1995 said:
IMO, the hardest part about the swap is setting the valve lash properly. And that's just because you have to get a feel for zero lash. Aside from that, everything is pretty straightforward and as long as you take your time and make sure you keep your water pump and timing cover bolts straight, you should be good to go. Don't get discouraged by the fact that it'll take a while to finish. It's just repetitive work of bolting things on and getting them to proper torque. Give yourself a weekend and by Sunday, you'll be driving it again. And you'll have a newfound love for your car again, too!
Click to expand...

that's the kind of thing that makes me nervous......spending all that money to mess it all up!!
 

fastgtfairlane

New Member
Apr 7, 2006
266
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0
Jan 13, 2008
#15
  • Jan 13, 2008
  • #15
Im thinking of this right now....the only thing that scares me about the swap is the cam, pushrod setup..........imm thinking thoo...it would be nice to save 1100$
Click to expand...

if you have the tools to do the work yourself, saving the money is a huge benefit too

but

if you do the work yourself, you will appreciate your car that much more and will learn to do even more to it. if you take your time and do the work correctly, it can be a fun process. especially doing major upgrades like a hci swap.

you can tell yourself " man, my car is much faster and i did the work myself."
 

DDSTANG94

New Member
Dec 9, 2006
465
2
0
FRASER, MICHIGAN
Jan 13, 2008
#16
  • Jan 13, 2008
  • #16
fastgtfairlane said:
if you have the tools to do the work yourself, saving the money is a huge benefit too

but

if you do the work yourself, you will appreciate your car that much more and will learn to do even more to it. if you take your time and do the work correctly, it can be a fun process. especially doing major upgrades like a hci swap.

you can tell yourself " man, my car is much faster and i did the work myself."
Click to expand...

true..............
 

final5-0

Mustang Master
Apr 6, 2003
6,817
12
79
DFW Texas
Jan 13, 2008
#17
  • Jan 13, 2008
  • #17
DDSTANG94 said:
Im thinking of this right now....the only thing that scares me about the swap is the cam, pushrod setup..........imm thinking thoo...it would be nice to save 1100$
Click to expand...

I gotta tell you

I got heads, cam, rr's, pr's, t-chain & gears from Ed

At that time ... part of the service he offered with the complete valve train setup
purchase was he mocked it all up on an OEM block he had at his shop.

Of course ... I checked everything at the time of install :Word:
but
It all fell in line just as it should

I don't know if you went that route
but
You got all the old threads here

You can go to the big cam sites and get more than enough info

Seems like Ed even has the info you need as well

Hey ................... I'm just trying to tell it to you like this

Is all that stuff Important ............. YOU BET!

Is it involved ................................. YOU BET!

Is it hard or complicated ............... NOT AT ALL

You have waited this long

Whats a couple more days to do a bit of research

Just check it out :Word:

btw ......... If you go ahead and do the project yourself

Since this is your first time
I'd encourage you to do it like this

Make arrangements to have other transportation

Take you time
Learn from the experience
Have fun with the experience

Not having to hurry for transportation will ensure a ....
stress free and enjoyable time spent wrenching on your Stang

Grady
 

95BlueStallion

My assy trans to myself
15 Year Member
Feb 22, 2007
5,130
3,103
214
Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Jan 13, 2008
#18
  • Jan 13, 2008
  • #18
final5-0 said:
I'd encourage you to do it like this

Make arrangements to have other transportation

Take you time
Learn from the experience
Have fun with the experience

Not having to hurry for transportation will ensure a ....
stress free and enjoyable time spent wrenching on your Stang

Grady
Click to expand...

Very good advice! My intake took way longer than I expected and I ended up having to use my fiance's car to get to work for a day! The second time for a reseal on the rear went fast, but the first time you do anything you are careful and trying to remember everything, and it never goes fast!
 

reddy351

10 Year Member
Jun 13, 2006
560
12
38
Columbus, Ohio
Jan 13, 2008
#19
  • Jan 13, 2008
  • #19
All of this advice, I agree with.

Just because you spend $1100 on the install, doesn't mean that you'll get it back worse than if you "messed it up" yourself. There is one thing to remember about paying someone to do the work for you. For them, it's $1100. For you, it's your "baby" your "love" and last but not least, your everyday transportation. You have a lot more interest in making sure the work is right. If you pay a guy and he screws it up, at least he'll have HIS OWN car to drive home and you're outta luck.

You should do it yourself. Even if you have to go and spend $500 on tools, you'll always have the tools. (And experience.)
 

PUNISHER RACING

Active Member
Aug 27, 2007
1,124
0
36
FORD CITY, PA.
Jan 14, 2008
#20
  • Jan 14, 2008
  • #20
I would rather do 5 h/c/i swaps over Vortech installs that whole punching the pan and tapping it puts me over the edge. If you can get it to Pittsburgh,PA. I will install it for you on the cheap!
 
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