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

Tomorrow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  • Thread starter Thread starter !white89lx!
  • Start date Start date Oct 21, 2008
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!white89lx!

New Member
Oct 21, 2008
32
0
0
Alabama
Oct 21, 2008
#1
  • Oct 21, 2008
  • #1
We have owned our 89 lx since it was brand new =]
Since then we have put 140,000 miles on it and loved every second of driving it.
Last year, my first year of driving but not the first year of driving the car =o tehe....
I had installed a new alternator myself and i was taking the car for a drive
when i smelt a smell like plastic burning,
i immedately checked my volt meter because i knew something had gone terribly wrong in the wiring.
Volts = SHIOTTTTTTTTTTT dead 0
I flew the last mile home at 120+ mph because i knew there was a fire.
i slid into the garage, popped the hood and opened it and sure enough the alternator harness had caught fire!!!!!
There was nothing i could do but use and extinguisher because the engine was hot and water is a huge no no so i sprayed it down =[

I figured damn thats gonna be all in the motor
so what should be done??
Rebuild it!!!
With the help of my uncle's machine shop and his drag car building background and the ford knowledge of my boss we took out the motor, rebuilt it, and got it back in leaving only the wiring to be finished.

Seeing as how im only 17 i of course i dont have the money to pay for this all at once so its been one part at a time over the last year!!!

I had the lx towed to a close friends shop to do the wiring and suspension and guess what???

After one long year with no car the lx once again lives and i get her back tomorrow!!! I have to say that rebuilding this car has been one of the best experiences in my life so far and its truly amazing that ive gone from being able to change a tire and mabe some spark plugs to explaning how everything under the hood works to people 3 times my age.

You guys have nooo idea how excited i am to have her back
And im looking forward to seeing all the time, effort, and money being paid back in some huge horsepower gains!!

I want to thank Terry Lowe and Randall Lowe at Lowes Automotive and Machine Shop and all the people at Jackies Automotive.
 

FrankenStang

Now, give me a damn CT!
15 Year Member
Apr 16, 2005
4,461
70
129
Florence, Az
Oct 21, 2008
#2
  • Oct 21, 2008
  • #2
Your post sounds like an Emmy award acceptance speech.
 

LaserSVT

Got FB banned again for saying nards
Founding Member
Nov 29, 1999
9,392
3,539
233
Oct 21, 2008
#3
  • Oct 21, 2008
  • #3
+1
 

Turkey Sammich

I can't fap normal. I cracked a rib, then my ankle
Jul 12, 2006
0
59
154
Oct 21, 2008
#4
  • Oct 21, 2008
  • #4
I hate reading.
 

foxmustangman

Member
Jun 20, 2007
196
1
16
Idaho
Oct 21, 2008
#5
  • Oct 21, 2008
  • #5
Tite! Give us pics of it! What'd you do to the motor?
 

cenok is family

15 Year Member
Jun 25, 2003
1,409
69
79
Norman, Ok
Oct 22, 2008
#6
  • Oct 22, 2008
  • #6
welcome!

 

5.0Torx

Active Member
Dec 30, 2007
252
3
29
Oct 22, 2008
#7
  • Oct 22, 2008
  • #7
sounds like youve earned it. wish there were more 17 year olds with 5.0s like that. kudos, mang. enjoy it!
 

89_LX

Member
Sep 16, 2007
63
0
17
Bellingham, WA
Oct 22, 2008
#8
  • Oct 22, 2008
  • #8
this was a fairly common problem with the ford 2g alternators, the rectifier plug sometimes comes loose and can overheat and cause fire, overloading the sad 75a output doesnt help either. just make sure(if you werent already planning to) you upgrade to a 3g alternator to eliminate the rectifier plug and get a 90a or 130a unit.

Possible fire-
bad plug vs. new



you dont want it to happen again after putting all that work in the engine





---
 

1993SSP

Founding Member
Sep 5, 2001
1,194
0
37
Ky
Oct 22, 2008
#9
  • Oct 22, 2008
  • #9
Upgrade the alternator to a later 3G, mount a fire extinguisher in your car. I have always had em in my stangs.
 

stykthyn

I want to measure mine. It doesn't look that tall.
15 Year Member
Jul 6, 2006
5,232
2,652
223
gainesville
Oct 22, 2008
#10
  • Oct 22, 2008
  • #10
my alternator harness caught fire last year. I pulled over and threw dirt over it until it went out.
 

1993SSP

Founding Member
Sep 5, 2001
1,194
0
37
Ky
Oct 22, 2008
#11
  • Oct 22, 2008
  • #11
stykthyn said:
my alternator harness caught fire last year. I pulled over and threw dirt over it until it went out.
Click to expand...


Thats some smart quick thinking!!!
 

stykthyn

I want to measure mine. It doesn't look that tall.
15 Year Member
Jul 6, 2006
5,232
2,652
223
gainesville
Oct 22, 2008
#12
  • Oct 22, 2008
  • #12
wish I had taken pics of the mess that it made

thankfully It wasnt too hard to splice new wires/connectors back in. I had it running again the next day.
 

Darkwriter77

Resident Ranting Negative Nancy
5 Year Member
Jul 1, 2005
314
281
134
Apache Junction, AZ
Oct 22, 2008
#13
  • Oct 22, 2008
  • #13
Sooooo, lemme get this straight ... your alternator fried its wiring harness, so that made you want to rebuild the ENTIRE MOTOR? I could understand using that as an opportunity to upgrade to a 3G alternator, but to rebuild the entire motor simply because the plug on one accessory went bad ... well ... you've obviously got more money and motivation than me.
 

!white89lx!

New Member
Oct 21, 2008
32
0
0
Alabama
Oct 22, 2008
#14
  • Oct 22, 2008
  • #14
The motor has forged pistons, rods, ect.
ported & polished heads new valves & springs
ssi manifold, high flow fuel rails, 24lb hr injectors, 70mm throttle body, upgraded fuel pump and maf sensor, cold air intake, high po water pump, aluminum radiator
I think my unce changed the cam but i dont reall know i wasnt there that day?
We stroked it .30 over with an edelbrock crank
and yes i did upgrade the alternator to a 130!!!!!
I have some pics of the motor before we got it back in the car and i got some from taking it out, hopefully today ill be able to take some of the almost finished product!
 

!white89lx!

New Member
Oct 21, 2008
32
0
0
Alabama
Oct 22, 2008
#15
  • Oct 22, 2008
  • #15
i rebuilt the motor because it had 140k on it yeah i know its not a whole hell of a lot for a 20 year old car but with the fire extinguisher mess all in the engine bay i felt that most likely some where along the way it would get into the motor.
So we pulled it out and cleaned the bay and rebuilt the motor!
 

LaserSVT

Got FB banned again for saying nards
Founding Member
Nov 29, 1999
9,392
3,539
233
Oct 22, 2008
#16
  • Oct 22, 2008
  • #16
The whole fire extinguisher thing bugged me because that WILL NOT do any dammage to an engine. I understand the cold water on a hot block worry, but its iron and the fire extinguisher is not a stream of water.
Also, stroked .30 over?
I assume you ment bored .30 over with a stroker crank. So its a 331 now?
 

fivespeedsteed

20+ Year Stangneter
Oct 17, 2003
748
22
69
Richmond, VA
Oct 22, 2008
#17
  • Oct 22, 2008
  • #17
nah its a 306. if you wash the bay out prtty good i wouldnt have worried about it. good to hear though. keep one in your car so you dont have to carreem home out of control at 120 plus speeds?
 

5.0Torx

Active Member
Dec 30, 2007
252
3
29
Oct 22, 2008
#18
  • Oct 22, 2008
  • #18
yeah if my car was on fire, topping out 4th gear isnt the first thing that would come to mind...
 

SQUEEZE&STROKE

New Member
Jun 24, 2005
0
0
0
SOUTHERN CA
Oct 22, 2008
#19
  • Oct 22, 2008
  • #19
Since when did edelbrock start making Crank Shafts?
 

DocG

5th graders > me. They're not bant
Sep 25, 2005
8,297
1,358
194
Cincinnati area
Oct 22, 2008
#20
  • Oct 22, 2008
  • #20
Darkwriter77 said:
... well ... you've obviously got more money and motivation than me.
Click to expand...

Ummm...that pretty much describes nearly all of us here.



5.0Torx said:
yeah if my car was on fire, topping out 4th gear isnt the first thing that would come to mind...
Click to expand...


I was thinking the same thing. Lets add more air to the fire!

I had a caliper seize up on me on an old escort....the friction shot sparks into the inner fender which caught fire. If I had driven any longer, the whole car probably would have gone up. I pulled over and looked around and saw the smoke and flames. Grabbed 2 20oz botles of Mt. Dew that I had with me for the day...shook em up and sprayed em all over the fire. Needed a new fender liner, caliper, tire, and wheel, but better than a whole new car!
 
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