water pump installation questions

[B0udreaux]

Ok, so I had a green puddle underneath my 86 gt hatchback and investigated it, finding that the water pump is leaking copiously.

Im really new to this, and this will be my first foray into the engine bay. I've watched multiple videos, and read the steps in the Haynes manual, yet I have some lingering questions before I begin ordering parts and working.

1: Other than the pump itself, what all will I need to have on hand to begin the job? So far I have new hoses and clamps, and a new set of bolts as well as the pump in my LMR shopping cart. What am I missing (the pump comes with a gasket, which a few people said in the reviews that they suck, should I spring for an aftermarket one? LMR only has it in a set with timing cover gasket and I'd rather not spend unless its really necessary). I know I will need some gasket sealant, and some thread sealant ... but what else am I missing? Tool wise, I was planning on getting a 3-m or scotch brite abrasive disc, is there something better? Or something I should absolutely avoid? One video has a guy cleaning the mating surfaces with a copper wire brush attachment on a drill or dremel, and another says to use a razor blade...

2. Do I need a high volume pump, is that just for racers? My intended use for the car is show and spirited street driving.

3. The belt tensioner: in the video the guy mentions it, and later I see him using a wrench to pull it back to remove the belt, but do I need to loosen the nut on it, or just pry it out of the way?

4. I have A/C and Power Steering ... The videos say to detach the brackets and swing them out of the way ... is it that easy? This step seems weird to me.

5. The big one -- several videos mention taking care to not break the bolts off in the block when I remove them. One guy says use a impact wrench on a low torque setting (i just got a new impact tool and am not sure of how to use it yet, although I am itching to) and another guy says definitely do NOT use impact tool cause it will increase chances of bolt breakage. So which is it? This is the part I'm terrified of: ruining my block or engine while performing this task.

Thanks in advance,
Boudreaux

 

[gkomo]

Ok, so I had a green puddle underneath my 86 gt hatchback and investigated it, finding that the water pump is leaking copiously.

Im really new to this, and this will be my first foray into the engine bay. I've watched multiple videos, and read the steps in the Haynes manual, yet I have some lingering questions before I begin ordering parts and working.

1: Other than the pump itself, what all will I need to have on hand to begin the job? So far I have new hoses and clamps, and a new set of bolts as well as the pump in my LMR shopping cart. What am I missing (the pump comes with a gasket, which a few people said in the reviews that they suck, should I spring for an aftermarket one? LMR only has it in a set with timing cover gasket and I'd rather not spend unless its really necessary). I know I will need some gasket sealant, and some thread sealant ... but what else am I missing? Tool wise, I was planning on getting a 3-m or scotch brite abrasive disc, is there something better? Or something I should absolutely avoid? One video has a guy cleaning the mating surfaces with a copper wire brush attachment on a drill or dremel, and another says to use a razor blade...

I've also seen people buy other gaskets. Not sure what one comes in the LMR kit, but a lot of people seem to use Felpro.

2. Do I need a high volume pump, is that just for racers? My intended use for the car is show and spirited street driving.

I don't think you need a high flow pump. Is your radiator and thermostat stock?

3. The belt tensioner: in the video the guy mentions it, and later I see him using a wrench to pull it back to remove the belt, but do I need to loosen the nut on it, or just pry it out of the way?

No need to remove the nut. You put a socket on the tensioner pulley nut and turn counterclockwise. With that movement the tensioner will lift upwards (against spring pressure in the tensioner) allowing you to pull the belt off.

4. I have A/C and Power Steering ... The videos say to detach the brackets and swing them out of the way ... is it that easy? This step seems weird to me.

Don't quote me, but you MIGHT need to remove or move the bracket holding the A/C and PS Pump to remove some of the bolts holding the waterpump on.

5. The big one -- several videos mention taking care to not break the bolts off in the block when I remove them. One guy says use a impact wrench on a low torque setting (i just got a new impact tool and am not sure of how to use it yet, although I am itching to) and another guy says definitely do NOT use impact tool cause it will increase chances of bolt breakage. So which is it? This is the part I'm terrified of: ruining my block or engine while performing this task.

At a minimum, spray penetrating lube on the bolts a few days before you tackle the job, multiple times. I can't comment on the technique to use getting the bolts out as i've never done the job myself.

Thanks in advance,
Boudreaux

 

[B0udreaux]

I've also seen people buy other gaskets. Not sure what one comes in the LMR kit, but a lot of people seem to use Felpro.

I don't think you need a high flow pump. Is your radiator and thermostat stock?

No need to remove the nut. You put a socket on the tensioner pulley nut and turn counterclockwise. With that movement the tensioner will lift upwards (against spring pressure in the tensioner) allowing you to pull the belt off.

Don't quote me, but you MIGHT need to remove or move the bracket holding the A/C and PS Pump to remove some of the bolts holding the waterpump on.

At a minimum, spray penetrating lube on the bolts a few days before you tackle the job, multiple times. I can't comment on the technique to use getting the bolts out as i've never done the job myself.

Thank you so much for the clear, concise, and complete answers!

Yeah, everything is stock (radiator etc), this will be the first real non-cosmetic thing I’m doing by myself. Nervous that it’s not gonna be as simple as the videos make it look. Even the small stuff I’ve done so far (mostly trim, headlights, badges etc) has had gremlins pop up and unanticipated problems. Trying to eliminate as many of those as I can by knowing what to do if they do crop up, and what to have on hand to defeat them before I even start.

 

[gkomo]

If I had to do the job (or when i have to do it) my two biggest concerns/questions would be:

1. Concern - breaking the bolts in the block. No real full proof way to know until you do it i think.
2. Question - do i just use the gasket, or add RTV (or similar) with the gasket. From my research it seems people can go either way.

Everything else should just be remove/replace.

 

[AeroCoupe]

Do yourself a favor and get the ARP bolts. They are way better than the stock ones.

 

[Stang337]

When I replaced the WP in my '89 I purchased it from O'Reilly Auto Parts and bought the Heavy Duty Aluminum one with the lifetime warranty. (first time pump was changed) it comes with the gasket too. Razor blade to get most of gasket off and then a scotch bright to make it clean is what I did.

I did purchase the silicone hose kit form LMR, but returned it as the hose from the pump to the lower intake I couldn't get the hose clamp to fit. I decided to just use Motorcraft hoses and replaced all of them.

As for the bolts, I reused the originals, I was told I got lucky the the ones into the block/water jacked areas didn't break off. I did use some liquid wrench on them just in case and then used a breaker bar to loosen them. Slow pressure to break loose, if it didn't budge I tapped the socket with a light wrap from a hammer. I wouldn't use an impact on them.

Belt tensioner you just use a socket and breaker bar to move it, it's spring loaded and just enough to pop the belt off. (you're not loosening it, see Haye's manual) Once belt is off you can move the brackets out of the way

This is what it looked like after the change

 

[nickyb]

Well I've done this a few times and anytime you are working on a 40 year old car you are never prepared for everything.
That being said, your cart should get you there,I would also get some permatex blue water pump sealant.
Take pictures before and in between removal of all of it for reference to reinstall.

 

[gkomo]

Also, make a template of the waterpump bolt locations (like a drawing on a piece of cardboard and stick them through the cardboard) as i think the bolt lengths vary by their location. So keeping those organized is important.

 

[B0udreaux]

When I replaced the WP in my '89 I purchased it from O'Reilly Auto Parts and bought the Heavy Duty Aluminum one with the lifetime warranty. (first time pump was changed) it comes with the gasket too. Razor blade to get most of gasket off and then a scotch bright to make it clean is what I did.

I did purchase the silicone hose kit form LMR, but returned it as the hose from the pump to the lower intake I couldn't get the hose clamp to fit. I decided to just use Motorcraft hoses and replaced all of them.

As for the bolts, I reused the originals, I was told I got lucky the the ones into the block/water jacked areas didn't break off. I did use some liquid wrench on them just in case and then used a breaker bar to loosen them. Slow pressure to break loose, if it didn't budge I tapped the socket with a light wrap from a hammer. I wouldn't use an impact on them.

Belt tensioner you just use a socket and breaker bar to move it, it's spring loaded and just enough to pop the belt off. (you're not loosening it, see Haye's manual) Once belt is off you can move the brackets out of the way

This is what it looked like after the change

Thank you for the reply!

 

[B0udreaux]

When I replaced the WP in my '89 I purchased it from O'Reilly Auto Parts and bought the Heavy Duty Aluminum one with the lifetime warranty. (first time pump was changed) it comes with the gasket too. Razor blade to get most of gasket off and then a scotch bright to make it clean is what I did.

I did purchase the silicone hose kit form LMR, but returned it as the hose from the pump to the lower intake I couldn't get the hose clamp to fit. I decided to just use Motorcraft hoses and replaced all of them.

As for the bolts, I reused the originals, I was told I got lucky the the ones into the block/water jacked areas didn't break off. I did use some liquid wrench on them just in case and then used a breaker bar to loosen them. Slow pressure to break loose, if it didn't budge I tapped the socket with a light wrap from a hammer. I wouldn't use an impact on them.

Belt tensioner you just use a socket and breaker bar to move it, it's spring loaded and just enough to pop the belt off. (you're not loosening it, see Haye's manual) Once belt is off you can move the brackets out of the way

This is what it looked like after the change

Thank you!

 

[Mcmahst]

About two year ago, I replaced the WP on my donor 1987 TBird 5.0. As I understood from the PO, it was the stock original pump. I was most worried about breaking the bolts off. I did the liquid wrench on all the bolts, and for the ones that didn’t budge at the initial twist, I added heat to those bolts and did a tighten, loosen, tighten sequence to try and rock them back and forth. Luckily, none of the bolts broke. As suggested, I replaced the set with the ARP ones after I chased the block threads. Good luck.

 

[Rcdgl]

The biggest issue will be potentially breaking the studs that go through the timing cover into the block. Lots of PB Blaster or similar, let it work. Note that the hole through the timing cover may also be full of rust and corrosion which will also make removing these painful. Go slow. On my last attempt, on a 97 Explorer block, I broke a couple of them. Welded on nut, broke again, had to cut the timing cover to pieces to get it off, then take the last bolt out of the front of the block with a Dremel and $75 worth of diamond tip bits. Works!

 

[JD1964]

You all talked me in to the Tuff Stuff water pump to put on during my head swap project. Mileage on my factory original pump is 75k. It’s been fine for the most part but it weeps out on the garage floor now and then. Seems like it does it on cool down. Once its up and running at temp it doesnt weep at all and the system holds pressure like it should. But for some reason I get a small puddle on cool down sometimes. It might be the gaskets, I dont know for sure. But if I’m in there and have it all apart for the head swap, upgrading to the Tuff Stuff seems like a reasonable decision.

 

[Willybill32]

Ok, so I had a green puddle underneath my 86 gt hatchback and investigated it, finding that the water pump is leaking copiously.

Im really new to this, and this will be my first foray into the engine bay. I've watched multiple videos, and read the steps in the Haynes manual, yet I have some lingering questions before I begin ordering parts and working.

1: Other than the pump itself, what all will I need to have on hand to begin the job? So far I have new hoses and clamps, and a new set of bolts as well as the pump in my LMR shopping cart. What am I missing (the pump comes with a gasket, which a few people said in the reviews that they suck, should I spring for an aftermarket one? LMR only has it in a set with timing cover gasket and I'd rather not spend unless its really necessary). I know I will need some gasket sealant, and some thread sealant ... but what else am I missing? Tool wise, I was planning on getting a 3-m or scotch brite abrasive disc, is there something better? Or something I should absolutely avoid? One video has a guy cleaning the mating surfaces with a copper wire brush attachment on a drill or dremel, and another says to use a razor blade...

2. Do I need a high volume pump, is that just for racers? My intended use for the car is show and spirited street driving.

3. The belt tensioner: in the video the guy mentions it, and later I see him using a wrench to pull it back to remove the belt, but do I need to loosen the nut on it, or just pry it out of the way?

4. I have A/C and Power Steering ... The videos say to detach the brackets and swing them out of the way ... is it that easy? This step seems weird to me.

5. The big one -- several videos mention taking care to not break the bolts off in the block when I remove them. One guy says use a impact wrench on a low torque setting (i just got a new impact tool and am not sure of how to use it yet, although I am itching to) and another guy says definitely do NOT use impact tool cause it will increase chances of bolt breakage. So which is it? This is the part I'm terrified of: ruining my block or engine while performing this task.

Thanks in advance,
Boudreaux

I replaced the water pump on my ‘86 5.0 eons ago and had no problems. After reading all the advice, I’m not sure I would try it again!

Bill

 

[B0udreaux]

Ok, so follow up.

Finished the pump replacement today.

Seriously, I’m a total noob. I’m 100% not a handy individual. This was the first thing I’ve really done to the car that’s more than screwing on plastic trim pieces. I was super nervous that I’d mess something up and felt like this was a litmus test as to whether I should even be doing this whole car thing or not.

My main concern that the bolts would break off was unfounded. For three days after getting home from work I PB Blastered all the bolts on the pump and accessories bracket every hour or two…probably 15 applications total over the three days. Idk if it was overkill, or the reason the bolts were so easy to get out, but I barely had to push, they were in good, but didn’t even “pop” loose when I started them, just once enough pressure was added they slowly started turning. Phew.

Worst part was putting the fan back on. Those bolts were a pain to get aligned and screwed in. I went and got a set of ratcheting crescent wrenches to make it a little easier. Also bought some thin wrenches to hold the bolts behind the studs, but turns out I didn’t need those, but am happy to have anyways.

Removing one of the hoses was a extremely difficult as well, most came off easily, but the 90 degree elbow one on the top of the two on the left side of the pump had to be cut off. Luckily I was already planning on replacing hoses and had them on hand already.

Sealant on the gaskets. I read a lot about this and watched probably four different videos on how to do the whole job, but this was where they varied the most. Some said use NO rtv/sealant on the gaskets, some said open the back plate of the pump and put some there on that gasket as well as the one that mates the pump to the timing cover, while yet others said only use it on the mating gasket…one guy said to just put it around the ports on the pump where water flows.
I elected to not use it at all figuring that that was what the gasket itself was for, and that both of my surfaces were pretty clean and were very smooth. Hope that doesn’t screw me in the long run but whatcha gonna do.

Thank you all so much for your advice, help, and comments. This job turned from a “wtf there is no way I’m gonna be able to do this”….to “holy crap, I did it, and there’s no leaks and my temperature holds in the right place on the gauge” partially thanks to yalls advice and support.

Just need to save a lil cash and I’ll be back with suspension questions and maybe looking for advice on my overall build plans…

Edit: oh yeah funny story involving math and the job… I was looking to remove some bolt and my 9/16 inch was too small but the 11/16 was too big. I was annoyed because I clearly 100% needed a 10/16 inch but my set did not seem to have one… I went back to a video where the guy said the size the nut was and it turns out I do have a 10/16, it’s just called a 5/8 in my set. After I made the connection with the reduced fraction I banged my head on the wall some. Math isn’t my strong suit haha.

 

[AeroCoupe]

Man don’t wait to ask questions about the suspension. You need to have a plan so you know how much of YOUR money WE are going to spend…because we like spending other people’s money around here.

Seriously think about what type of suspension you want so stock, stock but lowered a little, maybe you want to pound the on ramps but still have good ride characteristics, or you may just want an all out corner carver and to hell with the ride. If you can articulate what you want there then we can suggest all kinds of stuff.

I will tell you this, the stock brakes are a liability in performance and frankly safety by today’s standards. I would move to the 94-04 brake swap and five lug before I did anything else. Move up to 17” wheels as the tires for them are no more than 15” and 16” now.

 

[gkomo]

Ok, so follow up.

Finished the pump replacement today.

Seriously, I’m a total noob. I’m 100% not a handy individual. This was the first thing I’ve really done to the car that’s more than screwing on plastic trim pieces. I was super nervous that I’d mess something up and felt like this was a litmus test as to whether I should even be doing this whole car thing or not.

My main concern that the bolts would break off was unfounded. For three days after getting home from work I PB Blastered all the bolts on the pump and accessories bracket every hour or two…probably 15 applications total over the three days. Idk if it was overkill, or the reason the bolts were so easy to get out, but I barely had to push, they were in good, but didn’t even “pop” loose when I started them, just once enough pressure was added they slowly started turning. Phew.

Worst part was putting the fan back on. Those bolts were a pain to get aligned and screwed in. I went and got a set of ratcheting crescent wrenches to make it a little easier. Also bought some thin wrenches to hold the bolts behind the studs, but turns out I didn’t need those, but am happy to have anyways.

Removing one of the hoses was a extremely difficult as well, most came off easily, but the 90 degree elbow one on the top of the two on the left side of the pump had to be cut off. Luckily I was already planning on replacing hoses and had them on hand already.

Sealant on the gaskets. I read a lot about this and watched probably four different videos on how to do the whole job, but this was where they varied the most. Some said use NO rtv/sealant on the gaskets, some said open the back plate of the pump and put some there on that gasket as well as the one that mates the pump to the timing cover, while yet others said only use it on the mating gasket…one guy said to just put it around the ports on the pump where water flows.
I elected to not use it at all figuring that that was what the gasket itself was for, and that both of my surfaces were pretty clean and were very smooth. Hope that doesn’t screw me in the long run but whatcha gonna do.

Thank you all so much for your advice, help, and comments. This job turned from a “wtf there is no way I’m gonna be able to do this”….to “holy crap, I did it, and there’s no leaks and my temperature holds in the right place on the gauge” partially thanks to yalls advice and support.

Just need to save a lil cash and I’ll be back with suspension questions and maybe looking for advice on my overall build plans…

Edit: oh yeah funny story involving math and the job… I was looking to remove some bolt and my 9/16 inch was too small but the 11/16 was too big. I was annoyed because I clearly 100% needed a 10/16 inch but my set did not seem to have one… I went back to a video where the guy said the size the nut was and it turns out I do have a 10/16, it’s just called a 5/8 in my set. After I made the connection with the reduced fraction I banged my head on the wall some. Math isn’t my strong suit haha.

Glad this worked out for you! I consider myself maybe like one step up from you in my mechanical abilities and even I am nervous to tackle this job when the time comes… but now maybe not so much.

 

[B0udreaux]

Man don’t wait to ask questions about the suspension. You need to have a plan so you know how much of YOUR money WE are going to spend…because we like spending other people’s money around here.

Seriously think about what type of suspension you want so stock, stock but lowered a little, maybe you want to pound the on ramps but still have good ride characteristics, or you may just want an all out corner carver and to hell with the ride. If you can articulate what you want there then we can suggest all kinds of stuff.

I will tell you this, the stock brakes are a liability in performance and frankly safety by today’s standards. I would move to the 94-04 brake swap and five lug before I did anything else. Move up to 17” wheels as the tires for them are no more than 15” and 16” now.

Ok, so suspension wise… currently I’m all stock. I assume all 40 year old stuff, but idk really…the car feels bouncy over bumps, the roll when turning hard is severe…braking nosedives me etc…I assume the stuff is just old and tired, but my knowledge is mostly theoretical…I can see the k member and control arms and other suspension parts are all stock. The factory rivet is still there in the top of the strut tower so I assume pretty much everything is original.

Couple of things suspension wise I wanna address/understand better…

Lowering: my stance is ridiculously high, I’m not looking to drop it crazy or anything but I’d like it to look a little lower, like not have massive gaps above my tires. I looked at a bunch of comparison photos and didn’t come to any real conclusions because there were so few with the tiny 15” wheels. I’m running 235/60/15s currently. I was thinking 1 to 1.5 inches, but I’d be doing it kind of blind and hoping it looked good and didn’t screw my ride quality.

Ride quality: I really liked the way he said: pound the on ramps…not looking to race, drag or track, but there is a track around here where you can put the car through its paces with instructors and stuff, so maybe waaaay down the road, but for now like you said, gassing it for fun and feeling safe cornering, but nothing crazy…my risk tolerance is a lot lower than it was when I was 20 haha. This is where I assume I buy and install new springs and shocks/struts.

Bushings: I feel like this is something that I should probably replace all of them and it would have a big improvement and feel of the car yes? All of the shocks/struts/springs videos I’ve watched do not mention bushings at all. Is this something I should look to do?

Wheels/Brakes: I really like the telephone dial wheels and the mostly stock look. I hadn’t really considered stepping up to 17’s/5lug…but the brakes do suuuuck. Pretty crazy, I have to plan my braking probably more than in any car I’ve had (only one of which was a performance car)


Long-term plan wise: so I got the car around new years, it was 100% stock except the clutch was replaced. I mean, belts and routine maintenance stuff done over the years too, but otherwise nothing done.
I’ve been doing mostly piddling stuff, trim, seatbelts, badges, weatherstripping etc. Got the new tires put on, and ordered subframe connectors and while I was waiting for those to come in the water pump died and I’ve been sidetracked. So once I get those on I’ll be moving forward with upgrades.

My thinking there is suspension first. It feels like a 40 year old boat and I want it to feel like a new modern sports car. Maybe not track worthy, but solid, I’ve been looking at all of the packs on cj pony and lmr. So far I like the orange koni set with springs, but there’s like 5 reputable brands all in the same price range. Not ready to spend $ yet so need to learn more.

After that I want a better rumble. I think my options here are mufflers, or cat backs if I wanna hopefully get some HP gains with it…haven’t really deep dived here yet, but from the videos I see the flow master series 40 is what I’d like. I mean…headers would also be cool at some point too, again, way down the road

Next I was thinking gears, again, no experience but I think I’m going to be looking at 3.73 gears.

Hadn’t thought about wheels/brakes cause I like the wheels I have, but maybe I should. I did just spend like 800 on new tires, so again, down the road…

Interspersed with all of this I’d like to be doing cheaper per-job stuff…more cosmetic I think…cold air intake looks relatively inexpensive and easily doable by me, so that’ll get worked in somewhere.

Overall I’m looking to make it look pretty and mostly stock…and drive more like a new car, both power and handling wise.

Thanks for listening! It’s helpful to at least articulate all this. Sorry I’m so long winded!

 

[Willybill32]

Ok, so suspension wise… currently I’m all stock. I assume all 40 year old stuff, but idk really…the car feels bouncy over bumps, the roll when turning hard is severe…braking nosedives me etc…I assume the stuff is just old and tired, but my knowledge is mostly theoretical…I can see the k member and control arms and other suspension parts are all stock. The factory rivet is still there in the top of the strut tower so I assume pretty much everything is original.

Couple of things suspension wise I wanna address/understand better…

Lowering: my stance is ridiculously high, I’m not looking to drop it crazy or anything but I’d like it to look a little lower, like not have massive gaps above my tires. I looked at a bunch of comparison photos and didn’t come to any real conclusions because there were so few with the tiny 15” wheels. I’m running 235/60/15s currently. I was thinking 1 to 1.5 inches, but I’d be doing it kind of blind and hoping it looked good and didn’t screw my ride quality.

Ride quality: I really liked the way he said: pound the on ramps…not looking to race, drag or track, but there is a track around here where you can put the car through its paces with instructors and stuff, so maybe waaaay down the road, but for now like you said, gassing it for fun and feeling safe cornering, but nothing crazy…my risk tolerance is a lot lower than it was when I was 20 haha. This is where I assume I buy and install new springs and shocks/struts.

Bushings: I feel like this is something that I should probably replace all of them and it would have a big improvement and feel of the car yes? All of the shocks/struts/springs videos I’ve watched do not mention bushings at all. Is this something I should look to do?

Wheels/Brakes: I really like the telephone dial wheels and the mostly stock look. I hadn’t really considered stepping up to 17’s/5lug…but the brakes do suuuuck. Pretty crazy, I have to plan my braking probably more than in any car I’ve had (only one of which was a performance car)


Long-term plan wise: so I got the car around new years, it was 100% stock except the clutch was replaced. I mean, belts and routine maintenance stuff done over the years too, but otherwise nothing done.
I’ve been doing mostly piddling stuff, trim, seatbelts, badges, weatherstripping etc. Got the new tires put on, and ordered subframe connectors and while I was waiting for those to come in the water pump died and I’ve been sidetracked. So once I get those on I’ll be moving forward with upgrades.

My thinking there is suspension first. It feels like a 40 year old boat and I want it to feel like a new modern sports car. Maybe not track worthy, but solid, I’ve been looking at all of the packs on cj pony and lmr. So far I like the orange koni set with springs, but there’s like 5 reputable brands all in the same price range. Not ready to spend $ yet so need to learn more.

After that I want a better rumble. I think my options here are mufflers, or cat backs if I wanna hopefully get some HP gains with it…haven’t really deep dived here yet, but from the videos I see the flow master series 40 is what I’d like. I mean…headers would also be cool at some point too, again, way down the road

Next I was thinking gears, again, no experience but I think I’m going to be looking at 3.73 gears.

Hadn’t thought about wheels/brakes cause I like the wheels I have, but maybe I should. I did just spend like 800 on new tires, so again, down the road…

Interspersed with all of this I’d like to be doing cheaper per-job stuff…more cosmetic I think…cold air intake looks relatively inexpensive and easily doable by me, so that’ll get worked in somewhere.

Overall I’m looking to make it look pretty and mostly stock…and drive more like a new car, both power and handling wise.

Thanks for listening! It’s helpful to at least articulate all this. Sorry I’m so long winded!

You’ll get lots of input here. I, too, have an ’86 GT, and I’ve gone through a lot of this.

“It feels like a 40 year old boat and I want it to feel like a new modern sports car.”. Unless you’ve got cubic money, that probably isn’t going to happen. You need to replace all the 40-year-old rubber pieces in the suspension for starters. I did that, then did FRPP “B” springs (about 1” drop) and got the stance the way I wanted it, then replaced the struts and shocks (I used Bilsteins) and added the 17” wheels. It still rides pretty rough.

At a minimum, replace the front suspension parts with ’87-‘93 spindles, rotors, calipers and struts. Even better, do a five-lug conversion from a ‘94/‘95. While you’re at it, do a rear disc conversion.

Flowmaster 40s sound really good, unless you’re on the inside while driving 55-75 MPH, and then the drone is really annoying. Moving to 3.73 or 3.55 will move the droning lower in the speed range, but it’s still there. Ask me how I know…

Bill

 

[AeroCoupe]

So this is just me but for right now I would just rebuild the front lower control arms with Moog bushings and a quality ball joint. Get Maximum Motorsports caster camber plates so you can get it aligned properly. As for the dampers I really like the Bilsteins and for springs H&R Super Sports. They work well together and will get you that 1” to 1-1/2” drop. Replace the rear upper control arms with stock units and again Moog bushings in the uppers ears on the rear end. Maximum Motorsports makes a tool to install them. As for the rear lower control arms I would just replace them with a quality tubular unit like Maximum Motorsports. This and the subframe connectors will make the car feel like a slot car compared to now.

So the “ten hole” wheels are classic on the four eye cars and did you know LMR makes them in 17” and five lug?

https://lmr.com/products/1979-1993-17-10-hole-mustang-wheels

Search on here and there are multiple threads on swapping to five lug with SN95 brakes.

Car looks friggin’ awesome man!!!!