Yama-Bro's MK4 Build Thread - #9158 (Index in Post #1)

[Yama-Bro]

At this point, the block is ready for the prototype verification process. I turned the block over to one of our long time Quality Control team members, Brian. This guy has forgotten more about engines then I’ll ever know. His task in this project is to use the 3D printed block to double check my work and make sure we catch any problems before we purchase the expensive sand-casting tooling. The process is much like any other engine build, except the block is made of plastic. There was a lot of tearing down and rebuilding of different combinations of engine parts to make sure every single variation of small block Ford that we build will go together as anticipated. In the end, he found a handful of minor corrections that had to be made in the block, but for the most part we did very good for something so involved. Here are a few pictures of the prototype engine build…

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52013620853_cfbb039deb_k.jpg

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52014084950_b0d6c1724f_k.jpg

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52013814264_afcd3c9840_k.jpg

We had to prove the engine mounting bosses were in the correct place, so I took the prototype engine home and dropped it in my Factory Five. It fit like a glove...
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52013566281_e760935203_k.jpg

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52013814129_ffd3c0e2bf_k.jpg

[JohnK]

You should totally put it on the dyno once you have it fully assembled! :p That would get a few million YouTube views, for sure.

[Yama-Bro]

Now that we were comfortable with the design, I created a set of detailed 2D drawings. These drawings communicate to our vendors the precise tolerances required for casting and machining the blocks. We also finished the design stage of the project with a big design review meeting to cover all the details with stakeholders throughout our company.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52014084200_64bb3c75f7_b.jpg

The next stage was quoting, selecting a vendor, and ordering production samples. When we source these types of components, our preference is to work with OEM tier 1 suppliers. So, for this block, we were looking for a large reputable foundry that was already making iron blocks for Ford, GM, etc. This step seemed like it took forever for me. Largely, because I wasn’t involved in a lot of it, but also because there were several lengthy delays…such as Covid and a crazy shipping debacle. I almost gave up waiting and bought one of our standard 347 builds, but I was encouraged by many to stick it out. Eventually, pictures of raw cast blocks started to trickle into my email inbox and proved the wait was worthwhile.

Our long-term goal is to fully machine all our production Ford blocks in our facility from raw cast to finish machined. We are currently doing this with our small block Chevy blocks. Doing all the machining in house allows us to keep a closer eye on quality and enables us make changes on the fly, if the need arises. Since we did not have the new machining centers setup yet, the first few prototype/sample blocks went to a long-time machining partner of ours in Michigan. After some back and forth between their machinist and myself, they were sending me pictures of fully machined blocks. At this point, the excitement level was starting to ramp up!

The first machined block...
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52013565666_11be48361e_k.jpg

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52013813644_8be682b407_k.jpg



As a pallet of the machined blocks finally arrived at our doorstep, we quickly got to work verifying them to our drawings on our CMM and Faro 3D scanner. To confirm the block was made as intended, we did a rotating assembly mockup along with various tests, such as water jacket pressure testing, oil leak testing, and rotating assembly / valve train simulation testing.

[Yama-Bro]

You should totally put it on the dyno once you have it fully assembled! :p That would get a few million YouTube views, for sure.

LOL, you are talking about the plastic block? We've had a lot of requests for that, especially with a little I4 we did that received some you tube publicity. I think it would be cool to do it in slow motion as it explodes. Haha. Maybe some day! I'd be all about that.

Here's the video where we talk about running the I4 and a bunch of other cool engineering and R&D stuff...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ncQ-cftYvSE&t=987s

[Yama-Bro]

After the block was proved to match the design, we gathered all the parts to do a complete build intended to run on one of our dynos, and ultimately, go in my FFR. Let the engine building commence! I did not want a ridiculous amount of horsepower, so I stayed close to BluePrint Engines’ standard 347 build, but with a slightly wilder camshaft to give it that extra exhaust lope sound and a few more ponies.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52013566096_5017140e80_k.jpg

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52013813989_408619432e_k.jpg

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52014084505_d052577115_k.jpg

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52012537112_a79e6d7c64_k.jpg

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52014084470_85508e1f21_k.jpg

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52013565891_293fa6959d_k.jpg

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52012537322_9985c31ee4_k.jpg

[Yama-Bro]

While wrapping up the build, we scheduled time to squeeze the engine in one of our busy R&D engine dynos. If you do not know, an engine dyno (short for dynamometer) is a machine to measure the power and torque of an engine. I worked with Alex, one of BluePrint’s R&D engineers to get the engine on a cart and connect it to the dyno. Alex is a Holley trained fuel injection wizard, which worked out nicely for me because I used a Holley Sniper system on my engine. The connections and sensors you see in the pictures of the dyno booth allow the dyno operator to monitor all the vital statistics of the engine directly from the computer screen. We subjected the engine to several dyno pulls to confirm that it ran like it should. By studying the results of the pulls, Alex was able to tweak the fuel injection system to get maximum performance right off the bat. The results…a maximum of 432.0 horsepower and 396.1 ft lbs of torque. It should be plenty to motivate the 2200lb car! I am confident the block can handle a lot more power than this, if someone wanted to build something radical. I know there are bigger things instore for this block at BluePrint, but you will have to wait and see! Until then, we will do additional testing on other sample blocks before we start building full engines with production blocks. It may be around the end of the year before they are available to customers in an engine package. It’s currently not known when and if we’ll be selling individual blocks to customers who want to build their own engine.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52012537277_a3a2dc9ff5_k.jpg

Video of the dyno pull. Click to watch. Turn it up!
https://live.staticflickr.com/31337/52013626448_3c0cf40c0d_k.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2nfgr1U)32 - Engine Dyno Pull - 20220304_173804 (https://flic.kr/p/2nfgr1U) by Frank Hromadka (https://www.flickr.com/photos/154626312@N04/)

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52012537047_e6ad133f5a_h.jpg

After the successful dyno runs, we did a few more checks and inspections before I packed it up and hauled it to my garage so it can find its home between the frame rails of my Factory Five Roadster. That concludes the first chapter of my engine story. I hope it was worth the wait for you. I know it was for me. I want to say a big ‘Thank You’ to Norris Marshall, the owner of BluePrint, for presenting me with this challenge and generously giving me the first block for my project. It has truly been a highlight of my engineering career and an extremely rewarding project. I do not suspect many people in the world can claim they designed the engine block that powers their hot rod!

[JohnK]

What a great story! It must be pretty gratifying to see something you designed come to life like that. And to have that engine in your personal roadster build is a special touch. Thanks for sharing.

And yes, I want to see that plastic block run on the dyno. ;)

[John Ibele]

Hey Frank ... and here I was going to write you a PM at some point asking how things were going and encouraging you to get back to your build when the time was right. Thanks for the detailed update, and congrats on a great work project and special engine for the Roadster!

[Yama-Bro]

What a great story! It must be pretty gratifying to see something you designed come to life like that. And to have that engine in your personal roadster build is a special touch. Thanks for sharing.

And yes, I want to see that plastic block run on the dyno. ;)

Thanks! It has been a very rewarding project. You'll know when we post a video of the plastic block running...that will be the day the internet breaks. Haha

[Yama-Bro]

Hey Frank ... and here I was going to write you a PM at some point asking how things were going and encouraging you to get back to your build when the time was right. Thanks for the detailed update, and congrats on a great work project and special engine for the Roadster!

Great timing then! Thanks for thinking of me. The last year of my life has been insane. Much busier than I like it to be. Between kid's activities, helping my 17 year old son with his project truck (did an engine swap then a tranny swap), buying a new (to us) house, selling our old house ourselves, fixing the new house (still ongoing:eek:), a big vacation, and a few business trips, my time for the FFR has been almost completely sucked up. The good part is, the main reason we moved is because I wanted a bigger garage. So you may notice some new surroundings in the new pics. I went from 2.5 car stalls to 5.5 stalls. Much more room to spread out. It'll be nice once I get back to the project. Hoping to go kart it sooner than later. Keep on me!

[egchewy79]

this is amazing. engineering at it's finest.

[Higgybulin]

Ghesh Frank! Work much? Great job, I'm sure that is very rewarding!!!
Higgy

[BadAsp427]

very cool... thanks for sharing. I've never really thought about how all that is accomplished.... Cool.....

[460.465USMC]

Very, very cool, Frank! Pretty sure not many of us can say we designed our own engine block. Wow! Sounds like a very rewarding project, and to have it in your own Roadster is really something. You must be over the moon! Congrats!

P.S. welcome back! Looking forward to hearing the BPE rumble to life in your Roadster.

[JohnK]

Just curious - any plans for BPE to cast an aluminum version of that block, and could you even use the same mold for that or would it be an entirely different design with more reinforcement?

[WIS89]

Frank-

What a great story, and a terrific job on this new line of business for you! I really appreciate you telling the story! What a fantastic experience for you and the team.

I look forward to seeing her running in your car!

Regards,

Steve

[Yama-Bro]

this is amazing. engineering at it's finest.
Thank you, sir!


Ghesh Frank! Work much? Great job, I'm sure that is very rewarding!!!
Higgy
Thanks! It was a very rewarding project! One of my favorites. Now I need to take off a few months and finish my car! ;)


Very, very cool, Frank! Pretty sure not many of us can say we designed our own engine block. Wow! Sounds like a very rewarding project, and to have it in your own Roadster is really something. You must be over the moon! Congrats!

P.S. welcome back! Looking forward to hearing the BPE rumble to life in your Roadster.
Me too! Thanks!


Just curious - any plans for BPE to cast an aluminum version of that block, and could you even use the same mold for that or would it be an entirely different design with more reinforcement?
That's a good question, that I actually don't know the answer for. I'm beginning to work on another block now, that has potential to be aluminum and cast iron. We will find out more when we get into the details a little farther. At the moment none of our suppliers cast in iron and aluminum in the same facility, so for that simple reason, we'd need to have two different mold tools.


Frank-

What a great story, and a terrific job on this new line of business for you! I really appreciate you telling the story! What a fantastic experience for you and the team.

I look forward to seeing her running in your car!

Regards,

Steve

Thank you!

[Yama-Bro]

'Ooh wee, you good lookin!' *say that in your best Travolta voice*

Got the BluePrint front drive system installed. Water pump, power steering pump, alternator, pulleys and brackets.

Before those of you in the know say anything, I left the beauty caps off the pulleys for less of the bling factor.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52078010562_5c00665e60_k.jpg

[BadAsp427]

Very NICE

[ggunter]

Very Very Very cool video. I love the behind the scenes look into R&D of products. Not many people realize how much time and money goes into products to get them to market. We are all pretty much spoiled to just get on the computer and punch a couple buttons and shazam! It's sitting on our front door. Thanks so much for that video. And keep up the good work.

[Yama-Bro]

Inching ever closer to cramming this between the frame rails. With the help of my friend Lance, we mated the tranny to the engine this afternoon. And what a beautiful day it was to be in the garage!
-Liberty's Gears modded TKO-600
-McLeod clutch
-Quicktime steel bellhousing
-Speedmaster flywheel

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52269970187_0be1d1a3f8_k.jpg

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52270957398_f9bf05fca5_k.jpg

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52271431830_d79702a6c6_k.jpg

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52271201144_51757e2880_k.jpg

[Yama-Bro]

Big weekend on the car. The engine is finally resting happily in the chassis and I'm really satisfied with how it went in and turned out. It will most likely need to come back out to do final assembly of the surrounding components, but this install should let me figure out the next steps, get us to the first start, and then onto the exciting go kart phase. Big thanks to my Dad, friend's Jon G & Lance L, and my son Cody for helping shoe horn this thing in there. It went in so nicely, that we managed to knock off a few other tasks as well.

To get it in, we put the front wheels on car ramps and put the back end on some tall jack stands. We needed the front wheels raised to get the cherry picker's out riggers under the chassis and the back was raised just to help increase the angle to get the transmission in. It went well.
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52321177619_7f213bb703_k.jpg

It was nice having 5 sets of eyes on every corner as it went in. We managed to avoid scratching anything.
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52319954502_5be1fd61a4_k.jpg

The engine nestled in the frame. After getting the engine in we also installed the headers & installed and adjusted the clutch cable.
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52319955942_819e319ad3_k.jpg

[Yama-Bro]

Here's a shot of the A frame that supports the back of the tranny.
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52321203495_63337be60a_k.jpg

We put the stubby driveshaft in it's place. It fit perfect. FFR nailed this one.
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52321066383_042caef044_k.jpg

We installed this add on to the kit...a Metco driveshaft safety loop. Well worth the money in my opinion. If one of the universal joints ever goes out I'm going to want some thick steel between my hip and the driveshaft. I don't think the thin aluminum cockpit skin will stop much. The safety loop bolts onto the tranny a frame. No extra drilling required, although we did need to use a large Cresent wrench to gently persuade it not to interfere with the e brake cables.
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52321183084_9343156c2f_k.jpg

Shift lever installed. Vintage style with faux reverse lock out. Another add on to the kit. Need to find a shift knob that fits, unfortunately the one that came with the kit didn't fit. Not a big deal. I'm trying to decide between the vintage look or something custom...
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52320759946_4217c34404_k.jpg

At one point we even threw the body on to check the alignment of the headers to the the openings in the body. The headers seem awfully high...like a whole inch over the marked opening on the body. Something I'll need to look into. Either way, its nice to see it with the body on. Here you can see the ramps in the front and the large jack stands in the back that we used to position it just right for the engine install.
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52320760896_1fd719cf20_k.jpg

Getting ever closer to go kart day!
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52319961082_d60d4f5971_k.jpg

Wyatt helping with a few finishing touches the next day.
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52321187189_3224e7421c_k.jpg

[Windsor]

I may have missed it if you posted...

What was the final size of your particular engine?

I know it's based on the new BPE 302 block, but didn't know if you went 289, 302, 306, ...

[Yama-Bro]

I may have missed it if you posted...

What was the final size of your particular engine?

I know it's based on the new BPE 302 block, but didn't know if you went 289, 302, 306, ...

I went with the 347, the 289 sticker on the air cleaner is a lie. ;)

[Windsor]

I went with the 347, the 289 sticker on the air cleaner is a lie. ;)

I noticed the 289 sticker and figured it was a means of sandbagging.

Who de-strokes a 302? :)

[John Ibele]

Nice job, Frank. Satisfying to see that engine sitting in its final home, isn't it?

[Yama-Bro]

I noticed the 289 sticker and figured it was a means of sandbagging.

Who de-strokes a 302? :)

Haha, I know, right!? I'm trying to get a vaguely vintage look thru out the whole car. I've seen several pictures of originals that had similar air filters with the same sticker. I figured the originals had 289s and there isn't much difference between a 302 block and a 289 block, so I thought I could get away with it. If nothing else it's a conversation starter...although, I'm not sure you really need that with these cars no matter what stage of completion they are in.

[Yama-Bro]

Nice job, Frank. Satisfying to see that engine sitting in its final home, isn't it?

Yes it is! It feels great. One giant step forward!

[GoDadGo]

Looking Good Billy Ray, https://youtu.be/sCkiHxcBgXg I Mean Yama-Bro!

[Yama-Bro]

I installed a mechanical throttle linkage on my car this weekend. FFR supplies a cable linkage with the kit. I've read of a lot of complaints about the cable setup, so I opted for Mike Forte's mechanical linkage. Its much easier to install with the body off, so it was a good time to do it. It also has more of the vintage Cobra vibe, which I'm all about. There's a ton of adjustment to it, so it took some fiddling to get it just right. Now that I have it, it seems absolutely perfect. It's super smooth with just the right amount of travel and resistance. I'm pretty happy with this linkage.

Here's an overhead shot of the whole linkage from the gas pedal (middle right) to the Sniper EFI (lower left). The top of the foot box is removed in this picture.
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52367737781_459ad628b8_k.jpg

This shot shows the linkage connection to the EFI from the drivers side. Not shown in this picture, I ended up connecting some extra throttle return springs, that came in Forte's kit, from the throttle back to a bracket attached to the middle post in the intake.
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52367970143_3c84bc26a9_k.jpg

This view from the passenger side shows the footbox aluminum in place, but I took that out to make assembly easier. I put a hole in the side of the footbox where the pivot bar penetrates the panel. I placed a rubber grommet in the hole to give it a nice finished look.
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52368160700_15a9fb1b85_k.jpg

Here's another overhead view showing the linkage up by the firewall. There's a large 2" frame member behind the aluminum firewall that I attached the ball ends to. It made for a super solid mounting point, which will have zero flex when stomping the throttle. The slots in the arms allow you to adjust the ratio of gas pedal movement to throttle movement. I started off at approx 1:1. Like I said, it feels perfect right now, but I may adjust it once I start driving it.
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52367972593_5a4d036d68_k.jpg

Here's a view looking up from inside the footbox. You can see the gas pedal and the linkage going up from there to the pivot shaft.
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52367743336_5a873cc99f_k.jpg

[egchewy79]

nice pics of the throttle linkage. I also did a rubber grommet but put a brass bushing in the grommet to prevent that grommet from getting cut up over time.

[Yama-Bro]

nice pics of the throttle linkage. I also did a rubber grommet but put a brass bushing in the grommet to prevent that grommet from getting cut up over time.

Good idea!

[red.barchetta]

The engine looks awesome and so does the rest of the build!

I’ve been following closely as my build is very close to yours as I am waiting on the new blueprint blocks for my 427, and I also bought a Levy Racing brake kit.

Thanks for the detailed build thread it’s helped a lot!

[Yama-Bro]

The engine looks awesome and so does the rest of the build!

I’ve been following closely as my build is very close to yours as I am waiting on the new blueprint blocks for my 427, and I also bought a Levy Racing brake kit.

Thanks for the detailed build thread it’s helped a lot!

Thank you sir! I'm glad the build thread is helping others! You are going to love your BPE 427!

[Yama-Bro]

I did some work on the cooling system. Installed the radiator hoses. As many of you know, the kit comes with a stainless steel corrugated hose that you cut to length and also comes with "adaptors" to do the end connections to the engine and radiator. It's meant to be a universal fit to work with whatever engine a builder might go with. I'm not super crazy about this setup and I've heard of leak issues. So I looked into other options. I didn't want to spend the money on the formed metal tubes, so I went with preformed rubber hoses for existing vehicles that have just the right bends. With just a quick search of the forum, I found some of Jeff Kliener's suggestions, that I started with...read on for more details...


Here are the parts for the upper hose. One hose is for an old fox body mustang and the other is just a Napa generic 90 degree hose. I got the inline filler from Amazon. I liked the fabricated look it has going on. It does have a smaller sized radiator cap than what I was expecting, but it should work fine. If not, it's an easy thing to swap out later.
1990 Fox body Mustang hose: Napa 8028 or NBH7865
90 Degree hose: Napa 777
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52893412455_d4c38f5d4b_k.jpg

Upper hose installed (pre radiator clamps). It came out very nice. Note: I had to cut both hoses to get the fit I was after. I only took a little bit off each end of the 90 degree hose, but with the larger hose I ended up removing some past the first two bends on one end.
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52893412460_47f633b904_k.jpg

Lower hose parts. One hose is from an old Ford Thunderbird, the other is a common hose used on several Chevys of the 70s and 80s. I got the aluminum in line connector from Amazon. Nice piece.
Early 1990's V6 Thunderbird hose: Napa 7364 or NBH7364
For the front lower hose, I bent a wire in the shape of the hose I was after and took it to Napa and Oreilly's. They let me look thru the hoses until I found one that matched the bends I was needing.
Orielly's part number: 20827
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52893191299_fe32e1d75d_k.jpg

It was hard to get a good picture of the bottom hose assembly, but I think this one shows it pretty good. The Thunderbird hose didn't require any trimming, but I had to cut about 6 to 8 inches off the Chevy hose. Once I got the length dialed in this came out perfect. I don't think there could be a better hose setup for these unless it was custom made. It manages to snake around the frame members, steering components, sway bar and suspension. All with out touching any of them. I plan to clamp the hose to the 'X' member of the chassis to keep the vibrations to a minimum.
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52893191354_be9dfabcbf_k.jpg

[Yama-Bro]

Next up was the radiator overflow tank. The kit comes with a long stainless steel canister. Its nice, but a little too much bling for my tastes. Way to modern and custom looking for what I'm going for. I went with this universal Dorman tank. Its basic and doesn't draw attention to itself. Plus, as a bonus, you can see thru it to see how much fluid you have in your system!

The Dorman tank...
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52893478738_0a5435a078_k.jpg

I installed it on the upper half of the passenger side F panel. I originally installed it on the lower part of the same F panel, but I had a couple friends tell me it wouldn't let the fluid flow back into the radiator that low. After looking for other places to mount the tank, I realized I could install the elliptical shaped patch panel in the F panel, which created a nice place to place the tank. As long as it doesn't hit the hood hinge mechanism, I should be good.
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52982218720_2aab72f33e_k.jpg

[Nigel Allen]

Maybe your friends have never had a drink through a straw. You can mount the overflow tank anywhere below the radiator high point. As long as your hose connections are sealed, vacuum will do the work.

[Yama-Bro]

Maybe your friends have never had a drink through a straw. You can mount the overflow tank anywhere below the radiator high point. As long as your hose connections are sealed, vacuum will do the work.

Yes, I was thinking that when I mounted it low. They are telling me that vacuum has a limitation on how far down you can go. I left the holes there, so I can move the tank back. Maybe I'll try it once I get it on the road.

[Jonathan D]

Great build thread! I can't get over how many great tips I keep seeing after reading so many of these already...keep it coming! I'm also sending you a PM

[Yama-Bro]

More weekend progress...I assembled the flexible fuel lines that connect to the Holley Sniper EFI and figured out the engine bay mounting for the hard lines. Check out post 329 on how I pressed the ends in without the expensive tool. I did the same this time, but didn't use the heat.

In the assembly I used:
4X Fragola straight fittings, p/n: 20010-BL
2X Russel adaptors, p/n: 640610
Fragola Push Lock hose 815006 (24" for one and 18" for the other)
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53006965761_75a9c0584d_k.jpg

Looking up from the front passenger side tire at the hard lines that are secured to the passenger side foot box. Those gold clecos will be rivets in the final assembly. I'd do it now, but I can't get the rivet gun in there with the engine in the way.
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53007134494_614a442160_k.jpg

Kind of a wiring mess now, but you can see the connections of the flexible hoses.
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53007456213_7117db5d2a_k.jpg

[Yama-Bro]

I had an issue where the clutch cable interfered with the oil filter and the motor mount causing the cable to make a couple slight bends, thus making the clutch pedal harder to push in than normal. FFR supplies an oil filter relocation kit, but I didn't have a good place to mount the filter and the reports on the forum is that it has a tendency to leak. A gent in this forum recommended a nifty Ford Performance 90 degree oil filter adaptor (Ford Performance P/N: M-6880-B50). See the thread here...https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/showthread.php?46512-Clutch-cable-and-oil-filter-interference-amp-oil-filter-relocation-location It was a simple install, however I spent way more time researching the perfect filter to use with it, only to find that the instructions for the 90 degree adaptor listed three options and one just happened to be the perfect filter. Read the instructions first, kids! :o Either way, I'm happy with the results. I had a Baldwin B2 filter but switched to the smaller Motorcraft FL-500-S.

Here's a shot from the side showing the installation. The large black "bolt" threads onto the filter adaptor that is in the block. The blue machined piece is the adaptor. It pivots around the bolt, so you can mount the filter just about any direction you want. I tilted it forward about 45 degrees. This makes for great access when changing oil. You can see the black clutch cable in this picture. It no longer runs into the filter. It now has a nice uninterrupted run from the clutch quadrant down the the clutch fork...and its easier to push in!
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53021674482_6a00968233_k.jpg

[Yama-Bro]

My friend Lance and I tackled the power steering lines on the roadster last night. I wasn't content with the lines that were supplied from Factory Five Racing, so I purchased a really nice kit from Breeze Automotive, p/n: 70781. The kit includes everything you need to painlessly connect the supply and return lines from the pump to the steering rack. The kit came with excellent instructions. I forgot to get a pic of all the parts before the install, but there's a pic on Mark's website. Once installed, they look great! A short direct run and very clean looking. I'm pretty happy with them.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53207681637_dfc5242a42_k.jpg

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53207682867_d93b519db3_k.jpg

We also filled the tranny with fluid. My suggestion is to fill the tranny before putting it in the car, as it is very tight quarters in the tranny tunnel.

[cc2Arider]

And....in order to follow-thru with your suggestion, some sort of plug or driveshaft input needs to be installed so the fluid doesn't leak out during the install?

Craig C

[Yama-Bro]

And....in order to follow-thru with your suggestion, some sort of plug or driveshaft input needs to be installed so the fluid doesn't leak out during the install?

Craig C

Yes, you are correct. Good point. We pulled my son's truck's tranny twice recently. To plug the output shaft hole we dug thru the recycle bin and found a plastic hairspray bottle that was just about the same size as the driveshaft stub. I cut off the bottom of the bottle so only a .25" or so protruded from the tranny once it was inserted. It worked perfect.

[Yama-Bro]

Hey Guys!

It's been awhile...We made it to the first start!!! Click on the pic to see the video.
https://live.staticflickr.com/31337/53793891873_a8931a8848_o.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2pXzKUn)

[GoDadGo]

Congratulation From The Dark Dart Side Mr. Bro!

[Higgybulin]

Awesome! I was checking milk cartons for you!!
Higgy

[cc2Arider]

Good to hear from you again! Congratulations on that milestone :)

Craig C

[Yama-Bro]

Congratulation From The Dark Dart Side Mr. Bro!


Awesome! I was checking milk cartons for you!!
Higgy


Good to hear from you again! Congratulations on that milestone :)

Craig C

Thanks Guys! Glad you still remember me. Haha, I'm hoping that the go cart milestone won't be such a long wait.

[Yama-Bro]

Hey my FFR Friends!

As I approach the 7th anniversary of the day a frame, a body, and a intimidating pile of boxes were dropped of in my garage, I reach another milestone. This milestone is an exciting one for it is the 1st "go-cart" of my FFR Roadster. Thanks to Nathan B for manning the camera and being ready to call 911 should the need arise. I am happy to report everything worked excellent and we managed to rack up the first 2.2 miles on the odometer.

Click on the pic to see the video...
https://live.staticflickr.com/31337/53938199077_a55240b4c4_o.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2qbknpB)

[danmas]

Hey my FFR Friends!

As I approach the 7th anniversary of the day a frame, a body, and a intimidating pile of boxes were dropped of in my garage, I reach another milestone. This milestone is an exciting one for it is the 1st "go-cart" of my FFR Roadster. Thanks to Nathan B for manning the camera and being ready to call 911 should the need arise. I am happy to report everything worked excellent and we managed to rack up the first 2.2 miles on the odometer.

Click on the pic to see the video...
https://live.staticflickr.com/31337/53938199077_a55240b4c4_o.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2qbknpB)

Very cool!

[Higgybulin]

Hey my FFR Friends!

As I approach the 7th anniversary of the day a frame, a body, and a intimidating pile of boxes were dropped of in my garage, I reach another milestone. This milestone is an exciting one for it is the 1st "go-cart" of my FFR Roadster. Thanks to Nathan B for manning the camera and being ready to call 911 should the need arise. I am happy to report everything worked excellent and we managed to rack up the first 2.2 miles on the odometer.
Frank! Good job man, go slow turn left is always a good option for the 1st go kart! That Blueprint was sounding good, kodos to the guy that helped design that! And we gotta talk about the hair brother!!! Great flow bro!! Lol
Now get back to work on that thing! By the way, need some details on that square body!!
Higgy

[cc2Arider]

Nice! I love that grin of SATISFACTION! :cool:

Craig C

[Jeff Kleiner]

Congrats and good on ya! :)

Jeff

[Yama-Bro]

Thanks for the comments guys!


Frank! Good job man, go slow turn left is always a good option for the 1st go kart! That Blueprint was sounding good, kodos to the guy that helped design that! And we gotta talk about the hair brother!!! Great flow bro!! Lol
Now get back to work on that thing! By the way, need some details on that square body!!
Higgy

Ah yes, the square body...you may have discovered just one of the side projects that borrowed some time from the FFR. LOL. But it's a good thing. This is my oldest son's '83 GMC truck. He bought it with lawn mowing money when he was 15 (he's almost 20 now) and has continued to pour his cash and heart into it since. It started with an inline 6, 3 speed tranny, 15 inch rims and a questionable paint job. Once he got the hang of driving, we swapped in a BPE 383 stroker and then later a 5 speed tremec. Cody did the complete interior which consists of bucket seats, a custom made console with touch screen entertainment system, and starlight headliner. He picked up the wheels and tires last summer. The truck was lowered a bit when he got it, but it's gone lower since via belltech lowering kit and including a C notched frame. We put 3.93 gears and a Eaton locker in the rear end. This whole project has made Cody realize that his passion is building custom cars, especially the painting part, so after he graduated last year, he enrolled in autobody. He's also been working part time for a guy that does some custom cars. Cody did the body work and painted the truck towards the end of his first year of college and during this summer. The picture here is from a car show this summer...two days after he finished the paint. He has more plans for it in the future (super charged LS :rolleyes:), but it's definitely transitioned from the lawn mower hauling rig to more of a garage queen. It's no doubt the project has shaped his future career.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53940159019_b08b52c29f_k.jpg

[Papa]

It's great to see it on the road! The grin on your face says it all.

Dave

[BadAsp427]

Awesome milestone... your grin say it all.... I remember that day well. Congrats