The Colorado "Coop" Build

[Gadsden]

Big and exciting day today. My Type 65 Complete Kit was finally delivered. The production ready date was 12/22 but because of Holiday plans, I had to hold off on Stewart picking it up then. It was finally scheduled for 1/18 and left the factory at 7PM EST. Then the truck hit the snow storm and road closures. There were 3 Type 65's on the truck and all were delivered here in CO. So if you are one of those, drop me a line!

It is here now and in the garage.
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My first order of business is inventory. Hope to start that tomorrow evening and into the weekend. I am extremely excited to actually start working on it, but need to make sure i know what I have an what is missing. The back order list does not seem too bad. The biggest thing I am missing is the engine. I am going with a BluePrint 427 FI with a TKO 600.

I have not opened any boxes yet, but my only question right now is where is the MSO typically located? I want to make sure it is safe. I am sure that there will be many more questions in the coming years.

I am looking forward to documenting this build here and sharing the experience with my 3 boys, who think it is pretty cool so far.

[bil1024]

MSO does come later, congrats on your coupe !

[q4stix]

Congrats from a fellow coupe and Subaru owner!

[Gadsden]

Congrats from a fellow coupe and Subaru owner!

Ha! Yes, I think the STi may pee on the floor a little when that 7 liter V8 fires up for the first time!

[Clover]

Congrats on your order. I have a Type 65 that I am just getting going on in Colorado as well. I got my kit a little while back but unfortunately had some health problems in my family and a merger at work that have put the build on the back burner. I am just getting going so our builds may be fairly close together. I live in Parker by the Broncos training facility and would be happy to help out or answer questions if I know the answer so please feel free to reach out. Enjoy!

[John Dol]

Congrats on getting the car home.
Now the fun begins with inventory!

Keep those pictures coming

John

[Gadsden]

It was a busy and cold weekend in the garage but I spent my time inventorying. I think I had a total of 30 boxes, and I have 8 left to go. I had read the manual a few times already, so I at least had a vague idea what each piece I came across was for, even if I did not know the exact name. I am going through and accounting for every item, every nut, bolt, screw, washer, etc.

So far, I have only found 4 items missing. 2 are the FF side and nose emblems. The other 2 are the header bolts and gasket. My POL list was originally 1 and a half pages, but I think due to my kit waiting to be picked up for almost a month, allowed a lot of these items to be delivered. Right now the POL is 11 items, the most important to me now are the front LCAs.

I hope I can get through a box or 2 a night during the week, but if not, should be done inventorying by end of next weekend. This is a bit over whelming, but taking one step at a time and enjoying the process and the occasional assistance from my helpers. Below is my oldest checking out the project.
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[BluePrintEngines]

Following! thanks a bunch for your business! anything we can do along the road let us know!

[Gadsden]

Inventory is complete! Not a terribly difficult milestone to achieve, but still one step closer. I ended up with a few missing items but they are all items that I am optimistically, months away from needing.

I did have 2 items where the part numbers did not match, my drive shaft and the dash panel. They look correct, but I am waiting confirmation from Factory Five.

My next steps are to get the nose off and look at starting the steering component install as well as preping to remove the al panels that are fastened to the frame. I am getting my list of items that need PC'd together. I am thinking most if not all al will be done in a titanium color. The steel brackets, etc, will probably be black to match the frame.

I had a good phone call with Blue Print last week and sorted out a few items around the transmission and general installation points. I am really looking forward to seeing this lump sitting in the garage. I will do the Mid shift conversion and Tilton HRB once it gets here.

[edwardb]

...I will do the Mid shift conversion and Tilton HRB once it gets here.

Congrats on your Coupe delivery! You're about to start an exciting journey. I'm a little over a year into mine. Fun build. I'd suggest you check your dimensions carefully on the mid-shift conversion. Granted, my combination is different than yours. Coyote which is a bit shorter and T-56 which is a bit longer. But the transmission tunnel on these is long with two covers. Looks to me like a mid-shift would fall somewhere under the front cover and not in the right position. For mine, with the rear position flipped around (possible also with your TKO) the shifter is exactly where it's supposed to be. Couldn't be any more forward.

[Gadsden]

Congrats on your Coupe delivery! You're about to start an exciting journey. I'm a little over a year into mine. Fun build. I'd suggest you check your dimensions carefully on the mid-shift conversion. Granted, my combination is different than yours. Coyote which is a bit shorter and T-56 which is a bit longer. But the transmission tunnel on these is long with two covers. Looks to me like a mid-shift would fall somewhere under the front cover and not in the right position. For mine, with the rear position flipped around (possible also with your TKO) the shifter is exactly where it's supposed to be. Couldn't be any more forward.

Thanks for the input edwardb. I am going to need to go back and look through my notes. As some point I thought I read that with the 427/TKO combo the mid shift mod was needed, but I may have gotten that incorrect. If it is not needed, great, one less task.

[John Dol]

Don't forget to sharpy the outlines of the frames on to the aluminum where needed. This way you can drill your holes without guessing where the frame is.

HTH,

John

[David Williamson]

I have a Dart 363 TKO 600 combination in mine and the mid shift worked out. Not 100% sure my engine is in the "normal" position as my engine mounts were welded to the fame reversed and FFR sent me some modified mounts to reposition the engine. Long story but we got past it.
David W

[Gadsden]

Been making slow but steady progress and using as many teaching moments as possible with my guys. Nothing really unexpected has come up.

Last week I put the rotors and hats together and wire locked them. It was a easy task that could be done inside (heat!). For each set, I first ran the bolt all the way into the hat going in a little and back a little to clean out the threads. Then I mounted the rotor and hat with all the bolts in loosely. I then took each bolt out one at a time, put some 271 on it and then ran it in snug'ish. Once they were all snug, I torqued them, marking each one to show it was torqued. Lastly I wire locked the bolts in pairs.

Last weekend I also traced the Al panels in the engine bay, took photos and then removed them.

This weekend I dropped the steering rack in place. I had to compress the inner boot on the driver side pretty good to get the bolt holes to line up, so I took it back out and relieved the interference a little with a grinder. It only needed about 1/8 of an inch to clear. Now, if I ever need to remove that boot, I can. When I have the POR15 out in the coming weeks, I will cover the bare metal with it.

I am still waiting on my front LCA and tie rod ends. I have a shipment in transit from FF right now, that I am hoping will contain those parts. I got the coil overs put together today and just loosely mocked up in place to make it look like I accomplished something.

One thing I was interested to see was how the upper ball joint would fit into the upper control arm. I have read some issues others have had with the fit. Mine fit just fine and screwed in nicely. I know that there are lots of opinions on the Howe joints compared to the ones supplied by FF, so the fact these fit nicely makes my decision harder. Right now, I am leaning towards going with the Howe's, but I will continue to research to see if it is really worth the extra $160.

The other big milestone for this week was making my payment to Blue Print engines, writing a check/wire for that kind of money is always painful, but very exciting as well. I am expecting delivery in late March. Based on the above feedback, I will wait and see what shift location works best for my engine/TKO 600 combination.

I am sure there will be frustration lurking, but so far, we are having fun!

[Gadsden]

I was able to spend quiet a bit of time in the garage this weekend and things are progressing well.

First up was painting the exposed frame from where I needed to grind a little off for my steering rack to sit nicely. I ended up using the Eastwood Extream Frame product. This first pic shows the relief, the second shows the rack in position:
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Then I moved on to the LCA's. These were a little tight but no real issues getting them in. Unfortunately, after I got both installed, I noticed that one of the dust boots on the ball joint was split. I have reached out to Factory Five to see if they can send a replacement boot. I am also thinking if I need to replace it, maybe I should just go with an Energy Suspension product. Does anyone know the part number for the lower ball joint?
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I completed the shock and UCA install on both sides, but I am now focusing on the driver side only until I get the split boot issue resolved on the PS side. I am not sure how these lower ball joint dust covers are fastened, so I will be researching that a little in the meantime. Any advise from those who have replaced these would be great.

The driver side spindle is installed and I test fitted the hub, but I am taking a day or 2 to decide how I want to treat the back side of the hub, I am thinking POR15 like I have seen others do, but I may clear coat it. Here is how it sits now:
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I received 2 boxes of POL items last week. The only thing remaining on that list that will hold me up soon are the Tie Rod ends. I am hoping to see those very soon.

[edwardb]

The driver side spindle is installed and I test fitted the hub, but I am taking a day or 2 to decide how I want to treat the back side of the hub, I am thinking POR15 like I have seen others do, but I may clear coat it. Here is how it sits now:
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Sorry to be the bearer of bad news. But you've fallen victim to the upside down UCA assembly error. It's really too bad how often it happens. You're not the first or probably the last unfortunately. The UCA's are from a vendor to Factory Five and are a standard part. Out of the box they are partially upside down for our builds. The pictures and explanations in the build manual show them properly oriented. But don't specifically say they have to be disassembled and reassembled to get them that way. Note this page from the Coupe build manual. Shows the angle of the ball joint, which you have correct. But the pivot on the arms should be on the top half of the shaft, and the zerk fittings should point up as pictured. Easy enough to fix by removing the two rear pivot bolts, flipping it over, and put them back together before assembly. Hopefully you only have the one side done as mentioned. So that one you'll have to unbolt from the frame in addition to flipping over. Minor setback. :p

https://i867.photobucket.com/albums/ab234/edwardb123/Factory%20Five%20Daytona%20Coupe/Misc%20Pics/UCA_zpsr4cycmg7.jpg (https://s867.photobucket.com/user/edwardb123/media/Factory%20Five%20Daytona%20Coupe/Misc%20Pics/UCA_zpsr4cycmg7.jpg.html)

[Gadsden]

You are an observant man edwardb! I noticed last night that the zerks were in an awkward position but I had not had a chance to go back and figure out what was wrong. Thanks for the guidance, it was as you said an easy fix and they are correct now.

[edwardb]

You are an observant man edwardb! I noticed last night that the zerks were in an awkward position but I had not had a chance to go back and figure out what was wrong. Thanks for the guidance, it was as you said an easy fix and they are correct now.

I wouldn't say observant so much as it happens so frequently it's the first thing I look at when someone posts their new front suspension build. Glad it was an easy fix. More commonly builders put the ball joint in upside down and that's a harder fix. Onward!

[David Williamson]

I found the straight lower "A" arm zerks were not easy to get at so I changed them to angled ones.
David W

[Sigurd]

The other big milestone for this week was making my payment to Blue Print engines, writing a check/wire for that kind of money is always painful, but very exciting as well. I am expecting delivery in late March. Based on the above feedback, I will wait and see what shift location works best for my engine/TKO 600 combination.

This is how my Dart 302-347/TKO 600 shifter positions looks. I followed the manual and turned the rear shifter 180 deg, not considerig the engine / transmission combination used there. Had I known, I would of course ordered the transmission with the mid shifter allready installed. Then again, now I will have a look at the Tremec internals.

I have test fitted the unit at an early stage so I better can position wires, fuel lines, PS hoses and so on.

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[Gadsden]

Thank you Sigurd.

I have actually followed up with Factory Five and your input confirms what I was told. I either need to use the mid shift location or could use the rear position but it would require modifying the frame. Roughly mocking up positions, I like the mid location and I really don't want to cut the frame! I will not do anything until I have test fitted and confirm for myself.

[Gadsden]

I have had some delays for the last couple of weekends between trips back East to visit family in the hospital and due to last minute wedding details/planning. After this coming weekend, I hope to spend more time on the Coop. The name "Coop" by the way is a play on words, as my oldest name is Cooper.

There has been some milestones achieved though. On 3/8 I received my last shipment from Factory Five. I now have everything that was on the POL. I placed my order at the end of November. It was ready for pick up 12/22, but did not get picked up for a few weeks. Most items on my POL ended up coming in during that period.

Last night my engine / trans showed up from BluePrint: 104050
I can't wait to get a few mins to pop open that create.

I right now, I almost have the front suspension completed, just need to do get the rotors and calipers mounted. I hope to start spending more time and posting more updates/questions in the coming weeks.

Thanks for everyone's support so far!

[Gadsden]

Still working on the front end. I decided while I was in the front, to do the swaybar. I was not able to find any Coupe specific install instructions so basically used the Roadster instruction as a guide. Considering this is a new build and I have not done anything to adjust ride height or spring compression, should I follow the instructions and start in the 2nd hole for the swaybar? I can easily use the 3rd hole, but not sure if that may present difficulties later on. What have other builders with similar 427 engines settled on for the swaybar? Do you find the 2nd hole a good setting or do you need to go to the 3rd?

Also, I finally opened the crated package from Blueprint and looked at my dyno sheet. My engine dyno'ed 553.3 HP and 532 ft/lbs.

For this weekend I hope to get the steering mocked up so that I can make sure everything is centered and then mount the rotors and calipers. Then I will move on to the rear IRS. I still need to paint/treat the diff, spindles and hubs with either clear coat or POR15.

Thanks for any info on the swaybar settings.

[Gadsden]

Hi support group!

I have what seems like a big question now around the steering rack. I have the FF5 supplied power steering rack and I am also using the Moog tie rod ends. The tie rod ends are not even close as far as thread engagement goes. looking from under the Moog tierod ends, the driver side has approx .5" of thread showing. The passenger side, shows no threads and the end is approx. .8 inches from showing. I know that the passenger side has over 1 inch of thread engagement, but this difference seems like a lot.

How did I get here? I thought I centered the rack. I installed the steering parts and found that from lock to lock was 2 and 1/4 turns of the steering shaft. I placed tape on the upper shaft and marked top at full lock. Then it rotated the shaft as best i could measure 1 and 1/8 turns to get to the middle. With this method the difference described above was the result.

I found this thread but it is roadster specific, and i *think* there may be differences between the coupe and roadster. https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/showthread.php?19175-Steering-Rack-Install-Setup-Procedure

What do the experts think? Is this difference something to be concerned about? Was my centering process and logic faulty?

Any input would be great.
Thanks

[P100DHG]

...should I follow the instructions and start in the 2nd hole for the swaybar? I can easily use the 3rd hole,... What have other builders with similar 427 engines settled on for the swaybar? Do you find the 2nd hole a good setting or do you need to go to the 3rd?

I went for the third hole. Instructions say if it seems like there is too much lean then go for the third hole. This implied the possibility of roll or lean and I wanted a car that corners like it’s on rails so I went for the 3rd hole. Plus 3 is more than 2 so it's gotta be better right? J/K. But seriously I did give this a lot of consideration I am sure there is a sacrifice in ride comfort for performance as there usually is. I imagine with 553HP you’re going to want things tightened up to control all that power you’re putting down whether it's in the corners or the straights. I am doing a Roush 427, sadly mine is not making 553HP.

[Gadsden]

.... Plus 3 is more than 2 so it's gotta be better right? J/K. ....

I like the way you think. 3 is better than 2...Kind of along the same lines as "it goes to 11!"

Thanks for the input.

[Gadsden]

Wrapped up the front end last weekend. I think i got the steering rack centered. and have similar thread engagement for each tie rod end.

Moved on to prepping the IRS components. Got the ear cut off of the spindles. Each spindle took a single general purpose demolition sawsall blade from Harbor Freight. Other than that, no surprises. I followed some others lead on this board and left a little more material than the manual called for:
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For the 2 holes in the spindle, I had seen a couple of approaches to address those. I did not want to leave them open and I thought the set screw approach was nice and clean. I got 2 of my boys to help tap the holes, 1/4 - 20 for the smaller and 7/16 - 20 for the larger hole. I got some 3/4 inch set screws from McMaster and it worked out great. 105952

Knocking out the stock studs was a lot easier than I expected and they came out with out too much hammering. To install the FF5 supplied studs, I ground a slight flat for clearance on the back of the hub and then sucked them on with washers and a nut. It is a little hard to see in this pic, but you can see the flat:
105953 I had difficulty finding a 1/2 - 20 hardened nut, I tried a Grade 5 nut and it only worked for 2-3 studs before being completely worn out. I found some Grade 8 nuts at Ace and they worked much better.

Lastly I enlarged the mounting holes on the front of the diff. This was by far the toughest task of the weekend. Even starting with a step bit, the bit kept binding and wanting to twist the drill out of my hands. I used a battery powered drill instead of my 1/2 corded drill to try an minimize the pain. With some patience and lots of WD-40, I got them drilled out.

I am still waffling between using POR15 on the spindles and hubs or not. I will use it for the diff. Next up is to make some alignment pins like edwardb made to help with the diff install, and maybe move on to that this weekend.

[q4stix]

I sprayed Duplicolor Clear Engine Enamel on the spindles and diff cover to keep them shiny and metallic. I can't remember off hand about the hubs but POR will work if you avoid the bearings.

[Gadsden]

I sprayed Duplicolor Clear Engine Enamel on the spindles and diff cover to keep them shiny and metallic. I can't remember off hand about the hubs but POR will work if you avoid the bearings.

That is exactly my plan for now, definitely will keep the diff cover as it came, and clear coat it. The rest of the diff, I will POR15.

I clear coated the back of the front hubs, and will do the same for the rear. I think i am set to clear coat the spindles too, I like the look of the aluminum.

Thanks for the input!

[Gadsden]

Finally back at it this past weekend. Spring in Colorado is here and it was much nicer than those winter days with garage temps in the 30's. The last 6 weekends were taken up with flag football season and between coaching 2 teams my weekends were shot, but fun!

We finally got to spend some quality time in the garage this Saturday and got the diff installed. It took us about 4.5 hours to complete the job. That included discussions on safety when lifting heavy objects, explanations on what a diff is and how it works, and lessons on leverage! In the end, we got it done and had a pretty good time in the process.

I followed some others advise and made a few alignment pins out of 5/8 bolts. These came in very handy. I also used a combination of my engine hoist and a floor jack to lift the diff. By applying pressure from either below or above I was able to better control pitch and alignment. Once I got it into position i had trouble with the bushing pushing out when the front mounting bolts were pushed through. After a few failed attempts and comically getting a box wrench stuck, I was able to get the bolt through and then squeeze the bushing back in with some channel locks.

Here are a few pics to show my process:
Getting the hoist ready, pretty good team work for brothers that are better at fighting than cooperating: 107774

The diff slung up and just off the dolly: 107775

The diff on it's way up: 107776

The jack and hoist in use: 107777

The jack man concentrating: 107778

Wiggling it into position: 107779

The diff in position and all the bolts started: 107780

Last day of school is tomorrow and then we are off on vacation for a week. Once we return, we are on to the rear suspension, hubs, spindles, half shafts, etc.

[Gadsden]

We were back at our "Colorado Coop" build this past weekend. Made some good progress and a small mistake that needs addressed. Focused on the driver side only. Will tackle the passenger side next weekend and learn from my mistakes.

Per the manual i assembled the Toe Arm and Upper Control arm. Then installed Toe, Lower and upper control arms. Nothing too remarkable to report here. They went in with out much issue. They all went in with slight persuasion with a rubber mallet. Here are all the arms installed:
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Next up we got the spindles and hubs ready to install. I am going to run some 25mm Eibach wheel spacers, so the F5 supplied studs needed to be trimmed, they are just a little too long and the wheel clashes on them. I measured 2, 3 4 times to make sure I knew exactly how much to take off. Then I waited a couple of weeks to make sure I did not forget anything. We cut them off with a cut off wheel without any issues. Here we are removing the nut that was run on prior to cutting:
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With the spindles ready to go, it was time to install the prop-shaft. This went in pretty easy. Again it took slight persuasion with a rubber mallet to drive it in. These 2 pics show us getting ready to and installing it:
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Finally it was time to connect all the arms to the spindle. This took longer than expected and I needed to make a spreader from a spare bolt, nuts and spacers to spread the Lower and Toe arm mounts. The mounts were very close, but just tight enough that the spindle mount points would not go in. Here is the spindle getting ready to mount the arms:
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Once this was all done I was feeling pretty good. I reviewed the manual to make sure I did not forget anything and to see what was next. It was at this point that I realized my mistake from earlier in the day. The next step for me is to install the rear breaks. I started to think through the steps and I realized that my measurements and measuring procedure for how short to cut off the studs was flawed. When I measured I did not factor in the rotor. As a result, all 10 studs are cut too short! I now have replacement studs on order from Summit and will press out the short studs with a hammer later this week and then re-measure with the rotor and spacers in place before cutting the new ones. I will need to pull off the driver side spindle but the passenger side has not been installed yet. So that will be a couple of hour set back to take my time and make sure I get it correct this time.

One other thing I noticed was that in the manual for installing the diff, it stated to torque the mounting bolts to 100 Ft/lb. Then at the end of the section of the manual the torque value table says 129 ft/lb. I think 30 ft/lb is significant enough to go back an re-torque those bolts.

Looking forward to next weekend and getting the passenger side done and fixing my measuring mistake.

[Gadsden]

Got a nice visit from the UPS truck this afternoon. Summit amazes me with how fast they ship. This order was placed late Sunday night and I had it by lunch time Wed. The main item was the replacement wheel studs, but in order to save $9 in shipping, I had to spend another $75 to get free shipping :-) So I also ordered a few other items that I will be needing.

This order was:

Dorman Wheel Studs 610-290
Craftsman Thread Pitch Gauges 009-52317 (don't know how i got by without this before)
Dupli-Color Engine Enamel with Ceramic Resin DE1636 (going on my 3rd can of this stuff now)
Summit Racing® Driveshaft Safety Loops SUM-G7900
K Tool Engine Slings 62115


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Now I can start re-doing the studs and move past this small issue.

[Gadsden]

While torquing the new wheel studs to 100ft/lb per the manual, one of the studs stared spinning in the hub. I am having a hard time figuring out if the metal on the hub gave way or if the serrations on the stud failed. I do see some flat smooth areas on the stud, but I am not sure what the inside of the hole on the hub should look like. I am hoping that it was the stud and i just need a new stud.

Has anyone else seen the serrations on the studs give?

Thanks for any ideas, input or advise on next steps. I hope a new stud is the answer, possibly a better quality like ARP.

*Update* I put a caliper on the knurled section of the blot and it is quite a bit less than the .619 inch spec. I am hoping that this is a good indicator that replacing the bolt is all that is needed.

Brian

[Gadsden]

It has been several weeks since posting here, but we have been making good progress. I recovered from the wheel stud issues. I ended up pressing the new studs into the hubs.

The rear suspension is now completed and the Wilwoods mounted. Nothing really unexpected during this process. I did have some clashing issues with the parking brake caliper but that was because the control / toe arms were WAY out of spec. Tightening up those adjustments took care of the parking brake caliper hitting the spring. I leveraged a lot of ideas and suggestions from this place. I did make a crude spreader for the toe arm and lower control arm connections to the spindle.

Here are me and my son finishing up the suspension
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Here are a few other pics of the suspension :

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The brakes are mounted and parking brakes roughly adjusted:
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This weekend we moved on to the fuel tank. I will provide some info on that work shortly.

[Gadsden]

I ran into an issue with the Wilwood E-brake adapter that was received with my kit. Unfortunately, I did not realized that I had the wrong part until after it was powder coated. The issue was that the adapter had no way to insert the end of the e-brake cable.

Below is a picture of what i received in my kit:
112789 I would be interested to know if anyone knows what kit these "incorrect" parts are really for.

I emailed Factory Five on Sunday afternoon and had a reply first thing Monday morning. I received the replacement parts Wednesday afternoon. What I received was significantly different than what came in my kit. The adapters for one thing are quite a bit smaller, but it also included 2 spacer/extensions to address the issue connecting the cable to the handbrake assembly. In several builds i read where people needed to fab their own. It looks like it is part of the kit now.

Below is a picture of the new parts:
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Planning to get these parts installed this weekend and move on to the fuel tank installation.

[Logan]

I have the same "incorrect" parts as you.... the L-shaped bracket with a square hole in the smaller leg. I expected them to be for the Wilwood parking brake cable-to-caliper joint, but they're not correct for that. Doesn't matter to me since I'm not using the FFR Wilwoods, but I'd still like to know if these "incorrect" brackets have some other intended use.

[mtwarog]

I ran into an issue with the Wilwood E-brake adapter that was received with my kit. Unfortunately, I did not realized that I had the wrong part until after it was powder coated. The issue was that the adapter had no way to insert the end of the e-brake cable.

Below is a picture of what i received in my kit:
112789 I would be interested to know if anyone knows what kit these "incorrect" parts are really for.

.

I believe that part is #15170 Emergency Brake Mounting Bracket that came with my Gen2 coupe.
If you look close you can see I had that in my list to get powder coated, see right in below picture:
http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=71363&d=1501438332

Can see it used here:
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=113071&d=1566985619

Thanks.
-Matt

[edwardb]

I believe that part is #15170 Emergency Brake Mounting Bracket that came with my Gen2 coupe.
If you look close you can see I had that in my list to get powder coated, see right in below picture:
http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=71363&d=1501438332

Can see it used here:
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=113071&d=1566985619

Thanks.
-Matt

If those are the pieces in question (looks like they are) not used on the Gen 3 Coupe. Part of the standard E-brake kit of parts. But the Gen 3 Coupe mounts the E-brake handle on top of the tunnel and has mounting brackets already installed in the frame. Those pieces aren't used.

[Gadsden]

Thanks mtwarog, you are exactly right, that is what the parts in question were for. As Edwardb said, the Gen 3 mount is different and it bolts directly to the chassis.

The replacement kit that F5 sent worked perfectly and also included some extensions to extend from the cable ends to the handle assembly. I know Edwardb and others had to come up with their own solution to get the extra couple of inches. F5 now includes that.

I will update with pics of the completed install soon.

[Gadsden]

Last weekend got the e-brake installation completed. As i mentioned earlier, there were some missing parts that F5 sent out extremely quickly. Once I had the right parts it went pretty smoothly with no more surprises.

Below is a picture of the handbrake assembly. You can see the new extensions that F5 provided. I did end up putting a spare nut between the cable end of the extensions to take up some space. You can see in this pic how the assembly attaches to the frame as opposed to the Gen 2 pic a few post up.
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Next is the correct Wilwood adapter that I was initially missing. I did have to open up the slot slightly to get the cable end in, but nothing big. I also adjusted the calipers, one was way out of adjustment, the other was pretty close, but it all works nicely now.
113130

Lastly the fuel tank is installed and this coming weekend i will continue to follow the manual for the next steps. I think it is time to be ordering some line bending tools :-). I silicone'd thin strips of rubber around the perimeter of the tank where is meets the frame. I just did not like the idea of metal on metal here. The only issue with the install as i did need to get longer bolts to get the straps bolted up. I ended up needing to get 3 inch bolts, which were about half an inch longer, if I remember correctly. Not too interesting of a picture but here is the tank in place:
113131

Long holiday weekend coming up and I am hoping to spend a fair amount of time with this project, but my family may disagree!

[Gadsden]

The latest progress has been to get the peddle box done. The brake and clutch are installed and the MC's installed. This went pretty well with no issues. 114531

I have spend a lot of time on the accelerator part. The first curve that i had to deal with was that the accelerator seems to have been assembled backwards compared to the manual and the other pics i have seen on here:
114532

I disassembled it and pressed out the pin and then reassembled with the upper arm on the left side of the pivot point. I spend a lot of time thinking about placement and there was a good thread here (https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/showthread.php?33408-Accelerator-pedal-question)that help a ton. I have now figured out where i want to mount it. I will be about a inch above the existing hole (2nd from the bottom). I have good clearance around the steering column and will have a nice straight pull through the front panel and the steel steering support. I will provide pics once i drill and mount it!

I also decided to go with a Lokar cable for the throttle. This has a nice clean connection to the upper arm.

I have also been thinking and planning on a number of other items.
1. I have decided to go with an internal pump and the Pro-M hangar. After reviewing the Holley Sniper documentation and the info on the Pro-M web site, I think the 265 LPH High Flow Internal Fuel Pump will work well. I will order those parts soon and then drop the tank and install.

2. I am planning on the Tilton HRB, so i need a 3rd MC. I had purchased a Tilton MC but found that i had clearance issues with the top of the peddle box because it required a combination of AN adapters and reducers that was a mess. I returned that and now have a Wilwood on order that i know will fit much better.

This weekend i will drill and mount the accelerator and drill my access for the cable. I will also get the clutch MC mounted up and look at mounting the Tilton 3 chamber res.

[Logan]

What size clutch master-cylinder are you planning to use with the Tilton HRB?

[Gadsden]

What size clutch master-cylinder are you planning to use with the Tilton HRB?

If I recall correctly, per the Tilton documentation, it recommended a 13/16 MC. Will check my note and confirm.

Update: I got the Wilwood 260-10373 13/16" MC.

[Gadsden]

It has been a while since posting, been making progress, but not so good about updates.

I got the accelerator peddle sorted out and installed. This took a lot of planning, test fitting, etc, before finally drilling the holes. I think I ended up with a good position that clears the steering column and gives me a straight pull of the cable through the hole in the steering support. I ended up going with a Lokar cable also, not installed yet, but mocked up and then put away. Here is how the peddle box ended up:
116133

Here is a shot with some feet in the box:
116134

Lastly here is a shot with the aluminum panels off of the foot box:
116135

Next i moved on to removing the body and all the rest of the panels. Nothing to remarkable about this process. I marked up each panel showing overlap, orientation, etc, assigned it a number code and took pictures. Then i stamped each number code into the panel. I am hoping this stamp will help identify each part after powder coating. This next shot shows the chassis with all the panels off:
116136

Here are my boys doing their Flintstones impressions:
116137

Next up I finally moved on to drilling the panels and starting to drill the frame. Finally got to start using all those cleco's i got at the start of the project!
116138

The drilling continues but I have also made other progress. i have completed but not documented going the direction of a Pro M hanger and internal fuel pump. That combo is now installed and i will be working to make my fuel line connections next.

That is all for now. I will be back with some fuel line routing questions later this evening :-)

[Gadsden]

Hello forum, it has been many weeks since my last post, but i have been busy at it. Going into the holidays I had a goal to get the engine / trans installed over Christmas, while my dad and brother were here to help out......Well, I am happy to report that I made that milestone!

Leading up to the Holidays I was very busy getting the footbox panels drilled and fitted, primed, painted and then insulated.
Here the footbox is fitted up and the A/C bulkheads are in place:
121161

121163

Once the panels were fitted and drilled, I primed and painted them a "Light Machine Tool" gray. I wrestled with the PC vs. paint decision but I am glad i went this route. I have already experienced the ease of touch up. Here are the footbox panels painted:
121164

Once the paint was done, i applied sound and heat insulation layers. I went with a Second Skin and Dynamat combo.
121165

Before installing the engine / trans in, I had a few things to do to the TKO 600. I needed to install the midshift kit and the Tilton HRB. I removed the TKO from the engine and proceeded to install the midshift kit. I followed the Tremec instructions and it was fairly straight forward. It went smoothly until I got to the part where you remove the rear double shift socket. I somehow did not get it in neutral properly and ended up jamming the pin into the bottom of the case. After a few minutes wiggling I was able to confirm i was over the drain hole and finished driving the pin out. To confirm I was over the hole, i ran a thin wire down the center of the roll pin and made sure it would drop out. Here the 2 halves are going back together:
121166

Once back together I was able to run through all the gears nicely! Lastly I installed the HRB, this was easy but took my time to get it just right per the directions:
121167

The trans went back onto the engine with a little wiggling and muscle and all the bolts were torqued back to spec. Next it was time to get the lump in. This was a long day but ultimately successful. I think that one of my biggest mistakes was having the trans mount in place. It should have been removed and out of the way until much later. We focused on getting the PS mount lined up first and loosely held in place, then moved our attention to the DS mount. Here it is in place:
121168

Next I moved my attention to routing the fuel and rear brake lines. This was by far the most frustrating task so far! getting the bends just right and fitting them was a real job. As has been discussed before here, with the Coupe, there is no other option here except to run through the trans tunnel. I also installed a Driveshaft loop. Here you can see the lines and the loop in place.
121169

121170

With all that done I was not real happy with the trans alignment that is shifted pretty far to the DS. You can get an idea of where it ended up by looking at the driveshaft angle in the above pic. I think that P100DHG's post from earlier today is the answer to my issue as well. My alignment looks just like his did before he flipped the trans mount. I think i know what I will be tackling / re-doing this weekend.

In the coming days or weeks I will be wrapping up the fuel line connections to the hard lines and making a filler neck retainer, since the supplied does not really work with the Coupe frame.

[edwardb]

In the coming days or weeks I will be wrapping up the fuel line connections to the hard lines and making a filler neck retainer, since the supplied does not really work with the Coupe frame.

Nice progress. Maybe you saw the retainer I made for mine in my build thread. Pretty easy out of 1/8-inch aluminum and some split fuel hose. Retains the filler plus gives some support to the seal.

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=118983&d=1576443035

[Gadsden]

Well I spent this weekend (actually just Sat) addressing my sever driveshaft alignment / Trans issue. I found P100DHG's (https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/showthread.php?29393-P100DHG-Build-Thread-Gen-3-Coupe-138/page3) information invaluable and spot on.

After removing the motor mounts and grinding a clearance on each, all 4 bolts into the block went in perfectly. With the transmission mounting plate upside down, it shifted the mounting location an inch to the right and everything lined up perfectly.

I was really apprehensive about doing this work, as it was such an ordeal to get the engine in with the mounts not seated properly, but once fixed, everything dropped right in, super easily!

As a result of this work, i do need to revisit the driveshaft loop and make a few tweaks to it. Then moving on to the filler neck retainer. Thanks for the picture of your solution, Edwardb, I have mocked up something very similar to your solution.

[Gadsden]

Here is a pic that I think could be Brock, Remington and Shelby working on a Coupe......Or it could just be me, my father and brother posing in our team shirts that I gave everyone for Christmas!

121602

[P100DHG]

Well I spent this weekend (actually just Sat) addressing my sever driveshaft alignment / Trans issue. I found P100DHG's (https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/showthread.php?29393-P100DHG-Build-Thread-Gen-3-Coupe-138/page3) information invaluable and spot on.

After removing the motor mounts and grinding a clearance on each, all 4 bolts into the block went in perfectly. With the transmission mounting plate upside down, it shifted the mounting location an inch to the right and everything lined up perfectly.

I was really apprehensive about doing this work, as it was such an ordeal to get the engine in with the mounts not seated properly, but once fixed, everything dropped right in, super easily!

As a result of this work, i do need to revisit the driveshaft loop and make a few tweaks to it. Then moving on to the filler neck retainer. Thanks for the picture of your solution, Edwardb, I have mocked up something very similar to your solution.

I'm glad this helped. I think Factory Five could do us all a favor and just say in the manual. "There maybe interference that will cause XYZ issue here are some steps to fix it." I too lamented removing the engine off those motor mounts once I got them in. But was so please at how smooth it went in once the issue was corrected. As I progress further in the build the manual really becomes less useful and the forums and tech support become ever more vital.

I frequent Boulder, CO I do some volunteer work with the University's business school. We should try to meet up next time I'm in town, anyway love your updates, I am a follower of your build. I love that you're doing it with your kids and family, it's a great project, my 3 year old is becoming a pro with wrenches and it's been a great time bonding with my father in law.

Keep up the good work.

[Gadsden]

We definitely have to get together when you are in town. I will pm you my contact info.