32J's MKIV Build Thread, Project "Serpente" [Archive]

32J

04-07-2021, 06:05 PM

This is my first ever build so forgive me if this old hat to the experienced folks, but I'd thought I'd share a few things I've learned so far:

1) If your kit comes in a crate, save yourself a $100 and reuse the OSB sheet and lumber to build your body buck.
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2) The manual is good, but not 100% accurate. You'll need a lot more than a just 5/8 socket to remove the shell.

3) If crated, the frame rests directly on the deck. You'll likely have to jack-up in order to fit a socket underneath and have enough room to remove the screws holding the shell to the frame.
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4) Manual doesn't mention this, but the front body mounts are attached to the frame with front quick jack bolts, but also mounted to the shell by the holes for the turn lights. Be sure to remove them from the shell as well, before lifting the body off the frame. Otherwise you may ding the frame or the powder coating.
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5) Wear gloves when handling the fiberglass. I did most of the time, and the one time I didn't a glass fiber stabbed my index finger like a needle.
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6) If you have a floor jack, an engine stand, strapping or slings, and some rolling platforms, you should be able to maneuver the frame off the crate deck. (Or, if you have 3 strong buddies just hanging around...)
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7) If you have wheel dollies, you can temporarily put your jack stands on them, and then lower the frame off your hoist. You can then roll the frame to your desired spot.
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8) Inventory all the boxes and parts, open every bag and little box, inspect, and count everything down to the washer and butt connectors. If you're new to this like me, it's a great way to start getting familiar with all the parts. If you come across something that you can't reconcile to a parts description, take a photo. Also cross-reference against the Parts Order (backorder) List, as not everything that is missing is necessarily captured on that list. As I verified every part, I highlighted the part and quantity in yellow on the parts list. If something was missing and not on the POL, I put a red dot beside it. And if it was something that I want to eventually powder coat, I put a blue dot against it so that I could quickly find it in the pile of boxes when the time comes. Once you inventory everything send a message to FFR (including pics of unidentified parts) and they're really good about getting back to you quick with answers and confirmation.

Whew! What fun weekend that was! Next step is to start removing the mounted panels.

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Cheers,

32J

NYMike

04-07-2021, 09:37 PM

Good progress and all really good tips! Looks like you have a really nice space to work in.

32J

04-23-2021, 03:46 PM

Got the aluminum panels off and stored them out of the way. On examining the frame, I have to say that I'm a bit disappointed in the amount of weld spatter, especially around the rear suspension pieces. Just 2 or 3 minutes with an angle grinder and a flapper disc would have made a big improvement in appearance and integrity before powder coating.

"But no one will ever see it!" you might say. Well, the spatter is like sand paper, which means the powder coating isn't as thick or durable in those spots, and any water that splashes around back there won't bead off and will just sit on the spatter.

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Maybe I'll just clean the areas really good and overspray with some black paint. Has anyone else done this?

Thanks,

32J

32J

09-11-2021, 03:46 PM

Well, 3/4 year, 9 months, 275 days since I ordered my full complete kit, ...and I still don't have all the parts. Stupid COVID!

Anyway, at least I put the F-panels on. That's as far as I've gotten. I don't even have the lower control arms yet for the front suspension.
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In the meantime, I've ordered a particle filter, coalescing filter, and a desiccant dryer for my compressed air. Also looking at ordering an HVLP gun to Cerakote some parts.

32J

09-18-2021, 02:40 PM

Well, almost 10 months after my full kit order and I still don't have all the parts. So, decided to advance some of the bodywork as much as practical. I put a particle filter, coalescing filter, and dessicant dryer on my air system. I also picked up a bench-top sandblast cabinet for $90. I ordered my Cerakote C-Series starter kit and it should arrive in a couple of weeks.

I'm using recycled glass grit, 50-100 mesh. I first tested it on an old rusty horse shoe. For my set-up, 90 psi was better than 50 psi because if the pressure is too low, the flow velocity is not high enough to create a steady vacuum to draw grit into the inlet tube. At 90 psi I was getting consistent grit.

This first photo shows the quick jacks. Left is untouched, middle one is rubbed with VF Scotchbrite, and the right one is rubbed with VF autobody sandpaper.
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In this next photo, the bottom one is sandblasted AFTER Scotchbrite (top photo). Seems that the the finish is more consistent if you Scotchbrite first, and then sandblast.
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For the next test, I wanted to try some of the chrome-plated parts. I decided to test the set-up on the headlight bezel mount rings. Left photo is Scotchbrite, right photo is original finish.
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Here we see the sandblasted (right) next to the scotchbrite.
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Again, seemed like I had the most consistent finish by using scotchbrite first, and then complete with the sandblasting.
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So, if I'm dealing with a chrome-plated part, looks my preferred method is to scotchbrite first, and then sandblast. Sandblast may at first seem to be quicker route, but in order to make sure you get every nook and cranny you have to stop regularly to inspect. If you scotchbrite first (especially if the parts are larger and have simple geometry) you'll minimize the time for surface prep.

I'll clean the parts with acetone in a couple of weeks and then try the Cerakote. If all goes well then I can start preparing the other parts.

32J

09-25-2021, 02:58 PM

Decided to try Cerakote on some relatively "unseen" parts first. The starter kit came with three sample bottles, and one of the ones I chose was C-148 Burnt Bronze. Decided to try it on the rear spindles and diff cover. I hope I did the prep right! ...Only time will tell.

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Straversi

09-26-2021, 08:30 AM

Looks good. Please do us a favor and post periodically on how the DIY Cerakote is holding up. They have some nice finishes.
-Steve

32J

09-26-2021, 11:50 AM

Will do. I think the headlight bezels, mirror, and windshield frame will see a lot of exposure as the miles go by. Should be able to report on how well the Cerakote holds-up. For the air-cure C-series coatings, the the color and finish options aren't as extensive as the oven-cure H-series. Still, the ability to apply a a durable finish without primer and extensive prep-work is a definite plus.

32J

09-26-2021, 05:58 PM

Seems that the Ford Mustang 8.8 IRS Differential came with about 0.36L (0.38 qt) of gear oil already installed for shipping. I was only able to pour in 1.173L (1.24 qt) of new oil before it came out the fill plug.

And according to Mustang forums, the torque for the fill plug is 20 ft-lb. But that still seemed a bit loose (must have been the teflon tape I put on). I gave it another 1/2 turn. About 2 to 2 1/2 threads showing both the drain plug and the fill plug.

32J

10-01-2021, 12:36 AM

Whether you want to or you have to, it is possible to install the IRS differential yourself. You'll need an engine hoist, a chain fall, a floor jack or dolly, and at least 3 winch straps. With engine hoist, chain fall, and a winch strap, lift the IRS up from the front mounting arms. You may want to use a small chain or solid core wire to cinch the strapping to keep it from slipping off accidentally. Once the shaft end is high enough, use a second strap tied to the transmission tunnel bracing, to slowly pull the shaft coupling end down. Then use the 3rd winch strap to create a basket under the differential, and tied against the back trunk frame. You can use this strap to slowly lift the back end of the differential. From this point, it's just a slow dance of pulling the front down and lifting the back up, while also using the chain fall and engine hoist to adjust vertical position. The chain fall (and a dead blow hammer) is absolutely needed for fine adjustments in order to get the mounting bolts in.

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32J

10-03-2021, 09:18 AM

Whew! I thought installing the IRS was a challenge. Every single mounting IRS mounting bracket on the frame, or the spindle-end brackets, were too tight for the corresponding bushings. Even if the bushings are tight into the tubes, the metal pivot sleeves may be proud. In some instances the clearance in the brackets were up to 1/8" smaller than the width of the bushing/sleeve. Is this interference caused by the powder coating? Probably doesn't explain all of the interference. Maybe the distance between the mounting tabs shrunk after welding? Perhaps. Anyway, I'm not sure if there is an easier or smarter way, but I had to work with what I had.

With a machinists ruler or some locking calipers, measure the bushing/sleeve and then compare to the mounting bracket. Then use some 5/8" bolts and nuts, or some 1/2" threaded rod and some nuts, and thread them through the mounting brackets to create a power-screw to spread the tabs. If using 1/2" threaded rod you'll need a metal plate on one side of the bracket to keep the rod from going through the hole. Spread the tabs maybe a 1/16" to 1/8" to allow for spring-back after you remove the bolts or rod. You can then mount the arms to either the IRS frame or onto the spindles.

Does spreading the mounting brackets mess-up alignment long-term? I don't know. Everything looked pretty square and tight after I torqued the bolts to spec. I'm going to trust that alignment of the IRS arms can be adjusted and locked.

I admit that it took me a while to figure out the first one, and find the bolts, and cut some threaded rod to size, etc. This "nuance" (or "nuisance?" :p) added about 10 minutes to each end of the bracket. Overall it probably added an hour to the IRS assembly. Should this be added as a note in the manual?

Some photos:

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32J

10-09-2021, 09:40 AM

Got around to installing the 12.88 Wilwood brakes. Some thoughts for newbies preparing to do this for the first time:

1) You'll need 12 point sockets for the hat to rotor bolts as well as the caliper mounting nuts. Start shopping to buy or borrow. My local hardware and home stores had very limited selection, and if they carry anything it's usually on the larger sizes and only one socket at a time... which is expensive. I ended up getting a set through Amazon.

2) Safety wire

Debur / Chamfer
I was about to abandon the whole idea because the hat to rotor bolts are very close to the rotor ID, and it was very difficult to pull the wire through without nicks. I found a solution somewhere on the internet (may have been one of the forums... can't remember as it was late at night). The holes for the lock wire are very sharp, which is what catches the 0.032" SS wire. Use a Dremel tool with a small deburring bit or sharp-pointed sanding bit. For each rotor, go around all 12 bolts and de-bur or chamfer each hole for 2-3 seconds. A total of 48 holes per rotor. This made a HUGE difference in me being able to pull the safety wire through, especially if the hole was towards the ID of of the rotor.
Safety Wire Pliers
In addition to saving a lot of time, they also ensure tight and consistent twisting of the wire. For the 12.88" rotors, I found that 4 1/2 pulls of the wire gave the target range of 8-10 twists per inch.
Getting it tight
As you pull one end of the twisted wire through the 2nd bolt of the pair, getting it tight to the head of the bolt can be a challenge. I didn't have my rotors clamped down, so maybe that could have helped. But if you have small, NON-SERRATED HAMMER, gently tap the wire into the hole after you've pulled it as far as you can (tap and pull at same time). This slight impact action will get the wire snug into the bolt.
Length
For the 12.88" Wilwoods, I found that 10" of the 0.032 SS wire was about the ideal length to lock a pair of the bolts. So, 12 bolts per rotor / 2 bolts per pair x 10" per pair = 60" or 5 feet of safety wire per rotor. So you'll need at least 20 ft for a complete set of brakes. Give yourself some extra for practicing! I went through about 5' until I figured out the deburring / chamfering and tap method.

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Caliper Mounting
You'll have to mount and remove the caliper bracket, brake rotor/hat, and the caliper several times as you check for alignment and centering. I don't know if there is a better way to center the calipers, but this is what I did:
1) I used my digital caliper to measure the distance from the inside of the caliper to each side of the rotor.
2) Subtract the distance between those two measurements.
4) If the distance is MORE than the 0.029" shims used on the caliper mounting bracket to the spindle, then adding or removing a shim will make things better (depending on which side of the rotor the caliper was offset). If the difference between the two offset measurements is LESS than 0.029", then that's as good as it's going to get and the calipers are 'centered.'
5) I used the same method for installing the brake pads into the caliper, but using my digital caliper depth gauge to make sure the top of the pods were flush with the OD of the rotor. You can add or remove the 0.035" caliper bracket shims as needed.

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For the rear-end only, it took me about 8 hours for mounting the hats to the discs, safety wire, then mounting the calipers and parking brake calipers. Should go quicker for the front brakes when the time comes.

E-Brake Cables
I wasn't comfortable with how the recommended routing of the e-brake cables, under the 4" frame tube, came too close the bracket for the passenger seat-belt lug. Over time I could see the sheathing around the cables starting to wear through, especially on the sharp edge of the steel. See photos:

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So what I ended up doing was to take some spare 5/16" hose slit it down the axes, and slide it around the brake lines. Secured with zip ties on either end. There may be better ways to handle this, but I think this will work in the short term at least. I'll see how it holds up.
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32J

11-10-2021, 09:51 PM

The Lower Control Arms finally arrived, so I resumed work on the front suspension. Some notable points:

1) I had to notch the F-Panels slightly because of interference with the upper control arms.
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2) The steering arms look symmetrical, right? WRONG! The hole for the tie-rod ends are tapered, and the larger end faces down for the MKIV, as the tie-rod ends are inserted from the bottom.
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It's a subtle point that isn't fully mentioned in the manual. My fault for not test-fitting the tie-rod ends into the arms first, before I bolted them to the spindle. (More on this in separate post, below.)

3) Straps help hold the spindle when torqueing the ball joint castle nuts.
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4) Straps and some blocking also help hold everything steady as you torque the hub nuts.
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So, other than the steering arm incident, things went as planned.

32J

32J

11-10-2021, 10:05 PM

Installed the firewall panel and the front panel for the drivers footbox. Also cut the holes for the Vintage Air heater/defroster Box.

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Despite all my measuring, and measuring again, using the template from the F5 instructions, the copper inlet and outlet tubes were not centered in the holes. This would cause stress with the grommets or cause an air cap. So, what I did was install the box with the grommets around the holes, and made sure the tubes were centered. I then marked new mounting holes in the heater box (six in total). I then mixed some baking powder with crazy glue to seal-up the old holes and reinforce the area where I would be drilling the new holes. CAUTION: If you do this, keep your nose / eyes away from the super glue and baking powder as it's reacting... it puts off a nasty vapor.

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I filed down the makeshift plastic, put it back in the firewall, centered the tubes, and then I pre-drilled the holes before I put the screws in. The superglue and baking powder is very hard, but not necessary tough; it may cracking if you just put the screws straight in without a pilot hole. After everything looked good, I sealed it all up with high-temp RTV silicone and and installed the blower on the front of the firewall. I wrapped it all in plastic to keep dust out of the heater.
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And here's the front panel for the driver's foot box:
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I followed the rivet pattern shown in the manual. I put silicone everywhere, but I'm wondering if I should put a few more rivets in?

32J

32J

11-10-2021, 10:11 PM

Front brakes went fairly smooth. Digital micrometer very handy. For the 12.88" Wilwoods, the front brakes come with 0.016" and 0.035" shims, but most of mine were around 0.014" and 0.029". I used the micrometer to sort them all, so that when I measured the caliper clearance on either side of the rotor, I could select the precise shims to use on the caliper mounting bracket, to get the calipers to within 0.005" of center.

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32J

32J

11-10-2021, 10:35 PM

Installing the steering rack went okay, at first. Had to use a strap to get the passenger side bolt into place. Had trouble getting the tie-rods into the steering arms. Turns out, I put them upside down. (I'm now part of the Steering Arm Club, apparently :p.) They may look symmetrical, but they are not. There should be an extra note in the manual, to indicate that the holes for the tie rod ends are tapered, and the larger hole should face down, so that the tie rod end can be inserted from the bottom. Manual only mentions the insertion from the bottom. For newbies like me, hard to tell with the naked eye that the holes are tapered. Live and learn, right?

Quickly learned that that there's no way to switch the steering arms without either a) separating the lower ball joint from the spindle, or b) pulling the bearing hub off the spindle. I tried the "just hammer the spindle on the side method" a few times, but that didn't work. And I was nervous about putting all that impact shock on the spindle castings and the front bearings. I tried a "universal" ball joint separator from Canadian Tire, but the max opening of the jaws was about 3/8" too small. And I really didn't want to take off the hub nuts, mostly because I believe you can only torque those things once (one and done). I would have to buy some new ones.

I'll skip all the stuff about removing the calipers, rotors, and front shocks. To separate the lower ball joint, this is what I did:

1) Loosen the lower castle nut, but don't take it off! When she brakes loose you want the nut to hold everything. I also sprayed a little Liquid Wrench down the stud and into the spindle casting, for extra juice.
2) Make a power screw using a bolt and nut. Cut it a bit short so that you can insert some steel plates or shims between the screw and the ball joint studs.
3) You'll need something like a vise grip wrench to hold the head of the bolt, while you use a crescent wrench to turn the nut up and slowly start to put opposing pressure on the top ball joint stud and the lower ball joint stud.
4) If it doesn't come apart after a few turns, (you may hear small creak as it breaks loose a bit), take a mallet or hammer and tap the side of the spindle a few times. If it still doesn't come loose, turn the nut of the power screw a bit more.

BANG! (Well, that's the sound mine made when they finally came loose.) What an ordeal. Anyway, switched the arms and got everything bolted back up, threadlocked, and torqued back to spec. The whole incident probably cost me about 8 hours. LEARN FROM MY STUPIDNESS! Test-fit the tie-rod ends in the steering arms before you bolt them to the spindles! ;)

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32J

edwardb

11-10-2021, 10:49 PM

JB in NOVA

11-10-2021, 10:59 PM

There should be an extra note in the manual, to indicate that the holes for the tie rod ends are tapered, and the larger hole should face down, so that the tie rod end can be inserted from the bottom. Manual only mentions the insertion from the bottom. For newbies like me, hard to tell with the naked eye that the holes are tapered. Live and learn, right?

Yup. Been there, done that. https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/showthread.php?35795-JB-in-NOVA-s-MK4-build-First-cars-amp-coffee!/page2 (post #43).

32J

11-11-2021, 06:10 AM

This assembly error is reported occasionally. Not to dwell on what happened... But for the sake of others following your thread, you're right the manual doesn't specifically explain about the direction of the taper for the steering. But what it does say is:

"The spindles are marked DSS (Driver Side Spindle) and PSS (Passenger Side Spindle). These refer to the way they are mounted on the FFR Hot Rod. Which is rear steer. The FFR Roadster uses these as front steer so they are mounted opposite. The DSS spindle is mounted on the Passenger side and the PSS spindle is mounted on the Driver side." (bold is mine)

Did you see this? If followed, they will be on the proper side and the taper facing the proper direction. Also agree though it's a good thing to check before torqueing and locking everything down. I personally mock up as much as I can before finalizing. May take a bit longer to build that way. But helps a little.

Glad you got it sorted out. I wish all my errors only took eight hours to correct. :rolleyes:

Yes, I was aware of the DSS and PSS being reversed for the MKIV, and I did get them installed on the correct sides. But my steering arms were shipped loose or separate from the spindles, so perhaps they are supposed to be shipped as a set? Or, do some spindles have the steering arms already attached? Not in my set, anyway.

I tried to keep calm about the whole thing. I knew there would be ups and downs through the build. I'll definitely be mocking things up more than what I had been. Steering linkage is next.

32J

32J

11-11-2021, 06:22 AM

Yup. Been there, done that. https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/showthread.php?35795-JB-in-NOVA-s-MK4-build-First-cars-amp-coffee!/page2 (post #43).

I panicked at first, but then after researching the forums I learned that it is not an uncommon mistake for a lot of first-timers like me. I wonder if FFR Tech gets ideas from all the forums on what revisions they can make to the manuals? Adding clarity on the tapered holes of the steering arms would take like, what... an extra sentence? They already mention that the tie-rod ends insert from the bottom, but the tapered holes on the steering arms are not easy to recognize with the naked eye. The extra words in the manual would certainly save grief, time, money for some, and possible damage to components as folks try figuring out how to separate the ball joints from the spindles. :confused:

And like edwardb suggested, I now have reason to mock things up even more than what I had been before.

edwardb

11-11-2021, 10:44 AM

But my steering arms were shipped loose or separate from the spindles, so perhaps they are supposed to be shipped as a set? Or, do some spindles have the steering arms already attached? Not in my set, anyway.

32J

I've never received them already assembled and have never seen anyone that did. Have received them four at the same time. But also at different times. Especially during the time when spindles were backordered. For my truck, I received the steering arms with the original kit delivery. The spindles some months later like everyone else.

32J

11-14-2021, 03:51 PM

Installed the Wilwood pedal box this weekend. I left about an 3/16" clearance between the brake lever and the cross member, and I set the clutch pedal to be flush or in the same plane as the brake pedal. I only really had two issues that I eventually fixed:

1) The total gap along the balance bar is supposed to be 0.20 to 0.25", while mine started at about 0.355". Took me a while to figure out how to get it down, to around 0.225". The master cylinder threaded rods now look parallel and operation is smooth and free of any obstructions or binding.

2) The brake switch plunger was not activated at all, even with the PAL nuts threaded all the way to the switch housing. Both PAL nuts are 0.175" thick, so I filed down the one between the switch and the mounting tab to 0.100". That did the trick. I checked the brake activation with my multimeter continuity, and the switch is activated on very slight press on the brake pedal, like about 1/16".

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Railroad

11-15-2021, 09:00 AM

Keep an eye on that close tolerance activation brake light switch. Brake lights stuck on will run the battery down. Of course you may be using a master disconnect switch. Very nice work!

32J

11-17-2021, 06:03 PM

Loose-fitted the steering shaft assembly. While keeping the lower shaft flush with the inside of the upper u-joint, the shaft stuck-out or was 'proud' of the lower u-joint bore by 0.193." At first I thought it would be okay, but I rotated the steering shafts through 360° and there was contact.

Others have said that they just mounted the foot box flanged bearing on the inside of the front wall, rather than on the engine-bay side as in the instruction manual. This wasn't an option for me, though, because the mount plate for the Wilwood pedal box would interfere with the flange and cause it to not sit flat against the wall.

So, I just took a cut-off wheel and removed 0.193" from the end of the shaft, filed it down smooth, and assembled it back into the u-joint. Tightened everything up and it all works fine.

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32J

32J

11-20-2021, 06:49 PM

Started on the fuel tank today. Put in the vent and the fuel gauge sending unit. I'm holding off on the fuel pick-up until I confirm with the engine supplier that the 340LPH fuel pump is indeed in-line.

Really the only issue was that the hinges for the fuel tank straps were too tight for the socket head bolts. So I just took a pin bar and stretched them a little.

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I also painted some more of the aluminum panels. Anywhere that is visible I'm using VHT Chassis & Roll Bar (Satin Black). How durable it is over the long run... I guess we'll find out! But it's fairly inexpensive and easy to apply. And touch-ups will be easy. The only complaint I have about it is that is not very run-resistant. You have to make sure all the panels are flat when you spray, and spray 2-3 light coats.

32J

32J

12-05-2021, 09:21 PM

Put the fuel tank on hold while I wait for the engine package to arrive. Started on the footboxes and cockpit aluminum.

For the passenger side transmission tunnel, I had to notch and file a bit more of the panel to fit the emergency brake bracket. I had opened the mounting tabs a bit so that I could get more clearance between the tunnel and the handle. As a result of these modifications, the factory panel was interfering in a few spots so I had to make some adjustments.
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I also put asphalt undercoating on the underside of the floor pans. I may yet do another full coating when it's done, but it's easier to do it before I put the tins down. I put the coating on first, then I removed the masking tape and finished with a coat of VFT Chassis paint.
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For the floors, I put the seat in each side and marked where the seat frame and cross bars would sit on the floor. I was sure to space the rivets so that the frame would not sit on the rivets.
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For the drivers footbox, it helps to cleco everything and then double-check your foot clearance. I tried with my regular hikers and with my skinnier Skechers. I ended up moving the Wilwood brake and and clutch foot plates to the left, to give my foot more clearance at the gas pedal. Overall, being 5'10 1/2" with 10.5 feet, the standard panel kick-outs by FFR that came with the MKIV will suit me just fine.

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One tip is for the drivers front footbox tin. If you're following the sequence in the manual, the front footbox tin goes in before the manual gets to the cockpit aluminum. When looking from the front of the car towards the footbox, don't rivet the top left (diagonal) part of the the front panel. Eventually (page 325 of the e-manual), you'll have to place the top of the footbox, and the flange tucks inside of the footbox front panel. I actually had to drill these two rivets out so that I could dry-fit and drill all the footbox panels.
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In the end, I think I did an okay job.
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32J

12-20-2021, 01:54 PM

Reservoirs
Took me a while to figure out how I wanted to mount the reservoirs. I've settled on mounting them to the engine bay square tube, just ahead of the footbox. I've read other posts on making sure that the mounting plate does not extend more than 12" past the edge of the footbox, to ensure clearance with the hood gas strut.

I sourced a 3/8 aluminum plate. This thickness, plus the reservoir mounting brackets, will put the reservoir caps about 7/8" out from the square tube. I cut the plate so that the bottom would be level with the chassis (assuming no rake). I drilled and tapped the 1/4-20 holes for the socket head cap screws, and positioned them so that top of reservoirs would be level. I staggered reservoir clamps so they would fit on the mount bracket. I did this to leave more room the wiring harness out of the front of the pedal box. I also chamfered the corners, which will also leave more clearance for the wiring harness. Coated with satin black VHT chassis paint, and bolted to the frame with 1/4-20 Grade 5 SAE bolts. I also used spring washers and some blue locktite.

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Brake Lines
Four tips I'll share with other newbies, that I wish I knew before I started:
1) For the rear Wilwood brake instructions, they get into mounting the clips that hold the flexible brake lines to the hard brake lines. But the tip on possibly BENDING the tabs slightly comes further along in the e-version of the manual. Bending the tabs is necessary to plumb-in the hard brake lines. Bending these tabs after they're already riveted will take some creative clamping :), in addition to being a waste of time.

2) The coating on the brake lines in the kit scrapes off very easily. Make sure it doesn't get into the lines or into the fittings. Should also place some tape or rubber gasket in the pedal box front panel where the lines run, to keep the lines from scraping.

3) Tube bender is handy. Some various sizes of impact sockets are also useful for bending and creating coils (impact sockets have more grip).

4) The 60" line between the two front brakes is BARELY long enough, so long as you don't follow the geometry of the frame too tightly. When running along the 2x3 vertical channels, take the diagonal. My first try was was too tight, and I went straight up and down the 2x3s, and I ended-up ditching it and starting over because it didn't reach the full distance. But I did eventually straighten and re-use the line for the run to the rear brakes.

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Don't forget to double-check the tightness of all fittings. Also take care to make sure the lines are either safely away from any metal surface, or, is secure and really tight to the steel. Want to avoid any road vibration from brinnelling the lines. Overall I think I did okay running the lines.

Bleeding
I 'bench' bleeded the 2 3/4" Wilwood Master Cynlinders in-place, i.e. on the pedal box. I had some spare 20" 3/16" brake line and some tubing to route the discharge back to the reservoir. Try to position the clear tubing at the high point so that you can see the accumulation of any air bubbles. Wilwood says cylinders should be level when bleeding, because otherwise some air may get trapped in the bore in certain spots. The default installation is that the MCs angle up towards the driver (discharge). For the bench bleed I jacked-up the front of the frame to make the MCs level, and that seemed to help get the last bits of air out.

I followed the Wilwood 'purge' bleed method (YouTube), because of the dual MC and balance bar set-up. Just made some bleed bottles out of old Gatorade bottles (fully cleaned and dried-out before starting). It took a LONG time to purge the passenger side, both front and back, at the same time. Stayed patient, and gently tapped the calipers with a rubber mallet every once in a while. If you see air bubbles at the top of the clear tubbing, you should release the brake pedal very, very slowly to allow the air bubbles to continue migrating to the top. Otherwise, you'll just suck them back into the line. Once the pedal is back at the top, you can then push the bubbles out.

Railroad

12-20-2021, 03:25 PM

The steel pre flared lines are inexpensive and available at most auto parts stores. Do not feel boxed in a corner if you mess up a stick or two.

32J

12-20-2021, 08:42 PM

My local auto store has a limited supply. Otherwise, I have to drive into the 'big city' a 1/2 hour away.

Every $1 I save is going towards bodywork and paint! :)

Fman

12-20-2021, 10:00 PM

Nice work on everything, just one comment on your front drivers side brake line location. It appears you ran it on the lower channel? (appears that way in the pic) Just keep in mind that area gets very hot with the exhaust in close proximity. It probably would still work but definitely adds more heat to the line, some (myself included) opted to go up on the upper channel behind the brake/clutch reservoirs to keep the line away from the heat. Just something to think about.

I really like how you ran the brake lines near the MC's. They are off to the side and won't get in the way if you ever have to replace the clutch MC. I just had to replace my clutch MC and the way you have them run is about perfect to clear up as much room as possible.

Build on...:D

32J

12-21-2021, 10:27 AM

Hmm.... Hadn't thought about the heat right there. Thanks for pointing that out. First build... followed the recommended path from FFR for the most part. The top 3/4" tube will have the reservoir bracket, and the hood gas strut I think. Maybe it would be too crowded to re-run the front brake line up there?

I will now reverse-rationalize my approach, which is what I usually do when I realize I could have made a better decision :). Bear with me: I do this to make myself feel better!
- I'm in Canada. Overheating is usually not a problem. Hahaha.
- Brake fluid boils at 400°F, correct? Engine bay temps, generally, may reach 250°F at most (?). Yes, it may be hotter above the exhaust headers on the drivers side. The car will be a cruiser and not tracked, so I think (hope?) that the heat output of the engine won't be consistently hot to the point that brake fluid will boil.
- I ran the line along the top outside corner of the 3/4" tube, so hopefully the tube it self will provide some shielding.
- I have an infrared temperature gun. During go-kart I'll measure the temps in that area and if I'm really worried, maybe I can install some heat-shielding. I think there is some heatshield foil tape that is made for this purpose. It won't look pretty, but I knew going in that I would not be building a show car. I'm not an experienced fabricator by any means.

I'll have to think about this some more. Are there reports of guys actually boiling their brake fluid to the point of brake failure? I would think FFR would have heard about that by now and they would have recommended an alternate routing in their manual

Thanks!

edwardb

12-21-2021, 11:18 AM

Hmm.... Hadn't thought about the heat right there. Thanks for pointing that out. First build... followed the recommended path from FFR for the most part. The top 3/4" tube will have the reservoir bracket, and the hood gas strut I think. Maybe it would be too crowded to re-run the front brake line up there?

I will now reverse-rationalize my approach, which is what I usually do when I realize I could have made a better decision :). Bear with me: I do this to make myself feel better!
- I'm in Canada. Overheating is usually not a problem. Hahaha.
- Brake fluid boils at 400°F, correct? Engine bay temps, generally, may 250°F. Yes, it may be hotter above the exhaust headers on the drivers side. The car will be a cruiser and not tracked, so I think (hope?) that the heat output of the engine wont' be consistently hot to the point that brake fluid will boil.
- I ran the line along the top outside corner of the 3/4" tube, so hopefully the tube it self will provide some shielding.
- I have an infrared temperature gun. During go-kart I'll measure the temps in that area and if I'm really worried, maybe I can install some heat-shielding.

I'll have to think about this some more. Are there reports of guys actually boiling their brake fluid to the point of brake failure? I would think FFR would heard about that by now and I would have recommended an alternate routing.

Thanks!

Given the choice, I do run my front brake lines on the outside of the top 3/4" tube. If on the outside, doesn't interfere with either the reservoirs or the hood gas struts. I can't say that heat would be a problem on the lower tube. But it's an easy decision IMO to keep the line further away. FWIW. The clips showing in this picture are for the front harness. Also run along the outside of the top tube.

https://hosting.photobucket.com/albums/ab234/edwardb123/Factory%20Five%2020th%20Anniversary%20Mark%204%20R oadster/Fuel%20and%20Brake%20Lines/.highres/IMG_3974_zpsirmr3paz.jpg?width=590&height=370&fit=bounds (https://app.photobucket.com/u/edwardb123/a/844a0beb-1ecb-4083-86f3-88969cc43846/p/99bb472b-0b32-4478-ae0f-1a26c3aceef9)

32J

12-21-2021, 12:21 PM

That sure is pretty.

32J

12-21-2021, 06:50 PM

I decided to try ceramic coating the exhaust headers and side pipes myself. Going with Cerakote C-7600 Glacier Black (air cure). Step one is to burn-off any residue or oils from manufacturing or shipping. Not a full bake, but a step in the right direction.

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I had the tiger torch on each piece for about a minute, but surface temps only got up to 120-130°F or so. Maybe the emissivity setting on my infrared temperature gun is off. Or, it would take much, much longer for the heat to soak through all the metal. I repeated the process 3 more times. At any rate, I saw some smoke so I'm confident I at least did some good! Next step will be to degrease, sandblast (headers) or sand by hand (side pipes). The side pipes won't fit in my sandblast cabinet. I'll then degrease and heat one more time before applying the ceramic. Wish me luck!

Headers and Ball Joints
After my first round of burning / heating with the tiger torch, I then sprayed the headers and ball joints with brake cleaner. This is because I don't want to contaminate the glass bead in my sandblast cabinet with any oils. Set the pressure for about 90 psi at the cabinet. I think I got a pretty good rough surface (felt like medium (200) grit emery cloth), and anything I wasn't able to reach or get properly, I finished by hand with some medium grit emery cloth. You can see the before and after in this photo:

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Using chain and steel wire, I hung up the headers. The optimum point is high enough that you can kneel down and spray up, but also low enough that you can spray down. Also leave plenty of room to walk around the part completely with the spray gun. I then soaked again with brake cleaner, and let it evaporate for a couple of hours. I then hit the parts with the tiger torch one more time, to get rid of any final contaminants. Let it cool overnight.

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Next morning I hit them with the air gun to blow off any dust or glass bead, then masked off the gasket surfaces. Then coated with the C-7600 Glacier Black following the Cerakote instructions. Here are some pics roughly 30 minutes after coating (still wet):

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I'll let parts air cure through Boxing Day. Next week, I'll coat the side pipes.

UPDATE: There was some flaking on two of the tubes of one of the headers. Not sure if I didn't blast that area properly, or was it wasn't properly cleaned, or maybe the coating wasn't sufficiently shaken / mixed. I had to re-blast the defective areas. I then took a blowtorch to the bad areas, and after it cooled down, a bit more flaked. So, I blasted those areas clean. I then re-coated. We'll see if it lasts.

Side Pipes
Sure wish I had more room to apply the coating. Shooting from all directions is important. And good lighting! (Or good eyesight.) I think I missed a bit of the mounting on one pipe, but otherwise I think they came out okay.

32J

12-28-2021, 06:37 PM

Wheels
Had my wheels powder coated a satin black. Here is before and after:
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Tires
Went with Nitto NT555 G2s, 255/40R17 fronts and 315/35R17 rears. The most balance was on one of the larger rear wheels, at 3.0 Oz.

Mounting
I temporarily mounted the wheels without the lug nut covers, tri-wings and adapters. I still need to get some anti-seize for the adapters. I'm also trying to figure out the best way to secure the adapters to the back of the wheel so that it doesn't spin in the bore when you're trying to spin the tri-wings on. Do most guys just use RTV?

IRS Axle Nuts to 45° Past Torque
Dropped the car onto dollies, and locked the dollies from rolling so that I can finish tightening the IRS axle nuts. With just the e-brake engaged, I was able to over-tighten about 20-25° past torque spec, but then the wheel and axle started turning. Now with the wheels on and the car sitting on the ground (dollies), I tried again. Must have put 300 ft-lb on the breaker bar, both sides, and the axle nuts would still not turn any more. I think I'll try again after go-kart testing, to see if anything loosens up a bit. But as it stands now, I was only able to rotate the IRS axle nuts about 20-25° past torque spec.

32J

01-29-2022, 07:05 PM

Undercoating

Being in Canada, some DIY bed liner options are limited. The Dupli-Color kit in town was $170, whereas the same kit by Dominion Seal (Canadian Co), called EZ Liner was $120. Good for fiberglass.

1) Sanded the entire underside with 80 grit paper
2) Vacuum
3) Air Gun
4) Wipe down with clean water
5) Air Gun
6) Wipe down with Wax & Grease remover and let dry for a couple of hours.
7) First coat of EZ Liner.
8) Let coat sit 24 hours (at 70F, if possible)
9) Air gun
10) Second coat EZ Liner.

I did NOT put the accelerator chemical into the mix for the first coat. I knew I'd be putting on a second coat, and I didn't want the liner to set-up in the can overnight. The mixture with the polymer/rubber was noticeably thicker the next day, but still easy to apply. I used 2, 2" paint brushes from the dollar store. I didn't bother with the roller because of those glorious curves in the body! :cool:

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32J

04-30-2022, 06:59 PM

The motor package from Fortes finally arrived. Haven't done much on the build while it was coming, because I was waiting for upgraded fuel pump in the motor package, so that I could install the tank and get on with the fuel lines, cockpit tins, and the heat and noise insulation.

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I didn't know what I would get with the Holly Sniper 12-345 fuel pump. As it turns out... not much! All the 5/16 stuff in the base kit is not useable. Going with 3/8 copper nickle hard line and -6 AN PTFE braided hoses. Just waiting for quotes from a few vendors.

I wanted to at least install the starter on the motor, but the shipping bracket is in the way. I'll have to hoist the motor up before I can complete any motor bits. I had to drive to 3 hardware stores before I could find the M14-2.0mm bolts for the lift points on the motor casing. The lift brackets from TDMotion wiould cost me $130+ Canadian, so I'll make my own brackets. I have plenty of 10mm thick aluminum plate in the shop. 30ksi shear and 40ksi yield... plenty strong enough.

32J

05-14-2022, 03:41 PM

Coyote Accelerator Pedal and Pedal Mount

Well, there's 6 hours I wish I had back. A lot of cutting, grinding, and filing. A lot of test fits. A lot of trigonometry. A lot of butter. I seriously think this was the most frustrating part of the build thus far (other than waiting for parts).

There are already a few posts on this topic. I hope someone from FFR takes some of these mods into consideration, as they may save future customers some aggravation and time.

My novice advice for those about to modify the Coyote accelerator pedal and FFR supplied mounting bracket:

Follow the initial instructions on modifying the pedal.
Bolt the pedal to the mounting bracket, then grind the pedal 'ears' to match the profile of the bracket ears. An angle grinder with a flapper disc works fast, so be careful and then finish the final strokes with a rasp file.

Grind the right side of the top tab of the mounting bracket, so that you can push the bracket as close as possible to the inboard footbox panel.
Grind the right side of the mounting bracket where it touches the 3/4" square tube in the foot box, again, this is to allow you push the mounting bracket to the right.
On the right side of the pedal, grind off any unneeded webbing where it would touch with 3/4" square tube in the foot box.
On the mounting bracket, grind or file the left-side of the top mounting hole, essentially to slot the hole (perhaps 1/32 to 3/32)
On the mounting bracket, grind or file the top-side of the bottom mounting hole, to slot the hole (perhaps 1/32 to 1/16)

The purpose of all this is to shift the mounting bracket to the right, and also turn it slightly clockwise, in order to increase the clearance between the top bolt ear of the pedal with the steering shaft. And because the steering shaft comes up at an angle, you may find that you'll also have to file the front-side of the pedal ear, around the periphery of the bolt hole.

You'll also find that in order to do test fits, you'll have to get the pedal up and into place first, and then get the mounting plate up and into place. Unless the inboard footbox panel is off, you won't be able to get the pedal into place if the mounting bracket is bolted in.

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32J

05-20-2022, 06:41 PM

Chassis and Coyote Controls Pack Harness Wiring

Here's a poor sequence of events, either on my part or on the part of the people who wrote the instructions:

1) Coyote-Gen-3-Fitment-roadster-rev-1F.pdf says to cut a 2" hole in the firewall for the EFI harness.

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2) The Chassis Wiring Harness instruction booklet says to cut 3 holes if using an EFI harness. It also says to 'check the hole size needed for the EFI harness grommet before drilling any holes.' I thought this note was referring to the Coyote Fitment instructions, above!

3) The actual Gen 3 Coyote Gen 3 Controls Pack Harness grommet is only 1 1/2" diameter!

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So, if you're about to install a Gen 3 wiring harness, open the pack, cut the zip ties and unfurl the harness, and measure the grommet.

And if Factory Five Tech is reading this, it would be BETTER to just eliminate the 2" hole size instruction from the harness booklet. Just tell people to measure the grommet on the harness and then cut the hole to suit.

I have some spare aluminum to patch the hole and then re-bore the hole.

UPDATE: The Coyote EFI controls pack harness has a Kennard 720 Grommet for the firewall, which requires a 1.5" bore hole.

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32J

08-24-2022, 05:48 PM

Okay, I admit I haven't been keeping up with the build posts. One of these days I'll sort through my photos and log book and post some info that may be of help to others.

But today is a great day: first start! Made a short video:

https://youtu.be/dNeDM-dkp_w

Learnings on Coyote Gen 3 first start:
1) There is divided opinion on whether or not the oil circuit of a crate Coyote from Ford needs to be primed. Mine was assembled to the Tremec TKX by Mike Forte, and all the fluids were drained. I erred on the side of caution and did the garden pump sprayer method, through the OEM oil pressure sensor port, to prime the oil circuit. It took about 800 mL (almost a full quart). I used a stethoscope on the valve cover to listen for the gurgling oil.
2) At first start (no memory in the ECU, I suppose), with the key on the ON/RUN position, there is no constant 12V to the fuel pump. The fuel pump won't turn until you turn the key to START. (Well, at least when you wire the according to the Ford Coyote EFI fitment to the Ron Francis harness.)
3) Takes an agonizing (for a newbie) ~10 seconds or multiple cranks to fill the fuel lines and fuel rail with fuel. I had to tap the accelerator before it finally fired up.

WHEW!

32J