Ming's MK4 Roadster #9958 Build Thread

[Merciless]

Happy 2021! New year! New project! I've been dreaming about this for at least 15 years. One obstacle to that dream was that for most of that time I was working overseas. Another obstacle was that I didn't have much experience working on cars other than a few oil changes as a teenager. In 2016, with the oil price drop, my company forced me into early retirement and sent me back to the US - obstacle 1 down. After getting a few weeks of settling in to life back in the Houston, I got bored. I suddenly realized I can learn how to do almost anything on Youtube. With my wife permission (of course), I started smashing our bathroom and converted a tube to a shower, add a vent fan, and replaced the window. Soon, I found a house in disrepair and spent the next three years remodeling everything. We finished it this summer, listed it ourselves and sold it in 6 days. While home renovations doesn't really help with car building, I did have to work on the old work truck that I bought for the home renovation project. After spending $2500 at the shop and not having the problem resolved, I decided to fit it myself under the direction of Youtube. After 3 years of doing my own maintenance (belt change, U-joint change, radiator swap on the side of the road, starter replacement and finally an engine swap), I have enough confidence to take on this kit - obstacle #2 down. Obviously, I have tons to learn and that's a big part of the draw for me. I had a blast at the build school with txboiler and bluemud. Looking forward to take this journey with this community.

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I actually received my kit just before Christmas.

My FFR Options:
FFR Complete Kit, black powder coat
Coyote full length headers w/ Cat
Coyote Power steering
Vintage gauges
Halibrand wheels, 17"
Driver and passenger roll-bars, chrome and grommet
Stainless Bumper Kit
Wind Wings
Sun Visors
Wiper Kit
Heater Defroster

Mike Forte Options:
Coyote 5.0 Gen 3
Tremec TKX with 0.68 5th
SFI Bell
Clutch Reducer

Breeze Options:
Front mount battery
Breeze 255lpm Fuel Pump
Radiator Fan Shroud
Cockpit Storage
Fuel Regulator & Return kit (not ordered yet)

Russ Thompson Options:
Turn signal
Drop Trunk Kit
Accelerator Pedal

Others Options:
IRS, 3.73 gear ratio - found at salvage yard
FFMetal Firewall forward kit
Gas-N pipes (not ordered yet)

I will have to start selling organs if want any more options.

[txboiler]

Sounds like a fun build. I look forward to following the build.

[edwardb]

Welcome! You're in for an excellent adventure. Couple of quick comments about your list of parts: (1) You say "SFI Bell." I'm assuming QuickTime? That's one of the only options. I'd highly recommend the QuickTime RM-6080 non-SFI version. The SFI model has a full circle that hangs well below the frame. Not good. Even the non-SFI one needs trimmed a bit. The SFI version also has some frame interference that I've read about. Unless you're planning use in sanctioned events, the non-SFI one is still very robust and offers more protection than an aluminum one. (2) Not sure how you're planning to use the Russ Thompson accelerator pedal. It's a nice piece. But with the Coyote you have a drive-by-wire (DBW) accelerator pedal assembly that comes with the Coyote control pack. It's required. Not sure how you'd integrate the RT pedal with it.

Good luck with your build.

[Straversi]

Congratulations and welcome. You are going to have a blast.
-Steve

[Daddy O]

Great to see another build started out of our 9/2020 Build School class! Will follow along.

[Merciless]

Some pictures from the delivery. Some of you may recognize Kelly who played Santa Claus. Don't see Santa in shorts very often. Really appreciate these guys who work through many of the holidays and still have a great attitude.
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Here's what I have done since receiving my Christmas present:

Completed the inventory with my wife. She's a lot more organized than I am. We labeled everything by boxes and put them shelves that I built out of scrap wood.

Built a body buck using the drawing in the appendix of manual.
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Disassembled the aluminum panels.
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Degreased the center section (rusty pumpkin) with the stuff that came with the POR15 kit
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Swapping out the mustang studs on the hubs - don't always have the right tools, but was still able to pull the studs through
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[Merciless]

txboiler, look forward to follow you and your daughter's build.

[Merciless]

Welcome! You're in for an excellent adventure. Couple of quick comments about your list of parts: (1) You say "SFI Bell." I'm assuming QuickTime? That's one of the only options. I'd highly recommend the QuickTime RM-6080 non-SFI version. The SFI model has a full circle that hangs well below the frame. Not good. Even the non-SFI one needs trimmed a bit. The SFI version also has some frame interference that I've read about. Unless you're planning use in sanctioned events, the non-SFI one is still very robust and offers more protection than an aluminum one. (2) Not sure how you're planning to use the Russ Thompson accelerator pedal. It's a nice piece. But with the Coyote you have a drive-by-wire (DBW) accelerator pedal assembly that comes with the Coyote control pack. It's required. Not sure how you'd integrate the RT pedal with it.

Good luck with your build.

Thank you Paul, really appreciate your contribution to the forum. Your build threads and support to the members is a huge reason me and other new builders have the confidence to start this journey.

1. Thank you for the heads up. Mike Forte recommended the QT RM-6081. I'm going to check back with him.
2. Didn't realize it was DBW with a pedal already. The reason I went with the RT pedal was because during the build school, they scared us to death showing us that with the FFR stock pedals, it can get stuck if you bend the mounting plate and cause the top arm to get stuck behind the cross member.
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One fix was to trim the arm and the other was to spend money on the RT pedal. I chose the second. I guess now I'll have 3 gas pedals.

[Merciless]

Steve, thank you for the welcome. Your blue 8901 is amazing!
Daddy O, have you received it yet??

[Merciless]

Question on the UCA
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On the right (back) side, with the adjustments bottomed out, I have ~ 7 1/4". Should I be cutting off 1/4" on each end? I've seen some do it and other didn't.

[Fixit]

Usually to get the recommended #'s for alignment (running power steering) the arms/locknuts & sleeves will bottom out before getting there. It's a good pro-active practice to trim them at assembly and be done with it. As an FYI for others, I made up this "X-ray vision" tube while ranting about this possibility in my build thread.

This is an un-cut adjuster sleeve, and a piece of tubing cut the same length. The locknuts are bottomed on the threaded shafts (no more travel possible). It illustrates that if you cut the sleeve(s), you also need to trim the ends of the threaded shaft... there's only about 1/8" to go before the shafts touch.
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PS. Pay attention to the end of the sleeve with a ring machined around it (the part you'll cut off). This designates Left-Hand thread. Re-mark the sleeve on a flat somewhere, or you'll go goofy trying to thread a LH into a RH.

[Merciless]

John, Thank you for the advice and the x-ray vision demonstration. I will definitely proceed with your recommendation.

Here are some more progress:

Surgery on spindles: started the hole with a step bit and a followed it with the 5/8" bit.
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Sawed off an ear with a sawzall and the other one I tried a grinder. I followed the instructions in the manual and was left with a hole from the tap. I noticed that most builders cut on the outside of that hole. I used a dremel and smoothed out the edges.
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POR15 on the center section and hubs and wire brushed that spindles
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Question: Before installing the center section, I tried to install the drive shaft adapter. I noticed the drive shaft adapter was just slightly smaller. Has anyone else seen this problem?
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[txboiler]

Thank you Paul, really appreciate your contribution to the forum. Your build threads and support to the members is a huge reason me and other new builders have the confidence to start this journey.

1. Thank you for the heads up. Mike Forte recommended the QT RM-6081. I'm going to check back with him.
2. Didn't realize it was DBW with a pedal already. The reason I went with the RT pedal was because during the build school, they scared us to death showing us that with the FFR stock pedals, it can get stuck if you bend the mounting plate and cause the top arm to get stuck behind the cross member.
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One fix was to trim the arm and the other was to spend money on the RT pedal. I chose the second. I guess now I'll have 3 gas pedals.

Ming. If you need to sell the RT pedal PM me. I was going to buy one

[460.465USMC]

Welcome aboard, Merciless! I, too, am a noobie. I've received a TON of help from the forum already. Looks like our builds are pretty similar. I'm having a blast so far. I bet you will as well.

[Merciless]

Welcome aboard, Merciless! I, too, am a noobie. I've received a TON of help from the forum already. Looks like our builds are pretty similar. I'm having a blast so far. I bet you will as well.

Chris, Thank you for the warm welcome. I'm going to need lots of help. Your build looks great. Thank you for share your build thread.

Ming

[Merciless]

Question: Before installing the center section, I tried to install the drive shaft adapter. I noticed the drive shaft adapter was just slightly smaller. Has anyone else seen this problem?
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It turns out that this was the automatic drive shaft adapter. FFR sent me out the manual drive shaft adapter and it fit perfectly.

[Merciless]

February was a crazy month here in TX! Fortunate to have made it through without too much drama. Hopefully more POL will arrive in March.

I used the engine hoist and jack together and was able to lift the center section in.
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I slotted the bushings with a hacksaw blade.
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The lower control arms were a bit harder to get in. The whole arm was about 1/4" wider than the frame. FFR told me to just spread the mounting ears. I was able to do that with some all thread and some nuts and washers.
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Still waiting on all the nuts for the rear end.

[Blitzboy54]

Congratulations and welcome aboard. I look forward to following along

[Merciless]

Thank you. Congrats on your shipment!

[Merciless]

Just received the Gen 3 Coyote with TKX courtesy of Mike Forte.
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There was a little damage on the packaging, but the engine seemed fine.
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Seeing it for the first time is pretty impressive.

[Merciless]

Working on aluminum paneling while waiting for the POL. Got a question. Most of the paneling fit together really well. However in the driver side foot box, the inside panel seems to stick beyond the center panel where the red line is. I'm about to trim it unless someone has some suggestions. Has anyone else had this problem?
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[Blitzboy54]

I wouldn’t trim it. It doesn’t look lined up right to me. The bottom of the panel rides along the bottom foot box frame and there is some wiggle room there. In your picture the top of the piece your struggling with has a gap along the top that lines up with the mis alignment on the tunnel. Worse case I would if you can’t get a better fit maybe drill one hole at the bottom where it does line up and cleco it. Then swing the top up into place. It looks like there is some slop that will tighten up.

[Merciless]

Jesse, thank you for the advice. I've others say the same thing on the forum, but I just couldn't figure out how it would fit. I took apart all the foot box panels so the inside wall is free to move. Just sitting there, it seems to natural want to overlap the on the tunnel.
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If I force the top to line up, it seems the gap on the bottom gets bigger and the cut out for the tubular in the front seems to not fit as well.
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[Blitzboy54]

The gap on the bottom look normal to me on your second set of pics. There will definitely be gaps around the tube that need to be sealed. There are other issues with over sealing as these cockpits are exposed to the elements and will need to drain if you get caught in the rain. I’m not there yet.

This is my gap.

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Also your username is fantastic

[Merciless]

Thanks Jesse for the suggestion. While on the topic of aluminum paneling, I noticed in the Factory Five instructions they seem only silicone the aluminum panel on the transmission tunnel. Is there a reason for that? I've seen several build threads on the forum riveting the panel to tunnel.

[zarnold]

Question on the UCA
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On the right (back) side, with the adjustments bottomed out, I have ~ 7 1/4". Should I be cutting off 1/4" on each end? I've seen some do it and other didn't.

This goes back a little while, but what did you decide to do with your UCA?

[Blitzboy54]

Thanks Jesse for the suggestion. While on the topic of aluminum paneling, I noticed in the Factory Five instructions they seem only silicone the aluminum panel on the transmission tunnel. Is there a reason for that? I've seen several build threads on the forum riveting the panel to tunnel.

I think it’s a gap in the manual. They never really get back to it. You can rivet up the sides but don’t rivet along the top yet. That’s a step for much later depending on how you upholster and attach your tunnel cover.

[Merciless]

Thank you for the information.

[Merciless]

This goes back a little while, but what did you decide to do with your UCA?

I cut of the 1/4" per Fixit's recommendation and explanation.

[Merciless]

A shipment of my POL came in recently including the front lower control arms and the deformed nuts.
It allow me to put together my IFS.
I had removed the ABS rings per others on the forum's instruction of grinding most of the way through and tapping it with a screw driver.
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I finally put the IFS together and torqued all the bolts down.
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[Merciless]

With the deformed nuts I was finally able to put the IRS together and torque the bolts and nuts down.
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[Merciless]

I also received the power steering rack. However it has something inside the mounting holes that is different from the instructions. It looks like a rubber sleeve with a metal insert instead of the grommets and metal tube. I think the mount bolts and nuts are missing as well. Need to check with Factory Five.
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[Blitzboy54]

That comes out. You should have 4 rubber grommets and 2 sleeves as well as mounting bolts. Check your manifest.

[Merciless]

That comes out. You should have 4 rubber grommets and 2 sleeves as well as mounting bolts. Check your manifest.

Thanks. It's all in my box 1H.

[Merciless]

After several attempts I finally got the power steering rack in the mounting brackets. When I went to connect the tie rod to the steering arm, that's when I realized that it was upside down. When I installed it the first time, I didn't notice any differences between the two arms. I recall reading about the holes being tapered, but they looked the same to me... until now. Can't get the arms off without going to borrow the large socket and undoing the 250 lb torqued hub nut. I'm sure this won't be the last time I have to redo something.
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[Merciless]

I noticed that almost everyone on the forum has gone to hydraulic clutch and I'm starting the question my decision of staying with the cable clutch. Originally I thought the hydraulic throw out bearing were really cool, but Mike Forte explained that they were not as reliable as the mechanical fork. That popped my hydraulic clutch dreams. My logic was since the fork is been pulled on by a cable, what's the point of putting a hydraulic system with master and slave cylinders. So now, the coyote is here and mated with the tkx. Here are my options.
1. Stay the course with the cable system.
2. Go hydraulic and add the master and slave cylinder to pull on the mechanical fork
3. Go hydraulic all the way. Pull the transmission off and install a hydraulic throw out bearing.

What do you guys think? Thanks.

[Blitzboy54]

I went with option 2. It was an easy thing to adapt, I never have to worry about the cable stretching/needing to be adjusted and if it failed I would not have to drop the transmission

[NYMike]

We have the hydraulic TOB because that is now standard for blueprint engines. If the decision wasn't made for us though we probably would have gone with number 2 for the reasons Jesse mentioned.

[svassh]

Almost my exact same order but mine not scheduled for production till October. I'll be living vicariously through you till then.

[egchewy79]

I'm running a cable on my clutch. if you do, get Forte's OEM Ford cables. I hear the FFR supplied cables are crap. and for $50/pair, it's cheap insurance keeping a spare cable on the shelf or in your trunk.

[Merciless]

We have the hydraulic TOB because that is now standard for blueprint engines. If the decision wasn't made for us though we probably would have gone with number 2 for the reasons Jesse mentioned.


I went with option 2. It was an easy thing to adapt, I never have to worry about the cable stretching/needing to be adjusted and if it failed I would not have to drop the transmission

Jesse, where did you get your master and slave cylinders and hoses? How much?


I'm running a cable on my clutch. if you do, get Forte's OEM Ford cables. I hear the FFR supplied cables are crap. and for $50/pair, it's cheap insurance keeping a spare cable on the shelf or in your trunk.

egchewy79, how did you decide to go with the cable?

Thank you guys for the info. I'll look into it some more.

[Merciless]

Almost my exact same order but mine not scheduled for production till October. I'll be living vicariously through you till then.

Oh man, I was there. I know the feeling. Even when I got the kit, I was super excited until I realized that there were parts missing that held up some of the progress. Now that I have most of the parts, I'm feeling like, why can't I get more done. I didn't realized this, but I paid for lessons in patience - patience for others and patience for myself. October will be around the corner.

[Merciless]

I got stock rear calipers and rotors from ebay. They were dark grey and the front calipers from FFR were sliver.

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So I decided to paint them. I took a risk and went with yellow. I used POR's caliper paint. Go ahead... you can gasp or laugh. Color choice aside, yellow is hard to paint. Coverage was not so great, I had to touch it up every day over the last week. Every time it dries, some dark spots would show up.

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My wife laughed. She said the calipers look like Minions.

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[Blitzboy54]

Nice! I like the yellow. Very sharp

I used this. There are other options and what transmission you use matters. I have not purchased hoses yet. That’s pretty standard stuff though.


https://www.dazecars.com/dazed/TestT5kit.html

[egchewy79]

No good reason why I chose a cable clutch. I figured I was building a pretty spartan race car, so no power steering, manual brakes, and cable clutch.

[edwardb]

I noticed that almost everyone on the forum has gone to hydraulic clutch and I'm starting the question my decision of staying with the cable clutch. Originally I thought the hydraulic throw out bearing were really cool, but Mike Forte explained that they were not as reliable as the mechanical fork. That popped my hydraulic clutch dreams. My logic was since the fork is been pulled on by a cable, what's the point of putting a hydraulic system with master and slave cylinders. So now, the coyote is here and mated with the tkx. Here are my options.
1. Stay the course with the cable system.
2. Go hydraulic and add the master and slave cylinder to pull on the mechanical fork
3. Go hydraulic all the way. Pull the transmission off and install a hydraulic throw out bearing.

What do you guys think? Thanks.

1. Interesting coming from someone who just happens to sell the external fork parts. And not cheap either. Which I've used several times BTW. Without data, I'd put that in the category of one person's opinion.

2. Check what OEM's are using for manual shift. Internal hydraulic TOB. Pretty much without exception. Granted it's partly driven by cost but they also wouldn't be using them if they weren't reliable. No matter what you think of OEM's, they do long term reliability tests on everything.

3. I have a Tilton hydraulic TOB in my Gen 3 Coupe build. (1) Cheaper. (2) Easy installation. (3) Noticeably lighter pedal and great feel over exact setup with an external setup. (4) Self adjusting. Just like disk brake calipers. No more seasonal adjusting of the brake cable or external hydraulic pushrod. Only 2,200 miles. But it's flawless so far.

4. I've read that for hardcore competition some consider a hydraulic TOB slow reacting. Don't see how that would be any different for any hydraulic setup. And unless a dedicated track machine, not part of the decision IMO.

Is there risk that a failure would result in having to remove the transmission? Sure. But there's also a very good chance that it will last as long or longer than a clutch. Which also happens to require a major teardown.

I wouldn't be so quick to dismiss the possibility.

[GTBradley]

I had a hydraulic clutch on my first car, an MGB from 1963, so they are obviously tried and true. Regarding my build, the way I look at things is, how complex is it, how hard is it to fix later, how much does it weigh, what are it’s benefits and what does it cost? An overly complex approach to a clutch actuator, I know but I decided that since a low complexity cable clutch is very easy to fix, weighs very little and is cheap, then I would go that route. It helped too that I’d heard that actuation effort was similar to both styles. Full disclosure: my clutch cable broke within 1000 miles, but…it was very easy to fix.

[BradCraig]

My Ford cable with the Forte extender works like butter and is simple....cannot imagine hydraulic being of any additional benefit. Just my $.02

[Merciless]

No good reason why I chose a cable clutch. I figured I was building a pretty spartan race car, so no power steering, manual brakes, and cable clutch.

That is a good reason.

[Merciless]

1. Interesting coming from someone who just happens to sell the external fork parts. And not cheap either. Which I've used several times BTW. Without data, I'd put that in the category of one person's opinion.

2. Check what OEM's are using for manual shift. Internal hydraulic TOB. Pretty much without exception. Granted it's partly driven by cost but they also wouldn't be using them if they weren't reliable. No matter what you think of OEM's, they do long term reliability tests on everything.

3. I have a Tilton hydraulic TOB in my Gen 3 Coupe build. (1) Cheaper. (2) Easy installation. (3) Noticeably lighter pedal and great feel over exact setup with an external setup. (4) Self adjusting. Just like disk brake calipers. No more seasonal adjusting of the brake cable or external hydraulic pushrod. Only 2,200 miles. But it's flawless so far.

4. I've read that for hardcore competition some consider a hydraulic TOB slow reacting. Don't see how that would be any different for any hydraulic setup. And unless a dedicated track machine, not part of the decision IMO.

Is there risk that a failure would result in having to remove the transmission? Sure. But there's also a very good chance that it will last as long or longer than a clutch. Which also happens to require a major teardown.

I wouldn't be so quick to dismiss the possibility.

Paul, thank you for the thoughtful analysis. What you said makes a lot of sense.

[Merciless]

I had a hydraulic clutch on my first car, an MGB from 1963, so they are obviously tried and true. Regarding my build, the way I look at things is, how complex is it, how hard is it to fix later, how much does it weigh, what are it’s benefits and what does it cost? An overly complex approach to a clutch actuator, I know but I decided that since a low complexity cable clutch is very easy to fix, weighs very little and is cheap, then I would go that route. It helped too that I’d heard that actuation effort was similar to both styles. Full disclosure: my clutch cable broke within 1000 miles, but…it was very easy to fix.


My Ford cable with the Forte extender works like butter and is simple....cannot imagine hydraulic being of any additional benefit. Just my $.02

Thanks for the feedback. Part of the reason I decided to go with the cable was because I saw your build threads, but there are only a handful for cables compared to the number of hydraulic clutch builds and I was starting to feel a little peer pressure.

[Merciless]

Installed DS front panel. Drilled a bunch of holes, but only 3 could be riveted.
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Pedal assembly. Remember to adjust the distance between clevises before attaching the master cylinders. Ask me how I know.
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Measuring and cutting the master cylinder threads
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[Merciless]

Instructions for the Coyote Pedal starts with surgery. Cutting first and asking questions later usually doesn't end well for me, but I never learn. Wish me luck.

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More surgery on the pedal to fit the mounting bracket
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Others have pointed this out. The provided instructions and the mounting bracket doesn't work. 2 big issues I had were 1) interference with the steering column and 2) the connection interference with the wilwood pedal bracket. To resolve this I had to perform additional surgery on pedal and the mounting plate.
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This is the final location of the pedal. I haven't shorten it as recommended in the instruction yet. It is a little low, but do you think I can try it before more surgery?
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[Merciless]

I was a bit over zealous on drilling the DD shafts. I did them both even though I think the instructions only specified the 1" DD.

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When assembling, I decided to try with the footbox bearing on the outside. Things are very crowded inside the footbox. But I might have to shorten the one of the shafts.
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With the RT turn signal assembly. It requires the upper pillow bearing block to be slightly modified.
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[Merciless]

I got my 255 lph fuel pump and fuel return from Breeze. When I first received the fuel pump I surprised to see that the 1/4" return line was pinched off. When I asked, Mark explained that it was too small and created too much jetting and air was getting picked up by the pump. Now he supplies a separate 6 an return. It requires additional surgery on that tank. I set up a vacuum in the tank before I started drilling in the tank.
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Return nozzle installed
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Picture inside the tank showing the sock filter sitting inside the suction weir. Yellow hose is the return line. Because the flow is so high, the return also needs to be inside the weir.
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Filler pipe installed
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[egchewy79]

looking good. i had a lot of trouble keeping the sock on the end of my pump hanger while placing it in the sump. at this point in your build, you might want to consider swapping out the kit-provided pipe filler gasket with an OEM one. I hear that the FFR gasket/seal is prone to leaking down the road.
PN# F4zz9072da

[Merciless]

looking good. i had a lot of trouble keeping the sock on the end of my pump hanger while placing it in the sump. at this point in your build, you might want to consider swapping out the kit-provided pipe filler gasket with an OEM one. I hear that the FFR gasket/seal is prone to leaking down the road.
PN# F4zz9072da

Thank you for the heads up. I've seen others mention this on their build threads, but my wishful thinking and desire to keep to a budget is telling me to wait and see. I'm thinking that before I permanently install the body, I still can change it out without more trouble than now. More than likely I'll be saying, "you and everyone else on the forum was right!"

[Merciless]

Started on the RT Drop Trunk. I used a grinder. I realized that RT's instructions specified 1/2" over hang for the cut out over the box. I don't think I've seen anyone to that on the forum.
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For the notches, I first used the grinder, then used a knife to score. Aluminum is pretty easy to snap off after a couple of wiggles.
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[Railroad]

Thank you for the heads up. I've seen others mention this on their build threads, but my wishful thinking and desire to keep to a budget is telling me to wait and see. I'm thinking that before I permanently install the body, I still can change it out without more trouble than now. More than likely I'll be saying, "you and everyone else on the forum was right!"

The tank filler seal provided by F5 is too much of a risk, to not change out. Definitely, before you put gas in the tank. I, like you thought, reported issues were random, or installation problems. I oiled the filler neck and rubber seal and all went well. I kept reading about more issues and finally checked mine. It was starting to seep gasoline. Upon removal of the original seal, I found the lip had split without reason.
That blew my theory of installation issues, out of the water.
Buy the Ford part and you take the risk of a fire or house explosion out of your build.

[Merciless]

The tank filler seal provided by F5 is too much of a risk, to not change out. Definitely, before you put gas in the tank. I, like you thought, reported issues were random, or installation problems. I oiled the filler neck and rubber seal and all went well. I kept reading about more issues and finally checked mine. It was starting to seep gasoline. Upon removal of the original seal, I found the lip had split without reason.
That blew my theory of installation issues, out of the water.
Buy the Ford part and you take the risk of a fire or house explosion out of your build.

Oh man!! You've convinced me with the house fire.

[Nigel Allen]

Thank you for the heads up. I've seen others mention this on their build threads, but my wishful thinking and desire to keep to a budget is telling me to wait and see. I'm thinking that before I permanently install the body, I still can change it out without more trouble than now. More than likely I'll be saying, "you and everyone else on the forum was right!"

G'day Ming,

egchewy and Railroad are spot on. Regarding your build budget, think of it this way... your budget for fuel will look a lot better, when your not sloshing fuel out of a split filler gasket as you drive down the road. Mine has just failed too and I followed the same installation method as Railroad.

Best of luck with your build budget. I have found that you only ever really put a down payment on one of these cars. The ongoing payments, just keep comin'

Likely I will have to order a gasket from the US. Anyone got the genuine part number handy?

Thanks,

Nigel

[Blitzboy54]

I missed all this about the filler grommet. Just ordered a Ford part and will change out as soon as I get it. I probably have less than a gallon in the tank so no biggie but wish I had done it before fueling up.

[Merciless]

G'day Ming,

egchewy and Railroad are spot on. Regarding your build budget, think of it this way... your budget for fuel will look a lot better, when your not sloshing fuel out of a split filler gasket as you drive down the road. Mine has just failed too and I followed the same installation method as Railroad.

Best of luck with your build budget. I have found that you only ever really put a down payment on one of these cars. The ongoing payments, just keep comin'

Likely I will have to order a gasket from the US. Anyone got the genuine part number handy?

Thanks,

Nigel

G'day Nigel,

Thank ya for the advice. Lots of nostalgia getting a message from an Aussie. Lived in Perth for four years. Would be an absolute dream to be able to drive one of these cars Down Under. I think the egchewy79 provided the part number above. PN# F4zz9072da

Cheers mate.

[Railroad]

I missed all this about the filler grommet. Just ordered a Ford part and will change out as soon as I get it. I probably have less than a gallon in the tank so no biggie but wish I had done it before fueling up.

Jack up that side of the car. 1 gallon, you should be good. Do it outside.

[Nigel Allen]

G'day Nigel,

Thank ya for the advice. Lots of nostalgia getting a message from an Aussie. Lived in Perth for four years. Would be an absolute dream to be able to drive one of these cars Down Under. I think the egchewy79 provided the part number above. PN# F4zz9072da

Cheers mate.

Hey Ming,

You gotta love Perth, a truly beautiful city. I live near the Adelaide hills, hundreds of great driving roads to choose from. Finished my Mk4 a couple of years ago and have been really enjoying it. One of these days I will post some video. First I need to buy a suitable camera, learn how to use it, learn how to edit, learn how to post on You tube. Might take me a little while...

I never did a build log, something which I regret. Keep up the good work recording your efforts.

Cheers,

Nigel

[Merciless]

Pretty excited about getting tires on my wheels. When I started test fitting I realizing just how tight everything was.

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The wheel is basically touching the spring coils. I was able to fix that by flipping the Koni coil over shock. Now it matched the front wheels.

The wheel is also touch the stock calipers. The outside corner of the caliper is scraping the inside of the wheel. The balancing weights hits the top of the calipers.
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It almost seem like I need a spacer between the brake rotor and the wheel to push the wheel out by at least 1/4" and the weights need to be relocated closer to the inside edge of the wheel. Alternatively, I can grind down the calipers to stop the rubbing. Anyone else with stock 2015-19 mustang gt rear calipers and 17" wheels have this problem?

[Fman]

Pretty excited about getting tires on my wheels. When I started test fitting I realizing just how tight everything was.

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The wheel is basically touching the spring coils. I was able to fix that by flipping the Koni coil over shock. Now it matched the front wheels.

The wheel is also touch the stock calipers. The outside corner of the caliper is scraping the inside of the wheel. The balancing weights hits the top of the calipers.
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It almost seem like I need a spacer between the brake rotor and the wheel to push the wheel out by at least 1/4" and the weights need to be relocated closer to the inside edge of the wheel. Alternatively, I can grind down the calipers to stop the rubbing. Anyone else with stock 2015-19 mustang gt rear calipers and 17" wheels have this problem?

I have the GT calipers, 17" wheels and rear IRS IMO you should not have to grind anything something is not correct. Make sure you have assembled the caliper brackets correctly, it is a little confusing and needs to be double checked in the manual. You might have the spring coil rub the tire but that is alignment issue that will resolve itself when properly aligned. One thing I did have to do on the rear is have a custom made brake lines that would not hit the tire. FFR gave me very long lines for the rear and I could not make them work. If you run into this issue techna fit can make them for you for a reasonable price.

[Merciless]

I have the GT calipers, 17" wheels and rear IRS IMO you should not have to grind anything something is not correct. Make sure you have assembled the caliper brackets correctly, it is a little confusing and needs to be double checked in the manual. You might have the spring coil rub the tire but that is alignment issue that will resolve itself when properly aligned. One thing I did have to do on the rear is have a custom made brake lines that would not hit the tire. FFR gave me very long lines for the rear and I could not make them work. If you run into this issue techna fit can make them for you for a reasonable price.

Thank you for the advice. My brake lines seem fine right now, but maybe once I fix the caliper issue, it might change that. I'm curious, did you have a relocation bracket for the calipers? I bolted mine straight to the IRS knuckle. Do you have any pictures of how your calipers looked and mounted?

Thank you.

[Merciless]

I have the GT calipers, 17" wheels and rear IRS IMO you should not have to grind anything something is not correct. Make sure you have assembled the caliper brackets correctly, it is a little confusing and needs to be double checked in the manual. You might have the spring coil rub the tire but that is alignment issue that will resolve itself when properly aligned. One thing I did have to do on the rear is have a custom made brake lines that would not hit the tire. FFR gave me very long lines for the rear and I could not make them work. If you run into this issue techna fit can make them for you for a reasonable price.

Travis,

I found your build thread - awesome job on your build and thanks for the detailed documentation. I realize that you have a different rear caliper and you have a relocation bracket from FFR. In hindsight, I probably should have gone that route. FFR responded to my question over Thanksgiving and said their engineers recommend a 1/8" spacer. I may end up with a combination of a spacer and grinding down the top of the calipers to clear the weights.

Thank you.

[jiriza84641]

Build is coming along very nice, keep it up!

[Merciless]

Almost a year from my last post. Lots have happened - helped a friend add a bathroom to their townhouse, renovated two of my bathrooms, travelled to Yellowstone, Grand Teton, Glacier National, Maui. No real good excuses except it's a little like exercising. Once I stop it's hard to get started again. Well at least I'm starting back on the build and the posting. I'll leave exercising for a new years resolution. :p

So picking up where I left off. The 1/8" spacers came in and I ground off the bump off the calipers and the wheels now fit.
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[Nigel Allen]

Great to see you back at it.

[Merciless]

I actually dropped the coyote in a while back. It's very tight on the drivers side. It's actually even worse than the pictures after I adjusted it to sit lower in the mount. The wires were touching the foot box. I'm planning on using 1/4" aluminum to shim the driver's side engine mount. I mocked it with a piece of 1/4" wood and it looked better.

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[Merciless]

Great to see you back at it.

Thanks Nigel for the encouragement. Thank you for still cheering us slow ones along.

[Nigel Allen]

Thanks Nigel for the encouragement. Thank you for still cheering us slow ones along.

You're welcome. it took me 7 years, but who's counting.

[John Ibele]

Not me. I ran out of fingers at ten this year. We arrange our lives and our builds however we want :)

[Merciless]

I found some 1/4" aluminum plate on Amazon and made some engine mount shims to give some more space on the driver side.

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[Merciless]

I bought the fan shroud like most others, but I didn't buy the radiator mounting kit. Fortunately, Home Depot had some SS piano hinges, zinc all-thread, aluminum tube and misc hardware that I was able to piece together a mounting kit. Hopefully it won't fall apart.

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The lower radiator hose took some trial and error - a lot of error.
First, I tried the corrugated SS hose, but it touched the steering column and the alternator.

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Then, I tried the rubber hose, but it wasn't going the right direction and was never going to reach the radiator.

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So, I realized that I might need to use a combination of the two.

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[Merciless]

I made up some supports with aluminum angles so that the tank is close to vertical. I'm pretty concerned that hood hinge hardware will interfere with the tank mounting brackets. Anyone have any comments or suggestions, it would be greatly appreciated.

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[Merciless]

I want a glovebox. But I have a heater. Instead of moving the heater forward a bit and getting a beautifully made off the shelf glovebox, I'm going to try to make my own. I don't really know how, but this is my attempt. First, I found some old manila folders, taped them together and fit it in the dash and in front of the heater. Then flatten the paper out on top of some aluminum flashing as a template.

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I've started gluing it together with epoxy and is thinking about epoxying it to the dash. Thinking forward, I really have no idea how transition the faux leather upholstery from the dash to the inside of the glovebox. Anyone have any suggestions on making outside corner seams look nice?

[John Ibele]

Congrats on getting back to regular exercise ;)

Engine mount - I’m not a coyote guy, so can’t comment directly on your experience regarding clearance. But while I know it’s a tight fit, I haven’t read of anyone having to shim under their mounts, and doing engineering on safety items like this always concerns me. I’d suggest posting this specific item in the main roadster forum to get more eyes on it, if you haven’t already.

Radiator mount - cool. Breeze makes a nice kit, but the components are readily sourced, and it seems fairly straightforward to produce something that works well and looks good.

Glove box - good for you, and good progress so far. You can see detail in my build thread … a bit messy where it doesn’t show, but fully functional and neat looking where it does. Fixit has a humorous and very frank coverage of his attempts and ultimate success in his thread. You can find others as well.

For my glove box, I’m now very comfortable with the use of Super77 for covering material and JBWeld for the structural stuff. Could have (and wish I would have) made the epoxy neater on the back side, but as I said, works fine regardless and won’t show. I liked using the galvanized from the HVAC aisle for this project and would use it again.

Your question about outside corners. Not totally sure what you mean. Maybe take a look at my or other build threads and PM me with questions. Good luck and good progress!

[edwardb]

I found some 1/4" aluminum plate on Amazon and made some engine mount shims to give some more space on the driver side.

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First time I've seen anyone have to add an additional shim beyond the 1/2" spacer that Factory Five provides to go inside the motor mounts. Including my Coyote/Mk4 build. It was close, but not as much as yours. I'm betting you could lift the engine out of the mounts just slightly, tip it away from the DS footbox, and drop it back down and it would clear. Even just loosening the motor mount bolts and jacking the engine on the DS (e.g. on the headers) and tightening it back up will move it just enough. It only takes a very slight movement at the mounts to provide clearance. Because the engine mounts kind of wedge into the frame mounts, it will often be off slightly when you put it down and doesn't move. What I'm describing is common for all engines, often when trying to align the side pipes. So nothing new. Having said all that, and assuming you leave it as is, I'm hoping that motor mount nut you pictured isn't tightened? Hard to tell for sure from the picture. There should be threads all the way through the nut and ideally 2-3 outside the nut.

[Jeff Kleiner]

...assuming you leave it as is, I'm hoping that motor mount nut you pictured isn't tightened? Hard to tell for sure from the picture. There should be threads all the way through the nut and ideally 2-3 outside the nut.

Agreed. I had the same thought as Paul when viewing the photo and also noticed that the alignment pin doesn't appear to reach far enough to engage. An additional consideration is that by raising the engine you'll also bring the headers and sidepipes up. Unless you're using J-pipes the Coyotes already require a high cut out on the body for the pipes, especially on the driver's side. Use of this shim will exacerbate that situation.

Just so you know ;)

Jeff

[Merciless]

Congrats on getting back to regular exercise ;)

Glove box - good for you, and good progress so far. You can see detail in my build thread … a bit messy where it doesn’t show, but fully functional and neat looking where it does. Fixit has a humorous and very frank coverage of his attempts and ultimate success in his thread. You can find others as well.

For my glove box, I’m now very comfortable with the use of Super77 for covering material and JBWeld for the structural stuff. Could have (and wish I would have) made the epoxy neater on the back side, but as I said, works fine regardless and won’t show. I liked using the galvanized from the HVAC aisle for this project and would use it again.

Your question about outside corners. Not totally sure what you mean. Maybe take a look at my or other build threads and PM me with questions. Good luck and good progress!

John, thank you for the encouragement. After looking at your thread, I have a much better idea of how to install the glove box. I also realized that your build is what made me want to build my own glovebox. Double thanks.

[Merciless]

First time I've seen anyone have to add an additional shim beyond the 1/2" spacer that Factory Five provides to go inside the motor mounts. Including my Coyote/Mk4 build. It was close, but not as much as yours. I'm betting you could lift the engine out of the mounts just slightly, tip it away from the DS footbox, and drop it back down and it would clear. Even just loosening the motor mount bolts and jacking the engine on the DS (e.g. on the headers) and tightening it back up will move it just enough. It only takes a very slight movement at the mounts to provide clearance. Because the engine mounts kind of wedge into the frame mounts, it will often be off slightly when you put it down and doesn't move. What I'm describing is common for all engines, often when trying to align the side pipes. So nothing new. Having said all that, and assuming you leave it as is, I'm hoping that motor mount nut you pictured isn't tightened? Hard to tell for sure from the picture. There should be threads all the way through the nut and ideally 2-3 outside the nut.


Congrats on getting back to regular exercise ;)

Engine mount - IÂ’m not a coyote guy, so canÂ’t comment directly on your experience regarding clearance. But while I know itÂ’s a tight fit, I havenÂ’t read of anyone having to shim under their mounts, and doing engineering on safety items like this always concerns me. IÂ’d suggest posting this specific item in the main roadster forum to get more eyes on it, if you havenÂ’t already.

[QUOTE=Jeff Kleiner;513294]Agreed. I had the same thought as Paul when viewing the photo and also noticed that the alignment pin doesn't appear to reach far enough to engage. An additional consideration is that by raising the engine you'll also bring the headers and sidepipes up. Unless you're using J-pipes the Coyotes already require a high cut out on the body for the pipes, especially on the driver's side. Use of this shim will exacerbate that situation.

Just so you know ;)

Jeff

Thank you all for your warnings. Your points are valid. First, I haven't seen other do this, plus your warnings about raising the exhaust really concerned me. As for the alignment pin and the motor mount nut mentioned by Jeff and Paul should be okay. The pin is long enough that it is still inside the motor mount and the nut was not tightened and there's plenty of thread.

So what I did was test fit the exhaust headers as is and measured the height. They were equal. Then I took the shim out and let the passenger side lower as far as possible as Paul suggested. This gave me more clearance from the engine to the DS foot box. The passenger side header dropped 5/8" and the driver's side actually went up >1/2". I think what happened when I first mounted the engine, I tried to keep the engine level left to right, but this makes the clearance between the engine and the DS footbox too tight. Tilting the engine slightly provide the clearance, but lifts the drivers side header. So the shim I had allow the clearance the footbox and the headers to be level and the DS cutout to be 1/2" lower. I'm going to double check my measurements, but I might try it with the shim. What do you guys think? Am I crazy?

[edwardb]

So what I did was test fit the exhaust headers as is and measured the height. They were equal. Then I took the shim out and let the passenger side lower as far as possible as Paul suggested. This gave me more clearance from the engine to the DS foot box. The passenger side header dropped 5/8" and the driver's side actually went up >1/2". I think what happened when I first mounted the engine, I tried to keep the engine level left to right, but this makes the clearance between the engine and the DS footbox too tight. Tilting the engine slightly provide the clearance, but lifts the drivers side header. So the shim I had allow the clearance the footbox and the headers to be level and the DS cutout to be 1/2" lower. I'm going to double check my measurements, but I might try it with the shim. What do you guys think? Am I crazy?

Crazy? No, of course not. But I'd suggest one thing at a time though. The headers moving as much as you described (5/8 and 1/2) is a lot. I've never been able to get them to move that much. But your assumption is getting them level is the goal, and that may not be accurate. The headers and side pipes are not exactly the same side-to-side as the engine sits slightly off center to the right. So the angles and lengths are slightly different. Hundreds (or more?) Coyote builds without adding shims in the motor mount as you're describing. That means something. I'd first of all focus on getting the engine sitting with enough clearance on the DS as needed without any added shims. I don't remember exactly how much mine was, but it was in the 1/8 inch range. Drove it thousands of miles before selling and it was never an issue. Lock the engine down at that point and move on. That may not be what you want to hear but is my advice. The header and side pipe alignment is later when the body is on. There are various means to adjust as needed and you may find they're not exactly symmetrical side-to-side. Trust me, won't be the only thing on the car that's not symmetrical. :rolleyes: Even 1/2 inch difference, if it comes to that, isn't an issue and will never be seen. Do you by any chance have the newer ball joint setup on the exhaust? If so, even less of a concern.

[Merciless]

Crazy? No, of course not. But I'd suggest one thing at a time though. The headers moving as much as you described (5/8 and 1/2) is a lot. I've never been able to get them to move that much. But your assumption is getting them level is the goal, and that may not be accurate. The headers and side pipes are not exactly the same side-to-side as the engine sits slightly off center to the right. So the angles and lengths are slightly different. Hundreds (or more?) Coyote builds without adding shims in the motor mount as you're describing. That means something. I'd first of all focus on getting the engine sitting with enough clearance on the DS as needed without any added shims. I don't remember exactly how much mine was, but it was in the 1/8 inch range. Drove it thousands of miles before selling and it was never an issue. Lock the engine down at that point and move on. That may not be what you want to hear but is my advice. The header and side pipe alignment is later when the body is on. There are various means to adjust as needed and you may find they're not exactly symmetrical side-to-side. Trust me, won't be the only thing on the car that's not symmetrical. :rolleyes: Even 1/2 inch difference, if it comes to that, isn't an issue and will never be seen. Do you by any chance have the newer ball joint setup on the exhaust? If so, even less of a concern.

Paul, your powers of persuasion are uncanny. Without calling me crazy, you've convinced me with your "Hundreds (or more?) Coyote builds without adding shims" and :rolleyes: So for now, I've removed the shims and will see when the exhaust pipes are mounted. Thank you all for your input.

[Merciless]

I started the wiring and it's a bit intimidating because it's not all very obvious to me. I started with the Coyote harness.
I first cut out the ICP connection and cut it back into the harness.

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Then I cut out the ATT and CMS LH and RH connectors are cut them back into the harness. For the LH and RH, I had to cut them where the red wire was split 4 ways. 2 were for the LH and RH and 2 were for the O2 sensors.

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[Merciless]

For the PS O2 sensor, I had to resplice the red wire back at an earlier point in order for it to reach.

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Not pictured, but I also removed the CAN Bus wire and hid them back in the harness.

[Merciless]

For the RF Harness, here's what I did shown on the wiring diagram.

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Here are some of the connections for the fuel pump relay, EFI to Ign Trigger and EFI Crank to SMR. The connections are not that great looking but they seem solid enough with "the pull test".

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I plan to eliminate the sending unit harness all together since the Oil Pressure and Water Temp wires came with the vintage gauges, the choke and the thermo switch are not needed.

[Merciless]

I epoxied the heck out of the glove box. Then I drilled beveled holes in the dash to counter sink to screws for securing the glove box. I had to grind down the top of the screw head so they would be flush or below the surface of the dash.

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This is a mockup before I epoxy the screw into the dash. The two holes on the bottom are for the grab bar. The hole on the top needs to be patched due to over drilling.

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[Merciless]

Cut back the RF fan wiring (blue) as the fan is controlled by Coyote Control Pack
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I connected purple Tach wire to the #4 ignition coil and wrapped it all in the harness
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[Merciless]

Here's the mess of my dash test fit. I ended up taking a lot of the wiring out of the harness.


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This is basically the dash layout


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Cutting out the electric choke wire (Tan) from the fuse block and the Fan wire (green) from the cooling fan relay.
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I cut out a bunch from the dash harness. The green highlight means removed. The picture shows the Oil Temp, Oil Pressure and Water Temp wires removed from the dash harness connector. My oil pressure and water temps are wire directly from the sensor to the dash gauge.
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More dieting on the dash harness.
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I also remove the speedo wires from the rear harness connector.
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[Merciless]

I installed some 3 pin weather pack for the front signal lights
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For the rear, I used the flat converter which eliminates the brake light wiring.
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[Merciless]

Since I'm directly wiring from the sensors to the gauge, I had to dissect the wires from the Oil Pressure sensor and the Water Temp sensor to connect them to ground.
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[Merciless]

These are catchup posts. Some of these were done back in Sept. I've not been great with documenting as much as I would like.

I used the 1/8" closed cell high density foam from amazon. I liked the feel. 3M Super 77. This is for the inside of the glove box.
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One issue I ran into with the foam were the creases. I ordered the foam back in Feb, I don't remember if the creases were there when it first arrived. Google provided a few solutions. The heat gun helped a little if the crease wasn't so deep.

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I tried to avoid the worst part of the creases.

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I'm using a marine vinyl faux leather over the foam.

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I cut the original firewall and bend it to make a cover under the dash. I have a confession. I didn't have a brake and clamps and 2x4's wasn't working so I walked in to a Harbor Freight with the panel and when no one was looking bent the panel on their display model.

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[Merciless]

Copying others great idea, I also used the Summit Racing Eddie Marine grab bar for the passenger side. To secure it I got some angle and C-channels from Home Depot. A buddy lending me his welding machine offer to do the welding for me. It wasn't pretty, but it's all going to be hidden behind the dash.

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This is what it looks like with the dash.
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[Merciless]

For the door, I took the piece that I cut out of the dash for the glovebox as the front panel. Used it as a template and cut a slightly smaller piece for the back panel. Wrapped the front piece with foam and vinyl and the back with only vinyl.

In order the hide the screws for the hinges, I took some pretty flat head screw and flatten them some more. Then I epoxied the two panels together to make the door.

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Figuring out where to attach the hinges was not so simple. It took a lot of trial and error. In the end I think it worked ok. I used a cabinet hinge. It has a very tight spring. I had thought about removing the spring, but didn't in the end. It helps to keep the door closed. I used the VW latch that I saw in other's builds.
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[Merciless]

Last few things before 1st start. Kind of excited.
Prelube the engine through the pressure sensor port with a garden sprayer. Put 7 qts through the garden strayer and 1 qt on the top. (Mike Forte sent 9 qts, but 1 was hiding. I didn't find it until later.
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The other item to finish up was the cooling system which included the heater. I got some extra heater hose and a 4-port heater bypass valve from Old Air Products and completed the heater connections. I was worried about how the hoses, valve and heater would line up and fit. Actually, it worked out.
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[John Ibele]

Nice progress. I'll be interested in how your 4-port bypass valve works; that's in my plan for winter finishing touches ... plenty of hot air gets pushed through the blower even when the heater is 'off'. Better louvered vents which shut all the way will help in the cockpit, but I figure the 4 port bypass valve is really the way to get the temps down.

Your glove box looks great. I think anyone who tackles their own gets bragging rights ... definitely goes beyond just assembling parts. And it's fun when it comes together as planned.

You thought your grab rail mounting wasn't pretty ... I think all's well that ends well. Looks fine up top, and it sure isn't going anywhere.

Good luck moving on to first start!

[Merciless]

Nice progress. I'll be interested in how your 4-port bypass valve works; that's in my plan for winter finishing touches ... plenty of hot air gets pushed through the blower even when the heater is 'off'. Better louvered vents which shut all the way will help in the cockpit, but I figure the 4 port bypass valve is really the way to get the temps down.

Your glove box looks great. I think anyone who tackles their own gets bragging rights ... definitely goes beyond just assembling parts. And it's fun when it comes together as planned.

You thought your grab rail mounting wasn't pretty ... I think all's well that ends well. Looks fine up top, and it sure isn't going anywhere.

Good luck moving on to first start!

Thanks for the encouragement. I will let you know about the 4 way valve once I get the car going and start driving it. I had to use it for the Coyote.

[Merciless]

It was a beautiful Saturday morning late October. Everything was ready, the wiring's done, the cooling system is buttoned up. I even changed out the dreaded gas tank grommet.

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I even called a friend who helped me put in the engine to come witness this momentous milestone. Before he arrived I ran out to get a couple of gallons of 93 octane. When he arrived we shared some donuts and headed straight for the garage. I took advantage of the free labor and put him to work pumping the garden sprayer to prelube the engine while I filled the gas tank. Once it was all buttoned up, we rolled it to the driveway and got the fire extinguisher ready. I did a final walk around the vehicle and connected the neg battery terminal.

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We're ready! All the work I had put in the last three years, thousands of holes drilled and riveted, wires cut and terminated, fuel lines, brake lines, head scratching, confusions - you builders know, was leading up to this moment. I turned the key to ON, the gauges came alive, the relays clicked and actuators buzzed. Here we go. Foot on the clutch, turn the key to Start.... nothing. I look over to my witness/friend. Let's try it again. Still nothing. I drew a blank.

My mind was slow switching out of anticipation, excitement mode. Fuel, spark, and crank. The three words that popped into my head as my mind transitioned to troubleshooting mode. Trying to look like I knew what I was doing in front of my friend I marched confidently to retrieve my multimeter. There was 12V from the key ON to ground. But no power to fuel pump in either the ON or Start position. Looking back on it now, what I did next didn't make a lot sense, but at the time, I was didn't know what to do so I had to do something. I thought, maybe I can put a jumper to energize the fuel pump. I carefully disconnected the battery terminal, stuck a wire between the ON and the fuel pump terminals in the fuse box. Reconnected the battery terminal and flipped the key to ON. This time, I can hear the sound of the fuel pump running. Yes something is happening. But the excitement quickly turned to panic as we started hearing splashing sounds. Fuel was gushing out near the passenger side rear wheel. I quickly switch off the key and pulled the jumper to investigate. The double flare connectors on the supply and return lines were both leaking. I quickly tighten them and wanted to get the jumper back on to try again. But this time, I wasn’t as careful. I didn’t disconnect the battery. The jumper accidently touched another terminal and ground. Pop. Fortunately it was only a fuel pump fuse. There were other unused fuses. I swapped one out, but I didn’t learn my lesson. Pop! Another fuse. Finally I got fuel pump on again, but the leak was still there. I pulled the jumper and I popped the lasted unused fuse. Ultimate defeat.
Six weeks out looking back on that day, I can say in spite of the frustrations, it was still a good day. Got to spend a beautiful morning with a friend working on a really cool project. I learned that when things don’t go according to plans to take a step back before heading into dangerous territories without a plan.

[Merciless]

Over the next few weeks I scoured the internet for why Coyote No Start. Apparently, this happens to a lot of people. Reasons range from bad ECU to bad wiring. I belong to the latter. First I realized that I had wired the starter blue control wire completely wrong. For whatever reason, I eliminated the blue control wire and tied the ground to the control post on the starter. After reading the correct FORD Instructions, I corrected the mistake.
2nd First Start attempt was also a No Start. Back to the internet. I noticed people were calling FORD when they had this issue. I decided to give it a try even though the strike was still going on. To my surprise, someone answered. I explained my situation of putting their coyote engine in a Factory Five Roadster. He said a lot of their calls were from us Factory Five builders. After going through the usual questions, he directed me to check the voltage in the Coyote fuse box for the On and Start positions. He also said that their ECU needed a dedicated ground directed to the battery. After checked the voltage, they were indeed low near 7.5V. After some head scratching, I did run the ECU ground directly to the battery negative terminal. I went back and tighten all the ground and power bus connections. I did find that they were only finger tight. After these corrections, the voltage did increase to 11V.
3rd First Start attempt was successful, but since I didn’t expect it there’s no video. After a couple of weeks, we eventually got there.

[Merciless]

I used a laser level and an angle finder to do the basic alignments.

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However I noticed that my steering is not centered meaning the two tie rods don't have the same the thread. May have to go back and adjust that and do the alignment on the front again.

[Merciless]

I couldn't resist the temptation of installing a radio. I don't even listen to the radio in my DD. I just like the idea of having one with Apple CarPlay. Also I want to in a reverse camera. I mocked up the radio box with card board about 5 times. I called crutchfield and got a Kenwood radio, amp, and got the larges speakers that can fit behind the seats.

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I also went with the FFMetal tunnel cover. In the end I used the old cover to build the radio box. Here's what it looks like. I added cupholders on the tunnel over.

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[Merciless]

The kit cooling tank wasn't cutting it. I've driven it around in go-kart mode and every time it burps out coolant. I finally bit the bullet and got an UPR tank (like Moroso but cheaper). I bent some aluminum and used the angle finder to make the mounts.

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With the new set up, no more coolant burping.

[Merciless]

Here's a video of the start. I noticed that there's a slight squeal at the end of the crank. Maybe need to check the tension of the power steering belt?


https://youtu.be/Kx4aAkkZdPI

[John Ibele]

Wow, your metal / foam / leather fab turned out great! Fun when you get the hang of it, I think. Probably my favorite part of the build. I personally think those VintageAir knobs are visually jarring in a chrome / leather dash like yours is. If you're happy with it great. If not, know there is a threaded nut buried in all that plastic that holds it on, so you can replace it with a polished chrome one if desired. Took me a while to figure that out. I think I needed to shorten the heater control shaft and file a new flat on it though, to put the new knob in the right in / out position on the dash.

Main reason for the post: your engine sounds great and everything sounds like it's working fine. But I thought I spotted your tach sitting at 300 or so when the engine was idling, clearly too low. Am I mis-seeing something in the vid?

[Merciless]

Wow, your metal / foam / leather fab turned out great! Fun when you get the hang of it, I think. Probably my favorite part of the build. I personally think those VintageAir knobs are visually jarring in a chrome / leather dash like yours is. If you're happy with it great. If not, know there is a threaded nut buried in all that plastic that holds it on, so you can replace it with a polished chrome one if desired. Took me a while to figure that out. I think I needed to shorten the heater control shaft and file a new flat on it though, to put the new knob in the right in / out position on the dash.

Main reason for the post: your engine sounds great and everything sounds like it's working fine. But I thought I spotted your tach sitting at 300 or so when the engine was idling, clearly too low. Am I mis-seeing something in the vid?

John,

Thanks for the advice. I will look into it. Thank you also for pointing out the tach reading. You're right. It's actually not reading correctly. I'll have to investigate.

[Merciless]

John,

Thanks for the advice. I will look into it. Thank you also for pointing out the tach reading. You're right. It's actually not reading correctly. I'll have to investigate.

John, I finally got to looking at the tach. You're right. I had not set the rev per signal to 0.5 and it wasn't reading 0 when stopped. That was an easy fix. Thanks.

[Merciless]

When I first started, I only filled the tank about 2 gal because I didn't want a full tank in case things weren't working or if I had to drop the tank, etc. But after a few go-kart laps around the block, I should have filled that tank more. But I didn't and paid for it. It died on the other side of the neighborhood. Had to call the wife to rescue and tow me home. Although, while I was trying to figure out what happened a couple of guys in white pickup stopped and offered to help. They were excited to see a go-kart.

Eventually, I realized that the fuel pump had failed due to low fuel. I ordered a new fuel pump and made sure the tank was at least half full.

[Merciless]

I actually did this back in Dec, but just catching up with the pictures.

I used Prep All and Scotch Brite pads to wipe and clean the seams, but the seams were so rough, they just tore up the pads. I used a metal file and started grinding down the sharp teeth.
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Then I went back to cleaning and there was a lot of wax in those seams. I started using a pick to pick them out. I also use the pick to explore the air pockets. This was in the trunk area.

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Here's another hole I found. I dug in with the pick and found gooey uncured gel coat. I found closed to a dozen holes but most were empty and not filled with gel coat.

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There was also a crack in the fiberglass on the driver's side above the dash where it meets the door. Will have to do some fiberglass repair.

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Then I washed, wiped with Prep All, picked, and repeat 3 more times.

[Merciless]

Next I tackled the louvers. I only noticed later that there were templates in the back of instructions for the louvers, but I didn't know at the time. I ended up measuring the louvers, marking the dimensions on the body and using a washer as a guide for the corner radius. I used a grinder to cut the hole bigger and sanded the edges smooth.

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I used nutserts to attach the bracket to the louver and used the slotted post from McMaster Carr that others have used to mount to the body with HSRF.

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Paint sticks and old broken chopsticks

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[Merciless]

I used a round bit and hollowed out the crack and filled it with 3M HSRF, but the first time I moved it, it cracked again. So I ended up doing 3 layers of fiberglass underneath and filled the top again with HSRF. So far so good.

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After that I used Herculiner to coat the underside.

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[Merciless]

Over the holidays, I had a few sets of friends and family come visit. They brought kids. They were super helpful. They helped me test fit the body-meaning put it on, take it off, put it back on. They must have helped me install and remove the side pipes 3-4 times. They also helped install the tail lights, head lights and signal lights. I was too busy giving instructions that I didn't take any pictures. Their reward: a ride around the block and go home tell their friends that they build a car over the Christmas Break.

[Merciless]

After the armies of helpers left, I worked on fitting the doors. Did a bunch of sanding to trim the doors to fit in the opening. I started with the passenger side door. After a lot of adjustments the door and latch finally fit where it functions. The drivers side was not as easy. One issue was the latch just fell apart. My heart sank when it wouldn't go back together. When in a pickle, ask google - that's my philosophy. It appears to be a common problem. Here's a solution.

https://www.linger.com/cobra/doorlatchrepair.htm

So I kind of followed it and it's working for now.

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[Jeff Kleiner]

I do that to every latch as soon as I take 'em out of the box! Only difference is that I use elevator bolts instead of carriage bolts (heads are already flat and don't have to be ground down).

Jeff

[Merciless]

I do that to every latch as soon as I take 'em out of the box! Only difference is that I use elevator bolts instead of carriage bolts (heads are already flat and don't have to be ground down).

Jeff

Yes, that's a good suggestion. It would be really nice if there was a "best practice" or "lessons learned" for each aspect of the build. I've found that pretty much every mistake I've made has been made before and will probably be made again. That's why I appreciate your bodywork thread. I've read it and will probably read it few more times.