ATX MKIV #9644 Coyote Build Thread (Index #137) - Trickle Charger Port Added

[dbo_texas]

Uhg....one step forward two steps back. After mounting my dash (I had hoped for the last time), I found that what was once working is no longer working. The two items NOT working are:


Rear DS tail light --> I'm about 95% sure this is an issue with the ground wire either in the connector at the tail light harness, or inside the light fixture itself. If I touch the threaded mounting studs coming out of the back of the fixture to ground, they work as intended. I'll re-pin the ground wire on the connector and re-try this one.
Hazard flashers no longer working --> these were working previously. The turn signals both work, but flashers do not. The relay is clicking, and the button on the dash blinks with the relays, but the 4 lights aren't blinking. So frustrated....hoping it is related to the grounding issue on the rear tail light. If not, I'll have to pull the dash off and start checking all the wires/connections which will be a major PITA.


On the bright side I tested both seat heaters since this was the first time I had those hooked up, and they are working (hi & low).

I've also come to the conclusion that the 3M Dual-Lock solution I planned to use for mounting the top portion of the dash may not be adequate. The concern is that due to all the wiring harnesses and heater ducting pushes with a fair amount of force on the dash. I'm not sure the dual-lock will hold, but we'll see. I epoxied small metal pieces where the dual-lock tabs are located so that they have metal to bond to instead of the carbon fiber. If it isn't sufficient, I'll add some screws instead which I was hoping to avoid.

[dbo_texas]

Uhg....one step forward two steps back. After mounting my dash (I had hoped for the last time), I found that what was once working is no longer working. The two items NOT working are:


Rear DS tail light --> I'm about 95% sure this is an issue with the ground wire either in the connector at the tail light harness, or inside the light fixture itself. If I touch the threaded mounting studs coming out of the back of the fixture to ground, they work as intended. I'll re-pin the ground wire on the connector and re-try this one.
Hazard flashers no longer working --> these were working previously. The turn signals both work, but flashers do not. The relay is clicking, and the button on the dash blinks with the relays, but the 4 lights aren't blinking. So frustrated....hoping it is related to the grounding issue on the rear tail light. If not, I'll have to pull the dash off and start checking all the wires/connections which will be a major PITA.


On the bright side I tested both seat heaters since this was the first time I had those hooked up, and they are working (hi & low).

I've also come to the conclusion that the 3M Dual-Lock solution I planned to use for mounting the top portion of the dash may not be adequate. The concern is that due to all the wiring harnesses and heater ducting pushes with a fair amount of force on the dash. I'm not sure the dual-lock will hold, but we'll see. I epoxied small metal pieces where the dual-lock tabs are located so that they have metal to bond to instead of the carbon fiber. If it isn't sufficient, I'll add some screws instead which I was hoping to avoid.

Well item #2 is resolved. I was able to tilt the dash far enough away to see the connectors for the hazards. Turns out one of the ground pins has been pushed out of the Molex connector body. Simple fix to clip that back in and now the hazards are working again. Item #1 is still unresolved. I re-pinned both Weatherpack connectors hoping it was just an issue with the connector, but it didn't resolve the problem. I made a quick video demonstrating the issue. The PS works perfectly. The DS brake light doesn't work unless the tail light housing is touching chassis ground. I checked the pin outs going to the DS lights and they match what is happening on the PS (and per the FFR wiring instructions). At this point, I'm thinking I have a faulty tail light. I've ordered a new one from FFR ($26 for the part...and $27 for shipping). Hopefully this will fix the issue but if anyone has any other ideas, I'm all ears.

https://youtube.com/shorts/fonsuZBdavA?si=lkMBWx5Z0CTtpTE1

Also, I removed the clamps from the dash and the 3M dual-lock is holding strong....so maybe those will work out after all.

[dbo_texas]

Well item #2 is resolved. I was able to tilt the dash far enough away to see the connectors for the hazards. Turns out one of the ground pins has been pushed out of the Molex connector body. Simple fix to clip that back in and now the hazards are working again. Item #1 is still unresolved. I re-pinned both Weatherpack connectors hoping it was just an issue with the connector, but it didn't resolve the problem. I made a quick video demonstrating the issue. The PS works perfectly. The DS brake light doesn't work unless the tail light housing is touching chassis ground. I checked the pin outs going to the DS lights and they match what is happening on the PS (and per the FFR wiring instructions). At this point, I'm thinking I have a faulty tail light. I've ordered a new one from FFR ($26 for the part...and $27 for shipping). Hopefully this will fix the issue but if anyone has any other ideas, I'm all ears.

https://youtube.com/shorts/fonsuZBdavA?si=lkMBWx5Z0CTtpTE1

Also, I removed the clamps from the dash and the 3M dual-lock is holding strong....so maybe those will work out after all.

Mystery solved on the electrical tail light issue. I did a continuity test from the connector to the metal body of the tail light and got no connectivity. So this told me definitively there was something wrong with the ground connection, either at the wire or where it terminates to the body. After some investigating I found that the wire INSIDE the tail light pigtail had been soldered together and had broken at some point. Not sure who did this or why...I can't imagine this was done at the tail light factory but who knows. All I know is it wasn't me. Nevertheless, I replaced the ground wire and now everything is working perfectly. Case closed...moving on. Silly how stupid stuff like this can waste so much time during the build.
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=214154&d=1747865961

[Mike.Bray]

Air gap problem!

[dbo_texas]

Air gap problem!

;) haha yeah electricity doesn't do so well with that.

[dbo_texas]

This weekend I'm shooting to do first start, but before I do that I wanted to document all the electrical wiring. I have a lot of customization in my build, so this guide is mostly for my own reference. I made a PPT of all the custom schematics and/or modifications to the RF Harness that I made. Many of the circuits draw from other builds and I'll try to point those out as I go. I'll include the images here, but in the main power point slides are on my Google Drive if anyone wants to view them here: Cobra electrical schematic modifications.pptx (https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1rAeYWD8wevDQ2EHv2N6tPX6A5gmGoHAG/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=108093338400497321903&rtpof=true&sd=true)

Planning:
I previously outlined my electrical plans on Post #147-#148 (https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/showthread.php?40632-ATX-MKIV-9644-Coyote-Build-Thread-(Index-Post-137)&p=540675&viewfull=1#post540675).

Power Wiring
I won't spend a ton of time on this one because I basically tried to mimic exactly what edwardb did on his 20th Anniversary build (https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/showthread.php?18591-EdwardBs-Mk4-8674-20th-Anniversary-Build&p=231732&viewfull=1#post231732). Other builders have copied this with great success so I didn't re-invent the wheel. I detailed this in my build thread post #162 (https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/showthread.php?40632-ATX-MKIV-9644-Coyote-Build-Thread-(Index-Post-137)&p=543610&viewfull=1#post543610). The main points are:

Run #2 AWG ground cable from battery to Ø4" frame tube near battery
Run #2 AWG +12V battery cable from positive battery lead to master disconnect non-switched post (lower post) via the Ø4" PS frame tube
Run short #4 AWG battery cable from master disconnect non-switched post (lower post) to the 250A mega fuse below PDB
Run #4 AWG battery cable from 250A mega fuse to PDB front power tap
Run new #4 AWG cable from master disconnect switched side (upper post) left to the starter on left side of engine (run w/ Coyote harness ground wire & heavy gauge starter wire from Coyote ECU leg of the harness)
Run #8 AWG cable from master disconnect switched side (upper post) to the right and enter the DS footbox (using same grommet as hydraulic clutch line), then route up to the Blue Seas +12V busbar mounted behind the dash. This will serve as the main +12V feed to the RF harness.
On the Blue Seas busbar, connect +12V from switched side of master disconnect (per item above), and then connect the three +12V red wires from the RF harness starter leg (Red Battery Feed, Red Alternator Feed, and Red Ignition Switch Feed) - these are on the starter leg of the RF harness and can be shortened and rerouted to the busbar. The blue starter wire in this leg of the RF harness can be capped (you don't need it w/ the Coyote)
Run #8 AWG for alternator feed from Blue Seas busbar to a 150A Mega Fuse, then back through dash and out the grommet with the sender unit harness. It goes to the same location on the engine as the senders on the engine, so they can all run together.


I made my own custom battery cables, and as mentioned I didn't use the #4 AWG cables provided with the kit. I went with #2 AWG cables and used the solder-style lugs for connection to the battery. Here's a video I made showing how to solder the lugs onto the cable ends:

https://youtu.be/eqOxnLAxbHg

Here's a video showing the power wiring to the Blue Seas Busbar behind the dash:

https://youtube.com/shorts/9GbCyKHPp-Y?feature=share

Showing the main power cable routing:
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=214539&d=1748914953

Here's a closeup of the power breakout near the firewall:
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=214540&d=1748914953

Showing +12V going into the footbox - this will go to the Blue Seas busbar behind the dash and ultimately to the RF Fuse Panel and other items.
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=214541&d=1748914953

Here's the Ø4" PS frame tube where the starter motor power wire and blue starter cable from the Coyote harness break out:
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=214636&d=1749048664

Here's what it looks like where the start motor wires break out of the loom:
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=214637&d=1749048664

Here's what's happening behind the dash. You can see the Blue Seas 12V busbar terminal strip, along with the 150A MegaFuse for the alternator power:
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=214588&d=1748973898

Here's the same view but with wires installed:
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=214589&d=1748973898

[dbo_texas]

Coyote Harness Modifications
Here are the main details for the Coyote Harness. I made a few modifications listed below:

Reroute the long blunt cut black #10 AWG ground wire with the main battery feed cable along the frame and terminate at the Ø4" tube ground location (near battery). This should break out of the Coyote harness at the tri-split on the firewall. This wire is hanging out, already split at the firewall breakout --> I had to extend this as the provided wire wasn't long enough to reach my chassis ground point (see post above for pic)
Reroute the heavy gauge blue starter wire from the ECU leg of the Coyote harness to break out at the tri-split on the firewall and run this down with the ground wire --> break it out of the loom near the starter motor. Will need to unwrap the ECU leg to get this free. This wire energizes the starter motor solenoid when commanded by the ECU.
Break out the Coyote Harness orange fan power wire (#10 AWG) from the ECU leg, and run it to the front and then down to the Maradyne PWM fan controller unit (more on this later)
While I was routing the orange fan wire, I went ahead and added a new wire from the end of the orange fan wire, through the firewall and back to the dash so I can wire up an indicator light when the fan is running[/INDENT]
I stripped back the dash side of the Coyote Harness loom to relocate some items. Here are some examples: OBD2 port, MIL, throttle DBW, and clutch bottom switch area all grouped together. Throttle & clutch switches need to go to DS footbox, MIL & OBD2 can mount under the dash. I mounted the MIL & OBD2 port under the steering column.
Connect the Blue SMR Start Request wire from Coyote 16-way pigtail connector to the Blue EFI Crank wire in the RF harness which connects to the ignition switch. The purpose of this wire is to signal the Coyote ECU to initiate the start sequence when the ignition key is turned to start.
I cut the factory oil pressure sensor connector off the Coyote Harness (for the Gen2 Coyote, I used the Speedhut oil pressure sender instead). Or you can just leave the connector and tie it off somewhere out of the way. Note - for Gen 3 you need to keep this sensor and use a "T" into the oil pressure sender port along with the gauge sensor. But in Gen 2 enginers it is NOT used.


For the Fuel Pump circuit, I didn't 100% follow the FFR instructions. After doing some research, I used Option 2 listed below which eliminates one of the fuses vs. how the FFR Coyote Fitment Instructions show (Option 1). The thread referencing this method is HERE (https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/showthread.php?39872-Coyote-fuel-pump-fuse-panel-wiring&p=457902&viewfull=1#post457902).
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=214545&d=1748916582

Here's a more detailed view of what's going on with the actual fuel pump relay. Note that I'm no longer using the 15A fused IGN FEED for the fuel pump circuit. I'm now using that for my seat heater circuits (more on this later).
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=214546&d=1748916741

[Nigel Allen]

Nice work on the electrical mod diagrams. Hope you are correct in cutting the Coyote oil pressure sender out of circuit. I thought it was required by the ECU for something? Maybe pressure relief control? Hopefully 'I have got my wires crossed' Might be one for Paul B to chip in.


Good luck with the start!

Cheers,

Nige

[dbo_texas]

Cooling Fan Circuit
In reading other forum posts, a frequent gripe with Gen2 Coyotes is that the ECU runs the fan almost constantly, and at full speed. It's supposedly very loud. To rectify this, I'm using a Maradyne MFA136 PWM Fan Controller with Mishimoto MMWHS-38-BK 38mm adapter (for mounting temp sensor in radiator return hose) to control the radiator fan on/off and speed. You can program it to kick on at a set temp. One of the threads I referenced is HERE (https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/showthread.php?37200-Cooling-Question-on-a-Coyote-first-start&p=426139&viewfull=1#post426139). Anyhow, for wiring up the Maradyne unit, I followed the schematics provided by GT Bradley HERE (https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/showthread.php?34158-!-Two-stage-cooling-fan-controller-for-Gen-2-Coyote-(will-work-for-any-engine)-115&p=435082&viewfull=1#post435082). In this setup, the Maradyne Fan PWM Controller is actually controlling the ground circuit for the radiator fan to control on/off and speed. I'm using the 14ga Coyote Orange wire to the radiator, and then feeding the Maradyne unit power from the RF Harness orange Coil/EFI. The Maradyne unit doesn't draw much power itself, it really just controls the ground path for the fan.
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=215061&d=1749918159

Here's where I mounted the Maradyne unit:
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=214570&d=1748924390

And here you can see where the temp sensor is mounted into the radiator lower return hose:
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=204915&d=1728232179

[dbo_texas]

'65 Mustang Ignition Switch
FFR provides a mix of random switches and knobs with the kit. This wasn't going to cut it for my build - I wanted all the switches and knobs to match and look like a cohesive dash. As such, I swapped the FFR ignition for a '65 Mustang Ignition switch, used a '65 Mustang Rotary 2-speed wiper switch, and replaced the knobs on the FFR headlight switch and heater switch for '65 Mustang knobs.

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=214587&d=1748973898

The wiring for the ignition switch is pretty much straight forward once you figure out what each wire does, then match it up with the FFR schematics. Here's what I came up with and this works (verified):
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=214549&d=1748918060

The wires shown in this pic are from a pigtail plug that you can buy to pair with the switch. However, for the life of me I couldn't get it to mate with the switch that I bought, so I ditched it and went with spade terminals to plug in individually into the back of the switch.

Fuel Pump Cutoff Switch
Another modification I made was to use one of the FFR provided ON/OFF switches to add a fuel pump cutoff switch in-line with the inertia switch. This could serve as a backup fuel pump cutoff switch in the event that the inertia switch didn't work (unlikely but you never know), or could also be used as an anti-theft switch. I added it because why not?

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=214551&d=1748918334

I mounted the switch underneath the dash.
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=214552&d=1748918467

[dbo_texas]

Courtesy Lights
Here's a fun one. When adding extra wiring for the courtesy lights, I didn't inspect the FFR Ron Francis schematic close enough. In their circuit, the headlight switch activates the courtesy lights by closing the ground path for the circuit. I assumed it provided 12V power (wrong). I had already ran dedicated ground and power wires for all of the extra courtesy lights that I added (trunk area, cockpit cubby, under-dash, engine bay). To make the circuit work using the FFR headlight switch, I ended up using a relay.

Headlight switch functionality description (edwardb...who else) (https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/showthread.php?45818-White-quot-Dash-Light-quot-wire-no-power&p=523348&viewfull=1#post523348)
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=214555&d=1748919157

In my setup, I'm using the RF chassis harness RED-COURTESY LT wire to power the lights, but also provide power to the relay coil. Then I use the FFR headlight switch to close the ground path for the relay coil (i.e. negative trigger). All the LEDs themselves are just tied to chassis ground. I added 2 in trunk, 2 in cockpit cubby, 4 under dash, 2 in engine bay:
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=214553&d=1748918799

Here's a video showing the courtesy light LEDs (7:10 mark in the video):
https://youtu.be/KY9TyqGOFZs?si=sZ55kFFU_-TuCMpH&t=430

Seat Heater Circuit
This one is also pretty straight forward. I'm using Intatrim Stoneleigh seats with heaters already installed. They sent the diagram below. To power this circuit, I'm using the the 15A circuit in the RF Fuse panel originally designated for the fuel pump. Since I'm using the Coyote circuit to power the fuel pump, this RF fuse panel circuit was free. I clipped the wire and added a white extension wire.

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=214554&d=1748918988

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=214029&d=1747587127

[dbo_texas]

RT Turn Signal & IDIDIT Relay
All the props for this one go to the forum user Ted G. He detailed how to connect this all together HERE (https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/showthread.php?44022-Russ-Thompson-Turn-Signal-and-IDIDIT-Relay-wiring-schematic), and it worked perfectly. For those that don't know, the RT Turn Signal replaces the FFR provided dash toggle switch for a steering column mounted turn signal stock. It's spring loaded and has a button on the end you can use as another switch. Paired with the IDIDIT dimmer module, you can control the turn signals and your Hi beam / Low beam headlights. When the headlights are off, pressing the button on the stalk acts as a momentary switch and flashes the high beams. When the headlights are ON, pressing the button on the stalk toggles between high & low beam. I'll be honest, I had a very hard time following Russ Thompson's instructions for the turn signal and it required diodes and relays to make it work. With this setup, it's super simple. Anyhow, I hooked it all up as shown below, and viola everything works. There's a video below where I show the functionality.
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=214558&d=1748919802


https://youtu.be/-fUYHbB_osg?si=Td0I-dF8dV09Avqf&t=104

[dbo_texas]

HAZARDS CIRCUIT WITH BILLET BUTTON
This one took a little bit to figure out. I replaced all the FFR toggle switches with billet buttons, and the hazard switch was one of those. I wanted the button LED to flash with the hazards. In this setup, the billet button controls a relay and the relay device power comes from the PNK-HAZARD FLASHER wire in the RF Harness (this also provides power to the button LED). I provide an ALTERNATE wiring option which would illuminate the button constantly when hazards are turned on, but I prefer the blinking on the dash. Either will work.

One key item to point out in this wiring is that you need to add diodes to the turn signal wires to prevent back-feeding the hazard button LED when you have the turn signals on, otherwise the button would light up when you put your blinkers on. I used 5A/60V diodes. These only allow current to flow in one direction.

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=214559&d=1748920658

Video of hazard button in action (2:08 mark in the video):

https://youtu.be/-fUYHbB_osg?si=cjUJVWoE0CS_CDuV&t=128

For reference, in case it helps someone, here is the diagram for the billet buttons from Custom Billet Buttons (https://www.custombilletbuttons.com/wiring-diagram/), where I got my buttons (hazards, horn)
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=214560&d=1748921040

HORN CIRCUIT WITH BILLET BUTTON
The horn wiring was straight forward. I've got the billet button wired up so that the button will illuminate when the parking lights or headlights are activated (see bottom right of image below for billet button wire connections). I added some resistors to drop the current a bit and reduce the brightness.

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=214561&d=1748921347

[dbo_texas]

65 Mustang Rotary Wiper Switch
For me this was one of the harder circuits, mostly because I couldn't find good references to align the 65 Mustang rotary 2-speed wiper switch with the provided FFR toggle switch and circuit. As mentioned earlier, I don't light the toggles and wanted something nicer. The 65 Mustang switch matches the other dash bling. I also added bezels with labels to each of the knobs (headlights, ignition, wipers, heater) so they all match. Here's the schematic - confirmed working 100%. One thing to note, and I encountered, is that the FFR wiper motor has a micro-switch inside the white connector housing which can get stuck and prevent the "Park" function from working. I wasted an ludicrous amount of time thinking my circuit was wrong, only to find several forum posts like THIS ONE (https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/showthread.php?45904-Windshield-wiper-wiring), THIS ONE (https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/showthread.php?14002-FFR-Lucas-Windshield-Wiper-Self-Park-Problem-Solved), and THIS ONE (https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/showthread.php?49785-TTimmy%92s-MK3-Basket-Case-Build-Thread&p=575322&viewfull=1#post575322) describing what was really happening. After taking apart the wiper motor connector, and adding a little grease, voila the park function works.

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=214562&d=1748921796

To connect to the back of the wiper switch, I just used female spade terminals.

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=214564&d=1748922153

Video showing park function:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/EZHoiw6dx1ae39U7A

[dbo_texas]

FOOTBOX BLOWERS w/ BILLET BUTTONS
Keeping the billet button theme alive, I used them to control the footbox blower fans. I have them wired up so that they illuminate when the button is pressed or when parking lights are on. I had some difficulty with this circuit as well, and some folks on the forum helped me trouble-shoot the issue detailed HERE (https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/showthread.php?50833-HELP!-Billet-Button-Wiring-for-Footbox-Blower&p=575276#post575276). They also suggested adding diodes, both to prevent the parking light feed from turning on the blower fan, and also to prevent the button from lighting up when the fan turns due to inadvertent movement (forced air through brake duct).

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=214565&d=1748922642

After troubleshooting and adding the diodes, this is the final circuit (diagram above doesn't show the actual wire connections from the billet button):
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=214566&d=1748922642

[dbo_texas]

CUSTOM RELAY PANEL
Since several circuits in my build required relays to work properly (or to prevent accidentally putting too much current through my billet buttons), and because my firewall was getting super crowded, I ended up making a relay panel and mounted it to the back side of the Coyote ECU. It is mounted with a custom fabricated sheet metal bracket and uses standoffs from the ECU bracket provided by FFR w/ the Coyote fitment kit.

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=214567&d=1748923209

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=214568&d=1748923209

ADDITIONAL FUSE PANEL
When I started adding all these custom circuits, I thought I would run out on the RF Fuse Panel, so I went ahead and added another 6-circuit panel located under the DS footbox. I'm running an 8ga wire up to the 12V busbar on the dash (switched from master cutoff). Same 12V source as the RF fuse panel. In the pic below you can see the secondary fuse panel mounted to the right (with the red 12V feed) and you can also see where I mounted my MIL indicator and OBD2 port.

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=214569&d=1748924167

[dbo_texas]

That's a lot of electrical. There are a few other items I thought worth mentioning, but didn't really take any pictures of. Here's the list of other modifications or circuits I added:


Dieted/removed the 33 hotrod leg completely --> not used at all
For the starter leg of the harness, I de-loomed this and routed the 3 red power wires to the Blue Seas busbar behind the dash. The blue solenoid start wire was capped & tied out of the way (not needed w/ Coyote)
For the alternator leg, I de-loomed this and routed it from the 150A MegaFuse behind the dash with the sender unit harness (oil pressure, water temp, etc) and routed through the firewall into the engine bay
For all the lights (turn signals, tail lights) I used Weatherpack connectors
On rear harness, I added +12V ignition power for AUX/USB ports mounted on transmission tunnel (ran both power and ground). I used the RF harness 10A fused radio circuit for this.
Added 4 wires for the reverse lockout module from Forte's on the T56 (2x for the speed sensor on transmission - used the speed sense wires already in the rear harness for this, and 2x for the lockout solenoid). I wired this up to the reverse lockout module from Forte per the instructions provided, making sure to connect ground wires first before power (instructions say you will fry the module if you don't do this). The T56 doesn't have a neutral safety switch.
Added 1 new wire to rear harness for reverse light (fused +12V HAAT radio memory circuit) to the transmission switch, and the subsequent output of the transmission switch to the reverse light LED in the rear of the car. For ground, I tapped into the ground wire in the rear harness
Powering the GPS & clock using the Coyote Harness HAAT (hot at all times) wire.
For the sending unit harness, I spliced the Speed Hut gauge wires to the provided harness wires


Rear chassis harness leg routing:

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/YXeLLti4wIA

This shows where I mounted the chassis ground busbar (for multiple circuits), IDIDIT headlight relay module, and T56 reverse lockout module.
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=214586&d=1748973898

Here's how I routed the rear harness and break out the wires for the reverse light (plugs into PS front connector on the T56), and the reverse lockout solenoid (plugs into DS rear connector on the T56)
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=214590&d=1748973898

[edwardb]

Nice work on the electrical mod diagrams. Hope you are correct in cutting the Coyote oil pressure sender out of circuit. I thought it was required by the ECU for something? Maybe pressure relief control? Hopefully 'I have got my wires crossed' Might be one for Paul B to chip in.


Good luck with the start!

Cheers,

Nige

The Gen 3 Coyote requires the Ford stock oil pressure sensor. So a "T" connection is required to add the gauge sensor. For the Gen 2 (this build) the Ford oil pressure sender isn't required. So it can be removed. Don't know about the Gen 4. My guess is it will be the same as the Gen 3 since in crate form they are very similar.

[edwardb]

Nice job on all the wiring and documentation. Someone spent some time doing a bunch of graphics. The power wiring setup looks familiar. :o

The only thing I saw that's slightly confusing is there are two wires for the Coyote start circuit. There is the light blue SMR wire from the Coyote pigtail that goes to the RF blue start wire from the ignition switch. Its purpose is to signal the Coyote ECU to initiate the start sequence when the ignition key is turned to start. Then there is the heavier (and separate) start wire in the Coyote harness itself that goes to the actual starter solenoid which energizes the starter solenoid when commanded by the ECU. Saw references to this wire as "SMR" which technically it isn't and could be confusing. That's being really picky but thought I would point it out.

[dbo_texas]

Nice job on all the wiring and documentation. Someone spent some time doing a bunch of graphics. The power wiring setup looks familiar. :o

The only thing I saw that's slightly confusing is there are two wires for the Coyote start circuit. There is the light blue SMR wire from the Coyote pigtail that goes to the RF blue start wire from the ignition switch. Its purpose is to signal the Coyote ECU to initiate the start sequence when the ignition key is turned to start. Then there is the heavier (and separate) start wire in the Coyote harness itself that goes to the actual starter solenoid which energizes the starter solenoid when commanded by the ECU. Saw references to this wire as "SMR" which technically it isn't and could be confusing. That's being really picky but thought I would point it out.

Thanks Paul - I updated my posts #256 and #257 for clarity around these two.

[dbo_texas]

Going for 1st start this weekend so need to put some gas in the tank. I had an F150 (Gen1 Coyote) and always used 87 octane regular gas. Not sure what the Mustang version uses. In the Coyote Controls Pack Installation - M-6017-M50A_504V specification it says to use 91 octane or higher. Doing a quick search on the forum, it seems both 87 & 93 are common? For those who have the Coyote setup, what has been your experience? Other than a little higher cost (which doesn't really matter to me), any downside to using the premium fuel?

[Presdough]

Other than cost there is no downside to using premium fuel. The higher the octane, the slower the fuel burns. in high compression engines this curtails detonation. The cylinder pressure rises more smoothly throughout the stroke instead of being a hammer blow on the top of the piston.

[dbo_texas]

Yesterday I had some friends over and even a few folks I didn't know that are just old car heads and wanted to check it out. I followed a checklist for first start that I had put together from a bunch of other posts, and just went down the line. I did forget to pull the cardboard off the radiator on the initial start, but only ran it for a few seconds. We pulled the cardboard for subsequent starts.

My first start checklist: First Start Checklist - FFR Roadster - Darryl (https://docs.google.com/document/d/1tWCm-Jlry9-PxyG5PJ4C2XcBUTGO2BlT-4N4lwTouJU/edit?usp=sharing)

Details:

Filled tank with about 3 gallons 93 Octane w/ fuel stabilizer
Primed the fuel lines by turning key to on (not START) - this runs the fuel pump for about 1 sec each time (wait 20 sec between cycles so the computer can reset)
Checked inertia switch and fuel cut-off switch (ON)
Car in neutral and clutch depressed
Crank!



Initially there were no leaks on the fuel lines, coolant connections, or power steering (more on this in the next post). It cranked almost immediately as you can see in the video. It was a great experience and a lot of friends and family were there to celebrate. I ended up cranking it a few times, topping up fluids and monitoring gauges each time.


https://youtu.be/ur-WxdlFKFI

[dbo_texas]

As mentioned above I successfully completed first start yesterday. I had cranked it 3 or 4 times letting it run idle for a while, and checking and refilling fluids between each cycle. Well after taking a couple of hours off, I came back and decided to top off all the fluids and crank it one more time for the day just to hear it purr and check if the radiator fan kicked on (we didn't test that in initial starts). I did one last "top up" on the power steering fluid and I left about 3/4" - 1" of air gap to the cap. After starting, I was turning the wheel lock-to-lock to try to bleed the system some more. When I got to the right-most lock, I saw the PS high pressure line going to the PS rack jump (i.e. the hose bobbed like a huge pressure spike or drop). I backed it off and did it again and as soon as I hit the right most lock, POP. The high pressure line ruptured and I immediately shut down the engine.

Power steering fluid leaking:
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=214789&d=1749396892

Upon inspection, the high pressure line that failed is one of the factory hoses provided with the kit which uses crimped barb connections between the fitting and the hose. It looks like the crimp simply failed. Anybody seen this before? I was very surprised because I had assumed for sure the failure would have been on one of the custom hoses I made. I'm not sure why this would happen...I pretty surprised actually. I thought these lines were rated to 2500 psi...that's what the hoses I built are rated for (on the high power side). It makes sense the failure occurred at a fitting connection (vs. a hose rupture), but surprising nevertheless.
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=214790&d=1749396900

Questions for the group:

Could that be a result of over-filling the KRC PS pump reservoir? I know for sure I left some air gap...it wasn't up to the cap.
Could this just be a faulty hose crimp? Seems unlikely as these are likely pressure tested at the factory (as is standard practice for hydraulic lines).
Could the hydroboost have anything do do with this? My PS system goes from the KRC pump to the hydroboost, then to the rack then oil cooler then back to the pump. I'm not super familiar with how the diaphragm in the hydroboost works and if it could have contributed to this failure mode

.

Other than the time wasted cleaning this up, all things considered this isn't too big of a setback. While it killed the initial euphoria from a successful first start, after taking a step back it really isn't that bad other than the time it took to clean up the huge mess. I soaked up all the fluid then tried to scrub all parts on the car which got fluid on them with hot soapy water. I think I got most of it but it was everywhere so I'm sure I missed some spots. I think the fix at this point for me is to simply buy (or make) a new hose, then re-fill the fluids. It took about 1.75 quarts to fill the pump reservoir, hoses, and hydroboost. So I need 2 more bottles of the KRC PS fluid. My biggest concern is having something happen like this while driving so first and foremost I want to try to understand WHY it occurred (if it wasn't simply a faulty hose), so I can prevent it from happening again. Any ideas/suggestions would be welcome!

[Blitzboy54]

Hell yeah! Top 2 moment on any build is when that thing fires up for the first time. Sounds great!!


As for the blowout I completely understand your concern. Once repaired leave the cap off and make sure your getting return flow. That would be the only thing I could think of. You are pumping fluid into the system and its blocked somewhere. Either a bad steering rack or something in your hydroboost setup.


If you have normal return the KRC pump is tried and true at this point. I don't see how the hydroboost would add pressure without a blockage. If it were me I would replace the line, let the engine warm up and do a couple of high RPM pulls. Do this several times.

[dbo_texas]

Hell yeah! Top 2 moment on any build is when that thing fires up for the first time. Sounds great!!


As for the blowout I completely understand your concern. Once repaired leave the cap off and make sure your getting return flow. That would be the only thing I could think of. You are pumping fluid into the system and its blocked somewhere. Either a bad steering rack or something in your hydroboost setup.


If you have normal return the KRC pump is tried and true at this point. I don't see how the hydroboost would add pressure without a blockage. If it were me I would replace the line, let the engine warm up and do a couple of high RPM pulls. Do this several times.

Thanks for the input - this is what I'll do. I'm leaning towards just buying a PTFE fitting and installing on the end of the line (after trimming off the crimp area). My hose has plenty of length. Is that a bad idea (vs. buying or making a completely new line)? If I buy a new pre-built hose, I wonder if FFR will sell me one... I don't know what the length of the stock hoses are - I'm using both of them in my setup although routed differently vs. the instructions since I have the hydroboost in the loop.

[Mike.Bray]

I'm leaning towards just buying a PTFE fitting and installing on the end of the line (after trimming off the crimp area).

Careful, careful. Unless you know for sure the hose manufacturer you can't install a different hose end. Hoses and fittings are designed to work together and not for mixing and matching. I made all of my hoses, didn't trust the FFR supplied ones. Can't remember, I used either Earl's or Hot Rod Fuel Hose. Both are high quality products.

[dbo_texas]

After taking a closer look at the hose end where it popped off the barbed fitting & was crimped, it's pretty apparent this was a bad hose. You can very clearly see where the end of the PTFE tube is bent inward, meaning when the barb was inserted this end folded over and pushed down into the tube, creating a poor seal with the barbs. I don't think pulling straight off the barb would result in anything like this. I think I'll take Mike's advice and just get a new hose assembly. I measured it and it 36 in length from right angle fitting to straight fitting.

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=214808&d=1749413297

[TXeverydayDad]

Congrats on the first start! Sounds great!

[Blitzboy54]

Thanks for the input - this is what I'll do. I'm leaning towards just buying a PTFE fitting and installing on the end of the line (after trimming off the crimp area). My hose has plenty of length. Is that a bad idea (vs. buying or making a completely new line)? If I buy a new pre-built hose, I wonder if FFR will sell me one... I don't know what the length of the stock hoses are - I'm using both of them in my setup although routed differently vs. the instructions since I have the hydroboost in the loop.

As luck would have it I have 2 unused FFR power steering hoses. If you want one I’m happy to mail it out to you. I ended up with four of them for some reason.

[cv2065]

Yesterday I had some friends over and even a few folks I didn't know that are just old car heads and wanted to check it out. I followed a checklist for first start that I had put together from a bunch of other posts, and just went down the line. I did forget to pull the cardboard off the radiator on the initial start, but only ran it for a few seconds. We pulled the cardboard for subsequent starts.

My first start checklist: First Start Checklist - FFR Roadster - Darryl (https://docs.google.com/document/d/1tWCm-Jlry9-PxyG5PJ4C2XcBUTGO2BlT-4N4lwTouJU/edit?usp=sharing)

Details:

Filled tank with about 3 gallons 93 Octane w/ fuel stabilizer
Primed the fuel lines by turning key to on (not START) - this runs the fuel pump for about 1 sec each time (wait 20 sec between cycles so the computer can reset)
Checked inertia switch and fuel cut-off switch (ON)
Car in neutral and clutch depressed
Crank!



Initially there were no leaks on the fuel lines, coolant connections, or power steering (more on this in the next post). It cranked almost immediately as you can see in the video. It was a great experience and a lot of friends and family were there to celebrate. I ended up cranking it a few times, topping up fluids and monitoring gauges each time.


https://youtu.be/ur-WxdlFKFI

That’s awesome. Whomever was videoing made sure to get the close up expression after start. As nerve racking as it is, nothing like it. Congrats!

[dbo_texas]

As luck would have it I have 2 unused FFR power steering hoses. If you want one I’m happy to mail it out to you. I ended up with four of them for some reason.

Thanks I appreciate the offer. I just ordered a replacement from Summit along with the KRC fluid so hopefully I’ll be back in business by the end of the week.

[dbo_texas]

Another thing I noticed when turning the steering wheel back and forth to try to bleed the air out. It felt jumpy....almost like the wheel was turning in "detents" instead of one smooth motion. I'm guessing that isn't normal? I attributed it to air moving through the lines but in hindsight I'm wondering if there is something else going on, like a blockage mentioned.

If I keep the cap off the KRC reservoir during engine start, is there a way to see the return line pumping into the reservoir? I assume I should see some flow coming into the KRC reservoir? Any other ways to check if there are blockages?

Also, FFR instructions for the KRC setup say to put the front wheels OFF the ground on jack stands (and rear wheels on the ground). Anyone with a hydroboost setup know if this also applies? I didn't do that initially - I had all 4 wheels on jack stands so for the next go I was planning to do this.

[Mick40]

I bled mine using a drill with the wheels off the ground. The jerkiness disappeared once the air was out of the system.

[dbo_texas]

I bled mine using a drill with the wheels off the ground. The jerkiness disappeared once the air was out of the system.

Thanks for the tip - can you elaborate on this? How did you run the pump using a drill?

[cv2065]

Another thing I noticed when turning the steering wheel back and forth to try to bleed the air out. It felt jumpy....almost like the wheel was turning in "detents" instead of one smooth motion. I'm guessing that isn't normal?

I had the same thing yesterday right before my first go kart. It went away quickly when driving.

[edwardb]

I've done PS on every build but the first one, including one with hydroboost and a couple with KRC. They typically don't require anything special for bleeding. Certainly haven't for me. Don't worry about it at this stage. I'm betting once you drive it around a few times, it will feel fine. Assuming it's plumbed properly. Those KRC setups are first class. Too bad about that hose though. :mad:

[dbo_texas]

FYI I had emailed FFR to see if they sell a replacement hose I could purchase, and included a pic of the end of the hose. They agreed it definitely looked like a manufacturing defect and immediately shipped me another hose no charge. Can't beat that customer service! Should get the new hoses & fluid in Thursday and hopefully I'll be to smiling again. Will report back.

[dbo_texas]

All right I got the new power steering hose hooked up and re-topped off the PS fluid. Cranked right up - no leaks. One slightly interesting thing - the oil pressure gauge didn't show a reading the first time I cranked it up. It read zero even after idling for 1-2 minutes. After shutting down, I unplugged & re-plugged in the oil pressure sensor. Also unplugged and re-plugged the gauge connector behind the dash. After starting the 2nd time (the video below), oil pressure came up. There was no knocking in the engine, and oil levels are reading full so I don't think there's an actual problem with the oiling system (i.e. I think it had pressure the entire time).

Could be:
-faulty gauge?
-faulty gauge harness/connector?
-faulty pressure sensor?
-faulting pressure sensor wires/connector?
-any other ideas?

How would I go about trouble-shooting this zero reading intermittently on the oil gauge?

https://youtube.com/shorts/xCLc-DhNi5s

[cv2065]

I went through the same thing. Speedhut gave me some steps to check it by process of elimination. They will ask you if you have to call them for a replacement.

1. Connect only the power to the back of the gauge, disconnecting the sensor harness. Does it full sweep then to zero.
2. Connect power and the harness to the back of the gauge, then disconnect the plug at the sensor. Does gauge full sweep then to zero.
3. Reconnect the plug into the sensor. Does the gauge full sweep then read correctly?

This should give you an idea if you have a gauge or harness issue. You could also move the harness cord around a bit while testing to see if it makes any difference as if it’s intermittent, then that may be harder to diagnose.

[dbo_texas]

I went through the same thing. Speedhut gave me some steps to check it by process of elimination. They will ask you if you have to call them for a replacement.

1. Connect only the power to the back of the gauge, disconnecting the sensor harness. Does it full sweep then to zero.
2. Connect power and the harness to the back of the gauge, then disconnect the plug at the sensor. Does gauge full sweep then to zero.
3. Reconnect the plug into the sensor. Does the gauge full sweep then read correctly?

This should give you an idea if you have a gauge or harness issue. You could also move the harness cord around a bit while testing to see if it makes any difference as if it’s intermittent, then that may be harder to diagnose.

Awesome thanks for the tips here on troubleshooting. I'll give this a try this weekend. If the gauge does not do the sweep in either of those 3 scenarios, does that mean the gauge is faulty and might need to be replaced?

[cv2065]

Awesome thanks for the tips here on troubleshooting. I'll give this a try this weekend. If the gauge does not do the sweep in either of those 3 scenarios, does that mean the gauge is faulty and might need to be replaced?

If it doesn't sweep and reset at zero with the power hooked up with no harness, then it would be the gauge. If it sweeped and reset to zero with power, but not with the harness and power hooked up, then it would be the harness. If it sweeped and reset to zero with the power and harness, but not after you hooked up to the sensor, then it most likely would be the sensor.

[dbo_texas]

So I just was in the process of clearing MIL codes on the Gen2 Coyote for the first time, and I let the engine run long enough to get the coolant temp warm enough to kick on the radiator fan. This is the first time I've let the engine get up to temp (fan kicked on at 75°C, low speed). Anyhow, when I went to shut the engine off, it wouldn't turn off. I had to flip my fuel circuit switch to shut it down. I need some help figuring out what's going on here.

Couple of details about my specific setup:

Gen2 Coyote
Stock FFR radiator fan
Maradyne fan controller
I added a dash indicator light for "FAN ON", powered directly by the power wire going to the fan....so if the fan is running, the light is on.
I wired my setup per the diagram below. I wired it per GTBradley's post #52 (https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/showthread.php?34158-!-Two-stage-cooling-fan-controller-for-Gen-2-Coyote-(will-work-for-any-engine)-115&p=435082&viewfull=1#post435082) for Fan Off with Engine Shut Down, which means I have the orange and yellow wires on the Maradyne controller connected to 12V Keyed IGN power (in my case, the RF Harness Orange Coil/EFI wire). The radiator power comes directly from the Coyote ECU harness
Not sure if this matters, but I have some other items powered by the Orange Coil/EFI wire - reverse lockout module (for T56), footbox blowers (not turned on during the above experience)
I'm not using the RF DK BLU-COOLING FAN (30A) circuit at all (it's currently disconnected)....I'm letting the Coyote ECU control power to the fan, and the Maradyne unit controls the grounding to the fan (PWM)
Not using the FUEL PUMP fuse in RF fuse panel...instead I have that repurposed for my seat heaters. I AM using the fuel pump relay in the RF fuse panel (powered by the Coyote fuel pump power DK GREEN WIRE). This eliminates a double-fuse setup and my fuel pump circuit is powered by the Coyote PDB fuse block instead of the RF fuse panel.


https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=215061&d=1749918159

I also found this thread (https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/showthread.php?47078-Coyote-run-on-engine-won-t-shut-off) from TTimmy which seems to be a similar issue. In his case, he found that he should have connected directly to the blue wire on the fan side of the fan relay, instead he had connected to the green thermometer wire. This resulted in power remaining on his ignition feed after shutting off the ignition switch if the engine was calling for the fan to run. Thus the engine continued to run.

In my situation I'm guessing that something is back-feeding the IGN circuit and keeping power on the IGN circuit even after I turn the key to OFF? I'm guessing this then applies power to the light green Coyote "Ignition Relay Trigger" and keeps the engine running (i.e. ECU doesn't know to shut down). I'm using the TAN-ELECTRIC CHOKE circuit to power that Coyote Ignition Relay Trigger wire. To recap, this ONLY happens after the radiator fan kicks on. If I shut down before it comes up to temp and kicks on the fan, I don't have any issue.

I guess to test/troubleshoot, I could start by pulling the CHOKE fuse. In theory this kills power to the Coyote Ignition Trigger Relay and the engine should shut off right? Then I could do it again (after inserting the CHOKE fuse), and one by one pull the other fuses on the IGN circuits in the RF fuse panel. So that would be the Turn Signal fuse, Fuel Pump fuse (for my seat heaters), and finally the EFI/Coil fuse.

[dbo_texas]

I just tried a couple of things, so adding to the post above:

Just to be sure, I checked that when the dash light kicks on (@ around 75°C), the actual radiator fan is kicking on. To my surprise, IT IS NOT. This means the Coyote is sending power to the fan (my dash light is connected to that Coyote fan wire), but the Maradyne unit isn't grounding the circuit and turning on the fan. The red light on the Mardyne unit is lit..I'm not sure what that means. It doesn't come with much documentation so I may need to Google that. I did try turning the potentiometer dial on the Maradyne unit...all the way counter clockwise, then all the way clockwise, and the fan never kicks on. So I'm thinking either the fan is bad, or the Maradyne unit isn't working as it should. Can anyone tell me what the expected LED behavior is on the Maradyne controller?
I confirmed that pulling the CHOKE fuse in the RF panel will kill the engine. This is expected --> it cuts power to the light green Coyote Ignition Relay Trigger wire.
One by one I pulled the other fuses that are on the same IGN block on the RF fuse panel when Key is OFF. The Turn Signal & Fuel Pump (seat heaters for me) have NO effect, but pulling the EFI/COIL fuse kills the engine. So this 100% confirms that somehow, somewhere, I'm getting feedback from one of the circuits on that fuse (either the T56 reverse lockout module, Footbox blowers, or Maradyne unit). My money's on the Maradyne unit.


I suppose I could disconnect both footbox blower fans and the reverse lockout module (by unplugging @ the transmission solenoid). That should isolate it to the Maradyne unit I'm guessing. At this point I figure I probably have the Maradyne unit wired wrong...so any advice here based on my circuit above would be really appreciated.

[dbo_texas]

Tried a couple of more things:

It occurred to me that I'm using a 1-wire temp sensor (came w/ Maradyne kit), but the issue is that I have no ground connection directly to the sensor. Normally with the 1-wire sensors they get their ground connection from the the threads going into a grounded port. I'm threading into a plastic port (in-line w/ lower radiator hose), so no dedicated ground. It's a bit confusing to me because the sensor seems to be reading just fine. Temp starts off low, then over just a few minutes will quickly creep up to 80°C. I tried a couple of things just to see what would happen...neither made a difference. I still don't understand why the sensor is working as it should with no ground connection so if anyone can explain this, please do!

(1) I connected a wire from the battery negative directly to the brass body of the sensor to provide a dedicated ground for the sensor. This resulted in no changes to the behavior (gauge still works, fan still never comes on, engine won't shut off when key turned to OFF).

(2) I then wanted to see if maybe the sensor was bad so I disconnected the ring lug from the sensor and connected that directly to chassis ground. Same behavior (no radiator fan turning on, no engine shutdown on key OFF)
Next, I wanted to see if I could isolate which of the IGN circuits that are connected to the EFI/COIL fuse are providing 12V even after key is turned off. So I disconnected the footbox blowers by unplugging them, and the reverse lockout module by unplugging the connector at the transmission solenoid. This should leave only the Maradyne unit connected to this EFI/COIL circuit.

And after turning key OFF, still no shutdown.

When I pull the EFI/COIL fuse, engine shuts off.


So I'm about 95% positive the Maradyne unit is causing my issues, whether faulty unit or because I wired it up wrong. I'm about to the point where I bypass the Maradyne unit completely, and just hook up the Coyote ECU orange fan wire directly to the fan to see if it kicks on. This is the only way I know how to test if the fan is working. I don't have a 12V external power supply with enough power to bend test the fan by itself. My only question/concern is if that orange fan wire on the Coyote harness has a fuse in the PDB? If so I can try it...if not, I don't want to burn anything up accidentally. Advice here welcome!!

[dbo_texas]

After a giant margarita and some thought, I realized I was mixing up the gauge reading which goes to the temp sensor in the engine block with the separate Maradyne sensor I installed inline with the radiator return hose. So it makes sense the gauge continues to read properly. I think my issue with the radiator fan not kicking on is because I have no grounds for my Maradyne 1-wire sensor. I don’t know if this is related to the engine not shutting down…I still think that has to do with how I wired the Maradyne unit to my EFI/COIL wire.

Can I replace that sensor with a 2-wire sensor and just run one of the wires to chassis ground? The alternative is to drain my radiator and replace the 38mm plastic adapter with a metal one so that I can ground the 1-wire sensor via the npt threads. The metal adapters have a screw for attaching a dedicated ground wire.

If I have to go that route, what’s the best way to drain the radiator?

[dbo_texas]

I needed a break from dealing with the radiator fan issue (still unresolved - see above) so today I decided to tackle the roll bars. I had posted about my troubles with the fit of the roll bars in post #241. (https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/showthread.php?40632-ATX-MKIV-9644-Coyote-Build-Thread-(Index-Post-137)&p=578435&viewfull=1#post578435). I went out and bought a new grinding stone and mounted it to the pneumatic tool and compressor. With this, I was able to reem out the bore of the rear leg so that it fits nicely over the hoop stud. I also used the same pneumatic tool with a sanding drum and the higher RPMs (vs. the drill I tried previously) seems to have done the trick. I did run the sander over the chrome tip of the hoop stud to grind down a little bit of material thickness. It didn't fully remove the chrome but it did knock down some of the high spots, especially on the edge of the pipe. It didn't take long. Here's the main tools I used - multiple drill bits for stepping up the hole size. Talk about a PITA...that is some hard steel on these roll bars. I'm glad they are hardened in the event of a roll but damn that was tough drilling 8 holes on these things. Feels like my wrist is going to be sore for a while.
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=215125&d=1750025257

I followed the FFR instructions, drilling the two hoop legs first, then lifted up the rear leg so it was flush with the hoop stud and securing the rear leg with vice grips (pic below). Then I drilled the lower rear leg holes, then the uppers.
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=215123&d=1750025241

Here's how I angled all the bolts. I debated how to the the rear upper bolts where they connect to the hoop. I've seen some tap holes there and use button head screws. I kind of like the Frankenstein bolt look so decided to keep it, although I do plan to replace the grade 8 nut with an acorn cap nut since it will look much nicer.
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=215124&d=1750025241

And a couple of finished pics:
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=215122&d=1750025241

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=215120&d=1750025241

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=215121&d=1750025241

[edwardb]

Regarding your issues with the Maradyne fan controller. Tried to follow you posts to see if there was anything I could add. I wired one into my 20th Anniversary Roadster with a Gen 2 Coyote and it worked OK once I grounded it properly. Got the idea from this thread and I made an entry explaining my installation. This may be the same thread you linked to: https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/showthread.php?34158-!-Two-stage-cooling-fan-controller-for-Gen-2-Coyote-(will-work-for-any-engine)-115. These are the points that occur to me:

1. I don't understand the wiring you have for the indicator light. The way it's wired it will light when the Coyote PCM signals the cooling fan. But if the Maradyne unit isn't sensing the appropriate temp, it won't close the fan ground so the fan won't be running. Which is more important? That the Coyote has signaled for the fan to run (which it may not be...) or that the fan is actually running? That seems like the only reason to have the indicator light IMO. So I would wire it differently.

2. Related to that, when I compare your wiring to how I wired mine, that added light is one of the main differences. Backfeeding is insidious and often nearly impossible to trace. Could that added light wired in that manner cause an issue? Easy to enough to check by disconnecting it. Regardless of whether it's a problem, I'd suggest the positive side off the orange/yellow +12V ignition switched source, and the ground side to the negative side of the fan or the white 14 gauge wire (same difference) so that when the fan is grounded and running the indicator is lit.

3. Also related, I don't understand this statement. "Just to be sure, I checked that when the dash light kicks on (@ around 75°C), the actual radiator fan is kicking on. To my surprise, IT IS NOT. This means the Coyote is sending power to the fan (my dash light is connected to that Coyote fan wire), but the Maradyne unit isn't grounding the circuit and turning on the fan. The red light on the Mardyne unit is lit..I'm not sure what that means. It doesn't come with much documentation so I may need to Google that. I did try turning the potentiometer dial on the Maradyne unit...all the way counter clockwise, then all the way clockwise, and the fan never kicks on. So I'm thinking either the fan is bad, or the Maradyne unit isn't working as it should. Can anyone tell me what the expected LED behavior is on the Maradyne controller?" My response: This is how it's supposed to work. The Coyote PCM may call for the fan and power the fan wire. But if the Maradyne unit doesn't think it's time yet, the fan won't run. With the Maradyne controller, the fan only runs when the Coyote PCM powers the wire and the Maradyne unit closes the ground. That's the whole point of installing the controller in the first place. I'm pretty sure you understand that, but the quoted statement makes me unsure.

4. I don't know this for a fact (you're right, marginal instructions) but I'm pretty sure the Maradyne probe needs a ground path in addition to the blue wire from the controller. I used a metal adapter in the lower hose and grounded it. I'd suggest figuring out a way to ground your probe if it still doesn't work right. I'd avoid replacing the probe with something that's 2-wire. It's possible (likely...) another part may not be compatible with the Maradyne controller.

5. Very hard to understand how your choke wire with the Coyote relay trigger wire is holding voltage after the ignition key is turned off. Agree something is likely backfeeding. Have you actually measured the voltage on that choke wire when it's not shutting off as it should?

6. You can easily test your fan with jumpers directly from the battery.

Those are pretty random, but what I gleaned after reviewing.

[dbo_texas]

Regarding your issues with the Maradyne fan controller....

Thanks Paul for such a detailed response here - really appreciate the input as I work through this. You have a couple of suggestions I haven't tried yet and so these will be helpful for me to root cause this. Couple of notes regarding your feedback:

1. Dash LED indicator wiring: That makes two of us...it was a bonehead move on my part....I wired that LED before I really understood how the Maradyne unit worked (actually before I decided to use it). You are correct...the dash LED lights up only when the Coyote ECU sends the "FAN ON" signal (i.e. supplies 12V directly to the fan via the orange wire). I've got the negative side of the dash LED tied to chassis ground from one of the spare dash harness leads. In hindsight, I should have supplied constant IGN power to the LED (from any source) and tied the NEGATIVE side to the white ground wire coming from the Maradyne unit (which as you mention is the same as the fan ground wire). As you indicate, this would kick on the light when the actual fan kicks on, not when the Coyote ECU calls for it.

2. LED wiring - agree 100% (see above)

3. This was just a brain lapse on my part...for some reason my brain was saying "well if the LED is coming on @ 75° C, then that means the Maradyne unit is reading the temperature correct and trying to turn the fan on" --> when in fact it was the Coyote ECU turning on the LED (not the the Maradyne unit). So I was just confusing myself on the two temp sensors...

4. Maradyne 1-wire temp sensor: I think you are correct here. I don't see any fix for this other than to drain the radiator and swap out my plastic 38mm adapter for the metal version which has a tapped holes with a dedicated ground wire attachment (sensor gets grounded to the adapter via the threads). It's only a $10 part on Amazon. I plan to go ahead and swap it out....need to figure out how to drain the radiator so I will need to research this. I'm sure it isn't too bad.

5. choke wire - I haven't measured the voltage directly on the choke wire. I can try to measure this at the fuse but getting to the wire will be difficult. I'll have to unmount my dash (made difficult by my grab handle brackets). I've eliminated the other items on that circuits such as the footbox blowers and reverse lockout - with those disconnected the EFI/COIL still has voltage and the only thing hooked up to it is the Maradyne unit so I think it is the source of the back-feeding. I think I can disconnect the EFI/COIL wire from those (I'm pretty sure I have a connector on it) - that should immediately kill the engine once the source of the backfeed is eliminated. I will try this next to 100% confirm if its coming from the Maradyne unit. The other thing I considered was adding diodes to the orange/yellow wires which would also prevent backfeeding. But I need to confirm my suspicion first, then fix the root issue (vs. the diode band aid).

6. Fan test --> thanks for this tip. I'll try this ASAP to confirm if I have a bad fan (most likely not, but will be good to eliminate it).

Looks like I have a plan with a couple of more trouble shooting steps. Thanks again for the input!

[dbo_texas]

Radiator fan confirmed working. Took Paul's advice and just hooked it straight up to the batter and it turns on. So check that one off the list. This weekend I'll drain the radiator and replace the temp sensor adapter to a metal version I can ground. Then I'll troubleshoot if the dash indicator LED has anything do do with this back feeding issue.

[dbo_texas]

As noted previously, the Mishimoto in-line adapter I purchased for mounting the Maradyne 1-wire temp sensor did not include a ground connection for the sensor. I bought a new 38mm adapter on Amazon, then drained the radiator. This was way easier than I thought ...simply place a bucket underneath the PS of the radiator, and twist open the petcock valve and let it drain. It did take about 30-45 minutes to completely drain the system:

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=215441&d=1750705703

After this, I removed the Mishimoto 38mm adapter from the radiator return line. Turns out that adapter from Mishimoto actually was aluminum (I thought it was plastic). When I tried to install the new adapter I bought on Amazon, I found that apparently 38mm does not equal 38mm. Despite both adapters being marketed at 38mm, the new one I bought on Amazon was a full 2mm smaller in diameter and didn't really fit the ID of the Dayco hose I was using as my return line. I was worried that hose clamps wouldn't be able to get a good seal on the new adapter, so instead I tapped a #6-32 hole into the existing Mishimoto adapter. I ground off the powder coat, and ran a 1/8 NPT tap through the temp sensor port to get down to bare metal on the threads. After re-installing the temp sensor, I verified the sensor was grounded through the port threads --> all good. I put a dab of liquid thread sealant right at the top couple of threads on the sensor, still allowing the bottom threads to engage the metal adapter.
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=215440&d=1750705703

Then just re-installed the adapter in-line, and tapped a hole in the suspension flange to act as my chassis ground connection point.
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=215442&d=1750705703

I'm hoping this allows the sensor to work properly. I re-filled the radiator, ran the engine a couple of times, and let it self-purge all the air out of the system. The fan still isn't kicking on, which I'm not surprised about. I still need to redo how the Maradyne unit is wired up to try to eliminate the back-feeding issue, and to also change how my dash indicator LED is wired so that it is triggered by the ground circuit on the fan (vs. the Coyote orange fan wire). I'll supply the fan indicator LED with a +12V signal from one of the existing wires behind the dash (shouldn't matter which one...it's low power). Hopefully this weekend I'll have some free time to mess with it and get it sorted.

[dbo_texas]

I have a very small/slow leak on my low pressure 10AN hose going from my oil cooler to the KRC PS reservoir. I'm using the genuine KRC power steering fluid (debated using this vs. the Honda purple PS fluid, but since KRC says to use their stuff that's what I did). It's not a massive leak, just a very slow drip over time. This is one of the hoses I built. The leak appears to be coming from the red aluminum fitting, not the black 10AN to 6AN adapter, or the junction with the reservoir, or the reservoir cap. My plan is to drain the power steering, remove that 10AN hose, and then rebuild it (using new hose, but re-use the same fittings....they are supposed to be reusable). Maybe the safe bet would be to just buy a new 45° fitting, but I plan to try re-using it first.

My question is: what's the best way to drain the system? Should I use a syringe to pull out as much fluid from the reservoir as I can before disconnecting hoses? I was planning to then disconnect the 10AN hose where it connects to the reservoir, and lower that end to the ground (or bucket) so that any fluid in the oil cooler could drain out before I disconnect the 10AN hose from the oil cooler outlet. I'm trying to avoid making a huge mess...I've already had to deal with PS fluid everywhere once, and that was enough. Took me almost 2 hrs to clean it up properly last time and I'm hoping to avoid it.

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=215461&d=1750781997

[Blitzboy54]

What you described is how I would do it. It's going to be a little messy no matter what but your proposed method would mitigate it. Also lay some rags around likely drip locations.

[dbo_texas]

After I did first start a couple weeks ago, I hooked up my OBDLink MX+ scanner to the OBD2 port and it came back with the following 2 permanent codes:
P0365 - Camshaft Position Sensor "B" Circuit Bank 1
P0369 - Camshaft Position Sensor "B" Circuit Intermittent Bank 1

This is a Gen2 crate motor from Forte's (circa late 2018). As these are permanent codes, I haven't been able to clear them. When I do clear codes, these stay, and the MIL light goes off for a bit but then comes back on after a while. Has anyone seen these specific codes? Are they normal and just get programmed out with a professional tune? Anything I should specifically be worried about?

The engine sounds fine - no knocking sounds or sputtering. It's loud right after cranking, but then the RPMs come down after idling for about 15-30 seconds and it's more tame unless I give it some gas. Then it gets rowdy real quick.

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=215494&d=1750886361

[cv2065]

Maybe this will help diagnose:

https://www.engine-codes.com/p0365.html
https://www.engine-codes.com/p0369.html

[Mick40]

Yes, I put a drill on the PS pump while my friend turned the wheel.

[dbo_texas]

Maybe this will help diagnose:

https://www.engine-codes.com/p0365.html
https://www.engine-codes.com/p0369.html

yeah I had googled the codes and see lots of options for what it could be. On some of the Mustang forums they suggest driving it for a bit and the ECU can "relearn" the timing. If that doesn't work, the low-hanging fruit option would be to replace the sensor, although they are located on the back of the heads, and I'm not sure if there is physically enough space to remove them without lifting the engine which would be a MAJOR pain. I'm hoping these codes go away on their own or somebody has been through this before and can offer some advice.

[Blitzboy54]

yeah I had googled the codes and see lots of options for what it could be. On some of the Mustang forums they suggest driving it for a bit and the ECU can "relearn" the timing. If that doesn't work, the low-hanging fruit option would be to replace the sensor, although they are located on the back of the heads, and I'm not sure if there is physically enough space to remove them without lifting the engine which would be a MAJOR pain. I'm hoping these codes go away on their own or somebody has been through this before and can offer some advice.

You should have no problem replacing those sensors. They are pretty accessible. They are relatively cheap. I would purchase a B side set and re scan.

As a matter of fact I can check when I get home but I think I might have a brand new non OEM set you can have if you want to just swap out to see if the problem goes away.

[BUDFIVE]

FYI I had emailed FFR to see if they sell a replacement hose I could purchase, and included a pic of the end of the hose. They agreed it definitely looked like a manufacturing defect and immediately shipped me another hose no charge. Can't beat that customer service! Should get the new hoses & fluid in Thursday and hopefully I'll be to smiling again. Will report back.

DBO, glad you told FFR about the hose fail-they should be watching failure rates on safety critical components. I’m not surprised they shipped a new one. I had the high side hose fail at the 90 degree fitting-FFR took it seriously, checked their stock for similar defects, and sent a new hose to me. I showed my fail in post #43 in my build thread-it was a failure of the fitting itself.

[dbo_texas]

You should have no problem replacing those sensors. They are pretty accessible. They are relatively cheap. I would purchase a B side set and re scan.

As a matter of fact I can check when I get home but I think I might have a brand new non OEM set you can have if you want to just swap out to see if the problem goes away.

Yeah if you have a set and don't mind, send me a PM and I'll get you my address and cover any shipping.

Thanks!

[dbo_texas]

I ended up fixing the low pressure power steering hose going from the oil cooler mentioned a few posts up. It wasn't too bad. To drain, I first used a syringe to pull as much fluid out of the reservoir as I could. Then disconnected the hose from the reservoir and lowered it to the ground where most of the fluid drained out of the system.
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=215698&d=1751238583

After taking of the hose, I inspected the 45° fitting and found some metal aluminum shavings between the PTFE internal diameter. This is where the tube of the hose end inserts, and I'm pretty sure this little sliver of metal prevented a good seal and caused my leak. How do I know this? Because I do liquid cooling for work (enterprise IT equipment) and it's a common issue we see.
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=215699&d=1751238583

Anyhow, for better hose routing I replaced the 45° fitting with a straight 10AN fitting from Evil Energy ($11 on Amazon). This works better for my setup because it angles the hose towards the opening above the radiator a little bit better and puts less stress on the fittings. To make the new hose, I re-used the existing hose, cut the end off with a cutoff wheel on the grinder, smoothed out the PTFE tip with a small file, blew out the line with compressed air, and inserted the new hose end. Re-assembled the hose (using anti-seize on the threads so they don't gall over time), filled it up with fluid, and re-bled the power steering. So far, the hose is all good - no leaks.
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=215700&d=1751238583
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=215701&d=1751238583

I also played around with my wife's Cricut cutter and some brushed aluminum vinyl. Not sure how this will hold up on the tank as it does get pretty damn hot. Worst case I peel it up and clean up any residue from the vinyl, but I like how it looks for now:
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=215697&d=1751238583

[dbo_texas]

I'm really at a loss here. Today I spent quite a bit of time "fixing" the radiator fan wiring. Or at least attempting to fix it. Here are the changes I made, after l already grounded the temp sensor (post #301 (https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/showthread.php?40632-ATX-MKIV-9644-Coyote-Build-Thread-(Index-Post-137)&p=584354&viewfull=1#post584354)).

To fix the dash indicator LED, I moved the ground wire of the dash indicator to the same pin as the fan ground wire, which is the large white 14g wire coming off the Maradyne controller. I used the clock 12V wire (BATTERY CIRCUIT) behind the dash to provide +12V. In theory, the Maradyne unit would close the ground connection and the LED would come on only when the fan comes on.
Per some comments on THIS THREAD (https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/showthread.php?34158-!-Two-stage-cooling-fan-controller-for-Gen-2-Coyote-(will-work-for-any-engine)-115&p=435082&viewfull=1#post435082), I went ahead and disconnected the orange wire on the Maradyne controller. From what this other thread indicates, it isn't needed unless you want to run the fan for 1 minute after engine shut down. I'm OK with fan shut down as soon as engine shuts down, so I left the orange wire disconnected. Perhaps this was my mistake and it actually needs battery power?
I still have the Coyote ORANGE fan wire going directly to the fan....so that's how it gets its +12V
For my COIL/EFI wire, which I'm using for the 12V IGN (yellow wire on my Maradyne unit, gray wire on older models), I added a diode (60V, 5A) to only allow current to flow TO the Maradyne unit. My goal was to fix the issue where the engine wouldn't shut down once it got to temp...somehow I suspect the Maradyne unit was backfeeding current to my IGN circuit, preventing engine shutdown.


OK...so then I went to test all of this. Some observations:

The radiator fan never comes on. I let the temp get up to 100° (per the dash gauge) and still nothing, so I shut it down.
The red light on the Maradyne unit comes on as soon as I put the key in the "On" position, so the unit is getting power (from the 12V IGN COIL/EFI on the yellow wire) as it should
The yellow and green light on the Maradyne unit never came on...it stayed RED the entire run.
One strange unexpected behavior is that as soon as I put the key in the "On" position, the fan indicator LED on the dash is on. After the engine heats up, it went off....very strange. The behavior should be opposite....since the ground for the LED is tied to the white 14G wire (fan ground output of Maradyne controller), it should only be grounded once the Maradyne PWM closes the ground circuit to the fan. So this is super odd and I can't explain it. Any ideas?


I'm going to follow up on the other existing thread (https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/showthread.php?34158-!-Two-stage-cooling-fan-controller-for-Gen-2-Coyote-(will-work-for-any-engine)-115&p=435082&viewfull=1#post435082)about this to try to figure it out. I guess the one difference is that I'm not hooking up the Orange wire on the Maradyne unit to the Coyote ECU orange wire (or directly to battery power as Maradyne instructions say), but from the other thread it seemed that wasn't necessary. The only other option I can think of is to wire it EXACTLY like Maradyne shows, and completely bypass the Coyote control. My preference is to not do this, as I'd prefer to utilize the Coyote ECU temp monitoring to provide the +12V to the fan.

[topherchrisb]

I'm really at a loss here. Today I spent quite a bit of time "fixing" the radiator fan wiring. Or at least attempting to fix it. Here are the changes I made, after l already grounded the temp sensor (post #301 (https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/showthread.php?40632-ATX-MKIV-9644-Coyote-Build-Thread-(Index-Post-137)&p=584354&viewfull=1#post584354)).

To fix the dash indicator LED, I moved the ground wire of the dash indicator to the same pin as the fan ground wire, which is the large white 14g wire coming off the Maradyne controller. I used the clock 12V wire (BATTERY CIRCUIT) behind the dash to provide +12V. In theory, the Maradyne unit would close the ground connection and the LED would come on only when the fan comes on.
Per some comments on THIS THREAD (https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/showthread.php?34158-!-Two-stage-cooling-fan-controller-for-Gen-2-Coyote-(will-work-for-any-engine)-115&p=435082&viewfull=1#post435082), I went ahead and disconnected the orange wire on the Maradyne controller. From what this other thread indicates, it isn't needed unless you want to run the fan for 1 minute after engine shut down. I'm OK with fan shut down as soon as engine shuts down, so I left the orange wire disconnected. Perhaps this was my mistake and it actually needs battery power?
I still have the Coyote ORANGE fan wire going directly to the fan....so that's how it gets its +12V
For my COIL/EFI wire, which I'm using for the 12V IGN (yellow wire on my Maradyne unit, gray wire on older models), I added a diode (60V, 5A) to only allow current to flow TO the Maradyne unit. My goal was to fix the issue where the engine wouldn't shut down once it got to temp...somehow I suspect the Maradyne unit was backfeeding current to my IGN circuit, preventing engine shutdown.


OK...so then I went to test all of this. Some observations:

The radiator fan never comes on. I let the temp get up to 100° (per the dash gauge) and still nothing, so I shut it down.
The red light on the Maradyne unit comes on as soon as I put the key in the "On" position, so the unit is getting power (from the 12V IGN COIL/EFI on the yellow wire) as it should
The yellow and green light on the Maradyne unit never came on...it stayed RED the entire run.
One strange unexpected behavior is that as soon as I put the key in the "On" position, the fan indicator LED on the dash is on. After the engine heats up, it went off....very strange. The behavior should be opposite....since the ground for the LED is tied to the white 14G wire (fan ground output of Maradyne controller), it should only be grounded once the Maradyne PWM closes the ground circuit to the fan. So this is super odd and I can't explain it. Any ideas?


I'm going to follow up on the other existing thread (https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/showthread.php?34158-!-Two-stage-cooling-fan-controller-for-Gen-2-Coyote-(will-work-for-any-engine)-115&p=435082&viewfull=1#post435082)about this to try to figure it out. I guess the one difference is that I'm not hooking up the Orange wire on the Maradyne unit to the Coyote ECU orange wire (or directly to battery power as Maradyne instructions say), but from the other thread it seemed that wasn't necessary. The only other option I can think of is to wire it EXACTLY like Maradyne shows, and completely bypass the Coyote control. My preference is to not do this, as I'd prefer to utilize the Coyote ECU temp monitoring to provide the +12V to the fan.

I'm going to assume the Maradyne unit works similar to the auto cool guy unit I have where it modulates the ground side of the fan circuit at quicker paces as it sense warmer temperatures. I believe the problem is you're using the coyote ecu to provide the power to the fan. The ECU will only trigger 12v on that wire when it's calculated coolant temp is at a certain temperature threshold. That threshold (190-200ish?) will be much warmer than what you intend with the fan controller. On my auto cool guy unit I have the fan connected directly to the battery on a fused line with a constant 12v source. The unit also has a fail safe input that receives 12v to switch the ground to full close. I wired my ECU wire into that just in case it ever thinks the fan should be on. The controller does a great job preventing it from getting to that point and it hasn't ever happened, but I haven't been out on a 100 degree day yet.

[Blitzboy54]

Do you have the instructions? I think I know what the problem might be but need to see the install stuff to confirm.

[dbo_texas]

Do you have the instructions? I think I know what the problem might be but need to see the install stuff to confirm.

Yeah here is the Maradyne instructions along with how I have it wired currently (updated since my post #293 (https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/showthread.php?40632-ATX-MKIV-9644-Coyote-Build-Thread-(Index-Post-137)&p=583666&viewfull=1#post583666)):

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=215703&d=1751245756

[dbo_texas]

I'm going to assume the Maradyne unit works similar to the auto cool guy unit I have where it modulates the ground side of the fan circuit at quicker paces as it sense warmer temperatures. I believe the problem is you're using the coyote ecu to provide the power to the fan. The ECU will only trigger 12v on that wire when it's calculated coolant temp is at a certain temperature threshold. That threshold (190-200ish?) will be much warmer than what you intend with the fan controller. On my auto cool guy unit I have the fan connected directly to the battery on a fused line with a constant 12v source. The unit also has a fail safe input that receives 12v to switch the ground to full close. I wired my ECU wire into that just in case it ever thinks the fan should be on. The controller does a great job preventing it from getting to that point and it hasn't ever happened, but I haven't been out on a 100 degree day yet.

For those not using the Maradyne controller, I guess what does your gauge temp read when the fan comes on (controlled purely by the ECU)? I know the ECU reads the CHT to control when to turn on the fan (i.e. via the Coyote orange wire). Just curious when it's supposed to kick on. I let the car run idle for several minutes and the gauge got up past 100 degrees so I thought for sure it should have kicked on by then.

[Blitzboy54]

I'm going to assume the Maradyne unit works similar to the auto cool guy unit I have where it modulates the ground side of the fan circuit at quicker paces as it sense warmer temperatures. I believe the problem is you're using the coyote ecu to provide the power to the fan. The ECU will only trigger 12v on that wire when it's calculated coolant temp is at a certain temperature threshold. That threshold (190-200ish?) will be much warmer than what you intend with the fan controller. On my auto cool guy unit I have the fan connected directly to the battery on a fused line with a constant 12v source. The unit also has a fail safe input that receives 12v to switch the ground to full close. I wired my ECU wire into that just in case it ever thinks the fan should be on. The controller does a great job preventing it from getting to that point and it hasn't ever happened, but I haven't been out on a 100 degree day yet.

I agree with this. The controller needs a constant 12v. I would remove the Coyote ECU from the circuit entirely. Just tuck it away somewhere for now.

[dbo_texas]

I agree with this. The controller needs a constant 12v. I would remove the Coyote ECU from the circuit entirely. Just tuck it away somewhere for now.

So tonight I hooked up the orange Maradyne wire directly to battery power, and the fan still didn't kick on. I unplugged the fan connector while it was running and probed the Coyote ECU orange wire - its reading 15.1 V so it's sending power to the fan (this was at gauge coolant temp of around 90°C), the Maradyne controller just won't close the circuit. So I think either the temp sensor is bad (and the Mardyne unit never knows to close the circuit), or the controller is just broken. I'm going to reach out to Maradyne to see if there is any way to test either theory.

[topherchrisb]

So tonight I hooked up the orange Maradyne wire directly to battery power, and the fan still didn't kick on. I unplugged the fan connector while it was running and probed the Coyote ECU orange wire - its reading 15.1 V so it's sending power to the fan (this was at gauge coolant temp of around 90°C), the Maradyne controller just won't close the circuit. So I think either the temp sensor is bad (and the Mardyne unit never knows to close the circuit), or the controller is just broken. I'm going to reach out to Maradyne to see if there is any way to test either theory.

You should be able to test both of those situations as well I think. Most temp sensors change resistance as they get warm. Before I put my controller in I hooked up the voltmeter to test resistance and held a lighter slightly away from it. I could then see the measurement sweep as the sensor gets warmer/colder. I think you can also test continuity between ground and your maradyne fan ground wire as the engine warms up. At some point there should be a quick enough modulation or enough contact each pulse that your meter will see the connection solid depending on how sensitive it is.

Oh I forgot too... on mine there is a potentiometer that I can turn that changes how low of a temperature mine will start to come on at. If you have some configuration in your type of unit maybe that's something to look at too? Make sure it's not cranked all the way or something that might cause the signal to start at a much higher temp.

[dbo_texas]

You should be able to test both of those situations as well I think. Most temp sensors change resistance as they get warm. Before I put my controller in I hooked up the voltmeter to test resistance and held a lighter slightly away from it. I could then see the measurement sweep as the sensor gets warmer/colder. I think you can also test continuity between ground and your maradyne fan ground wire as the engine warms up. At some point there should be a quick enough modulation or enough contact each pulse that your meter will see the connection solid depending on how sensitive it is.

Oh I forgot too... on mine there is a potentiometer that I can turn that changes how low of a temperature mine will start to come on at. If you have some configuration in your type of unit maybe that's something to look at too? Make sure it's not cranked all the way or something that might cause the signal to start at a much higher temp.

Tonight I ran a test and I'm about 95% sure the controller is bad. To test this, I bypassed the temp sensor completely by connecting the controller blue wire (which goes to the sensor) directly to chassis ground. I then brought it up to temp, and confirmed the Coyote ECU fan wire is sending power to the fan (confirmed). But the fan never kicked on. I then disconnected the fan connector and probed the ground wire which comes from the controller (going to fan), and it never achieved continuity with ground (i.e. the controller was never closing the circuit). So I'm pretty sure I have a bad controller. Trying to get Maradyne to swap it out, but I bought it long enough ago that I don't know they' warranty it. If they won't, I'm going to just call it a $200 loss and let the Coyote run the fan 100%. If the noise annoys me, I can always add a different controller in the future. I think others on here have posted some better options than the Maradyne unit which offer more controls.

[dbo_texas]

I'll get back to the fan stuff in a bit - I have a plan to fix that. In the meantime, the last time I had the engine running, I had a couple of things happen which just make me shake my head. It's like one step forward, 3 steps back with this build. I'm beyond frustrated and feeling a bit like the problems will never end. I took a week vacation on the beach to clear my head. Still not happy but ready to get back to work and fix this stuff.

Power Steering Leak:
I'm real concerned my PS rack has a blown seal. When I turn my wheel, a fair amount of PS fluid comes out of the PS rack where the steering shaft enters it. It's not from any of my hoses. You can see the location in the pic below. I've never seen a leak here....wondering if my rack is done and and needs to be completely replaced. Can anyone provide advice here? Is this rack toast?. If so, which rack to I need to purchase? I'm dreading the responses here...the thought of pulling apart the front suspension at this point in my build...let's just say I'm not excited about the possibilities. I have the KRC Coyote power steering setup from FFR, and running the fluid through a Forte hydroboost before entering the rack. On the KRC pump, I changed from the included #6 to the #4 flow restrictor which many others have recommended to reduce the amount of "assist". I was wondering if the hydroboost has somehow contributed to applying too much pressure? I'm not real familiar with how hydroboost works....I thought they just use the pressure difference between a diaphragm to provide the brake assist (i.e. high pressure from power steering side helps "push" on the master cylinder for the brakes).
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=216483&d=1752793339

Engine oil leak?
After running the engine for a while, I noticed some oil underneath the PS footbox panels. When I looked down into the engine bay, I can see some engine oil sprayed on the inside footbox panel on the passenger side. It's hard to get a pic, but you can kind of see the splatter here. I wiped it up, and ran the engine some more....no more spray/leaks in this area. Then a few days later, it showed up again. I'm thinking that when I rev the engine and pressure builds up, that's when it happens. My best guess here is maybe the header gasket has a bad seal? Any ideas here for troubleshooting? I haven't re-tightened the header bolts yet (after a few engine heat cycles) - I'm using the Stage 8 locking bolts. Should step 1 be to just re-tighten the header bolts and ramp oil pressure to see if problem persists? If that doesn't work, is it time to pull the header and inspect the gasket? I'm using Remflex #3609 header gaskets with the FFR stainless steel headers, as many others have used.
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=216482&d=1752793339

Brake Leak
Another strange thing happened. When I was pushing down on the brake, I felt the pedal go soft. Brakes haven't been an issue in quite some time so I was surprised this happened. When I let off the pedal, it didn't rebound back to position....it crept up slowly. Inspecting around the car, I found some brake fluid under the rear driver side connection. Same one I had a leak on in my post #185 (https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/showthread.php?40632-ATX-MKIV-9644-Coyote-Build-Thread-(Index-Post-137)&p=557857&viewfull=1#post557857). I haven't had time to investigate...I was already frustrated at this point from the other 2 leaks above, and I'm just disappointed this popped up again after months of no issue. I guess better for it to happen now than when I'm on the road. I'm considering replacing the fitting completely, or replacing my steel lines with ni-copper lines. I'm not 100% confident in my crimping job on the end of the tubes.

[danmas]

I feel your frustration, believe me. I went with good quality racing soft braided brake lines at pre made lengths. I figure if it’s good enough for racers, it’s good enough for me. That and I’m awful at plumbing (which is what this is). I have chased down multiple leaks. I think that’s part of the gig. Driving your rig will be fun. Keep on keeping on.

Dan

[dbo_texas]

Couple of minor updates.

Radiator Fan / Fan Controller
Ducky2009 was kind enough to send me his old Maradyne controller that he removed from his build. I wired it up over the weekend and happy to report that the fan finally kicks on, so I finally have a working fan. I still need to adjust the temp when the controller kicks on - need to see what temp the gauge should be reading when this happens. Anybody happen to know (for Gen2 Coyote)? My temp probe for the controller is in the return hose from the radiator to the engine. I am still seeing 2 anomalies with my setup using the new Maradyne controller.
(1) When the controller turns on the fan, one of the LEDs briefly flashes green then turns off. I thought this was supposed to stay lit green whenever the fan is running, and the orange LED comes on when the fan is on high (per Maradyne instructions). Despite the LED only briefly blinking green, the fan continues to run so at least its functional.
(2) I'm still baffled by my dash LED indicator lamp. As soon as I turn on my master cutoff switch, before I even turn my key to "ON", the dash fan indicator lamp is on. I'm stumped because this negative terminal on this LED is connected to the white wire on the Maradyne controller (switched ground) which is the ground path for the actual fan, which should NOT have a closed ground path until the controller closes the circuit. The positive terminal on the lamp is connected to RF Speed/Clock Memory (BATTERY CIRCUIT) so it has power as soon as the master cutoff is turned on. I'm a little worried this will drain my battery if I don't figure out why this circuit is grounded through the controller. The easy fix is to just disconnect the lamp and be done with it, but I went through the trouble of installing it so I'd like to use it. Open to any ideas here.

Steering Rack
I 100% confirmed the leak is coming from where the steering shaft enters the rack. Another forum member was kind enough to sell me their brand new FFR PS rack (they are going a different direction). The nice thing is it comes with the rack extenders already, so that's one less thing I would need to buy. I hope to drain the PS lines and swap the rack next weekend. Hopefully I can put the PS nightmare to rest and this resolves all the leaks with that circuit.

Brake circuit leak (at rear DS)
No change...just haven't had time to look into this one yet. I'm pretty sure it's at the same "T" connector that I had a leak previously. What's weird is this one was fine for so long and then just randomly showed up again.

Engine Oil on PS footbox panels
No change on this one. I haven't had a chance to trouble-shoot this yet but I have a few ideas to check out. The leading candidate is that I'm getting a leak from the PS valve cover but I'm just not sure yet. Seems to only happen when I romp on the throttle and build up the oil pressure >100 psi.

[PNWTim]

I would not think the oil leak would be from your headers. If possible, buy a piece of white poster board and have someone hold it in there at an agreed upon position and then give it some throttle. I think you will be able to identify pretty quickly where it is coming from based on the height and location of the spray. Sounds like something with pressure behind it for it to come out horizontally.

[Nigel Allen]

82C fan on, 78C fan off on my gen1 Coyote.

[dbo_texas]

Well, after way too many hours troubleshooting this, and testing every conceivable combination with two different Maradyne fan controllers, I've come to the conclusion that it just wasn't meant to be. After Ducky2009 graciously sent me his old controller (which was working in his car before he opted for a different setup), I hooked it up and did a bunch of testing. No matter what I did, I still could not get the controller to work properly. Even with the brand new controller, it seems like the fan ground circuit is still closed as soon as I apply battery power (as indicated by the dash light coming on even before I turn the ignition key to on). I even clipped my dash LED indicator, thinking maybe that was throwing things off, but it didn't change the behavior. I also swapped around the orange/gray wires just to see if maybe the controller was wired wrong internally. No dice.

In the end, I yanked the Maradyne controller out of my setup and just have the Coyote ECU controlling the fan. It's just simpler this way. Yeah, it's super loud when it kicks on (gauge temp is at 75°C when fan kicks on for reference). I'd prefer to have this turn on later (like 85°), but it wasn't mean to be. If the noise ends up bothering me long term, I will replace the stock FFR provided fan with Flex-Wave LoBoy Electric Fan, Puller Fan, 16 Inches (238/105390) - others have used this and said it is WAY quieter than the stock fan. So I have options. It's a bout $190 currently, so not too bad if I want to go that route.

[dbo_texas]

As noted in post #321 (https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/showthread.php?40632-ATX-MKIV-9644-Coyote-Build-Thread-(Index-Post-137)&p=586264&viewfull=1#post586264), I had a leak in my PS rack where the steering shaft enters the rack. I bought a brand new FFR provided rack (for an MKV) from another forum member - this already has the rack extenders on it plus he gave me a good deal.

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=217981&d=1756145792

The first thing I did was disconnect the power steering lines going into the rack and let the system drain. Then I disconnected the steering shaft. Next, I got underneath the car and uninstalled the old rack and removed the Breeze offset bushings as well as the travel limiters I had installed on the original rack. Overall not too difficult even with the radiator in the way. One issue I encountered was that I couldn't seem to get the tie rod ends to release from the control arm sockets. I tried the BFH method...smacked it pretty good with a sledge hammer but I still couldn't get either side to release. So I left them on temporarily (just unthreaded the rack arms).
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=217983&d=1756145792

After a few minutes scratching my head I made a quick trip to Autozone and borrowed one of their tie rod pullers. This thing did the trick and only took about 3 seconds per side. Gotta love how things work when you have the right tools.
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=217984&d=1756145792

So I was able to get everything was removed without too much trouble. :
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=217982&d=1756145792

Here is where things turned out like they always seem to. Taking 3 times longer than it should have. I hammered the bushings out of the new rack (using a SAE deep socket to push them through), then inserted the Breeze bushings. When I tried to install the rack, I was able to get the bolts through one side, but couldn't seem to get the 2nd one through. The bolts were just ever so slightly off. If I reversed it, I could get the other side but never both together. So I pulled out a dremel and slowly opened up the holes on the frame until I could just barely get both bolts through the Breeze bushings and frame (loosely). Then I followed the Breeze instructions - turning the all the rack all the way to one side, and measuring against the 2x3 frame tube. Then turned the rack all the way to the opposite side and took the same measurement. The difference between these two measurements, divided by 2, equals the amount the rack is off-center. In my case it was only about 1/4". So I used 2 screwdrivers to rotate the Breeze bushings and pushed the rack toward the PS by about .25". Re-measured using the same method as before, and the measurements on each side were identical. So the rack is now centered. Tightened up the bolts per torque spec, and marked the bolts. Reconnected the power steering hoses after this. From here, I threaded on the tie rod ends and got it eyeballed straight. I'll dial it in later.

All-in-all this took me the better part of the day, mostly due to the difficulties getting the tie rod ends removed and then trying to get the new rack mounted. It was a process for sure. I haven't tested for leaks yet - I will need another free day to try that. Hoping to put this to bed and move on the the brake leak & engine oil leak.

[dbo_texas]

Can anyone tell me the p/n and where to get replacement parts from the stock FFR kit for the two highlighted parts? I have the Wilwood kit if that matters. I'm having an issue with my rear brake junction. I had a leak about 6 months ago. I loosened, then retightened the connections here and everything has been fine for 6 months. Then all of a sudden I push on the brake and get mush...then a puddle. Same spot. I'm thinking I might want to just replace these parts now and see if this fixes the problem. It could be my flare, but it seems like the flair is fine. I can't really pinpoint which joint the leak is actually coming from so was thinking to replace the brass "T" block and the fitting where the soft-line screws onto.

#2 looks like it might be Allstar Performance ALL50100 (https://www.summitracing.com/parts/aaf-all50100) (Brake Line Adapters, -3 AN to 3/16 in. Inverted Flare) but I wasn't sure if the size was correct. FFR manual doesn't describe any of the fitting sizes.

I'm not sure what size ports the #1 tee fitting has...so any info here would be appreciated!

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=218191&d=1756420224

[TXeverydayDad]

Sorry to hear of the issues you’ve been having! Keep powering on!

Unfortunately I don’t know the part numbers for those parts.

[edwardb]

#1 is a standard 3/16 IF T fitting with two female and one male connection. Came with the kit from Factory Five, right? Not super common but found one at Summit https://www.summitracing.com/parts/kys-100-43582355

#2 you have the sizes right. If that came with the Wilwood flex line kit it's their https://www.wilwood.com/LineKits/LineKitsProd?itemno=220-13124. Same thread sizes as the Allstar Performance link.

[dbo_texas]

#1 is a standard 3/16 IF T fitting with two female and one male connection. Came with the kit from Factory Five, right? Not super common but found one at Summit https://www.summitracing.com/parts/kys-100-43582355

#2 you have the sizes right. If that came with the Wilwood flex line kit it's their https://www.wilwood.com/LineKits/LineKitsProd?itemno=220-13124. Same thread sizes as the Allstar Performance link.

Perfect exactly what I was looking for. I'm going to mess with it this weekend and see if I can figure out where the leak is happening. Will likely disassemble the entire joint and re-mount all the fittings, adding a little brake fluid to the interfaces on the flares.

[Its Bruce]

The photo appears to show sealant on your inverted flare fittings. Just stick with a drop of the brake fluid or some other light oil on the threads for the makeup process.

[dbo_texas]

I spent some time over the holiday weekend working on the car, and for once I feel like everything went well. Here's what I did:

1) I filled the power steering reservoir and bled the system - so far no leaks with the new rack I installed. The steering isn't jumpy like the last rack. I followed the same procedure....start engine, turn wheels lock-to-lock a couple of times, shut down, refill reservoir, repeat. All good now - level is constant in the reservoir.

2) I was having a power steering leak on one of the return hoses going to the oil cooler. I ended up just tightening the fittings and for now at least, it seems to have resolved the leak. I'll keep an eye on this one...I'm not 100% sure I addressed the problem but time will tell.

3) For the rear brake leak, I inspected this more closely and it wasn't either of the fittings in the image above, but it was actually coming from the flex line going to the rear Wilwood caliper. The hose was under quite a bit of stress just from when I tightened the swivel nut. So I loosened it up completely, straightened it out, and re-tightened. Then I bled the brakes (with my 13 yr old daughter pushing the pedal). We bled both sides just to be safe and got a firm pedal. So far so good on this and it seems to have fixed the leak. I'm going to keep an eye on this one too - if it fails again I'm going to replace the flex line with a new one. I looked through my box of leftover parts and I do happen to have extras for both the brass fitting and the stainless steel one that came with the Wilwood kit, so worst case I could replace both of those. Unfortunately, this will prevent me from installing the trunk aluminum for now because where I have the fittings mounted, it will be extremely difficult to replace them once the aluminum is installed.

4) Finally, I figured I would try to track down the engine oil leak. This turned out to be somewhat of a "duh" moment. I reported a while back I was getting MIL check engine light errors on my OBDLink+ scanner. They were P0369 & P0365 - Camshaft Position Sensor B, Circuit Bank 1 errors. After doing some searching, I found that Bank1 refers to the passenger side (same side as cylinder 1), and Sensor "B" refers to the outer-most camshaft sensor which is the exhaust sensor. So after finding a diagram of where the sensors are from a service manual, that's the first place I checked on the engine.
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=218308&d=1756767639

To absolute surprise (and disbelief), it turns out there WAS NO SENSOR INSTALLED! I have absolutely no idea how this happened, because I've never touched those sensors, and definitely never uninstalled one. I can't fathom how this wasn't on the engine. It was plain as day...oil coming out of that port on the back of the engine. There was a connector from the engine harness in that area and I had always wondered what that was supposed to plug into. There are a few connectors on the engine harness that are not used in the crate engine setup, so I figured it was just another one of those. Turns out it was this camshaft position sensor plug. I'm pretty sure those sensors are pre-installed by Ford, so I'm not sure how this could have happened. I'm not even going to speculate at this point. I'm just thankful I found the source of the leak at this point, and it's an easy fix. The thought of tearing apart the valve cover was not something I wanted to do. Here's a picture showing the open port:
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=218301&d=1756766624

The good news, is that Blitzboy54 (Jesse) from the forums has shipped me a set of these sensors (he had spare set of aftermarkets) so I could swap out and try to get rid of the codes. I hadn't installed them yet because it was low on my priority list. I had to make a run to AutoZone and buy an M6 x 20 bolt, then installed the sensor he gave me. I lubed the sensor (and o-ring) with engine oil, installed the screw, and plugged in the connector.
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=218302&d=1756766624
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=218303&d=1756766624

Here it is fully installed with the plug connected:
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=218304&d=1756766624

After this, I fired up the engine. Guess what? No more oil leak (duh) and after resetting the codes, no more MIL check engine light. Everything purring like a mean kitten. Feels like a win. I'll take it. I am going to go back and try to find some old pictures of my engine before I installed it to see if I have any shots of the back of the engine, just to prove to myself it was never on there.

[danmas]

Nice win!

[dbo_texas]

I've been having an issue, described in THIS POST (https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/showthread.php?52154-Hydro-boost-woes) where it seems my hydroboost has a slight pressure imbalance on the return line, causing it to very slightly engage the brakes even after I let off the pedal. This only happens when the engine is running. I suspect the issue is the Y-adapter I used on my hydroboost return line merging with the power steering return. If that PS return is at a significantly higher pressure than the hydroboost return (which it likely is), it may be putting a backpressure on that HB return and not allowing it to fully vent and release pressure. I was planning to move the y-adapter to AFTER the oil cooler, but I'm not sure that would solve my problem. I still may try that, but in the meantime I wanted to try out adding a small return spring to the brake pedal. I 3D printed a little clamp bracket and mounted a spring, and so far this very slight assist seems to be removing all pressure from the brakes when I release the pedal.

I've read that adding a spring to the brake pedal is a band-aid fix, and doesn't really address the issue which is likely the pressure imbalance. SO I will continue to mess with it, but in the meantime I think I have a workable solution to hold me over. Here are the details of my hack:


https://youtu.be/1JMMjdKw6CU

CAD model of bracket (orange parts are just spacers to prevent over-clamping):
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=219909&d=1759936378

3D printed bracket
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=219906&d=1759936276

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=219907&d=1759936276

Installed on brake pedal arm:
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=219908&d=1759936276

[dbo_texas]

So I was never thrilled with the solution I posted above, adding a spring to the brake pedal to lift it back up. This only really serves to pull the break pedal arm off the master cylinder push-rod...it doesn't solve the actual problem that the master cylinder has some amount of pressure applied from the hydroboost diaphragm. After watching this video (https://youtu.be/6BReSzs7oec?si=rsuWF3zdf_k7z_VZ), and seeing some other comments from THIS (https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/showthread.php?52154-Hydro-boost-woes) thread and THIS (https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/showthread.php?50748-Hydroboost-with-power-steering-questions&p=574452&viewfull=1#post574452) post from canuck1, I think my issue is how my hydroboost was originally plumbed. In my setup I was bringing the hydroboost and power steering returns into a Y-adapter before the oil cooler. In this setup, if the power steering return pressure is higher than the hydroboost return, it will put a back pressure on the HB return line, which prevents the brakes from fully releasing.

The ideal fix is to have 2 separate returns on the reservoir, and route the power steering return and HP return independently. I have the KRS PS reservoir which only has a single 6AN return port. So, for my setup I opted to re-route the houses and simply shift my return hose intersect to the other side of the oil cooler. This means the pressure from the PS return has to go through the oil cooler first, where it will hopefully experience a pressure loss, before merging with the HB return line. My hope is that by the time they merge, the pressure differential will be less than how I had it plumbed originally and it won't put any back pressure on the HB line.

RESULT: So far it looks like it has worked...when I let off the brake pedal, now the pedal lifts off immediately and the brake lights turn off instantly. So there doesn't appear to be any brakes applied after letting off the pedal. I'll monitor this closely as I start to go kart.

To fix my setup, I had to buy some new adapters - outlined in the diagram below (UPDATED):
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=221388&d=1762892364

I'm still using a 180° fitting between my PS low pressure return and the 10AN oil cooler input line, so needed a reducer adapter there. This has been secured with a zip tie so it isn't flopping around inside the engine bay.
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=221385&d=1762891950

Then I bought a new T-adapter for the merge near the reservoir return port. I still had to use a 10AN to 6AN reducer for the oil cooler (PS) return hose going into the T-adapter. The HB return is coming in from the right side, routed under the Coyote air intake.
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=221387&d=1762892123
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=221386&d=1762891950

All this is detailed in my video below, followed by some pictures and updated diagram.

https://youtube.com/shorts/u22ZOwq5Zs0

[dbo_texas]

I've got all my major mechanical systems completed, including all the plumbing and testing of brakes/coolant/engine. I would love to go kart this bad boy to verify all systems are working when the car is moving. BUT, I need to mount the seats & safety harness first. The issue is that to mount the seats, I need to mount the body...my seats are high-back Intatrim Stoneleigh seats and could interfere with body if not positioned correctly. To mount the body I think I'd need to trim the front cowel near the dash.

For anyone who used high-back seats, what did you do here? Are there any work arounds so I can go kart this (like temp mounting the seats in a non-final position?), or do I just need to suck it up and mount the body, then fix the seats & harness?

[dbo_texas]

Finally have confidence that my rear brake leak is fixed so I went ahead and installed all the trunk aluminum including the separator wall for the rear cockpit cubby. Laid down the silicone bead first, then tacked the panels in place with clecos, then riveted. Went pretty smooth. I did drill a 1" hole near the PS roll bar rear leg for the trunk license plate electrical harness. Here are some pics.

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=221670&d=1763399457

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=221671&d=1763399457

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=221672&d=1763399457

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=221673&d=1763399457

NEXT UP:

sound/heat mat install (cockpit & trunk)
carpet install (cockpit and trunk)
body mount
seat fitment (w/ Breeze seat mounts)
safety harness install
go kart

[dbo_texas]

I wear size 13 shoes and have definitely had a hard time with the pedal spacing with the Coyote DBW setup. There are a few ways you can orient the Coyote pedal pad. I like it in this position better but every time I press the gas my shoe always catches the edge of the brake pedal. I saw another builder do something like this, so I figured I'd give it a try. I chopped the bottom right corner off the brake pedal using a Dremel tool. I'll hopefully be go karting soon and can verify if I want to keep it this way or try something different. There are quite a few ways people have dealt with this on the forum, so there are many other options I can try out if I don't end up liking this setup.

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=221695&d=1763420905

[gbranham]

I just take off my right shoe when I get in the car, amd tuck it under the driver's seat. Lol.

Greg

[dbo_texas]

Due to how packed it is behind my dash, there's no room for the bottom hose entry style dash defroster vents that FFR provides. I've been told that you can buy these side-entry style defroster vents from Factory Five. But someone posted some pics of this custom 3D printed version on the Factory Five Builder FB page, so I reached out to them and they were kind enough to share the 3D model with me. Loaded it up onto my Bambu P1S printer and used a high-temp polycarbonate (PC) resin. The vicat softening temp for the PC is fairly high at about 115°C, and the typical air temp coming out of the vehicle vents is in the 60°-70°C range (I think...based on a quick Google search). So should hold up fine.

Here's a timelapse of the print.

https://youtu.be/WSBNkJmAIc4

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=222073&d=1764033925

Using the aluminum Vintage Air bezels p/n 63100-VUQ (got them from Summit) which are a perfect fit:
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=222074&d=1764033925

Behind the dash....like I said, very packed:
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=222075&d=1764033925

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=222076&d=1764033925

[Nigel Allen]

Cool solution.

[edwardb]

Vary nice. What size hose is the piece for and can you share the print file?

[PMD24]

Yes, I'd like a copy of the file as well, or the contact who created it.

[dbo_texas]

Vary nice. What size hose is the piece for and can you share the print file?

This is for the 2" hose that comes with the standard FFR heater kit from Vintage Air. I will check with the person that originally provided the vent 3D CAD model to me from the Factory Five Builder page on Facebook. I assured him I wouldn't share the model unless he agreed --> I already reached out to him to see if he minds, and will share it out to folks requesting it if he agrees. Stay tuned...

[dbo_texas]

This weekend I 3D printed some louvers for the footbox fresh air blast gates. I wanted something I can adjust to direct the airflow where I need it. This was a first attempt and it turned out pretty good. I didn't design the model - just downloaded it from Bambu Studio (model name: air vent cover landini by user Mateusz). I'm pretty happy with how it turned out, although I will need to add some little retainers to the assembly. The current print allows the pivot pins to pop free too easily but this should be an easy fix. I also had to scale the model a little bit to get it to fit right. I'm using some Poron foam and it just press-fits into the blast gate port, so it's easy to twist and readjust if necessary. I'm not sure yet if the vents will stay in the "open" position during road vibration...time will tell. There are ways to fix this if necessary.

Here's the downloaded model:
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=222882&d=1765768118

Installed in driver's side blast gate in the footwell:
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=222883&d=1765768118

Front view:
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=222884&d=1765768118

Closed view, although I may just keep it open all the time since I can still close the blast gate shutter with my choke pull.
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=222885&d=1765768118

[dbo_texas]

I used the Thermotec Cool-It heat and sound barrier mats (p/n 14620). Comes in a 60" x 36" rolls. Another option would have been the Breeze pre-cut Koolmat kit, but it was about 2x the cost so I opted for the Cool-It mat instead. In some areas I cut out templates using craft paper then just traced it onto the mat, and cut using a razor blade and straight edge. To apply, since it was a little chilly here in TX, I heated the mat with a heat gun which made it super sticky, peeled the liner and stick it down to the panels. Used a carpet roller to smooth it down.

To do the entire cockpit (footboxes, seat pans, rear cockpit wall, trans tunnel, & trans tunnel top) it took about 3 full rolls, so at today's price of $78/roll it was around $240. I ordered another two so I could complete the trunk area as well. So add another $160 to do the trunk and I'll be about $400 all-in. Total time to cut and install was probably in the range of 8-10 hours. Wasn't hard, just tedious. I did try to use as many of the little scraps as I could so I didn't waste a lot of material. I did apply to the inside of the trans tunnel top between where the 3/4" cross-braces touch, using mostly some of the leftover scraps. Wasn't sure how much relief (if any) was needed near the edge of some of the panels where weather stripping or edge guards go, so I left about 3/4" inch of clearance. Hopefully that was the right choice...if not I can add some more material from the scraps. Here are some picks of the finished product - let me know if anything looks like it will be a problem with installing the carpet, weather strips, or seat belt trim rings.

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=223369&d=1766976553

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=223365&d=1766976553

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=223368&d=1766976553

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=223366&d=1766976553

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=223370&d=1766976571

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=223367&d=1766976553

[gbranham]

Looks about right. I used 5 rolls of Thermo-Tec for mine. Nice work!

Greg

[cv2065]

Looks good! Don't forget to spray paint your seams with black spray paint before laying down your carpet.

[Mike.Bray]

Looks good! Putting that sticky stuff down was the least enjoyable part of my build.

You can seal the seams with Mastic tape. https://www.amazon.com/3M-Aluminum-Patching-Fiberglass-Insulation/dp/B091QCSQXK/ref=sr_1_13?crid=1TIQS4UXHZF3M&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.lOkLtGRKiJDYkHR_I9my7p5QT7BxVo-O_fVjRBStgO5WGTFN7iCVGOihZ7J8M3YcZyfLKEUejParaO05x LM1ZBU-X--mnFBFqIOEnbROQtTVPp9Jf1BNBhuibxJ4R7TL0Mp_HoWft3vSp fwFPlzNUygKNxPj7oWNLCUJXAdRzquXg_bVUJvgX4M5D_PapVv JhPEJDg-TmZQA94jgSR4AT7Gw8LVYetLwOpMpRfqduB4.70QJOd0YD24Ps RQ2aTxCxGD5er_7U36I1hdBjYmWebY&dib_tag=se&keywords=mastic%2Btape&qid=1767016631&sprefix=mastic%2Btape%2Caps%2C163&sr=8-13&th=1

[Nigel Allen]

Put black 'gaffer' tape where there are going to be carpet joints. This will prevent the foil showing through any gaps in the joints.

[dbo_texas]

Finished applying the Thermo-Tec Cool-It heat & sound barrier mats in the trunk area. I didn't put any on the two side walls yet, as I wasn't sure if the FFR trunk carpet kit includes pieces of carpet to cover those. I thought I remembered reading somewhere the kit only covers the floor. After I go through the carpet pieces, if they include some for the side trunk panels I'll add the barrier to those as well, but for now I left them off. I think I'm going to have to buy some more of the black carpet from FFR (p/n #16957 (https://factoryfiveparts.com/16957-72-wide-raw-black-carpet-material/) - 72" Wide Raw Black Carpet Material) to cover the Breeze cubby wall, drop trunk, and maybe the trunk side walls too if that's not already included in the trunk carpet kit. I'll need to take some measurements and order a roll or two from FFR.

I bought some black gaffer's tape, so I'll apply that to all the areas where there are carpet seams, then plan to use the Weldwood gel contact cement or Weldwood All Weather Outdoor Adhesive. Seems like both give you around 10 minutes of working time and several people on here have used both with good results. Seems like the 3M Super 77 or Super 90 contact adhesive spray also work well but have less working time. I like the idea of being able to adjust the pieces for a few minutes.

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=223447&d=1767228640

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=223448&d=1767228640

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=223449&d=1767228640

[cv2065]

The trunk carpet kit includes pieces for the lower deck sides. I put some panels on the upper deck sides and obviously, you need to buy more for that.

[dbo_texas]

The trunk carpet kit includes pieces for the lower deck sides. I put some panels on the upper deck sides and obviously, you need to buy more for that.

I wonder if they changed the carpet kit...mine is from 2018. I just looked through all the pieces and I don't see any pieces for the lower deck sides, and the build manual I have doesn't show any pieces for that area either. It only has piece #18 which is for the trunk floor only, not the sides.
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=223498&d=1767320875

Here's the area I will need to buy carpet for (the panels without Cool-It mat on them):
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=223499&d=1767320875

[dbo_texas]

I went ahead and bought some black gaffer's tape on Amazon ($9 for a roll). I applied it to all the areas where the carpet seams come together. Fairly easy to work with, although in a couple of places it seems like it doesn't want to stick very well...wondering if the Cool-It mat has some oil on it. I may need to clean those and re-apply.

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=223500&d=1767321146

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=223501&d=1767321146

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=223502&d=1767321146

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=223503&d=1767321146

[dbo_texas]

I could use a little advice. I really want to get my Intatrim Stoneleigh high-back seats mounted so I can go-kart, but I know that due to the potential for interference with the body, I need to mount the body before seats. So I have a couple of questions around this.

I know I need to mount the body before finalizing seat location (due to the high backs). I know I'll need to trim the cockpit body cowl roll where it touches the dash by about 1/4" to 3/8", and also on the rear of the cockpit wall. Then align the body per some of the forum threads (using the door jam as the measurement location like THIS (https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/showthread.php?36501-Roadster-body-placement&p=417247&viewfull=1#post417247)). What's the best tool to use for trimming the cowl edge? Anything else I need to modify on the body besides those to edges for body placement to get the seats in place?
Should I install the carpet before mounting the seats? Or should I just position and mount the seats directly onto the sound/heat barrier? I'm planning to use the Breeze adjustable seat mounts. If I don't install the carpet until later, how to you locate the mounting holes through the carpet? Do you poke from the underside of the seat pan sheet metal, through the carpet, then burn a hole in the carpet in that location?

[dbo_texas]

I went ahead and bought some black gaffer's tape on Amazon ($9 for a roll). I applied it to all the areas where the carpet seams come together. Fairly easy to work with, although in a couple of places it seems like it doesn't want to stick very well...wondering if the Cool-It mat has some oil on it. I may need to clean those and re-apply.

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=223500&d=1767321146

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=223501&d=1767321146

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=223502&d=1767321146

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=223503&d=1767321146

Well that didn't go very well. After about a week, the black gaffer's tape I laid down on all the seams is peeling up. Maybe the ThermoTec mats out-gas some type of oil that prevents good adhesion. Who knows. I'm going to rip it all out and just go with the black spray paint on all the joints. Lesson learned I guess.
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=224693&d=1769362194

[TXeverydayDad]

I could use a little advice. I really want to get my Intatrim Stoneleigh high-back seats mounted so I can go-kart, but I know that due to the potential for interference with the body, I need to mount the body before seats. So I have a couple of questions around this.

I know I need to mount the body before finalizing seat location (due to the high backs). I know I'll need to trim the cockpit body cowl roll where it touches the dash by about 1/4" to 3/8", and also on the rear of the cockpit wall. Then align the body per some of the forum threads (using the door jam as the measurement location like THIS (https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/showthread.php?36501-Roadster-body-placement&p=417247&viewfull=1#post417247)). What's the best tool to use for trimming the cowl edge? Anything else I need to modify on the body besides those to edges for body placement to get the seats in place?
Should I install the carpet before mounting the seats? Or should I just position and mount the seats directly onto the sound/heat barrier? I'm planning to use the Breeze adjustable seat mounts. If I don't install the carpet until later, how to you locate the mounting holes through the carpet? Do you poke from the underside of the seat pan sheet metal, through the carpet, then burn a hole in the carpet in that location?



Good to see your progress (and lessons learned along the way).

I used a right angle disc sander/die grinder with a sanding attachment. 80 grit sandpaper and it makes quick work to get it roughed in. I’ll be doing the finishing work with blocks later to get it straight.

I installed my seats (regular Roadster seats) without carpet for now. I plan to carpet before I put the painted body on for the last time. I am planning on poking through the carpet from the underside with a heated nail.

You might get better answers from those that have actually done this, but that’s my plan.

[cv2065]

I could use a little advice. I really want to get my Intatrim Stoneleigh high-back seats mounted so I can go-kart, but I know that due to the potential for interference with the body, I need to mount the body before seats. So I have a couple of questions around this.

I know I need to mount the body before finalizing seat location (due to the high backs). I know I'll need to trim the cockpit body cowl roll where it touches the dash by about 1/4" to 3/8", and also on the rear of the cockpit wall. Then align the body per some of the forum threads (using the door jam as the measurement location like THIS (https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/showthread.php?36501-Roadster-body-placement&p=417247&viewfull=1#post417247)). What's the best tool to use for trimming the cowl edge? Anything else I need to modify on the body besides those to edges for body placement to get the seats in place?
Should I install the carpet before mounting the seats? Or should I just position and mount the seats directly onto the sound/heat barrier? I'm planning to use the Breeze adjustable seat mounts. If I don't install the carpet until later, how to you locate the mounting holes through the carpet? Do you poke from the underside of the seat pan sheet metal, through the carpet, then burn a hole in the carpet in that location?


I used a flap disc to trim the cockpit body cowl. Just be careful with it as it cuts pretty much like butter. And wear a mask and protective eyewear of course. For the seats, you already have the insulation installed. I sat my seats on the insulation where I wanted them, then I traced around the Breeze seat mounts with a marker. Not sure what you are using to mount them? Then I pulled the seat, cut out the insulation from my outline, placed the Breeze seat mount again to the metal, marked for the holes, drilled and then riveted. Then carpeted around that. You don't want anything between the seat mount and the floor metal.

[Nigel Allen]

Well that didn't go very well. After about a week, the black gaffer's tape I laid down on all the seams is peeling up. Maybe the ThermoTec mats out-gas some type of oil that prevents good adhesion. Who knows. I'm going to rip it all out and just go with the black spray paint on all the joints. Lesson learned I guess.
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=224693&d=1769362194

I made that suggestion, I'm sorry I created a headache for you. It worked well on my build, so I guess it was likely down to different product combination.


Nige.

[460.465USMC]

Hi Darryl. Bummer the tape didn't work out.

For whatever it's worth, I don't think you'll have any issue with the foil shining through. Before I started carpet I was quite concerned about this given all of the comments I read here on the forum. I also used Thermo Tec, but didn't black out beneath the seams. I had no issues with foil peaking through. I've been following along on your build for quite some time, and given your careful build approach, as long as you test fit each piece (no doubt you will), I think you'll find it's not an issue. At least, it hasn't been for me after 1.5 builds. Just some food for thought.

[dbo_texas]

I made that suggestion, I'm sorry I created a headache for you. It worked well on my build, so I guess it was likely down to different product combination.


Nige.

haha...hey don't worry about it you weren't the only one that suggested it and I have a feeling it's just some chemical adhesive issue between the tape I bought and the insulation. Maybe the stuff I used wasn't completely clean or or has some grease on it or something. Who knows. I plan to wipe down the seams with some Simple Green before hitting it with spray paint. I always appreciate suggestions and feedback. Just need to wait for it to get a bit warmer here in Texas.

[dbo_texas]

This weekend I achieved what I consider a big milestone. With the help of my brother and a neighbor, we fit the body onto the chassis for the first time, trimmed the body in a few areas, and trimmed the aluminum where it was touching. Here are some details - if anybody notices something off, please let me know!

First, to prep for getting the body on, I did the following:

removed roll bars
removed side pipes
removed all bulb seals from aluminum
installed 5/8 bumpers on the outriggers to support the body (for front quick-jack mount alignment)
trimmed body cowl at the front and rear of the cockpit opening - I started with about 1/4" and ended up removing a bit more from the dash side so I could get the striker plate spacing correct


Here are the bumpers I installed from Amazon (https://www.amazon.com/Medium-Extra-Tall-Round-Rubber/dp/B00S48P2YY/ref=sr_1_4?crid=35WB6R54QJN0B&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.NiSxXXHF32OTzGFJiAN_p7flky6AAu-D2UIRcGnwuZzDWWQax5xMdqm28TLwSp_HzKkPPZZKm2EdvSl_P qs4RIHDb9LRbjtHwzI1L73nOE6IMSQuG_xq2JwuSzQe9gKGB9P dxNG2AR_JtRd--mgBnbusauJxALA08fitObHP4IKv0Vq8N95_hz4k05Py7A-WmLg7Akngn116jGfswLp-b3tlw_ihvmCGDPrTPUJn_0FXnqf6DBQCt5prgQffzUyndaLARP 7_bVKoQvAZDrMO_4gAURPyOPrqV_aTr8GmW2g.eQ3lNBb_ZFsd Wd-qoggDiwwqMVIRTB9RY6qXLd17Ww4&dib_tag=se&keywords=5%2F8+rubber+foot&qid=1770003564&sprefix=5%2F8+rubber+foo%2Caps%2C163&sr=8-4). They are 5/8" tall x .932" diameter. To mount I simply drilled a 1/8" hole into the 3/4" frame tube and installed with a thread-cutting screw (fount one with head small enough to fit into the rubber foot opening).
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=225007&d=1770002803

For trimming the body cowl, I used an angle grinder with a 60 grit flapper wheel. I used masking tape to mark my cut lines, and took off about 1/4" on both the front and rear cockpit opening cowl return flange as a starting point. Here's a video showing how I did it - pretty straight forward and the angle grinder takes the material off quickly (very easy to do this!).

https://youtu.be/MczurBJ0gvQ

Next up we went ahead and mounted the body onto the frame. I have the lower radiator aluminum installed with the oil cooler mounts, so we had to tilt the body fairly high in the rear to get it on. But with 3 people it was actually pretty easy to get the body on, first getting the front lip over the radiator aluminum then tilting down the rear, while flaring out the sides to get around the doors hinges. At the rear, we just had to flex the body a bit to get it over the trunk aluminum.

After getting the body on, we installed the rear quick-jacks bolts to support the body, then adjusted the front so the spacing from shock mounts to fender flare so it was even on both sides. With the body in this position, it looked like the front quickjack mounts both needed to shift to the PS by about 1/2 in. Next, I inspected all the aluminum and anywhere it touched the body, we marked it (used a sharpie up against the body - this puts a marker line about 1/4" offset from the body. The main areas I needed to trim were:

dash body cowl flange --> was touching dash and preventing door striker plate from being 1/8" behind door opening on body
one small corner on PS rear cockpit wall where it turns downward
both rear trunk side walls but only at the rear radius area (top edges were fine)
Breeze cockpit cubby wall all the way across the top edge
trunk lower step flange all the way across


Here's a pic of the rear trunk aluminum where it was touching the body. We trimmed this to have clearance.
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=225018&d=1770002847

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=225017&d=1770002847

We removed the body, and trimmed the aluminum where we marked it. Some sheet metal shears made quick work of this:
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=225015&d=1770002827
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=225016&d=1770002827

Next up, I tried to adjust the outriggers. I first tried using a wooden block and a dead blow hammer to move them, but it didn't seem to move even a little bit. What worked for me was to remove one of the bolts on the Breeze lower radiator support bracket (this allows the two outriggers to move freely relative to each other). Then, with the front end on the ground, we just muscled the outrigger with our hands using body leverage. It wasn't easy but it did move about 1/4" or so. Not the full 1/2" I was going for, but it's what I could get.
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=225013&d=1770002827

After this, I took off another 1/8" off the body cowl where it was touching the dash. Then we put the body back on, installed the rear quickjack bolts, and adjusted the front-to-back position until the body was about 1/8" forward of the door striker tabs on both sides. I ended up with a little bit more (about 13mm on the DS, 8mm on the PS). I'm not sure if this is too much, so if anyone knows, please let me know!
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=225012&d=1770002827

More on the next post with the final mounted body pics/spacing.

[dbo_texas]

Overall the body seems to fit fairly well after these adjustments. I might trim a little more aluminum here and there, especially along the trunk lower deck rear edge, but otherwise it seems to fit well. We did verify the front quick jack bolts & spacers are aligned with the holes when the body is sitting on the 5/8" rubber spacers. The body isn't sitting on the front quick jack tubes at all which I believe is how it should be. I gotta say it was a good feeling to see the body back on after almost 4 years hanging from the ceiling. The main motivation here is to get the body positioned so I can next mount the Breeze seat mounts with my Intatrim Stoneleigh high-back seats. This is critical that the body is on to make sure the seats don't hit the rear cowl.

Here are some pics:
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=225024&d=1770005311

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=225008&d=1770002803

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=225025&d=1770005423

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=225009&d=1770002803

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=225010&d=1770002803

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=225011&d=1770002803

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=225014&d=1770002827

[TXeverydayDad]

Looking good! The rest looks good. How is the front tire protrusion visually? Are they the same side to side?

[dbo_texas]

Looking good! The rest looks good. How is the front tire protrusion visually? Are they the same side to side?

That last picture shows front tire protrusion. Overall I think they look pretty close to the same on both sides. I need to double check and measure fender flare to shock mount on both sides to verify the left-to-right position in the front but it looks fairly close. It does seem like the rear tires don't protrude out as far as the front. I like how the front looks compared to the rear. Wondering if there are any spaces that can be used in the rear to push the tires out about 1/2" - 1"? I think it just makes it look more aggressive when they are flush with the fender. I have the stock FFR 18x11 rear wheels w/ Mickey Thompson 295/35R18, paired with the 2018 IRS backend.

[TXeverydayDad]

Of course. For some reason I thought the last picture was the rear tires…my bad. That looks good!

I think Blitzboy54 used spacers for a more aggressive look. They would be easy to add later so maybe hold off until the car is complete? I have 315 on the rears and with the wheel well lip, I’d hit if they were wider/had a spacer. My rear suspension settled quite a bit after my first drives on Houston’s bumpy roads so I’m glad there was no risk of the tires hitting the body.

[dbo_texas]

Of course. For some reason I thought the last picture was the rear tires…my bad. That looks good!

I think Blitzboy54 used spacers for a more aggressive look. They would be easy to add later so maybe hold off until the car is complete? I have 315 on the rears and with the wheel well lip, I’d hit if they were wider/had a spacer. My rear suspension settled quite a bit after my first drives on Houston’s bumpy roads so I’m glad there was no risk of the tires hitting the body.

Definitely a good idea to wait. I'll get it settled before considering adding anything since as you mentioned, it should be easy to add them later if needed.

[Its Bruce]

I used 25mm hubcentric spacers then adjusted my control arms to put the wheels exactly where I wanted. I'll note two things:

1. I have the earlier T-Bird 8.8 diff.
2. Be careful with spacers that are less than 1" thick. You don't want to limit the thread engagement of the lug nuts. I wouldn't recommend the use of a true spacer without quality lugs (e.g. ARP).

[Jeff Kleiner]

Hey Darryl,
One question on your wheel positioning and spacers; has the car been aligned yet? If not what you see now isn't the true picture. Front caster and camber and rear camber will all come into play.

Jeff

[dbo_texas]

Hey Darryl,
One question on your wheel positioning and spacers; has the car been aligned yet? If not what you see now isn't the true picture. Front caster and camber and rear camber will all come into play.

Jeff

Hi Jeff - not yet...just the rough alignment from your suggestion on other posts (for power steering). No professional alignment yet. I won't change anything until I get the real alignment done and see how everything settles with the body in the final position. I might even wait to tackle something like this (if needed) after paint, since it is mostly cosmetic/preference.

[dbo_texas]

With the body in place, this weekend I moved forward with getting the seats mounted to the Breeze mounts and positioned in the vehicle. I haven't riveted the Breeze base plate to the floor of the cockpit yet - I wanted to confirm if I need to peel up the Thermo-Tec heat/sound barrier where the plate goes. I had read many mixed opinions on whether or not this was necessary. Seems like a good idea since the mats are compressible and could flatten out over time, allowing the rivets which mount the Breeze plate to have gaps under the heads. This would weaken the shear strength for sure. So I'm planning to do this, but I haven't yet.

As for mounting the seats to the Breeze brackets, it's fairly straight forward. The spacing of the rivnut on the upper Breeze bracket doesn't work for the Stoneleigh seats (they are positioned to align with the FFR low-back seat frame). So I ended up drilling new holes and just securing the seats with 5/16-18 nuts instead. I used a method that was shared by ItsBruce here on the forum. He had sent me pictures a while back showing how he did this mounts with this same seat.

First I started off by cutting 4x strips of 1/8" x 1-1/2" x 9" steel. I used this as a bearing surface under the seat cushion to spread the load. I also cut some 1.5" x 1.5" squares to use a spacers to lift the seat off the upper Breeze bracket.
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=225350&d=1770594464

I laid the 9" strips into the seat below the cushion, then drilled the 3/8" thru-holes. I'm using the 5/16 hex head bolts that Breeze provides with his kit.
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=225351&d=1770594464

Next I put the square spaces on the bottom of the seats. On the front I just used one spacer, but in the rear two holes I used some washers in addition to the 1/8" spacer. The reason is because the Stoneleigh seats are already leaned back quite a bit, and the Breeze mount adds even more lean. This actually pushes the fairly far forward because of the angle and how it hits the rear cockpit wall. By lifting the rear a little bit, it reduces the seat angle and allows you get a little closer to the rear wall.
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=225352&d=1770594464

After mounting the upper bracket to the seat, I mounted it to the lower bracket with the 5/16-18 studs pointing up. This is another reason to put the spacers between the seat bottom and upper bracket. The seat is so wide that is is right on top of the rear stud and you wouldn't be able to get the nut installed without disassembly the seat. By using the additional spacers, I was able to get the nut on/off with ease.
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=225353&d=1770594464

I then played around with the position of the seat. I sat in it, then adjusted, then sat in it again, repeat, etc. I found a position I thought was the best I was going to get. To be 100% honest, I'm still a little worried whether or not this seat is going to work for me. I'm 6'1" and it just feels like it pushes me so far forward that both my legs are bent pretty heavily with my right knee almost touching the bottom of the dash. I don't see how driving is going to be comfortable. I haven't riveted this down - I plan to temporarily bolt it just to do some go kart test drives after I install the harness so I can get a better feel for if this is going to work long-term. I think this seat would honestly work a little better for someone who is shorter than 6 foot.
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=225355&d=1770594484

I did mark the seat baseplate position with a sharpie. If I end up keeping it here, I can cut out the sound mat and rivet it to the floor permanently, then lay carpet down around it. For now, I'll just install a few screws for go-karting (and leave it on top of the sound/heat mat for now).
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=225354&d=1770594464

I repeated the same process for the passenger seat. I'll call this done for the time being. Next up I plan to mount the DS harness, then do some go karting to test mechanical systems, seat position, etc. I'll need a free weekend for that.
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=225357&d=1770595295

[Rian_Colorado]

Have you ever had the standard seats in it? I'm thinking about going with the intratrim seats as well as I think I would gain 1-2" just from how thick the padding in the standard seats is. Curious if you've tried that?

[dbo_texas]

Have you ever had the standard seats in it? I'm thinking about going with the intratrim seats as well as I think I would gain 1-2" just from how thick the padding in the standard seats is. Curious if you've tried that?

I had the FFR low backs originally & sold them when I bought the Intatrim seats. If I recall, the FFR seats definitely are thicker in the base and backrest, but the big difference seems to be the lean-back angle. The FFR seats aren't super leaned back so you can get them fairly close to the rear wall. The Intatrims have a fairly large tilt backrest angle and when it hits the cockpit wall it really pushes the seat bottom forward...the Breeze mounts tilt it even more, pushing it even farther towards the front (see pic below).
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=225391&d=1770694845

So I'm a little torn. I might try without the Breeze mount just for a comparison, or add more spacers under the rear to tilt the seat forward some. I'm going to go kart a bit and see if I can find a comfortable position...but just sitting in my garage I have to say it's a bit tough. My right knee literally just barely clears the lower dash.

[dbo_texas]

I found a local upholsterer in the Austin area that does really great work at very reasonable prices. I reached out to him and discussed what I wanted, gave him the spare hide I had from my seat order, and within 4 days I had a finished transmission tunnel with diamond stitching matching my seats. It turned out exactly how I was hoping, silver thread and all. I also had him make an e-brake boot using the FFR black leather boot as a pattern. That also turned out great. Together, with the door cards I got previously from Herb (also same leather), the interior is really coming together nicely. I have several more ideas I might use the leftover leather for - like wrapping the passenger grab handle, making leather straps for a bluetooth speaker I plan to mount in the cubby, and possibly lining the inside of the glove box too....TBD.

For mounting, I wanted to test out the 3M dual-lock instead of using the screws with finishing washers. Like my dash, I didn't really want to see any visible fasteners. I added a couple of strips to the 3/4 frame, then smaller squares to the trans tunnel. After mounting, it feels super secure so I think I'll stick with this.
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=225868&d=1771729226

The upholsterer left some leather/foam overhang where the cupholders mount. You have to push them through the opening and it stretches the leather, making a nice secure mount for the billet cup holders.
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=225869&d=1771729226

And here are some finished pics after installing onto the car. Last pic has the door card and mockup of the grab handle w/ leather wrap (TBD).
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=225870&d=1771729226

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=225873&d=1771729244

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=225872&d=1771729226

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=225871&d=1771729226

And here's the full interior with Herb's door cards (w/ carbon fiber insert matching the dash).
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=225874&d=1771729244

[TXeverydayDad]

I found a local upholsterer in the Austin area that does really great work at very reasonable prices. I reached out to him and discussed what I wanted, gave him the spare hide I had from my seat order, and within 4 days I had a finished transmission tunnel with diamond stitching matching my seats. It turned out exactly how I was hoping, silver thread and all. I also had him make an e-brake boot using the FFR black leather boot as a pattern. That also turned out great. Together, with the door cards I got previously from Herb (also same leather), the interior is really coming together nicely. I have several more ideas I might use the leftover leather for - like wrapping the passenger grab handle, making leather straps for a bluetooth speaker I plan to mount in the cubby, and possibly lining the inside of the glove box too....TBD.

For mounting, I wanted to test out the 3M dual-lock instead of using the screws with finishing washers. Like my dash, I didn't really want to see any visible fasteners. I added a couple of strips to the 3/4 frame, then smaller squares to the trans tunnel. After mounting, it feels super secure so I think I'll stick with this.
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=225868&d=1771729226

The upholsterer left some leather/foam overhang where the cupholders mount. You have to push them through the opening and it stretches the leather, making a nice secure mount for the billet cup holders.
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=225869&d=1771729226

And here are some finished pics after installing onto the car. Last pic has the door card and mockup of the grab handle w/ leather wrap (TBD).
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=225870&d=1771729226

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=225873&d=1771729244

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=225872&d=1771729226

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=225871&d=1771729226

And here's the full interior with Herb's door cards (w/ carbon fiber insert matching the dash).
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=225874&d=1771729244

This looks AWESOME! Well done!

[PNWTim]

Looks really nice, great attention to detail.

[Mike.Bray]

That's some nice upholstery work, looks really nice.

Wrap a little ThermoTec around those aluminum cup holders so they don't turn into cup heaters.

225886

[dbo_texas]

I'm at the point where I'm close to being ready to rough mount the doors, hood & trunk. Before I spend a ton of time researching these on the forum I wanted to seek advice on a couple of questions, especially for those who've done it recently. My kit is from is an MKIV from 2018 if that matters. I don't plan to attempt to gap these panels and make them perfect - per the advice of many of the bodywork folks on here I understand its best to leave that to the body shop I ultimately use. I'm really just looking to get these items mounted and functional so that I can ultimately get inspected & registered in TX. I plan to drive in gelcoat for about a month before going for bodywork/paint.

Questions:

For the hood/trunk/doors - do you have to trim the edges at all to make them fit? Or do they pretty much mount up OK as-received from FFR?
I've seen plenty of discussion on the doors and having to pull the body out near the rear fender and secure with a screw into the 2x2 frame from below, so that the door is somewhat flush. Is this something I should do now (even if it's just temporary)? Or leave it alone (and let the doors just sit wonky)?
Are there any universally known "tips" to mounting each of these items I should take into account? If so, please share details (or links to relevant threads if you have it handy).

[Jeff Kleiner]

I'm at the point where I'm close to being ready to rough mount the doors, hood & trunk. Before I spend a ton of time researching these on the forum I wanted to seek advice on a couple of questions, especially for those who've done it recently. My kit is from is an MKIV from 2018 if that matters. I don't plan to attempt to gap these panels and make them perfect - per the advice of many of the bodywork folks on here I understand its best to leave that to the body shop I ultimately use. I'm really just looking to get these items mounted and functional so that I can ultimately get inspected & registered in TX. I plan to drive in gelcoat for about a month before going for bodywork/paint.

Questions:

For the hood/trunk/doors - do you have to trim the edges at all to make them fit? Or do they pretty much mount up OK as-received from FFR?
I've seen plenty of discussion on the doors and having to pull the body out near the rear fender and secure with a screw into the 2x2 frame from below, so that the door is somewhat flush. Is this something I should do now (even if it's just temporary)? Or leave it alone (and let the doors just sit wonky)?
Are there any universally known "tips" to mounting each of these items I should take into account? If so, please share details (or links to relevant threads if you have it handy).


Here are some vague answers:

They are ordinarily big...but not always (told you these are vague answers ;)). Doors are frequently too long horizontally, never vertically. If you have to trim them do so from the front edge first and put a little back bevel on them so they don't pinch when swinging. Hood is also usually large. Being that it is a trapezoid it seems intuitive to just move it rearward until the front and sides fit reasonably well and then trim the rear edge----DO NOT DO THIS! You'll end up with the hood rib colliding with the body flange. Any trimming must be done on the front and sides first, then the rear. Trunk is usually long on the lower edge. It also needs a bevel along the front edge so that it doesn't pinch. Your choice whether you want to try to move the rockers to best match the doors at this time. Number 1 rule though is to only do the absolute minimum amount of trimming...just make them so that they open close and latch!

Jeff

[OB6]

Darryl - I followed Jeff's advice above (from other threads) and ended up not needing to trim anything, at least to get things good enough for the pro to do the rest. There are areas where there almost zero gap exists, but it's easier for said pro to remove material than it is to add. I'm sure there are differences from body to body, so your mileage may vary. If I was planning to drive in gelcoat for a while, I might have aimed for more precision, better gaps etc.

[dbo_texas]

Perfect this is exactly what I was looking for! Thanks fellas.

[dbo_texas]

No matter what I do I can't seem to get rid of my power steering leaks. Both of my 10AN lines going to the oil cooler seem to be weeping at the threads. I've tried tightening them repeatedly but to no avail. I built the hoses myself, so I'm not sure if I there's an issue at the hose end fitting, or if the leak is coming from the threaded joint at the oil cooler.

I'm also having leaks at my "T" joint where the oil cooler return meets up with the hydroboost return, right before the connection to the KRC pump reservoir. Same issue...I'm not sure if its happening at the hose end fitting or the threads.

Troubleshooting tips welcome! I'm about to rip it all out and say to hell with it. I've rebuilt the hoses 2 or 3 times now.

Any advice to resolve this? Here are some options I've thought about, but not sure which might be easiest:

How would one go about pressure testing an AN hose?
Thought about replacing my custom hoses with off-the-shelf hoses (pre-made). I really want the red/blue AN fittings but haven't found a good source. There are some on Temu & Ebay, but that seems like it would be asking for even more trouble. Any recommendations for a legit shop that sells stock -10AN hoses pre-made? These are both low pressure lines (returns).
When I go to paint/bodywork, there's a shop here near Austin I plan to use that also does mechanical work. So I could throw money at it and have them fix it.
I thought about buying some of the AN conical compression washer to see if that helps (something like this (https://www.summitracing.com/parts/ear-169110erl)).
I also thought about just completely disconnecting the oil cooler hoses (leave them there for show, non-functional) and running just the power steering and hydroboost returns to the "T" at the reservoir. I don't know if that would fix my leak at the "T" though...it would just eliminate the leaks at the oil cooler.

[dbo_texas]

This one's been bothering me for a while so I decided to tackle it tonight. I have the Wilwood clutch and brake pedals shifted all the way to the left-most position. I played around with both orientations of the stock Coyote DBW gas pedal but no matter how I position it, my shoe (size 12) always catches the gas pedal when I depress the brake pedal. I don't have narrow driving shoes. I've seen a lot of different mods to address this problem, but most of them involve chopping up the Coyote pedal or making a custom mount for it. I remembered that I had a Breeze gas pedal conversion kit for the Russ Thompson style pedal (part #7094 (https://breezeautomotive.com/shop/gas-pedal-pad-conversion-kit-russ-thompson-to-wilwood-style/)). I've had it so long I had almost forgotten about it. Anyway I dug it out my pile of parts and found that it was actually crazy easy to mount. All I did was remove the Coyote pedal (single screw from the rear), then positioned the Breeze pedal where I wanted and drilled 3 holes for mounting. I used the Breeze screws + nyloc nuts to mount it. I did have to dremel out a little bit of material on the backside to get the lower left nut installed, but the two on the right didn't require any additional tweaks. All in it took maybe 15 minutes. It significantly increases the clearance around the right side of my shoe when pressing the brake pedal. As a bonus, it's a pretty decent match to the Wilwood pedals and doesn't stick out like the Coyote pedal did. Pretty pleased with this setup.

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=226456&d=1772857332

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=226457&d=1772857332

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=226458&d=1772857332

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=226459&d=1772857332

[Doc76]

I found a local upholsterer in the Austin area that does really great work at very reasonable prices. I reached out to him and discussed what I wanted, gave him the spare hide I had from my seat order, and within 4 days I had a finished transmission tunnel with diamond stitching matching my seats. It turned out exactly how I was hoping, silver thread and all. I also had him make an e-brake boot using the FFR black leather boot as a pattern. That also turned out great. Together, with the door cards I got previously from Herb (also same leather), the interior is really coming together nicely. I have several more ideas I might use the leftover leather for - like wrapping the passenger grab handle, making leather straps for a bluetooth speaker I plan to mount in the cubby, and possibly lining the inside of the glove box too....TBD.

For mounting, I wanted to test out the 3M dual-lock instead of using the screws with finishing washers. Like my dash, I didn't really want to see any visible fasteners. I added a couple of strips to the 3/4 frame, then smaller squares to the trans tunnel. After mounting, it feels super secure so I think I'll stick with this.
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=225868&d=1771729226

The upholsterer left some leather/foam overhang where the cupholders mount. You have to push them through the opening and it stretches the leather, making a nice secure mount for the billet cup holders.
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=225869&d=1771729226

And here are some finished pics after installing onto the car. Last pic has the door card and mockup of the grab handle w/ leather wrap (TBD).
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=225870&d=1771729226

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=225873&d=1771729244

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=225872&d=1771729226

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=225871&d=1771729226

And here's the full interior with Herb's door cards (w/ carbon fiber insert matching the dash).
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=225874&d=1771729244

Out of curiosity have you considered spinning the mount 180degrees so the slope is reversed towards the front of the car to see the impact on angles?
Not sure if that would leave the seat too upright but given the high degree they are leaned back, would allow to move it back further and sit it upright more.
I have the same seats and mounts in transit and considered that with the Intatrim increased angle so plan to just try that while test fitting to see.

[dbo_texas]

That would have made a lot if sense! But no I didn’t think about trying that. As is stands, sitting on the Breeze bracket and using about 1.25” spacers under the back of the seat bottom seems to be about right for me. If I go any higher on the spacers the seat back becomes uncomfortably vertical and the wings of the seat dig into my shoulders. I also played with no Breeze bracket at all and different space combinations…it was definitively less comfortable for me. So I think I’ve dialed it in as good as it’s going to get. I’ll see over time just how good/bad this feels on longer cruises. Gotta get it in the road first :)

[Ejzajac]

This one's been bothering me for a while so I decided to tackle it tonight. I have the Wilwood clutch and brake pedals shifted all the way to the left-most position. I played around with both orientations of the stock Coyote DBW gas pedal but no matter how I position it, my shoe (size 12) always catches the gas pedal when I depress the brake pedal. I don't have narrow driving shoes. I've seen a lot of different mods to address this problem, but most of them involve chopping up the Coyote pedal or making a custom mount for it. I remembered that I had a Breeze gas pedal conversion kit for the Russ Thompson style pedal (part #7094 (https://breezeautomotive.com/shop/gas-pedal-pad-conversion-kit-russ-thompson-to-wilwood-style/)). I've had it so long I had almost forgotten about it. Anyway I dug it out my pile of parts and found that it was actually crazy easy to mount. All I did was remove the Coyote pedal (single screw from the rear), then positioned the Breeze pedal where I wanted and drilled 3 holes for mounting. I used the Breeze screws + nyloc nuts to mount it. I did have to dremel out a little bit of material on the backside to get the lower left nut installed, but the two on the right didn't require any additional tweaks. All in it took maybe 15 minutes. It significantly increases the clearance around the right side of my shoe when pressing the brake pedal. As a bonus, it's a pretty decent match to the Wilwood pedals and doesn't stick out like the Coyote pedal did. Pretty pleased with this setup.

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=226456&d=1772857332

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=226457&d=1772857332

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=226458&d=1772857332

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=226459&d=1772857332

Looks like a great final match with the Wilwood brake/clutch pedals. It is not entirely clear from the picture, how much did you shorten/cut the plastic Coyote DBW gas pedal to achieve the final match-up? Upholstery and seats look incredible!

[Doc76]

Love the leather color by the way!

[dbo_texas]

I have the stock FFR Simpson 5-point harness. When I got my Intatrim seats, I had them add an opening for the sub-belt and shoulder straps. At some point I want to swap these out for a rotating quick release style, likely in a gray color which I think will go really well with my color scheme and seats. But for now this will do. This was one of the last items I wanted to tackle before go-karting, so I think that's next up for me as soon as I get some decent weather and free time.

The actual harness install was uneventful. I would say the only slightly tricky issue was the inside bolt on each seat for the lap belt. You have to drill a 1/2" hole through the transmission tunnel and attach the nut from the inside of the tunnel. You can get to it with your hand from under the car. I was able to hold the nut with a wrench from under the car, and simultaneously use a socket with multiple extensions to tighten the bolt from the cockpit side. I'm sure I looked ridiculous but you gotta do what you gotta do. Here are some pics:

Here are the straps mounted behind the cockpit wall. I did adjust the shoulder straps and moved the slider plate so it was about 20 inches from the end of the strap. You have to undo the straps from the slider partially anyways to fish it through the cockpit wall opening. So after doing a trial fit with no adjustment, I found the straps were just way too long so I shortened them up.
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=226500&d=1772943769

This is the inside lap strap bolt that requires you to drill through the trans tunnel.
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=226499&d=1772943769

And the outside lap strap bolt - plenty of room here:
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=226498&d=1772943769

Here's how I attached the sub-belt. I drilled through the steel portion of the seat pan.
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=226501&d=1772943769

All together:
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=226497&d=1772943769

And test fit:
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=226502&d=1772943792

Here are both installed with the seats:
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=226503&d=1772943792

[Railroad]

Probably not an issue, but the seat belt bolt next to the trans tunnel, may require the seat to be removed to be removed.
With the bolt entering from inside the tunnel, it can be removed without interference from the seat.
IMO

[dbo_texas]

Probably not an issue, but the seat belt bolt next to the trans tunnel, may require the seat to be removed to be removed.
With the bolt entering from inside the tunnel, it can be removed without interference from the seat.
IMO

That’s a good call. I debated which direction to install the bolt from and in the end just followed the FFR instructions. But when I put them in for the final time I plan to do do as you suggest.

[dbo_texas]

With all the prep work done and seats and harnesses now secured, I went ahead and hoisted the body back onto the ceiling above my working area. My wife parks her SUV on the right side of the garage and it's Spring time here in TX and we tend to get a lot of hail, so needed to make space for her car. At this point I'm ready to go kart, just need a free weekend and some decent weather. When I had the car on the ground I did remount the side pipes and double checked the torque on the rear axle nuts (98 ft-lb + 1/4 turn).

I'll tackle the carpeting after go karting. I'm still struggling / frustrated with the power steering leaks. Seems like I have leaks in at least 3 locations. i think for go karting it will be fine - I'll just live with the leaks. But obviously will need to get these fixed. I bought a 10AN cap and a 10AN to 1/8 NPT fitting so I can hook it up to an air gauge and pressure test each hose assembly. If that shows no leaks on the hoses, then it means the leaks are at the joint between fittings. So my approach there would be to buy some of the aluminum -10AN conical sealing washers, and try that. If all of this fails, I'm going to buy pre-made hoses from a vendor - so any suggestions on a shop that could make those would be appreciated.

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=226523&d=1773067345

Here's how I have the ropes and hoist set up. I had posted some pics of how I set this up way back in Post #19. Funny how I thought I'd only have the body up in the air for 6mo - 1 year....here I am 4 years later :cool:
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=226524&d=1773067345

Here's the body hoisted:
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=226525&d=1773067345

[cv2065]

These guys make some nice crimped PTFE hoses.

https://www.anplumbing.com/traditional-hoses-and-hose-ends/power-steering.html

[dbo_texas]

I had previously not added the heat/sound barrier mats to the side walls of the trunk. I wasn't sure how the carpeting would work in that area as my trunk carpeting kit from FFR (circa 2018) didn't include carpeting for the side walls. I ended up buying some spare carpeting rolls from FFR, so I went ahead and added the Thermo-Tec mats to the trunk sides. I also re-mounted the roll bars just because. I plan to install all carpeting right after I complete my go karting, hopefully in the next week or so. I wanted to take one last stab at the power steering leaks before I go kart. The leaks are fairly major, but it'll make it through a test drive (it isn't spraying...just dripping slowly when pressurized). After go kart I'll consider replacing those power steering hoses with pre-made versions. I'm just having a hard time finding a place that will do stainless PTFE with the red & blue -10AN fittings which I really like the look of.

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=226611&d=1773150631

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=226612&d=1773150631

[M22_COBRA]

Call Brown and Miller Racing Solutions BMRS, they are the best and have every AN fitting you could want. They have a pretty extensive catalog but I'm not posting the link as they aren't a supporting vendor.

Car looks awesome btw, those seats are the chefs kiss.

[PMD24]

Hey Darryl,

Passing along a few thoughts on your leaks. I had a bunch of leaks on hoses that I made up for fuel lines and never figured out why they were a problem. As you know, it's not exactly rocket science to cut the hose and install a fitting, so all the leaks were making me crazy.

In my case I was unable to verify that the hose and fittings were the same make. The fittings had no brand markings and Blueprint couldn't tell me what brand they were because they buy from more than one supplier. I concluded that they were not matched brands, or were some off brand from overseas, and discarded all. I ended up buying Fragola and had one leak out of several hoses and that one leak was fixed with slight tightening. Sharing this in case you aren't using matching brands of hose and fittings, or using hose and fittings that aren't Earls, Fragola, or similar quality brands.

Also when testing the hoses, I shifted from just pressurizing and watching for the gauge to decay, to submerging the pressurized hose in water. It really helps to see where the leak is to assess the cause.

Final thought is on the connections to the pump and rack. Some of those connections use the dowty washer with an o-ring and some don't. In my case one fitting had the groove for the o-ring and one didn't. If you have the groove and need the o-ring, be sure to lube it before tightening so it doesn't bind during tightening and deform.

Just some thoughts that may help. Hope you get it sorted out. I understand your frustration after dealing with it on my fuel lines.

Pat

[dbo_texas]

Hey Darryl,

Passing along a few thoughts on your leaks. I had a bunch of leaks on hoses that I made up for fuel lines and never figured out why they were a problem. As you know, it's not exactly rocket science to cut the hose and install a fitting, so all the leaks were making me crazy.

In my case I was unable to verify that the hose and fittings were the same make. The fittings had no brand markings and Blueprint couldn't tell me what brand they were because they buy from more than one supplier. I concluded that they were not matched brands, or were some off brand from overseas, and discarded all. I ended up buying Fragola and had one leak out of several hoses and that one leak was fixed with slight tightening. Sharing this in case you aren't using matching brands of hose and fittings, or using hose and fittings that aren't Earls, Fragola, or similar quality brands.

Also when testing the hoses, I shifted from just pressurizing and watching for the gauge to decay, to submerging the pressurized hose in water. It really helps to see where the leak is to assess the cause.

Final thought is on the connections to the pump and rack. Some of those connections use the dowty washer with an o-ring and some don't. In my case one fitting had the groove for the o-ring and one didn't. If you have the groove and need the o-ring, be sure to lube it before tightening so it doesn't bind during tightening and deform.

Just some thoughts that may help. Hope you get it sorted out. I understand your frustration after dealing with it on my fuel lines.

Pat

Thanks I appreciate the input here. I definitely have mix and matched hoses and fittings - all are high quality stuff but not all the same brand. None of my leaks are at the rack - they are at the connection to the oil cooler and to T-fitting I have going into the pump reservoir. So I don't think it's the o-ring thing you mentioned. I was watching some YouTube videos where they recommend pressure testing the hose under water. I need to buy a few components to make a schrader valve 10AN cap so I can do this. It sucks because I spent hundreds of dollars on the materials (hoses + fittings). I'm not even mad about the $$ it's the time I've put into it at this point. I just need it to work. I'm just about to the point where I throw in the towel and buy pre-made hoses. Talk about expensive...just looking online I think it will be +$130 per hose which is crazy.

[edwardb]

Maybe this is talked about elsewhere in your build thread. If it is, sorry. All of my PS builds have hoses, connectors, and PS rack adapters from Mark at Breeze. I'm not sure the brand but as I recall not one of the usual ones. Very nice quality and I've never had anything leak (sound of knocking on wood...). They're stainless and go together easier than some others in my experience. Not cheap to start replacing things. But cheaper than having them made.

[dbo_texas]

Well I went ahead and built a pressure tester kit to see if I could confirm exactly where the leaks were. I used a -10AN male to 1/8 NPT female adapter with a schrader air valve installed on one end of the oil cooler hose, and a -10AN male thread plug on the other end of the hose. Pressurized with a bicycle pump to about 100psi and let it sit --> pressure slowly dropped over 5 minutes, so dunked it in water and can clearly see bubbles coming from the nut on the 90° elbow fitting. The bubbles are coming from the little pin (or ball?) which retains the nut on the fitting, but I suspect the leak is at the sealing surface on the hose fitting. The male thread & 37° sealing surface on the oil cooler looks completely fine, but the surface inside the fitting looks a little bit blemished so I'm wondering if I over-tightened and damaged that aluminum flared surface inside the fitting. Here's a video showing how I pressure tested in case anyone finds this useful. Interesting, the driver's side hose had a clear leak, but I couldn't find any leak on the passenger side hose (despite having a leak at the oil cooler connection.

https://youtu.be/QXDTkSBlC04

I'm going to try these -10AN conical washers meant for repairing bad sealing surfaces and see if this fixes the problem. If not, I'm just going to likely pay a shop to fix this for me. I'm ready to go kart and this is the only think holding me up at the moment.
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=226917&d=1773763832

[Mike(Ontario)]

Hi. Did you use the 'Firewall Forward Kit' in this situation? I have the Mk4 + Coyote + Glove Box, but I did not use the Firewall Forward Kit, so I am trying to figure out how to piece this all together and still have some glove box. Thank you.

[dbo_texas]

Hi. Did you use the 'Firewall Forward Kit' in this situation? I have the Mk4 + Coyote + Glove Box, but I did not use the Firewall Forward Kit, so I am trying to figure out how to piece this all together and still have some glove box. Thank you.

Nope I used the stock FFR provided firewall. Check out posts #126-129 for details on the heater mounting box and glove box modification. I also uploaded the design files for the heater bump out box HERE (https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/showthread.php?51356-Roadster-Heater-Bump-Out-Box-design-files-FREE-TO-USE).

[dbo_texas]

I went ahead and installed the 10AN and 6AN aluminum conical washers on the power steering connections. After bleeding the system and running the engine for a bit, so far no leaks. Keeping my fingers crossed. I'm pretty much ready for go kart, just waiting for a free weekend plus want my brother to be there as he's helped me out a lot with the build. Wouldn't feel right doing it without him.

In the mean time, I'm cleaning up a few small items. One of those is adding a trickle charger port. Until now, I've been connecting my charger direct to the battery and my common ground point on the frame. But its a pain to reach down and get it all connected with the Breeze battery location and the covers I have on the terminals. During my build, since I did first start last July, I don't crank the engine that often and so my battery tends to drain. Adding a trickle charge keeps it ready to go, and make it super easy to connect.

Here are the parts I used:

Trickle charger (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CJXWDFSC?ref_=ppx_hzsearch_conn_dt_b_fed_asin_ti tle_8&th=1)
Charger Socket/Port (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FCMWFWK7?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title&th=1) (mounted to frame). This includes a fused positive lead. The trickle charger limits the input to 10A so that's what I'm using on the fuse.
Charger Port Plug (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FX4DFPJD?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title) (removable, I'll keep this in the glove box and pull it out when needed. This is what the leads on the trickle charger will clip onto)



I 3D printed a super simple gusseted bracket. I'm including the 3D file (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1r0bH27X9n2HU13-v35vzhAx-rkM8K3NN/view?usp=sharing)in case anyone wants to print one. The bracket is printed solid (PLA) as it won't be subjected to too much heat. I used my Bambu Labs P1S. It's plenty stiff with the side gussets, and I added a couple of M4 heat-set inserts to attach the trickle charger port. Then the bracket itself is riveted to the 3/4 frame tube. I did have to feed the wires from the trickle charger port through the opening - I didn't really think it through so it's a tight fit and you have to kind of force the fuse holder through, but it worked without breaking anything. Positive lead is connected to the battery terminal, negative goes to my common ground point on the 4" frame tube. Here are some pics:

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=228498&d=1777085866

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=228499&d=1777085866

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=228500&d=1777085866

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=228501&d=1777085866

[TXeverydayDad]

Nice and discreet! I like it!