Gbranham's MkIV 427/IRS/TKX Build Thread...Spark Plug Shenanigans

[gbranham]

I got another gallon of coolant this afternoon, and needed about half of it to get the cooling system full. I 'milked' the upper and lower radiator hoses quite a bit, and burped out several air pockets. Also filled the reservoir about 1/4 full. Should be good to go until I get a few heat cycles and the rest of air burped out. Next up; spark plug wires, bolt up the side pipes, but an air filter (likely the K&N lowered-base model), and install the ProFlo4 Air Temp sensor in the air filter. Getting very close!

Have a great week, everyone! 70s in KC all week. WOOHOO!!!!

Greg

[gbranham]

I found this in the shop today, and thought it was kind of cool. Some of you remember my MkIII...Ford E4 red, no stripes. Well, here's some leftover paint from that car. I was surprised the paint wasn't dried up, after sitting for so long.

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[gbranham]

And a few reference pics...

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[kirby]

Looking great!!!

[gbranham]

Well, today was the day! Got my plug wires installed, my sidepipes put on, and filled it up with 5 gallons of 91. Started up the ProFlo4 app on my cell phone, and did the things. Super easy. First turn of the key, and no fire. Cycled the key to get a bit more gas in it, and it fired right up! No drama, no sputtering, no backfiring...just settled into an easy 725 RPM. I adjusted the idle down a bit, and let the engine come up to temp. Got a bit warm, but I suspect it's got some air in it still. It puked coolant into the reservoir, so I'm going to let it cool down and draw some back in, and do that several times to get the air out. Fan came on as it should, and really wasn't that loud. I need to set the IAC on the ProFlo4, as it was sitting at 40%, and you could hear the intake sucking air. Only one simple leak at a clamp around the coolant t-filler. All my gauges worked perfectly, too. Sweetness.

https://youtube.com/shorts/tx9tJAyvdw8?si=QTGAKdQfj12cb_w5


Pretty good feeling! Woo-hoo!!!! Have a great weekend, everyone!!!

Greg

[Mike.Bray]

WooHoo! Way to go!

Remember, no video it didn't happen:)

[gbranham]

WooHoo! Way to go!

Remember, no video it didn't happen:)

Yes sir! Just added the Youtube link in my last post.

Greg

[gbranham]

Got my IAC adjusted, and took a very gingerly ride down to the end of my street and back. Brakes are awesome, but the power steering...it's a thing of beauty. Take it from a guy who has owned an FFR with PS, and one without. If you're on the fence, just get power steering. So, so, much better.

[cv2065]

That sounds awesome! Congrats Greg!!

[Jeff Kleiner]

Attaboy Greg! I like hearing that the Pro-Flo fired right up since that's what's going on the Mk5 :)

Congrats!

Jeff

[Presdough]

The loop is called a shock coil. The pressure inside the line is equal in all points in the system so the line wants to be straight. The coil allows it to expand slightly when pressure is applied and alleviate the hydraulic shock.

[gbranham]

Attaboy Greg! I like hearing that the Pro-Flo fired right up since that's what's going on the Mk5 :)

Congrats!

Jeff

It's so cool. I'm watching it idle from my phone right now...

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[gbranham]

While idling in the driveway tonight. They sure get hot! AFR of 12.6...just about right.

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[danmas]

Wow… that’s wild…

[Jeff Kleiner]

No way you should be seeing that at idle Greg! This, plus the way the engine sounded in your first start video makes me think that the timing is retarded. Pro-Flow controls timing but you have to do an initial physical setting to synch it with the ECU then changes can be made thru the tablet. Have you been through that initial setup.

Jeff

[gbranham]

No way you should be seeing that at idle Greg! This, plus the way the engine sounded in your first start video makes me think that the timing is retarded. Pro-Flow controls timing but you have to do an initial physical setting to synch it with the ECU then changes can be made thru the tablet. Have you been through that initial setup.

Jeff

I did, yep. I set the initial timing to what I believe to be 12 degrees BTDC, then let the ProFlo do it's thing thru the setup Wizard. I can tinker with it today. When I set it to 12BTDC, I removed the #1 plug, and turned the engine by hand until I felt compression with my finger over the plug hole. I then put a screwdriver in the plug hole to feel the piston come up to TDC. I then looked at the balancer, and it was indeed on 0. I then rotated the engine counterclockwise to get the timing pointer at 12BTDC, then reset the dizzy to have the rotor pointing directly at #1. When I fired up the ProFlo wizard, there's a step where you have to 'unlock timing' in the wizard, verify 12BTDC with a timing light, then 'lock timing' in the app. While my timing light was having issues, I couldn't positively verify I was at 12BTDC, but I feel pretty confident in it. Nonetheless, I'll give it a go again today.

[Higgybulin]

Hey man, big step!! Keep it rolling.
Higgy

[Mike.Bray]

https://youtube.com/shorts/tx9tJAyvdw8?si=QTGAKdQfj12cb_w5

Okay I believe it happened now lol

That's sweet! Nothing compares to the rumble of a 427 SBF.

[Mike.Bray]

I agree with Jeff, that looks like the timing is retarded. Time to verify with a timing light.

I'm not familiar with the Pro Flo software but most EFI systems that control timing have a function where you can lock the timing at a value you select. On mine I locked it at 20 degrees and used my light to set it. Actualy my wife used the light, she has better eyes than me:)

https://youtube.com/shorts/Z6fe29wFXuM

[Blitzboy54]

Congratulations Greg one of the better milestones of a build.

I’m assuming you already know this and just did it for go carting but are your side pipes are on the wrong side? If that was on purpose pretty good idea honestly.

[gbranham]

Congratulations Greg one of the better milestones of a build.

I’m assuming you already know this and just did it for go carting but are your side pipes are on the wrong side? If that was on purpose pretty good idea honestly.

Yep...I put them on that way so I had a way to suspended them.

Greg

[gbranham]

I reset my base timing again. Took out all the plugs so I could turn the engine by hand easier, and brought #1 up to TDC on the compression stroke. Marked the harmonic balancer at 12BTDC, fired it up and dialed in 12 degrees with my timing light. Cycled the ProFlo and ran thru the Set Base Timing wizard again, and all seems to be operating well. I pulled it into my shop and turned off the lights and didn't see the headers glowing. When I temoved my spark plug wires to remove the plugs, several of them came off pretty easily. I don't think I put enough oomf on all of them to get them to snap tight. I did this time. Here's another video. The exhaust smells a little different now...maybe not as rich smelling.

Greg

https://youtu.be/YF9snZL01ZE?si=wIFAaVG5yI1SOWM0

[Mike.Bray]

Time to cruise around the block!

[Jeff Kleiner]

Definitely sounds better now. In your earlier video it was sounding like an old Ford tractor which immediately made me think that the timing was retarded. Retarded timing will make the exhaust glow because combustion is still occurring as the exhaust valve opens.

Jeff

[gbranham]

Thanks, gents! I think we're on the happy path now. Time for some light go-karting. Fortunately, my neighborhood is all cul-de-sacs...one way in and one way out, so we have very little traffic. Perfect place to log a few miles.

[cc2Arider]

That's awesome Greg! Your progress and videos got me motivated to pick up my pace a little bit :)

Craig C

[gbranham]

That's awesome Greg! Your progress and videos got me motivated to pick up my pace a little bit :)

Craig C

Yes! Spring is coming. Chop chop!

[gbranham]

I'd say we got it sorted. This is after 15 minutes of idle. 211529211530

[Mike.Bray]

Time for ceramic coating. My headers looked like that after a bit of running, I'm very happy I had them coated.

[gbranham]

Time for ceramic coating. My headers looked like that after a bit of running, I'm very happy I had them coated.

Yep, that's on the list.

[M22_COBRA]

Congrats! Sounds real nice. Are those the FFR side pipes?

[gbranham]

Thanks! Yep...bare steel FFR sidepipes and standard FFR headers. I'll likely paint my sidepipes with high temp BBQ grill paint for now, and might upgrade to GasN pipes at some point.

[Mike.Bray]

Thanks! Yep...bare steel FFR sidepipes and standard FFR headers. I'll likely paint my sidepipes with high temp BBQ grill paint for now, and might upgrade to GasN pipes at some point.

I'll tell you what, I have the standard Factory Five sidepipes that I had ceramic coated. A lot of people on here complain about the sound but my wife and I both love it. Our car has a really nice low rumble, the kind of low frequency sound that sets off car alarms, but when we're driving we can still hear each other talk even on the highway. Wouldn't trade the sound we have for anything. To me a Cobra needs the sound to go with it! I hear a lot of good things about Gas-N, except for the lead times, but I don't see any reason to change from the Factory Five pipes.

[gbranham]

I'll tell you what, I have the standard Factory Five sidepipes that I had ceramic coated. A lot of people on here complain about the sound but my wife and I both love it. Our car has a really nice low rumble, the kind of low frequency sound that sets off car alarms, but when we're driving we can still hear each other talk even on the highway. Wouldn't trade the sound we have for anything. To me a Cobra needs the sound to go with it! I hear a lot of good things about Gas-N, except for the lead times, but I don't see any reason to change from the Factory Five pipes.

I used the FFR pipes on my MkIII, and was happy with them, until the resonators came loose, as so many have. I'll likely stay with them on my MkIV until/if I have the same problem again, then will consider GasN pipes...not the touring, but the 'standard' sound level pipe. Also not a fan of the lead times, so that's shied me away from them from the get-go.

Greg

[gbranham]

I know how it goes around here...no video, didn't happen. Here's a snap of one of my first drives, from my home security camera. Sadly, no sound.
https://youtu.be/4UjXFCVwxRc?si=OpVcWKEOjBTr7MTd

[gbranham]

And a fun one of a Fox Mustang I built several years ago. This was my father-in-law's daily driver...an 88 LX 4cylinder. He lived in Oklahoma, and they don't salt roads, so it had zero rust. I stripped it to the unibody, did all the bodywork and paint, and bought a train wreck of a 1989 5.0 to use as a donor. Rebuilt the engine and tranny, put on all the typical go fast goodies, and even ran new brake and fuel lines in the proper 5.0 location. New control arms, etc. Total money pit, but it sure was fun.
https://youtu.be/NtbYHAbzsNs?si=Pz13XAuCoKtUdNTh

[gbranham]

Beautiful Saturday here in the Midwest! After putting new brake pads on my wife's Cayenne this AM, I set my sights on getting the car ready for body installation. I set ride height to 4" front and 4.5" rear, and once again set the front and rear alignment, good enough to drive it to the DMV for inspection. I then installed my Wilwood electric park brake package. Very simple installation, and it worked great until I installed the dash switch, then it didn't work at all. I think I boogered up the dash switch, so I ordered a new one. Should be here in a few days. But when it did work, I could tell it was a solid system. I go-karted around the neighborhood a couple of times today, and logged about 5 miles (whoa), and so far, no leaks, or other issues. Feeling pretty confident about dropping the body on soon. I LOVE the power steering system Gordon Levy sold me. Very responsive, and light to the touch. Everything else seems to be behaving itself, so BODY ON soon!

Have a great weekend, everyone! Spring has sprung...at least in the Midwest!!!

Greg

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[danmas]

Beautiful Saturday here in the Midwest! After putting new brake pads on my wife's Cayenne this AM, I set my sights on getting the car ready for body installation. I set ride height to 4" front and 4.5" rear, and once again set the front and rear alignment, good enough to drive it to the DMV for inspection. I then installed my Wilwood electric park brake package. Very simple installation, and it worked great until I installed the dash switch, then it didn't work at all. I think I boogered up the dash switch, so I ordered a new one. Should be here in a few days. But when it did work, I could tell it was a solid system. I go-karted around the neighborhood a couple of times today, and logged about 5 miles (whoa), and so far, no leaks, or other issues. Feeling pretty confident about dropping the body on soon. I LOVE the power steering system Gordon Levy sold me. Very responsive, and light to the touch. Everything else seems to be behaving itself, so BODY ON soon!

Have a great weekend, everyone! Spring has sprung...at least in the Midwest!!!

Greg

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I very much like my e-brake! I also love how clean your dash looks. I may revert to a no glove box dash. Your build looks tight.

[gbranham]

Spent a little time in the shop today, working on my transmission tunnel. I covered it in Cool-It ThermoTec, and used some of the leftover dash covering I had purchased from a local fabric store. I'm fairly happy with it, and if I ever want to change it out, it's super easy to remove the trans tunnel top. It's held on with strong velcro where it touches the trans tunnel bits of the frame. Solid.

Greg

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[gbranham]

My Amazon friend brought me some more rivets this afternoon, so I buttoned up the trunk aluminum and installed my Thermotec, then laid the carpet in to test fit. Looks pretty good!

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[gbranham]

Going in for an alignment next week. I rented a U-Haul trailer. I think I've read that folks have a fairly easy time loading and unloading from it. Perhaps maybe elevating the tongue of the trailer makes life easier. Anyway, to be sure, these are the alignment specs I should give the alignment shop, yes? As a reminder, I'm running power steering.

Front:

Caster: 7 degrees
Camber -0.5 degrees
Total Toe: 1/16"

Rear:

Camber -0.5 to -0.75 degrees
Total Toe: 1/8" in

[Jeff Kleiner]

U haul trailers work well. Yes, you may need to raise the tongue a couple of inches (just use a floor jack placed under the hitch of the tow vehicle) to keep the pipes from touching at the top of the ramp breakover.

Make sure that the alignment guy knows that you're talking TOE IN, not toe out in the front. I prefer a little more and suggest 3/32"

Jeff

[gbranham]

U haul trailers work well. Yes, you may need to raise the tongue a couple of inches (just use a floor jack placed under the hitch of the tow vehicle) to keep the pipes from touching at the top of the ramp breakover.

Make sure that the alignment guy knows that you're talking TOE IN, not toe out in the front. I prefer a little more and suggest 3/32"

Jeff

Roger that, Jeff. Thanks. I'm taking it to a place that builds race cars, so they should be competent. I'll go with 3/32" toe IN front 1/8" toe IN rear. Also, my Ram has airbags, so I'm thinking I can raise the truck up to it's highest setting to raise the tongue of the trailer. Easy peasie.

Greg

[gbranham]

My new Wilwood dash button arrived today, and all's well. Love it!
https://youtube.com/shorts/FU74lSPr4TA?si=UTXo9OOAbNZrtuVL

[cv2065]

My new Wilwood dash button arrived today, and all's well. Love it!
https://youtube.com/shorts/FU74lSPr4TA?si=UTXo9OOAbNZrtuVL

That's so cool! Looks great as well!

[Blitzboy54]

They have a nice sound

[gbranham]

Got my pipes painted black. I kind of love Rustoleum hi-temp BBQ grill paint.

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[Highplainsdakota]

My new Wilwood dash button arrived today, and all's well. Love it!
https://youtube.com/shorts/FU74lSPr4TA?si=UTXo9OOAbNZrtuVL

Love that dash button for your P brake!

I have some questions though. I went with E-Stopp for my brakes and I've been struggling with how the switch should function with the indicator light. I was wondering how your parking brake functioned with the car on and off. Can you walk me through the following switch positions and how they work on your car?

Ignition key ON position (engine running or not):

Momentary switch on = P brake on, red light ring on.
Momentary switch off = P brake off, red light off.

What if you turn off your ignition and remove the keys, like you're parking it somewhere. I assume the parking brake stays engaged. Does the red indicator ring light on the switch stay on? What about parking for long periods of time? Does the light turn off when you turn the ignition off but the parking brake stays engaged? If the light turns off when you turn the ignition off, does the red light come back on when you start the car telling you the parking brake is still engaged?

Thanks

[gbranham]

Love that dash button for your P brake!

I have some questions though. I went with E-Stopp for my brakes and I've been struggling with how the switch should function with the indicator light. I was wondering how your parking brake functioned with the car on and off. Can you walk me through the following switch positions and how they work on your car?

Ignition key ON position (engine running or not):

Momentary switch on = P brake on, red light ring on.
Momentary switch off = P brake off, red light off.

What if you turn off your ignition and remove the keys, like you're parking it somewhere. I assume the parking brake stays engaged. Does the red indicator ring light on the switch stay on? What about parking for long periods of time? Does the light turn off when you turn the ignition off but the parking brake stays engaged? If the light turns off when you turn the ignition off, does the red light come back on when you start the car telling you the parking brake is still engaged?

Thanks

There are two fused power leads for the Wilwood EPB; 12v constant and 12v switched. Wired in this way, the EPB won't function with the key OFF. With key ON (engine running or not...doesn't matter), I can engage and disengage the EPB. As long as the key is ON, the red indicator light is on when the EPB is engaged. If I leave the EPB engaged and turn the key OFF, the red indicator light goes out, but the EPB remained engaged. If I turn the key back to ON, the red indicator light illuminates.

Greg

[Highplainsdakota]

Thanks! That would be the ideal way to make this system work. I may purchase this switch for my Estopp. The Estopp has a blue wire that prevents the Ebrake from engaging while the engine is running. It's supposed to be a safety feature but many choose not to connect this. I appreciate the feedback. Good luck with your build!

[gbranham]

Thanks! You, too!

[gbranham]

Finished up my trunk carpet today. The covers for fuel pump and fuel sender look bronze colored in the pics, but they're covered in the same material as my dash and transmission tunnel.

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[Justin]

I used the high temp pain for years. It's not super durable but cheap and prevents rust. Looks great though!

[gbranham]

Got the body out today and hosed off nearly 2 years of dust, then installed taillights and headlights. Also got the harnesses installed. I bought the Breeze LED headlight and amber turn signal bulb kit. The replacement lenses are less convex than the stock headlight lenses. Not really noticeable, but I think I like them a bit better.Body on next weekend I think. Have a great weekend, everyone!

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[gbranham]

Oh, and between parts and fasteners, there are 93 parts to the hood hinges. Hah!

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[Jeff Kleiner]

Oh, and between parts and fasteners, there are 93 parts to the hood hinges. Hah!

211950

And there are about 93 different ways to assemble them incorrectly...pretty sure I've seen every one! See those 8 wave washers in the upper right? Pro tip: throw those directly into the trash before you begin. ;)

Jeff

[gbranham]

And there are about 93 different ways to assemble them incorrectly...pretty sure I've seen every one! See those 8 wave washers in the upper right? Pro tip: throw those directly into the trash before you begin. ;)

Jeff

Hah! Yes, sir!

[gbranham]

A few reference pics.

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[TrackDay17]

Are you getting close to test fitting the body ?
I'm fairly open if you need a hand !

[gbranham]

Are you getting close to test fitting the body ?
I'm fairly open if you need a hand !

Yes, sir! I planned to reach out to you tomorrow, to see what this coming weekend looks like for you. Could use your help sure!

Greg

[Mike.Bray]

Getting exciting! I second tossing those wave washers, nothing but a PITA.

[gbranham]

Getting exciting! I second tossing those wave washers, nothing but a PITA.

Thanks, Mike. Exciting, indeed! I really appreciate all the help and recommendations you've given me during this build...your DNA is all over it. You, too, Kleiner. Looking forward to dropping it off at your shop.

Greg

[gbranham]

I think I installed these correctly. I have two brackets leftover. Maybe FFR sent me extras.

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[Jeff Kleiner]

You got it!

Amusing story... When we got the Mk5 Beta cars the manual was still a work in progress and we'd get bits and pieces of it as the updated instructions were completed. I had already assembled my hood hinges (similar but different from the Mk4) when that section of the manual was sent out for proofing. The manual and associated diagrams didn't match how I (or Erik, or Ron) had put them together. I reported back that they simply would not work as shown, pointed out where the error was and made a wise *** comment about how I've gotten cars in with the hinges assembled in just about every possible combination of wrong. Jesper's reply was that with that being the case if we show them wrong in the manual by the time the builders misassemble them they should accidentally get them right :D

Jeff

[gbranham]

That's funny, Jeff. The trials of.being a beta tester. Thanks for confirming my install looks correct. Have a great rest of your weekend!

[Justin]

Looks sharp! I like how simple it all looks.

[gbranham]

This is going to be painful. OOF. I noticed a small coolant leak from the rear corner of the driver's side head, where it meets the block. Thinking I may need to snug up that lower head bolt, I tried to do just that, and it gave way without too much effort. I heard a snap, and then could back the bolt out by hand. These bits of the (presumably) threads in the block were attached to the bolt when it came out. Tried to put the bolt back in, but it just free spins. I'm kind of in shock at the moment, because I know this is, at a minimum, a tear down to try to fix the head bolt hole with a helicoil. I just shut the door on the shop and walked away for now. I know that the reality is, to fix that leak would've likely required the head to come off anyway, so it is what it is.

What's curious about this is where those bits of thread were on the bolt...you can see where the bits of thread were by the shiny marks on the bolt. That suggests to me that the bolt only had three or four threads of engagement, if I presumably broke off the block threads at the top of the block. That's weird to me. This is the lower set of bolts; the ones you can get to without removing the valve cover.


Greg

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[Mike.Bray]

Oh no!! At least at the stage you're at pulling the head isn't too terribly bad.

This is one of the reasons I prefer studs, the force on the threaded hole in the (relatively) soft block is only tension and not tension + rotational.

[cv2065]

Sorry to hear that Greg!! You'll get it back up to speed in no time. As Mike said, good time to find it.

[gbranham]

Thanks, guys. For sure...loads easier before the body goes on. It's not the end of the world. I've been pondering this, though, and something doesn't seem right. Trick Flow recommends ARP 154-3603 head bolts for my 11R heads. In looking at my bolt that I took out, it seems like I only had a few threads of engagements in the block. I can drop the bolt into the head right now, and it sits flush on the head, which I assume means I can confirm I stripped out the top couple of threads in the block. I measured the depth of that hole, from the deck of the head to the bottom of the blind head bolt hole, and it's ~3.6" deep. The underhead length of the ARP 154-3603 is ~2.54". The thickness of the lower deck on my 11R heads, where the lower head bolts sit, seems much thicker than many other heads. I wonder if I should be using a longer bolt? I might buy one 1/2"-13 bolt with UHL of something like 3", and see if it threads into that hole. I'll bet it does. In such a case, I wonder if I would've had a longer bolt to begin with...I likely could've snugged it up and stopped the leak. Maybe. Oh well.

Greg

Greg

[Mike.Bray]

..I likely could've snugged it up and stopped the leak.

To me that's an issue, head bolts should be torqued in three steps in a pattern. Once done no more "snugging".

Definitely time to figure out what's going on here. Another advantage for studs, if they're short you will see it immediately.

[gbranham]

To me that's an issue, head bolts should be torqued in three steps in a pattern. Once done no more "snugging".

Definitely time to figure out what's going on here. Another advantage for studs, if they're short you will see it immediately.

I hear you. Interestingly, Ford's recommended stud kits have an OAL of 4.06" for the lower head studs. That's about an inch and a quarter longer than the bolts I'm using. Something doesn't feel right.

[Mike.Bray]

I hear you. Interestingly, Ford's recommended stud kits have an OAL of 4.06" for the lower head studs. That's about an inch and a quarter longer than the bolts I'm using. Something doesn't feel right.

I'm using ARP 154-4203 head studs. They worked perfect on my ProMaxx heads.

[Jeff Kleiner]

...I measured the depth of that hole, from the deck of the head to the bottom of the blind head bolt hole...

I'm curious about this statement Greg :confused: The bottom row of head bolts on a Windsor are not blind, they go all the way through into the water jackets hence the need to use a sealant on them.

Jeff

[gbranham]

I'm curious about this statement Greg :confused: The bottom row of head bolts on a Windsor are not blind, they go all the way through into the water jackets hence the need to use a sealant on them.

Jeff

According to Ford's literature, the head bolt bores on a Boss block are blind.

[Jeff Kleiner]

According to Ford's literature, the head bolt bores on a Boss block are blind.

Ah, Boss block. In that case nevermind---and sorry about your luck :9

Jeff

[Mike.Bray]

According to Ford's literature, the head bolt bores on a Boss block are blind.

Same for Dart blocks.

[gbranham]

So, despite using the ARP head bolts recommended by TFS, I have a Boss block, which apparently has deeper threads for the head bolts. The threads are not flush with the top of the block. They start deeper in the block. Ford requires M-6065-BOSS head bolts, or M-6014-BOSS head studs. I just ordered them from Summit. I'm guessing all my head bolts (or at least the lower row) are only held in place by a few threads. And I got them all torqued appropriately, in 3 stages, when I assembled my engine. I'm wondering if it's possible to replace the passenger side head bolts with these studs, one at a time. Probably so. The driver's side, I'll obviously have to address the bolt hole I stripped, although I suspect there's plenty of thread left in that hole, as it looks like I only stripped off the top 2 or 3 threads of a bore that's probably over an inch deep, at 13 threads per inch.

Sigh...

[mrglaeser]

gbranham -

Which head gaskets did you use? I used the recommend gaskets from my Speed Shop and they leaked when I filled the engine with coolant the first time. There are particular head gaskets you need with the Boss Block. Anyway I missed the note and ended up reinstalling both heads with the correct gasket. The water jackets around the cylinders are bigger requiring the different gaskets.

* Requires head gaskets M-6051-CP331 or S331

[gbranham]

gbranham -

Which head gaskets did you use? I used the recommend gaskets from my Speed Shop and they leaked when I filled the engine with coolant the first time. There are particular head gaskets you need with the Boss Block. Anyway I missed the note and ended up reinstalling both heads with the correct gasket. The water jackets around the cylinders are bigger requiring the different gaskets.

* Requires head gaskets M-6051-CP331 or S331

The Boss 427 requires head gasket M-6051-R351. That's the one I used.

[gbranham]

As one last follow-up, I found some 1/2"-13 threaded rod in the shop, and ran it into the bore in question. Fortunately, I ran right in without catching, and I easily had an inch or an inch and a half of thread engagement. The total length from bottom of bore to top of head face was right at 3 inches; my current head bolt UHL is 2.4". No way that was going to work. When I get my new fasteners, I'm going to run one in there, torque it, and see if it leaks. If it doesn't, I'll have dodged a huge bullet, and I'll replace the rest of the head bolts one at a time. If it still leaks, well, we know what's next.

Ironically, I went through this nightmare on my first build, but for different reasons. It was a budget build, and I reused the stock 302 TTY bolts, not knowing they were one-time use. Blew my head gaskets in 11 miles. This time, I only have 5 miles on the car. LOL. Gotta love this hobby.

[mrglaeser]

The Boss 427 requires head gasket M-6051-R351. That's the one I used.

Right - I honestly didn't start reading from the beginning of the thread. I have Boss 347 Short Block from Ford Performance and it had similar requirement of longer head bolts, but also the standard performance head gaskets don't work either which is the gotcha I ran into. So just thought I would throw it out there as you have to get in there anyway. But looks like you have it covered.

[Mike.Bray]

When I get my new fasteners, I'm going to run one in there, torque it, and see if it leaks. If it doesn't, I'll have dodged a huge bullet, and I'll replace the rest of the head bolts one at a time. If it still leaks, well, we know what's next.

You can absolutely replace the head bolts one at a time. I would probably start in the center and work my way out like the normal torque pattern.

[Blitzboy54]

That blows but not all that bad in the grad scheme of things. Sounds like you worked out root cause. Just the worst feeling going backwards. I ask all my techs whenever they have a miss "what did you learn today". The mistake is only a problem if the answer is nothing.

Personally I have never learned anything of value by getting it right the first time. You will be up and running in no time.

[gbranham]

That blows but not all that bad in the grad scheme of things. Sounds like you worked out root cause. Just the worst feeling going backwards. I ask all my techs whenever they have a miss "what did you learn today". The mistake is only a problem if the answer is nothing.

Personally I have never learned anything of value by getting it right the first time. You will be up and running in no time.

Thanks, Jesse. I'm in the IT biz, and I preach root cause analysis in the wake of a problem. The root cause here is that I didn't realize the Boss block needs longer head bolts. Live and learn. Worst case is a new head gasket and a new set of intake manifold gaskets, and a few hours of wrench-turning. Oh, and new fluids.

[Justin]

I went through the same thing but I was fortunate that I started with head studs. So when I threaded the studs into the block I found that they were about 3/4 of an inch short. I dug around on the Internet for quite a while trying to figure out what was going on and that information was nonexistent to me. I ended up calling ARP and the tech support gentleman on the phone was quick to tell me that the head stud kit that I needed was actually for a FE engine. So I ordered that kit and it worked perfect. If you want to replace the head bolts, you can use the Ford part number or get a head bolt kit for a Ford FE engine and that should fix your issue.

[cv2065]

Thanks, Jesse. I'm in the IT biz, and I preach root cause analysis in the wake of a problem. The root cause here is that I didn't realize the Boss block needs longer head bolts. Live and learn. Worst case is a new head gasket and a new set of intake manifold gaskets, and a few hours of wrench-turning. Oh, and new fluids.

Ah yes, the 5 whys to get to the root cause. Very familiar in the HR world.

[ggunter]

Are those burn outs on your garage floor?

[gbranham]

Are those burn outs on your garage floor?

Hah! Yes, from my Z06, some 4 wheelers, and a scooter. Teenagers...

[gbranham]

I'm happy (and extremely relieved) to report that I've dodged a huge bullet with my head bolt faux pas. I received my new FMS head bolts (they're actually ARP bolts, direct from FMS), and they are indeed about 3/4" longer than what I was using. I've swapped out all the bolts on the driver's side head, torqued and reassembled. Fired right up, and I let it come up to temp. No leaks from the rear corner of the head. Whew! I did notice that when I was removing the old head bolts one at a time, replacing with new bolts as I went, in proper torque sequence, the upper rearmost head bolt under the valve cover was probably only torqued to 30 ft-lbs. Not sure why what was; maybe I simply missed torquing that bolt fully when I built the engine, but I can't imagine I did. Maybe because it was only engaging a few threads, and due to replacing the bolt right below it with a proper length bolt, torqued to 100 ft-lbs, the top one was no longer tight. Either way, all's well so far, and I'm going to move on to dropping the body on this weekend temporarily, to temporarily install the front splash guards and to rough-align the sidepipes with the body cutouts. I'll then remove the body and fab up some additional support hangers above the exhaust ball joint, as demonstrated here several times on the forum. After that, I'll get it off to alignment, then drop the body on for hopefully the last time until I get it to that dude in Bloomington, Indiana, hopefully later this year when he's got time for me.

That leak was a blessing in disguise. I would've otherwise not realized I had the wrong head bolts until later, with a painted body and truly blown head gaskets.

Whew!

Greg

[kirby]

That's great news!!!

[PMD24]

Good to hear this issue worked out well for you.

Pat

[Justin]

Fantastic!

[Highplainsdakota]

Sometimes I wonder how my roadster would have ended up without some random search, problem, or investigation. Part of the journey!

[JMD]

Just catching up on your build after taking some time away from my own project and forum. I'm so glad you had that leak! Imagine finding out the hard way that your head bolts were too short! Certainly sounds like a blessing in disguise and I'm happy it seems to be a fairly easy fix at this point. Wow. Kind of sucks, but I also think you got all the luck on your side this time!

I love that e-brake setup. I might look into that for mine. I'll just have to ask Gordon if it will fit in 15" wheels...not many things do, it seems.

[gbranham]

I took the day off yesterday, so I had some great shop time, prepping for the body installation. I got the drop-trunk trimmed out with some angle aluminum, fabricated some additional exhaust hangers to help support the exhaust ball joint, and my Amazon friends brought me a cargo net for the rear cockpit wall. Solid day in the shop.

Greg
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[gbranham]

And today was the day for body installation! Thanks to forum members kirby (Don) and TrackDay17 (Greg), we got the body on quickly. I had the sidepipes mounted, and that proved to be problematic, so we removed them. It dropped on pretty easily. Don helped with some 3/4" rubber stock to lift the nose of the car where it sits on the 3/4" tubes. I can tell this will help align the hood and hood hinge better. We dismantled my body buck and loaded into Greg's truck...always a good feeling to pass that on to the next guy. He'll soon order a MkV, and I'm excited to help him with his build. After the guys left, I hooked up all my lighting. I had to install the 4 diodes in the front turn signals, per Mark Reynolds (Breeze) instructions, since I have his LED headlight and turn signal package. Simple 20 minute project. I then moved on to rough-cutting the sidepipe cutouts that seem to be so difficult. Mine were off by quite a bit, but I used a 4" cutoff wheel on my battery-powered Ryobi, and made quick work of it. I used a Dremel to radius the corners. It's not perfect, but Kleiner will massage it when he works his magic. Anyway...great day in the shop. Cold, blustery, cloudy day in KC (45 degrees), but the trees and grass are waking up. It's nice to see some green!

Greg

212193212192212191212194212195212196

[gbranham]

A few more reference pics...

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[cv2065]

Looking good Greg! Nice to see it coming together!

[Blitzboy54]

Now we’re cookin’

[Justin]

Badass!

[Jeff Kleiner]

There ya' go! :)

Jeff

[kirby]

Always happy to help!!! I wish I could take credit for the 3/4" rubber trick but I am pretty sure I stole that from Jeff and if not it was from another awesome forum member!

It was nice to meet Trackday17 Greg too!! Can't wait to see an mkv close up

[TrackDay17]

Always happy to help!!! I wish I could take credit for the 3/4" rubber trick but I am pretty sure I stole that from Jeff and if not it was from another awesome forum member!

It was nice to meet Trackday17 Greg too!! Can't wait to see an mkv close up

Nice to meet you too ! I'll have to check out your Coyote build as that's what I'm planning on.
I'm going to finish up a couple of projects around here this summer and then hopefully order the car later summer or early fall so I've got a good winter project.

Greg, thanks for the invite, I always get my fever built back up after seeing your car and how nice the quality of your build is.
Thanks for the body buck, I'll be sure to pass it off to another builder when I'm done with it.

[Mike.Bray]

Looking good Greg!

[gbranham]

A few more pics after rollbar and quickjack rough-in.

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[gbranham]

Representin'...

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[gbranham]

A bit more rough-in.

Greg

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[PMD24]

Congrats! Big milestone.

Pat

[M22_COBRA]

Man, even in gel coat these cars get your blood pumping.
Congratulations! Looks fantastic.

[gbranham]

Man, even in gel coat these cars get your blood pumping.
Congratulations! Looks fantastic.

Thanks!

[gbranham]

Happy Saturday, everyone! I am pooped. I was in the shop at 6AM today, and tackled a bunch of stuff I've been dreading, but it honestly wasn't too bad. Things I got done today:

*Windshield installed
*Hood scoop cut out
*Hood installed
*Gapped exhaust cutouts
*Gapped the doors
*Installed door latches
*Installed gas cap

The windshield was what I was dreading most, but it was easier than I remembered from my MkIII. Maybe I'm just a better wrench now and have better tools. I used a couple of quarter round lengths to set the angle, propping them against the rear cockpit wall and the top of the windshield frame. Marked the posts, drilled them, and shortened the posts by about 3/4". I then bonded and rivnut/screwed the hood hinge brackets to the hood, and let them cure while I tackled the gas cap and gapped the doors and installed the door latches. Came back to the hood, and got it installed. It was fun trying to hold the hood while feeding in the hood bracket bolts to the hinge. Jacked up the front of the car and got under it to tighten the hinge bolts. I put a benchtop grinder on the hood to hold it in place. I dropped my ratchet/extension/socket on my head. That felt good! The door fit is pretty rough, but I didn't want to get too aggressive with gapping it, so Kleiner doesn't get mad at me. Hah! All in all a great day in the shop. Tomorrow, I'll install the exhaust hangers under the car, install the hood and trunk latches, the license plate light, and bolt down the seats. I don't think I have anything else to do after that, except wait for my turn with Jeff. I'll reach out soon to chat about timing. I suspect I'll have to wait several months, but that's okay. I'm ready for a break, and might turn my attention to painting the shop.

It's a good feeling and a bad feeling to be almost done. After nearly 2 years of planning during the week and executing on the weekends, I know I'll miss that rhythm. But as they say, these cars are never really done, and I suspect I'll tinker with it plenty over the summer.

Have a great weekend, everyone! Get out there and turn some wrenches!!!

Greg

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[Jeff Kleiner]

*Hood scoop cut out


Sigh... :(

Jeff

[gbranham]

Sigh... :(

Jeff

I know, I know. If it's totally off when you get the car, we can order a new one. No worries. At least I'm foregoing stripes...

[Jeff Kleiner]

OK then! No stripes usually means no problem. Just don’t put your fastener holes too close to the edge of the scoop—-3/8” from edge to center of the hole is good.

Jeff

[gbranham]

OK then! No stripes usually means no problem. Just don’t put your fastener holes too close to the edge of the scoop—-3/8” from edge to center of the hole is good.

Jeff

I'll do you one better. I'm not touching the scoop. I'm trying to do the absolute minimum for you.

[gbranham]

642 days.

That's how long it's been since I took delivery of my MkIV Complete Kit. Today I finished up some exterior tasks (hood and trunk latches, license plate light, exhaust hangers, rear view mirror), and for my last act that I was dreading for some reason, I bolted down the seats. I remember my MkIII was much more difficult because the frame didn't have the big plate under the floor aluminum. I used Mark Reynolds' (Breeze) seat plate that angles the seat back just a tad. Perfect fit, and easy installation.

I took the car for a 'victory lap', logging 5.3 miles. My odometer is now at a whopping 9.8 miles. Next up, alignment and registration. Should be easy in Kansas. After I got back from my drive, I parked it and took these pics, then got back in and it acted like the battery was tired...didn't want to crank, but did on the 3rd try. I recall my MkIII had this same heat soak problem, and I solved it with a starter blanket. I'll have to do that soon.

What an awesome project! As I said yesterday, I'm happy and sad...probably more sad than happy. I will miss building. Maybe I'll build another one, or maybe not. For now, I'll reach out to Jeff Kleiner and see where I am in his queue. Meantime, I'll just enjoy some nice, warm country road driving, and maybe paint my garage. Thanks to everyone on the forum who has helped me...couldn't do it without you all! What a great community.

Greg

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[TrackDay17]

Looks great, can't wait to see a beautiful Kleiner paint job on it.

[F500guy]

I have that restart issue when hot, I used the FFR provided #4 wire with the front battery location. I decided I was going to upgrade to a #2 wire for the main power.

[Blitzboy54]

She looks great!

The big mistake I made on my first build was getting it painted too quickly. I didn’t properly shake the car down then had to work around my really expensive paint whenever I had a bug.

What you’re doing now in the way. Log as many hours as you can. I’m going to try and find some big flame stickers or some such when I drive it in gelcoat.

Any thoughts on color?

[gbranham]

She looks great!

The big mistake I made on my first build was getting it painted too quickly. I didn’t properly shake the car down then had to work around my really expensive paint whenever I had a bug.

What you’re doing now in the way. Log as many hours as you can. I’m going to try and find some big flame stickers or some such when I drive it in gelcoat.

Any thoughts on color?

Thanks, Jesse! I agree on working out the kinks before paint. I did the same on my first build, and drove this one without the body several times to look for leaks, etc. It's funny how nearly every task is more difficult as soon as you drop the body on.

For paint, I'm going with the color of my truck...Patriot Blue, no stripes. 212655212654

[OB6]

Looks great Greg, and it's inspiring me to get through the body-fitment stage I'm currently in!

[gbranham]

Looks great Greg, and it's inspiring me to get through the body-fitment stage I'm currently in!

Thanks, Terry. The body fit/exterior accoutrement isn't my favorite part of the project. I'm glad I have that part behind me.

Greg

[gbranham]

The memories of my MkIII are rushing back as I take my car on brief shakedown cruises. The sound of pebbles hitting the wheel wells, the smell of the fiberglass in the warm sun...it's like it was yesterday, despite being nearly 20 years ago. I spent an hour in the shop today, wrapping my starter in a DEI heat blanket, and adding a ground from a starter mount bolt directly to the frame. Not sure why I didn't do that before I put the body on...would've been easier than climbing under the car. Speaking of which...I'm much more careful than I was on my first build. I hate crawling under this car when it's on jack stands, and I spent hours under my first without hesitation. Today, I had my jack under the frame, two jack stands, wood under the tire, and a cinder block under the frame. Way overkill, but when working at home alone out in the country, if I got pinned, I wouldn't have anyone to help me. Anyway, today's tasks seem to have fixed my hard start on a hot engine issue.

I have to say, this Edelbrock ProFlo4 EFI system is awesome. I can't think Mike Bray enough for talking me into it vs Sniper 2. I know a lot of folks have success with Sniper, but this has been 100% (knock wood) error-free, and with only a few dozen miles on the car, it drives every bit as good as any modern car. Any throttle input, even on a cold start after sitting for several days...it just works. Thanks again, Mike.

For now, I'll just keep logging miles, and I'll get my hood scoop drilled and riveted. Thanks to Jeff Kleiner for tips on that task. I'm in good hands with you all. Love this place!

Greg

[Mike.Bray]

Speaking of which...I'm much more careful than I was on my first build. I hate crawling under this car when it's on jack stands, and I spent hours under my first without hesitation. Today, I had my jack under the frame, two jack stands, wood under the tire, and a cinder block under the frame. Way overkill, but when working at home alone out in the country, if I got pinned, I wouldn't have anyone to help me.

Exactly the same with me!! I don't have the ceiling height for a lift so I broke down and bought Quick Jacks. I really feel so much better with them when I'm under my car. Plus they go higher than jack stands.

Glad you're liking the ProFlo Greg, it's a good system. I'm in the very early stages of thinking about doing a 68 Camaro with a BBC. I've had a 65 Mustang but never a 1st generation Camaro and I always wanted one. Of course it will have to be EFI....

[gbranham]

Exactly the same with me!! I don't have the ceiling height for a lift so I broke down and bought Quick Jacks. I really feel so much better with them when I'm under my car. Plus they go higher than jack stands.

Glad you're liking the ProFlo Greg, it's a good system. I'm in the very early stages of thinking about doing a 68 Camaro with a BBC. I've had a 65 Mustang but never a 1st generation Camaro and I always wanted one. Of course it will have to be EFI....

Do it, Mike! I'm already having project withdrawal. I need another. I'm thinking about buying a 4-post lift. I had one at my first house and loved it for maintenance and double parking. I had 11 foot ceilings in my first house's garage, but I only have 9 footers in my shop now. I couldn't double park, but I could get the car probably 4 feet in the air, which would still be plenty for sitting on a stool and doing oil changes and other maintenance.

Greg

[Mike.Bray]

I really wish I had room for a lift but my garage ceiling is only 8 or 9 ft. Above it is a big game room that my lovely wife has taken over as her work office and she seems pretty attached to it. So I'll just keep using the Quick Jacks for now.

I'm obviously a huge fan of EFI, I first started messing with it in the early 90's with the Accel/DFI systems. The software was DOS based and connected to the ECU through an RS232 serial port with a special cable you had to pay extra for. Narrow band O2 sensors (0-2000 RPM) and no self learning meant you had to be on your game. Today's systems are so advanced it's kind of scary. I'm running stacks on an IR intake and like you said it pretty much starts and runs like any modern car. Until you step on the loud pedal lol Why anyone would want to be a sadist and fool with a carburetor, especially with today's gasoline, is beyond me. I certainly don't miss gunked up carbs or having to tap on it with a screwdriver to unstick the float.

We'll see what happens with the Camaro project, just starting to look around to see what's out there.

[Highplainsdakota]

I just bought a pair of 4 post lifts for my shop and I love them. I went with Bend Pak, and set them up myself. Took about 10 hours for the first one and about 5 hours for the second now that I figured it out. I'm sure there are other good ones out there but that is my experience. No bolting to the floor, I bought the castors so I can move them around the shop myself fully assembled.

[TrackDay17]

Exactly the same with me!! I don't have the ceiling height for a lift so I broke down and bought Quick Jacks. I really feel so much better with them when I'm under my car. Plus they go higher than jack stands.

Glad you're liking the ProFlo Greg, it's a good system. I'm in the very early stages of thinking about doing a 68 Camaro with a BBC. I've had a 65 Mustang but never a 1st generation Camaro and I always wanted one. Of course it will have to be EFI....

Mike, what model of Quick Jack did you go with ? It would be nice if I could get one that would work with my upcoming MK5 build and my Tacoma and the wife's Pilot if possible.

[Blitzboy54]

The Proflo is definitely the way to go. Yes a lot of people have had success with the Sniper (I would assume the Sniper 2 is improved) a LOT of people have had problems with it too. It can get real buggy. Had I gone with a pushrod I would have done the same.

I hear you about jacking up the car. I used to do all kinds of stuff without thinking twice. I climbed the roof every year to clean the chimney. Now I just pay someone else to do it. It would take months for me to recover from a fall. Crazy how your perspective changes on that stuff over time.

[Mike.Bray]

Mike, what model of Quick Jack did you go with ? It would be nice if I could get one that would work with my upcoming MK5 build and my Tacoma and the wife's Pilot if possible.

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/showthread.php?50214-Quickjacks-Learnings

[Nigel Allen]

I purchased quick jacks locally. They work great. Thanks goes to Mike for helping me spend my money!

[Mike.Bray]

I purchased quick jacks locally. They work great. Thanks goes to Mike for helping me spend my money!

Always glad to help spend your money:)

[Rian_Colorado]

Congrats on the "mostly, kinda done" stage!

Good to hear that you're liking the pro-flow4. My motor setup will be similar to yours (from Forte) - and I'm liking the reviews I've read here and elsewhere.

I had similar concerns about working "alone" in the shop, as mine is about 2 miles from my house. I put an Alexa in for automation purposes, but ALSO so I could yell - "Alexa, call wife" or "call 911" just in case I get REALLY screwed.....

Hope all of the shakedown drives go well!

RR

[gbranham]

I had some time mid-day today, so I drilled and screwed in my hood scoop. Per Kleiner's recommendation, I used #8-32 3/4" screws, washers top and bottom, and nylock nuts. All holes are 3/8" in from the edge of the scoop, spaced 2 5/16" apart, with the front screws 1" from the front of the scoop. Hopefully I did that right! :) The scoop was a little saggy toward the passenger side, probably because it sat in a box on the bottom of the pile of boxes for 18 months. A word to new builders...when you take delivery of your kit, take the hood scoop out of that box and put it somewhere else! Once I snugged up all the screws, I squared it up with a light touch of the heat gun and a few stacks of rubber stock in the scoop opening. Once it cooled, it looks square.

Greg

212756212757212758

[TrackDay17]

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/showthread.php?50214-Quickjacks-Learnings


Thanks Mike, I'll put these on the list of thing to acquire. My shop ceiling is only 9 ft also so can't really use a tall lift.

[gbranham]

I've been logging short trips, and this car is just a joy to drive! I've only hit maybe 1/2 throttle in 2nd, 3rd and 4th gears, but it pulls like a freight train. I can't imagine trying a WOT pull...my 30 year old self would've tried that, but my 51 year old self knows better. I'm developing my muscle memory for where my turn signal toggle sits on the dash, and it's quickly becoming second nature to turn it on, then off after a turn. So much fun! I fiddled with my Speedhut dimmer switch to get the gauges to illuminate brightly with the lights on. My only complaint with the Speedhut speedo is that I can't read the LCD odometer at all in daylight, but who really looks at that, anyway. All the gauges are working great, and I'm happy with where I've placed everything. I pretty much just watch coolant temp and oil pressure, and I suspect that vigilance will fade with time.

Have fun turning wrenches, everyone!

Greg

[danmas]

I had some time mid-day today, so I drilled and screwed in my hood scoop. Per Kleiner's recommendation, I used #8-32 3/4" screws, washers top and bottom, and nylock nuts. All holes are 3/8" in from the edge of the scoop, spaced 2 5/16" apart, with the front screws 1" from the front of the scoop. Hopefully I did that right! :) The scoop was a little saggy toward the passenger side, probably because it sat in a box on the bottom of the pile of boxes for 18 months. A word to new builders...when you take delivery of your kit, take the hood scoop out of that box and put it somewhere else! Once I snugged up all the screws, I squared it up with a light touch of the heat gun and a few stacks of rubber stock in the scoop opening. Once it cooled, it looks square.

Greg

212756212757212758



Good tip. Wish I had done this a while ago. I will go find it and pull it out….

[Blitzboy54]

I’m glad your able to enjoys driving it. Takes time to get comfortable with it IMO. You have a ton of HP to play with.

[gbranham]

I’m glad your able to enjoys driving it. Takes time to get comfortable with it IMO. You have a ton of HP to play with.

For sure. I like having all the horsepower headroom. I can grow into it.

Greg

[gbranham]

I thought I'd document my build specs, in case someone finds it useful for their build. I'm sure I've forgotten some things, and I have a detailed spreadsheet of all part numbers for everything I bought to build my drivetrain. I've shared it with a few folks via email, and they've found it very helpful. Ping me if you want it.

Greg

FFR MKIV Build Specs

Chassis Number F5R1010727RD
Ordered April 2023, Delivered 7/11/23

Kit Options
IRS with Standard Koni Shocks #17120
2018 IRS 3.55 Center Section, Spindles, Hubs #16668
SBF Engine Mounts
Blank Dash
Front and Rear Sway Bars
TKX/IRS Driveshaft
Power Steering Rack
FFR SBF Headers
Black Vinyl Roadster Seats
Powdercoated Frame
Driver’s Side Powdercoated Rollbar
14” Leather Steering Wheel
Body Cutouts
Trunk Gas Strut Kit



Brakes
Wilwood 13” Front and Rear Big Brake Kit
Wilwood Electronic Park Brake
Wilwood Pedal Box and Master Cylinders

Cooling System
Kit-Supplied Radiator and Fan
Breeze Fan Shroud
Breeze Upper Radiator Hinge
Breeze Lower Radiator Support
Breeze Upper Radiator Cowl Cover
Breeze Upper and Lower Radiator Hose Kit With T-Filler and Stainless Lower Tube
Breeze Bypass Hose Kit
Canton 2 Quart Coolant Expansion and Recovery Tank #80-201

Fuel System
Pro-M Fuel Hanger with -6AN Inlet and Outlet Ports
Aeromotive Canister Fuel Filter #12317
-6AN Braided PTFE Feed and Return Fuel Lines
Aeromotive Fuel Pressure Regulator set @58PSI
Walbro 255lph #GSS340BX

Fuel Injection/Ignition System
ProFlo4 Electronic Fuel Injection System #35950
MSD Streeet Fire CD Ignition Box #5520
MSD Blaster 2 Coil #8202
MSD 8mm Plug Wires

Engine
Ford Performance Boss 427 Short Block #M-6009-427F
Trick Flow 11R 190cc Cylinder Heads #TFS-5251660
Trick Flow 1.6 Roller Rockers #TFS-51400520
Trick Flow Camshaft 275/279, Lift .499/.510 Lobe Separation 112 #TFS-51403001
FlowKooler Hi-Flow Water Pump #1660
Ford Performance Head Gaskets #M-6051-R351
Trick Flow Hydraulic Lifters #TFS-21400004
Melling High-Volume Oil Pump #M-83HV
Trick Flow Billet Steel Timing Chain Set #TFS-52578520
Milodon Pro Touring Oil Pan #31350
Milodon Oil Pump Pickup #18505
ATP Timing Cover #103004
Trick Flow Track Max Harmonic Damper #TFS-19006
Trick Flow Chromoly Pushrods #TFS-21408050
All Engine Fasteners are ARP




Transmission/Clutch
RAM Billet Steel 157-tooth Flywheel #1529
RAM Powergrip HD Clutch #98794HDT
QuickTime Bellhousing #RM-6060
Tremec TKX Transmission #TCET17765
BBK Firewall Clutch Adjuster #15050
Ford Performance Clutch Cable #M-7553-C302

Gauges
Speedhut Custom w/GPS Speedo

Wheels/Tires
FFR 19” Halibrands 18x9 Front, 18x11 Rear
Toyo Proxes R888R Tires 255/35ZR18 Front, 315/30ZR18 Rear

Power Steering
Jones Racing Power Steering Pump with External Reservoir and Cooler

Other Upgrades
Forte Mechanical Throttle Linkage
Breeze Front Battery Box
Breeze Adjustable and Angled Seat Mounts
Thermo-Tec Cool-IT Heat and Sound Mat on Firewall, Entire Interior and Trunk
Mountain Metalworks Drop Trunk Tray
All Sheet Aluminum Power Coated
Energy Suspension Upper Control Arm Ball Joint Dust Covers
Master Battery Cut-off Switch
1-wire Alternator With 150AMP Circuit Breaker
Breeze LED Headlight Assembly With LED Turn Signal Bulbs
Additional Turnbuckle Support for FFR Headers Ball Flange
Mike Everson Curved Nose Aluminum Insert
Mike Everson Steering Shaft Dash Bezel
Mike Everson Roll Bar Grommets
Mike Everson Windshield Bezels
FFR Assembled Side Louvers
WeatherPak Connectors For All Illumination
Rear Cockpit Wall Cargo Net For Storage
Transmission Tunnel Cup Holders

[Mike.Bray]

I have two spreadsheets for my build, one with the actual prices and another with adjusted prices that I show my wife:)

Are you going to play Russian Roulette and keep those Wilwood master cylinders with all of the failures that have been reported??

[gbranham]

I have two spreadsheets for my build, one with the actual prices and another with adjusted prices that I show my wife:)

Are you going to play Russian Roulette and keep those Wilwood master cylinders with all of the failures that have been reported??

Hah! I made the mistake of putting prices on everything on my drivetrain build spreadsheet. It was a bit much. But it was so much fun!

Regarding the Wilwood master cylinders...I have mixed emotions about it. I've read every post of every thread on this subject, and it put enough concern in my mind that every time I drive it, I wonder 'is this the drive where my brakes fail?'. I don't like that feeling. But then my rational mind kicks in, and just like any enthusiast forum, the vocal minority has a tendency to make the issue seem worse than it is. That's not to say that a failed master cylinder isn't a huge safety concern, but I tend to think the odds are in my favor that mine will be fine. As you know, Mike, I just took delivery of a 2017 GT350 with only 4700 miles on it, and I love the car, but joining a GT350 enthusiasts forum makes me nervous to drive the car, due to all the reported engine issues on that forum. But then there's tons of folks who chime in and beat the tar out of their cars and never had an issue. It's like looking up some sort of health symptom you have online; it's all doom and gloom.

My FFR will sit, save the occasional romp around the neighborhood, until Kleiner gets to it later this year. There's a better than fair chance I'll get idle hands at some point, and replace them. I don't want to debate the Wilwood MCs in my build thread, so this is just where my head is at right now.

Greg

[Mike.Bray]

You are correct, the odds are in your favor. Just like the odds are in my favor that my cat will never kill me in my sleep. The issue I have with the Wilwood MCs is the number of (reported) failures from a relatively small case study of Factory Five cars. Some have failed right out of the box! It is a simple hydraulic plunger, the reliability rating should be at least 4 nines if not 5 nines. In other words one failure in millions like you see in OEM cars. Wilwood have a fundamental design and quality issue and have had for decades. I know this from first hand experience when my first Cobra almost went through my garage wall from a clutch MC failure.

FWIW my friend.

[gbranham]

I hear you, buddy. Like I said...I've read all the posts about this. Don't want to debate it in my build thread.

[gbranham]

I had a very emotional, full-circle moment this evening with my car that I have to tell you all about. Ok, golden hour, and my 20 year old son, James, wants to take my recently-purchased 2017 GT350 around the neighborhood. No problem...he drove my C7 Z06 with a manual transmission, around the neighborhood, without me in the car, at 15 years old. He did a great job with the GT350. So, I thought, he hasn't been in the FFR yet, so let's take a drive. So, we got in it, had to show him how to strap into the belts, etc, and we were on our way. We took a short 10 mile drive at just the perfect time of evening, out in the country with zero traffic. It was beautiful. Now, this kid is a car (actually truck) nut, but knows all about every performance car on the road. While driving, I gave it maybe 1/2 throttle in most gears, and he was duly impressed. He was asking about how much throttle input I was giving it, and could tell it was wandering because it hasn't been aligned yet, and even said he could smell the tires due to the alignment. Hah! It was a poignant moment for me, because the last time he was in an FFR with me was my MkIII, and, well, he was very small. He would fall asleep in my MkIII, in his car seat, in minutes. This, my friends, is the essence of what these cars are about. We had so much fun together, and that's what matters. Here's a few pics of James, from my MkIII build days, and him in my MkIV last March (2024) when I first put the tires on it. My heart is full. These cars that FFR offer us are so much more than just a car. It's a lifestyle. And for those of us who truly embrace it, it transcends just being a vehicle. It's a family heirloom. It's bonding. It's magic.

Greg

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[BUDFIVE]

Very Cool Greg. Just before I read your note I sent pics to my kids of the hood and trunk lid on my car. Sharing the cars with our family and friends is what it’s all about.

[TXeverydayDad]

That’s a special moment Greg! I’m looking forward to this with my kids as well! Thanks for sharing

/Sam

[danmas]

Awesome moment….

[Justin]

Full circle indeed!

[gbranham]

I let my kiddo drive the car around the block today. I sure looks awesome cruising down the block. The deep rumble of the 427, even in 1st gear, sound awesome!

Greg

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[BornWestUSA]

I'm happy (and extremely relieved) to report that I've dodged a huge bullet with my head bolt faux pas. I received my new FMS head bolts (they're actually ARP bolts, direct from FMS), and they are indeed about 3/4" longer than what I was using. I've swapped out all the bolts on the driver's side head, torqued and reassembled. Fired right up, and I let it come up to temp. No leaks from the rear corner of the head. Whew! I did notice that when I was removing the old head bolts one at a time, replacing with new bolts as I went, in proper torque sequence, the upper rearmost head bolt under the valve cover was probably only torqued to 30 ft-lbs. Not sure why what was; maybe I simply missed torquing that bolt fully when I built the engine, but I can't imagine I did. Maybe because it was only engaging a few threads, and due to replacing the bolt right below it with a proper length bolt, torqued to 100 ft-lbs, the top one was no longer tight. Either way, all's well so far, and I'm going to move on to dropping the body on this weekend temporarily, to temporarily install the front splash guards and to rough-align the sidepipes with the body cutouts. I'll then remove the body and fab up some additional support hangers above the exhaust ball joint, as demonstrated here several times on the forum. After that, I'll get it off to alignment, then drop the body on for hopefully the last time until I get it to that dude in Bloomington, Indiana, hopefully later this year when he's got time for me.

That leak was a blessing in disguise. I would've otherwise not realized I had the wrong head bolts until later, with a painted body and truly blown head gaskets.

Whew!

Greg

Did the bolts come with any instructions? I thought they were torque to yield, or "angle" torque, not just "100 ft lbs"

Tks!!

[PMD24]

Thanks for sharing. Very special indeed.

[gbranham]

Did the bolts come with any instructions? I thought they were torque to yield, or "angle" torque, not just "100 ft lbs"

Tks!!

No instructions. I use ARP fasteners, which are not torque-to-yield. ARP, as with most of their fasteners of this size, come with assembly grease to ensure proper torque and to prevent galling.

Greg

[gbranham]

My kiddo took ME for a ride at Golden Hour tonight. Pretty special feeling. After that, he drove me into town in the GT350 to Casey's to get energy drinks for the morning. I kind of love that my 20 year old has known how to drive a manual transmission since he was 14. Life is good.

Greg

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[danmas]

Great picture and so fun to see those skills pass generations….

[Higgybulin]

Styling! Its a dying art for the younger generations. My daughter wanted a jeep when she was young, I said it had to be a manual. She said best decision ever because no one asks to borrow her vehicle!! She is 33 now and still has the jeep. Looks like ya brought him up right!
Higgy

[Blitzboy54]

When I was a kid I would say only 20% of us knew how to drive a stick. Incidentally my parents had a 5 speed mini van. Must have been the only one in the country.

One of my daughters friends asked her in high school how she drives her car without a backup camera.

Life comes at you fast.

[Mike.Bray]

One of my daughters friends asked her in high school how she drives her car without a backup camera.

I can actually relate. I recently acquired a 68 Camaro and definitely miss my backup camera! Going to have to fix that:)

[gbranham]

We have 85 summer associates at our firm, most of them 2L law students. One of them listed in their bio under "things people don't know about me"..."I know how to drive stick". So funny.

[gbranham]

I've been taking successively longer drives as I get confident with the car. Just took a 15 mile drive. Just wow! First off, the Toyo R888r tires are ridiculous. Its cloudy and cool today, probably 60 degrees, and they stick like velcro. Second, holy cow...this engine makes silly torque. I probably gave it 3/4 throttle or better in 2nd and 3rd, and before I knew it, I was doing 100mph. It pulls like a freight train. What a joy to drive! Loving my SBF 427 selection, and the Edelbrock ProFlo4 EFI makes it drive like a modern car. Just perfect! Happy Memorial Day weekend, everyone!

Greg

[TrackDay17]

I've been taking successively longer drives as I get confident with the car. Just took a 15 mile drive. Just wow! First off, the Toyo R888r tires are ridiculous. Its cloudy and cool today, probably 60 degrees, and they stick like velcro. Second, holy cow...this engine makes silly torque. I probably gave it 3/4 throttle or better in 2nd and 3rd, and before I knew it, I was doing 100mph. It pulls like a freight train. What a joy to drive! Loving my SBF 427 selection, and the Edelbrock ProFlo4 EFI makes it drive like a modern car. Just perfect! Happy Memorial Day weekend, everyone!

Greg


Maybe one day this week it will quit raining so you can enjoy it ! I'm getting sick of this weather !

[gbranham]

Maybe one day this week it will quit raining so you can enjoy it ! I'm getting sick of this weather !

Me, too! But, KC gets 25% of its annual rainfall in May/June, so...

Greg

[TrackDay17]

Me, too! But, KC gets 25% of its annual rainfall in May/June, so...

Greg


I know, it just seems like it has been every day the last couple of weeks and cool !
Trying to get some house stuff done and few outside projects taken care of before I go headlong into this build.
We'll be complaining about the heat soon enough for sure !

[gbranham]

I found my Graduation Post from my MkIII...I remember it like it was yesterday! Nearly 20 years ago!

Greg

F5R1005060RD Graduates!! | Factory Five Racing Forum (https://www.ffcars.com/threads/f5r1005060rd-graduates.161285/)

[Jeff Kleiner]

I found my Graduation Post from my MkIII...I remember it like it was yesterday! Nearly 20 years ago!

Greg

F5R1005060RD Graduates!! | Factory Five Racing Forum (https://www.ffcars.com/threads/f5r1005060rd-graduates.161285/)

Daja vu all over again! I remember...and also remember so many of the names of folks who commented :)

Jeff

[gbranham]

Daja vu all over again! I remember...and also remember so many of the names of folks who commented :)

Jeff

Yep, the names are what really took me down memory lane!

[gbranham]

I'm legal! I went to the Highway Patrol inspection station this AM, armed with my FFR-provided paperwork, and my newly-fabricated manual wiper, with built-in intermittent wipe and rain sensing (that would be me, lol). Inspection was this...she looked at the chassis number stamped on the frame, made sure it matched the MSO, then filled out her inspection form. That's it, literally. No verification of headlights, brake lights, turn signals, etc. Easy peasie.

I then headed to the DMV to register the car. That's where I get a bit salty. I bought the kit in April 2023, and they charged me back property tax and penalties to that date. I argued I didn't have anything to register until I got it roadworthy and inspected recently, but that fell on deaf ears. I'll have to call the county appraiser to sort it out. I couldn't have registered it when I bought if I wanted to, because it has to be inspected first, and there wouldn't have been anything to inspect, save a pile of boxes. LOL. Anyway, I'm glad I'm legal and done, but I'm $4700 lighter in the wallet for it. Now just waiting my turn for the Kleiner treatment. No rush, Jeff...seriously. If you have more urgent things that come up and you need to push me into early next year or next spring even, no worries. I'll just keep driving.

I was one month shy of two years from kit delivery to legal. I told myself I was going to slow-roll this project, because I did my first in 4 months. I anticipated a 3-4 year project this time. I guess when you get some good momentum, it just snowballs.

Have a great weekend, everyone, and a great Father's Day. I'm sure many of you will be out in the shop, wrenching with kids this weekend. Seems like a solid Father's Day gift to me!

Greg

[Mike.Bray]

Woot woot! Legal is a good feeling.

Ouch on the $4700 though. Serious ouch. I don't feel so bad about the $103 I had to pay now.

[danmas]

I’m so happy for you. And I really appreciate how you engage with the community. I have never felt small when talking to you and in fact your encouragement, advice and enthusiasm are so important to us newbies. Congratulations. I really couldn’t be happier for you.

Dan

[Blitzboy54]

Great step man. I’m right behind you.

[TXeverydayDad]

That’s great to hear Greg! Congrats on this huge milestone! It’s been great following along.

I wish you many happy, fun and safe miles!

[gbranham]

I’m so happy for you. And I really appreciate how you engage with the community. I have never felt small when talking to you and in fact your encouragement, advice and enthusiasm are so important to us newbies. Congratulations. I really couldn’t be happier for you.

Dan

Thanks, Dan. That means a lot. We were all newbies once, and we're all in this together. Im excited to see your "first start" post!

[gbranham]

Great step man. I’m right behind you.

You got this, brother!

[JMD]

That's great! I'm so happy for you. I haven't checked build threads in a long time, so it's great to see you hitting this milestone. I just posted my first update since last year...my car is ready for the road! You beat me to it though. Congrats. :)

I'll have to plan a trip to come visit sometime this summer. Would also love to meet up with kirby.

(I also just bought a set of Quick Jacks at their Memorial Day sale. Now that the project is pretty much done...but whatever. Great minds think alike.)

[gbranham]

That's great! I'm so happy for you. I haven't checked build threads in a long time, so it's great to see you hitting this milestone. I just posted my first update since last year...my car is ready for the road! You beat me to it though. Congrats. :)

I'll have to plan a trip to come visit sometime this summer. Would also love to meet up with kirby.

(I also just bought a set of Quick Jacks at their Memorial Day sale. Now that the project is pretty much done...but whatever. Great minds think alike.)

Would love to meet up!

Greg

[gbranham]

That’s great to hear Greg! Congrats on this huge milestone! It’s been great following along.

I wish you many happy, fun and safe miles!

Thanks, buddy! I appreciate it. Looking forward to your updates.

Greg

[TrackDay17]

I hope you ge the tax issue solved, seems like common sense you can't register it until you're done, of course common sense and the DMV don't go together.
It took us 4 trips to the DMV to get my mother in laws car registered in my wife's name and a license plate.
one person told us one thing we needed and the next trip we of course needed something else !
Maybe Johnson county will be better when I get mine built but I kind of doubt it, guess I better prepare for that little surprise.

[gbranham]

I took a couple of 20 mile drives this afternoon. This car is awesome. Endless torque, and so drivable. There is nearly no limit to the torque as I put my foot in it. What a joy to drive! I could drive this car for hours and not get tired. Amazing.

[Higgybulin]

Congrats man!! Just in time for summer driving season!!
Higgy

[gbranham]

What a great Father's Day! I had a few driving sessions today, and ended the weekend with a great one this evening. I got a few nice pics, but left my driver's door open. Oops. But, for a raw finished car, I think it looks pretty solid. I continue to be amazed at the drivability of this car; the 427 is awesome. Endless torque, yet, not intimidating in the least. I absolutely LOVE this car. If there was ever a better 'driver's car', I don't know what it could be. And my 2017 GT350 is pretty awesome, but this blows it away.

I hope all the dads out there had a great Father's Day!!! Have a great week, everyone!

Greg

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[GoDadGo]

Congratulations & Be Careful!

[gbranham]

And just to close the loop on the property tax debacle, I just heard back from my county appraiser's office, after I emailed them Friday. They acknowledge that I shouldn't have been charged property tax and fines for the 2 years I was building the car, so they're sending me a refund. I'm shocked. But, I'm glad it turned out this way.

Greg

[Mike.Bray]

And just to close the loop on the property tax debacle, I just heard back from my county appraiser's office, after I emailed them Friday. They acknowledge that I shouldn't have been charged property tax and fines for the 2 years I was building the car, so they're sending me a refund. I'm shocked. But, I'm glad it turned out this way.

Greg

Very good!!

[Blitzboy54]

And just to close the loop on the property tax debacle, I just heard back from my county appraiser's office, after I emailed them Friday. They acknowledge that I shouldn't have been charged property tax and fines for the 2 years I was building the car, so they're sending me a refund. I'm shocked. But, I'm glad it turned out this way.

Greg

That's great to hear.

When we moved back to NY from OR the lady at the DMV wanted to charge us sales tax on our 2 cars because OR doesn't have any. I explained we were legal residence of OR when we bought them. She couldn't get her head around it. She just kept acting like we had bought them out of state and registered them here. The difference was $600 ish vs $4500. I finally got her supervisor to help us. The funny thing was she still didn't get it. She kept asking why we didn't have to pay sales tax on our cars. It was really something.

These things are so fun to drive. Really happy for you Greg.

[gbranham]

Thanks, Jesse. I think our DMV folks out here in the sticks just have a hard time dealing with a kit car. I suspect I'd have a different experience the next time I build. All good...it's a good problem to have, I suppose...

Greg

[BUDFIVE]

Greg, very cool. DMV folks in Texas don’t do many assembled vehicles either, and the rules change over time. I met with the County a few months in advance and it ended up being a good thing. Anyway, Happy Driving.

[gbranham]

Logged some great miles this weekend. I'm at 350 miles now! Gonna need a TKX fluid swap soon!

Greg

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[danmas]

Fabulous! Remind me your color choices? And Kleiner is doing your glow up if I recall?

[gbranham]

Yes sir! Kleiner is my man. I'm going for Patriot Blue, no stripes. It's the color of my Ram.

215401

[danmas]

Jeff is incredibly talented and I’m sure it will look great when done. That picture with raptor flying over your ride is stunning. What did you use to shoot your glamour shots? I’m kind of a camera nut…

[gbranham]

Jeff is incredibly talented and I’m sure it will look great when done. That picture with raptor flying over your ride is stunning. What did you use to shoot your glamour shots? I’m kind of a camera nut…

Hah! I didn't notice the bird until you mentioned it. I just snapped the pics with my camera phone. Galaxy S23 Ultra, in the Auto everything setting.

[Cobraman]

Congratulations on the the road worthy adventure I'm looking to have mine at this stage August of 2026. My grandson sat in mine yesterday 13 years old able to touch the peddles but not push them. Memories that these things make on the way are priceless. 215416

[cv2065]

Looks great Greg! #1 is my favorite.

[JMD]

Yes sir! Kleiner is my man. I'm going for Patriot Blue, no stripes. It's the color of my Ram.

215401

That's going to look great. I'm going no stripes as well...maybe even no hood scoop. I kind of like the classic roadster look without it.

How about your hood scoop? You going body color or with some contrast?

[gbranham]

That's going to look great. I'm going no stripes as well...maybe even no hood scoop. I kind of like the classic roadster look without it.

How about your hood scoop? You going body color or with some contrast?

Thanks, John. Probably body color, but maybe JK can talk me into something different. I'm not really particular about the color or the scheme. Might simply leave it up to him, based on what whim he has at the time. I just enjoy driving it, and I know I don't want any Lamborghini or McLaren Skittles colors. Hah!

Greg

[Jeff Kleiner]

Greg,
I'll only try to talk you into something different if you're about to do something stupid! :p

I've done Patriot blue and it isn't stupid. It'll look like this:

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=215438&d=1744648815

Cheers,
Jeff

[gbranham]

I dig it!

[kirby]

Can't wait to see it done Greg!!! That blue is nice and dark.

[rickster991]

Congrats! I'm looking for blues and that blue is nice and dark. Looks beautiful!

[gbranham]

Tried my hand at some homebrew door cards. I have 90 minutes and $53 in the project. Pretty easy!

215568215569215570215567

[Cobraman]

That looks great I was thinking of doing the same thing or should I say my wife she has that talent.

[gbranham]

I took an absolute gem of a drive tonight at dusk. The weather had cooled, so the night drive was just awesome. Long drives in the country with no traffic, passing amongst the corn fields. Don't care that its not painted, and don't care what color it will be. After dark, all that is illuminated is the gauges. Just pure driving ecstasy. This car is so unbelievably fun to just cruise. What a machine!

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[Grubester]

On the door cards -- what materials did you use and how did you "fasten" the card to the door? Thanks!

[gbranham]

I used pegboard and vinyl sheet, with batting under the vinyl. Velcro to hold it the door until the car is painted, then maybe a more permanent solution if velcro proves insufficient.

[Mike.Bray]

I have Cobra Herbs and they attached with some pieces of 2" wide Velcro.

[JMD]

There is some industrial strength velcro that is very strong. I used it for my dash and it's almost too difficult to remove!

[Blitzboy54]

I have Cobra Herbs and they attached with some pieces of 2" wide Velcro.

I had those on my first car. After 2 years of humid summers the adhesive started to give. I am going to do something more rigid on this one.

As an aside Herbs door cards remain one of the better values you'll find around here.


Greg - Those look great. "built not bought"

[gbranham]

Got me a new license plate frame today. Gotta represent! Took a great 20 mile drive this evening...awesome as usual!

Happy safe and fun Fourth of July, everyone! Come back with all your digits! :)

Greg

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[gbranham]

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[gbranham]

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[danmas]

Dude! So cool. Killing me with envy!

[gbranham]

Dude! So cool. Killing me with envy!

You'll be there soon enough, my brother! I'll drive to CO from KC when you're ready! Happy to assist!

Greg

[gbranham]

After 450 miles, I'm now at the point where I don't watch my gauges like a hawk...I just drive it, like I do my daily drivers. Such a good feeling. Have a fun and safe evening,

215881

[460.465USMC]

I took an absolute gem of a drive tonight at dusk. The weather had cooled, so the night drive was just awesome. Long drives in the country with no traffic, passing amongst the corn fields. Don't care that its not painted, and don't care what color it will be. After dark, all that is illuminated is the gauges. Just pure driving ecstasy. This car is so unbelievably fun to just cruise. What a machine!

215648

Perfect driving conditions, indeed! Such a feeling of satisfaction to get to this point. Congrats! I drove mine in gelcoat as well...didn't bother me one iota either. Smiles the whole time. A motivational post to all of us who're working to get there. Thanks, and enjoy!

[topherchrisb]

After 450 miles, I'm now at the point where I don't watch my gauges like a hawk...I just drive it, like I do my daily drivers. Such a good feeling. Have a fun and safe evening,

215881

The GT350 was the car I was trying to get before I decided to build the cobra. I see more c8s now than I ever saw 350s driving around. Still check auto trader once in a while to see how they are aging. Jealous.

[gbranham]

The GT350 was the car I was trying to get before I decided to build the cobra. I see more c8s now than I ever saw 350s driving around. Still check auto trader once in a while to see how they are aging. Jealous.

The low mileage cars have really held their value. I bought this 2017 a couple of months ago. Recaro seats, electronics package, 4700 miles, for right at MSRP. Its a great car, but compared to the Cobra and my previous C7Z, it lacks a lot of grunt down low. But it's a great driver's car. The sound and handling are sublime.

[gbranham]

So, today was alignment day. Ironically, 2 years to the day from when my kit was delivered. My alignment specs I gave him:

Front
Caster 7 degrees
Camber -0.5 degrees
Total Toe 3/32" IN

Rear
Camber -0.5 - -0.75 degrees
Total Toe 3/32" IN

Tires are Toyo Proxes R888R, 25" diameter front, and 25.5" diameter rear.

When he was done, I took this pic of the alignment screen:

216206

Being of a curious mind with a degree in physics, I am no stranger to converting units of measure from one to another, but the .09 degrees for front total toe, and .12 degrees for rear total toe caught my eye. So I asked the alignment guy 'hey, I'm curious...how did you convert 3/32" total toe into degrees, so you could enter into your machine, or did you just enter 3/32", and it converted it for you?". He shrugged and said he doesn't know how to convert it; he just looks at a chart he had on the wall. So I looked at the chart, and it simply converted total toe in fraction form to decimal form...3/32" was converted to .09" on the chart. So, he entered .09 into his alignment software, but the software is in degrees. That's when I thought something wasn't right. So I googled...I had to know how it's converted. I found a formula, calculated it myself, then found an online converter, and both came up with something like .20 degrees. That's when he kind of had a code brown moment, realizing he may have been doing toe wrong for potentially years. Now I know the difference between .09 degrees and .20 degrees is very small, but still...

So what say the experts here on the forum? Was I overthinking this? We ended up at .20 degrees total toe, and sent it down the road. It tracks great, and is much less twitchy, so I think all's well.

Greg

[Jeff Kleiner]

Every 1/32 of an inch of toe is 0.12 degrees. If you have .09 degree that means you have about 75% of 1/32 inch (.020") total toe in rather than 3/32" (.093"). The closer to zero toe in you get the more twitchy and less stable the car becomes.

OOPS,EDIT, never mind!
After rereading your post I see that you ultimately ended up with .20 degrees which is just under 1/16" total toe. In that case run it!

Jeff

[gbranham]

Every 1/32 of an inch of toe is 0.12 degrees. If you have .09 degree that means you have about 75% of 1/32 inch (.020") total toe in rather than 3/32" (.093"). The closer to zero toe in you get the more twitchy and less stable the car becomes.

OOPS,EDIT, never mind!
After rereading your post I see that you ultimately ended up with .20 degrees which is just under 1/16" total toe. In that case run it!

Jeff

Roger that, captain! Thanks!

Greg

[JMD]

Other than the miscalculation it looks like your alignment guy did a great job! I might want to have him double check mine after I’ve put some more miles on. I had it professionally set a while back, but wouldn’t mind getting it tweaked after everything is broken in and settled down.

[460.465USMC]

Being of a curious mind with a degree in physics, I am no stranger to converting units of measure from one to another, but the .09 degrees for front total toe, and .12 degrees for rear total toe caught my eye... So I asked the alignment guy 'hey, I'm curious...how did you convert 3/32" total toe into degrees, so you could enter into your machine, or did you just enter 3/32", and it converted it for you?". He shrugged and said he doesn't know how to convert it; he just looks at a chart he had on the wall. So I looked at the chart, and it simply converted total toe in fraction form to decimal form...3/32" was converted to .09" on the chart. So, he entered .09 into his alignment software, but the software is in degrees. That's when I thought something wasn't right. So I googled...I had to know how it's converted. I found a formula, calculated it myself, then found an online converter, and both came up with something like .20 degrees. That's when he kind of had a code brown moment, realizing he may have been doing toe wrong for potentially years. Now I know the difference between .09 degrees and .20 degrees is very small, but still...

So what say the experts here on the forum? Was I overthinking this? We ended up at .20 degrees total toe, and sent it down the road. It tracks great, and is much less twitchy, so I think all's well.

Greg

Helpful musings. I appreciate sharing how you worked through this, given your math/physics background. Very interesting.

"a code brown moment". That is too funny! Adding that one to my repertoire will full acknowledgement to its source. :)

[gbranham]

Helpful musings. I appreciate sharing how you worked through this, given your math/physics background. Very interesting.

"a code brown moment". That is too funny! Adding that one to my repertoire will full acknowledgement to its source. :)

Twas a fun exercise, for sure. At least the car drives really well now!

Ah yes, the Code Brown. I can't claim authorship of that one...I think someone at work used it, and, like you, I immediately added it to my repertoire. Use with impunity! :)

[gbranham]

Been driving quite a bit, and have almost 700 miles on the car. Running great! The last month or two, I've only driven on the weekends, and I've noticed, come Friday after the car has sat for 5 days, I have a half-dollar sized coolant puddle on the shop floor. Its roughly under the front corner of the passenger cylinder head. I have no leaks while driving or for hours after a drive. I spent some time diagnosing today, and found the leak is from the front corner of the intake manifold gasket. I put a socket on my ARP 12pt stud nuts for the manifold, and low and behold, the entire passenger side nuts were barely better than finger tight. Driver's side was fine. I retorqued them after several heat cycles, but then drove 700 miles without checking them. Guess I should have. Anyway, the leak is gone, and Im glad I used Gasgacinch on those gaskets, or I might have had a real mess on my hands. Folks, don't forget to torque those bolts a few times in the first few hundred miles. I thought I did mine enough, but guess not.

Greg

[JMD]

I'm glad it was an easy fix! I've snugged mine a couple of times. Two bolts driver side middle seemed noticeably loose after a couple hundred miles. Also snugged my valve covers, although I've since read that you really don't want to put more than 8-10 lb/ft on them. I may have done a little bit more, but so far so good.

[BUDFIVE]

Greg, good stuff and thanks for the reminder. I’m at 120 miles and will put that on the list for next checks.

[TrackDay17]

I remember you said you thought you smelled a little coolant but didn't see any leaks, glad it was something simple to fix.
Thanks again for the ride in your car, man that power is intoxicating !

Anyone else reading this Greg and John (JMD) both offered me rides in their cars as I am fairly local to both of them.
I took them up on both offers of course !
It's great to have met such great people and make new friends local to me and encourage me to start my build really soon.

Both of them have built great cars they can definitely be proud of !

[BornWestUSA]

The Ford racing instructions say to re-torque the intake bolts after 10 heat cycles... I will report what I find this week.

[Jeff Kleiner]

Folks, don't forget to torque those bolts a few times in the first few hundred miles. I thought I did mine enough, but guess not.

Greg

Probably 30 years ago I learned that the intake is one of the few "gotchas" on a SBF. The bolts are vertical rather than splayed and the torque is low. If you just torque the bolts once or twice you're gonna' have a problem. My process is to run through the pattern 5,6,7 or more times when assembling then come back to it the next day after the gasket has been compressed and go through it again several times. By using this method I've never had a leak...and now having said that I'm doomed and the next one will leak! Oh, and if using aluminum heads just go with studs right out of the gate.

Jeff

[Mike.Bray]

Amen on studs Jeff! And Gasgacinch on the gaskets so they don't slip down and cause a small vacuum leak from the lifter valley. Or so I've been told:D

[gbranham]

Yep, I used studs and Gasgacinch, and torqued them several times day one, then retorqued after it sat overnight. Even retorqued after a few heat cycles. Oh well, all's well now.

[BornWestUSA]

The Ford racing instructions say to re-torque the intake bolts after 10 heat cycles... I will report what I find this week.

The intake bolts moved about 45 degrees to reach 17 foot pounds, some a bit more. It took 4 passes thru the torque sequence before the bolts stopped moving.

Initially it also took about 4 passes.

The header bolts moved less than 5 degrees.

This after about 12 full heat cycles.

[Blitzboy54]

I had the exact same thing happed on my 306 SBF. Had the same leak and it was the same culprit. I found the head bolts to be fine but that and the exhaust manifold to need attention more than once. You should be good going forward but a real good reminder for SBF folks.

[gbranham]

Happy Saturday, everyone! Today was oil, filter and tranny maintenance day, since I'm approaching 800 miles. Everything went smooth, easy peasie.

I decided to recover my trans tunnel cover, because it was a bit too 'puffy' under the vinyl covering. I put some batting under it when I covered it, but it was too much. So, I redid it this AM with less batting. While I was at it, I measured the cup holder hole centers, lest anyone needs them for their MkIV. I measured these about a 100 times before I cut the holes, because I was worried I'd hit the 3/4" bracing.

Anyway, here's the dimensions. I have 2.5" diameter cup holders. Hope this helps some of you!

Have a great weekend! I'm tired of the 90 degree, dry weather here in the midwest. It's supposed to rain Monday and Tuesday, then remain in the 70s and down into the 60s in a week or two. That feels a lot better for October!

Greg

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[gbranham]

Got the car on wheel dollies and put a battery tender on it for the winter. Next step...bodywork and paint when it's my turn with Kleiner. Had a great 1st driving season and racked up just shy of 800 miles. Looking forward to warm driving weather in a painted car one day down the road!

Greg

[JMD]

It's a sad day...but it's been a good summer for driving. Mine is going to the painter next week, already looking forward to having it back on the road in the spring!

[gbranham]

Looking for opinions on my new hood ornament. I think it fits juuuust right!

Greg

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[Mike.Bray]

Uh, no.....

[gbranham]

Too small, Mike? :)

[PMD24]

If you have your mirror mounted on the top of the windshield, I think hanging it off that would be so cool!

[Mike.Bray]

Too small, Mike? :)

Yeah, that's it Greg. :rolleyes:

[gbranham]

If you have your mirror mounted on the top of the windshield, I think hanging it off that would be so cool!

Yes! Good call!

[gbranham]

Beautiful weather here in the Midwest, 60 degrees, so I snuck out for a drive. It was great getting back in the saddle after the car sat for a month and a half! Happy Holidays, everyone! 74 degrees here on Christmas day!

Greg

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[danmas]

Looks awesome!

[gbranham]

Beautiful weather here today on Super Bowl Sunday! 64 degrees, light breeze...perfect for a short cruise. Was nice to be back in the saddle again! Have a great weekend, everyone!

Greg

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[Cobraman]

Similar temp here but still in go cart stage, body going on this week :cool: this is going to be very exciting I'll post pictures as I go.

[TrackDay17]

Beautiful weather here today on Super Bowl Sunday! 64 degrees, light breeze...perfect for a short cruise. Was nice to be back in the saddle again! Have a great weekend, everyone!

Greg

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It was a nice day, I didn't get any garage time in today unfortunately, had to do a brake job on my niece's car before she headed back to college.
Waiting on a couple of parts this week to get started again moving forward.
Sure wish I had some gas tank straps.........

[gbranham]

Thanks to TrackDay17 (Greg) for ordering us a couple of sets of Forte's new sidepipe heat shields. Painted them this morning, and installed this afternoon. They look great!

Greg

225863225864225865

[TrackDay17]

Thanks to TrackDay17 (Greg) for ordering us a couple of sets of Forte's new sidepipe heat shields. Painted them this morning, and installed this afternoon. They look great!

Greg

225863225864225865

Those really look good on the car !
That's the look I was going for, painted to match the pipes and not detract from the looks of the car but protect my passengers from serious burns.

[gbranham]

Happy Saturday, everyone! I hope your weather is as good as Kansas City today. 70 degrees and no wind. Tomorrow's a different story...ice storm.

This past weekend, after installing my Forte sidepipe heat shields, I thought I'd check my spark plugs, now that I have 850 miles on the car, with quite a bit of time idling in the driveway while working out kinks. They looked pretty good, but thought I'd replace them anyway. The gap seemed kind of small, so I measured. .025". In a 427SBF. No idea why I would've gapped them that way. The car ran fine, but a little 'snotty' as Kleiner would say when idling through my small town at 30 MPH in 3rd gear, despite having a mild cam. So, I swapped the plugs today, and left them gapped at .040" right out of the box. Sure enough, it ran great, no snottiness, and it sure feels snappier and pulls quite a bit better. What a concept...gap your plugs the way they should be, and the car will run the way it should. Duh.

Anyway, have a great weekend, everyone!

Greg