NC Father & Son MK5 Build Air Filter Fitment Question

[Pete&Scott]

Father (Pete) and son (Scott) cooked up the idea of building an FFR Roadster in the early fall. I am a retired healthcare administrator, and Scott is a project manager for a transportation company. We are both very mechanically minded. I bought my first car at 14 and entered it in a demolition derby. Then I bought a VW Bug, stripped it of body parts, and turned it into a mountain dune buggy. Scott rebuilt his Ford F350 6.0 engine and recently rebuilt a Jet ski engine. Before heading off to college, Scott raced motorcycles in the National Enduro series. We built a garage together and have done a lot of around-the-house handyman work. We both ride motorcycles and have done all the repair and maintenance work on them.
With that background and plenty of garage space, we ordered an MK5 Complete kit on 10/16/2025, the completion date was 11/29/2025, and Cunningham Transport delivered it on the morning of 12/11/2025. Scott took off work, and we completed the parts list inventory that afternoon. 32 boxes received with a number of items missing in the boxes received; 5 boxes not received and marked as POL (Parts of Limited Availability). Ordered the Blueprint Engines 427 EFI with PS and TKX 5-speed manual on 10/24/2025, with estimated completion on 12/22/2025, but a recent email from Blueprint stating it will be another 2 weeks before they are able to finish up the engine.

Over the past 2.5 weeks, we removed all the panels, then reinstalled, fitted, and drilled. I just took all the panels to get powder-coated yesterday. In between the panel work, we have installed the gas tank, partially installed the front suspension, waiting on spindles. Partially installed rear IRS and suspension, waiting on some spacers to complete. Started on the steering linkage. Now waiting for powder-coated panels and delivery of missing parts. Will work on posting photos on future posts but for now here is a link to my Mk5 Build Photo Album. Google Photos Album MK5 Build (https://photos.app.goo.gl/DdFLRyqrNnLe8R87A)

Base MK 5 Roadster Complete Kit
Left Hand Drive Chassis
302/351W Mounts
Hydraulic Clutch Master Cylinder Kit
Headers: 351W stainless steel 4-port (replace OEM Mustang headers & J-pipes)
Polished Stainless Steel Side Exhaust
2015 Mustang-based Independent Rear Suspension Kit with KONI coil-overs
Front & Rear IRS Sport Shock Set
2018 Mustang IRS 3.55 Center Section, Spindles, and Hubs
31 spline driveshaft for 302/351W/7.3L Godzilla with Tremec TKX/TKO transmission and 2015 IRS
Power Steering Rack Kit (requires pump and bracket)
Autometer Ultra-lite 7 Gauge Set
Leather Seats
Powder coated chassis – Black, includes powder coated roll bar
Chrome Driver Side 1.5" Rollbar
Chrome Passenger Side 1.5" Rollbar
11" Twin Piston Aluminum Caliper Front Brakes
13.0 IRS Brake Kit
Vintage Halibrand Replica Wheel & Mickey Thompson Tire Package, 17” X 9” Front and 17” X 10.5” Rear, 245/45R17 Front and 315/35R17 Rear
14” Leather Steering Wheel
Mk5 Body with Cut-Outs
Pre-Cut Aluminum MK5 Roadster Dash 427 Gauge Layout
2" Wide 5-point Street/Competition Harness, Satin Black Buckles
GT400 Bullet Side View Mirror, Polished Aluminum, Convex
Additional GT400 Bullet Side View Mirror, Polished Aluminum, Convex
Paintable ABS Plastic Hood Scoop
Wind Wings
Trunk Gas Strut Kit
Brake Duct Wire Mesh Set
4-Post Battery Cutoff Switch
Seat Track Kit, Drivers Side
Assembled Side Louver Set
Mk5 Over-Rider Bumper Kit
Rollbar Grommet Set, Driver Side
Rollbar Grommet Set, Passenger Side
Brake Reservoir Kit
EFI In-Tank Fuel System
Remote Brake Booster
Blueprint Engines 427 EFI with PS and TKX 5 speed Manual
Blueprint Sales Tax
Cunningham Transport

[rponfick]

Welcome. You appear to have done your research.
This Forum will be a great asset for your build.
Ralph

[Pete&Scott]

My current list of missing parts. FFR is unable to give me an estimated date of shipping for any of the items. Not sure what else I can do until my panels come back from the powder coater next week. My son is off tomorrow, and Friday, and we had hoped to try and finish up brakes and start on wiring.

Part Number Box # Description
18008 Box 06 16 ga Turn Signal Spacer
18009 Box 06 7ga Turn Signal Spacer
12408 Box 06 Leather Check Straps
14692 Box 05 Brake Line 3/16 8"
13740 Box 05 Brake Line 3/16 20"
12896 Box 02 Rod End Spacer
14850 Box 21 Front Two Piece Spindles
17657 Box 13 Chrome Driver Side 1.5" Rollbar
17660 Box 13 Chrome Passenger Side 1.5" Rollbar
15834 Box 06 Polished Side View Mirror
15834X Box 05 Polished Side View Mirror
14727 Box 19 Speedo Sending Unit Parts
16255 Box 19 3/4 Master Cylinder Kit for Hydraulic Clutch
34186 Box 19 Brake Reservoir Parts
15378 Box 25 Outer Tie Rod End - Threads Damaged up receipt. Need Replacement
14503 Box 27 Chassis Wiring Harness
13083 Box 28 302/351W Poley Eng/Trans. Mnts
15659 Box 32 Assembled Side Louver Set
16749 Box 32 4 Post Battery Cut-off Switch
33406 BOX 18 Front Brakes - Received 12/19/2025
17712 BOX 33 Remote Brake Booster Parts - Received 12/21/2025

Extra Parts to be returned
13127 Box 29 185 Degree Thermostat Switch - Received a box of 10

[Mike.Bray]

Sounds like a nice build. Welcome to the fun!!

[Dondero14]

Congrats Pete and Scott. I’m doing a father/son build with my dad as well and honestly it has been so much fun so far. Sounds like you guys have made some good headway so far. Like said above, this forum is an absolute incredible tool with unlimited amounts of good information. Looking forward to following your build.

[rickster991]

Welcome to the madness! Where in NC?

[Pete&Scott]

Thanks. We are in Winston-Salem. We have enjoyed the build, but it has been interesting due to missing parts and a manual that includes pictures and info from non-MK5 builds.

[Pete&Scott]

While waiting for parts and panels to be powder-coated. I started some research into Panel Sound and Insulation
Came up with these options. Appreciate any comments, favorites or suggestions

Perplexity AI Response to my question.
(https://www.perplexity.ai/search/i-am-considering-the-following-S_OsUTvKSj6s2BiueLER6g#0)

I have 2 rolls of Siless 80 mil and 2 rolls of the Siless 314 liner in my Amazon Cart

Siless 80 Mil Butyl 2 Rolls 72 sq ft $140
Siless Hybrid 3n1 1 Rolls 25 sq ft. $80
Siless recommends 80 mil over all panels and then Hybrid on top of the regular 80 Mil in foot boxes, tunnel and floor. Siless Total $220

Kilmat 80 Mil Butyl 2 Rolls 72 sq ft $140 All panels

Dynamat Mega Pack 72 sq ft $496 Couldn’t find actual thickness in mils

Coolit Thermo Tec Heat and Sound Suppressor 75 sq ft 392 Is this the same as Dynamat?
Coolit Thermo Tec Aluminized Heat Barrier, only 24 sq ft $258
Not sure if Heat and Sound is all that is needed or if Heat Barrier is needed over the Heat and Sound

SoundSkin Damplifier Pro™ Sound Deadening Mat 73.33 $584
Sound Skin Heat Wave Pro Jute Insulation 24 sq.ft. $80.00
Total Sound Skin $664

[Pete&Scott]

Panels are back from Powdercoat, and a few more parts have arrived from FFR. I had all the panels powder-coated for $400.00. I installed the engine bay and cockpit panels. I used black rivets in the engine bay and the rear outer-facing cockpit panels. The rest of the rivets will get covered up with Siless Panel insulation. With the extra parts from FFR, my son was able to finish up all of the front and rear suspension components. Installed the steering components. Now trying to figure out the pedal box fitment, along with lowering the steering wheel. FFR sent the steering wheel spacers. Thinking we will mount the bracket and the spacers under the welded FFR bracket, similar to what Edwardb did in his build photos. Decided to go with a 13/16 Titlon 76-812 MC for the clutch. Need to figure out those connections to that. I like how Rick Shank used banjo bolts in both the inlet and outlet connections. Trying to figure out what exactly and where to order those fittings. We don't have the 427/TKX transmission from Blueprint yet, so not sure exactly how that connects to the McLeod clutch. We received a 4 AN braided cable from FFR. We are assuming that is for the hydraulic clutch connection, but not sure if it is to go to the reservoir or to the transmission. No hydraulic clutch connections in the FFR manual or supplements. Pics my google album in my signature.

[Mike.Bray]

My go-to for all things AN is Earl's, never had an issue with any of their stuff. For banjo adapters start here. https://www.holley.com/brands/earls/products/plumbing_an_fittings_and_hose/adapters/brake_system_adapters/

I get the part numbers I need from the Earl's site and then order from Summit.

You'll need -4 for the inlet and -3 for the pressure side. I used -4 bulkhead fittings in the firewall and ran hardlines from the reservoir. If I was doing it again I would still do the bulkhead fittings but I would run -4 flex lines to the master cylinders. Much easier.

You can use aluminum fittings for the supply side but want steel for the pressure side.

Hope this helps.


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[Pete&Scott]

With the 10-degree temps today, I decided not to heat the garage. Worked on the Dash in the house, installing the Autometer Gauges and getting them wired up. Wiring instructions were not very detailed, so I used a lot of educated guesses to get things wired up. I cut the pink hazard wire and taped it off. Not really sure what to do with the rest of the turn signal-related wires.

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[PMD24]

Inline Tube has a great catalog for brake fittings. It's their Street Rod Catalog. Using that you can find almost any fitting you need and then either buy from them or search that fitting name if you want a specific brand like Earls.

https://online.flipbuilder.com/wmmk/jcvg/

Relative to your hydraulic TOB, the 4AN 30" braided stainless hose that's in your kit will go from your MC to the 4AN fitting on the hose coming out of the bell housing. At the MC you'll need a banjo with a 4AN out.

Pat

[Pete&Scott]

Engine arrived today!!!!. FFR says the mounting plates should be shipped out sometime next week. Wheels are a couple of weeks out. Might need to switch to Jack stands from the dolly to get the engine installed if we end up waiting on wheels.

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[CW_MI]

Panels are back from Powdercoat, and a few more parts have arrived from FFR. I had all the panels powder-coated for $400.00. I installed the engine bay and cockpit panels. I used black rivets in the engine bay and the rear outer-facing cockpit panels. The rest of the rivets will get covered up with Siless Panel insulation. With the extra parts from FFR, my son was able to finish up all of the front and rear suspension components. Installed the steering components. Now trying to figure out the pedal box fitment, along with lowering the steering wheel. FFR sent the steering wheel spacers. Thinking we will mount the bracket and the spacers under the welded FFR bracket, similar to what Edwardb did in his build photos. Decided to go with a 13/16 Titlon 76-812 MC for the clutch. Need to figure out those connections to that. I like how Rick Shank used banjo bolts in both the inlet and outlet connections. Trying to figure out what exactly and where to order those fittings. We don't have the 427/TKX transmission from Blueprint yet, so not sure exactly how that connects to the McLeod clutch. We received a 4 AN braided cable from FFR. We are assuming that is for the hydraulic clutch connection, but not sure if it is to go to the reservoir or to the transmission. No hydraulic clutch connections in the FFR manual or supplements. Pics my google album in my signature.

Probably late to the game, but this place seems to have a great selection of fittings. They do a lot of race car stuff, so have some good technical info as well.
https://www.pegasusautoracing.com/

[Railroad]

Trial fit your headers and drive shaft, before setting the engine.
Front of the frame low and the rear raised, helps get the engine and trans in the hole.
good luck,

[Pete&Scott]

Made up a 3-reservoir mount. Finished up the brake lines and bled the brakes. Did not bench bleed but used this Motive products pressure cap https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000Q6UHQK?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title to pressure bleed the brakes. The cap fit perfectly. Already had a low-pressure gauge for use with the Eastwood powder coater. Thanks to a member post on Edwardsb's thread for the pressure bleeder cap.
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Used Edwardb's fuse panel mod to attach the fuse panel on the underside of the diagonal bar. My metalwork is not as precise as Edwardb's, but it got the job done. Very sturdy when you attach those extra brackets to the fuse panel. My son decided to powder coat it red!! I used some coated sheet metal to make the brackets, and the powder coat didn't stick well to the coated sheet metal!!!
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[Pete&Scott]

Well, after some wiring hiccups, my wiring and fuel lines are now complete from the dash back. I ran all the wires through the upper transmission tunnel after cutting it in half to make future access easier. I ran the neutral safety switch and connected it to the clutch safety switch via spade piggyback connectors. I did not install a relay on the clutch/neutral switch circuit. I installed a USB outlet and cut out a hole for the Sniper Mount. I will finish up the front-end wiring when the engine mounts arrive this week, and we get the engine installed. While waiting for the engine mounts to arrive and not a lot of other things on the list to do, we decided to Raptor Liner the underside of the body. Jeff Kleiner said to pick your poison before or after paint so we picked to do it before paint, as we felt more comfortable taping the underside of the body than taping the outside of the body after paint. Scott test fit the headers, and they fit perfectly. I test-fit the driver's side rollbar. They didn't fit perfectly!!! Drivers side is a tight fit. The inside hoop hits the back cockpit hoop, and I have to spread the bottom legs about a 1/8 of an inch to get it to go on. It doesn't appear to want to go all the way down. I did sand the inside of the hoop pipes, but that didn't help much. It did help with the rear support straight pipe. I don't have a passenger roll bar yet, but I tried the driver's side hoop on the passenger side, and it slid right on the welded pipes coming up from the frame, but the inside hoop still hits the rear cockpit hoop. Not sure if the roll bars hitting the cockpit hoop is normal or not?

A couple pics below. More Photos in my MK5 Build Photo Album in my signature

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[Pete&Scott]

Engine install tomorrow. Worked on a few items before taking it off the roller and putting it on jack stands. Checked the IRS fluid level. It felt like it was 3/4 to 1 inch below the bottom of the fill hole. Picked up some Valvoline 75w90 gear oil, and added about a 1/2 quart before it started dripping out of the fill hole. Tested using some Weldwood Contact cement and added some carpet pieces to the front of the passenger footbox. Then, with an engine install tomorrow, I thought I needed to figure out where the negative battery cable needs to be attached to the frame. Nothing in the manual other than don't attach until all wiring is completed. Emailed FFR and was initially told to attach to the engine mount, but the cable doesn't reach that far. Followed up and was then told to attach to the bracket that the front A arm attaches to, below the steering column. That made sense, so I mounted it in that location. Glad I could get that done before installing the engine, as it would have been hard to drill in that location with the engine in place.
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[Pete&Scott]

Well, we got the engine, transmission, and driveshaft installed. The 427 and TKX combo is a heavy beast. The Bill of Lading showed it at 962 pounds, but that probably includes 100+ pounds of crate lumber. Getting the engine out of the crate was our first task of the day. We couldn't lift the engine straight up from the crate, so we jacked up the crate to get the lift's legs under it, then lifted the crate and the engine together. Then we unbolted the engine from the crate and shoved the crate out of the way. Borrowed the lift from a friend and bought the Yellow Jacket load leveler with bearings from Amazon. It worked well and looks like the one on Summit for twice the price. We opted to lift the engine in from the side, as others seem to have best success with that option. We struggled a bit to get the energy suspension engine mount pins to line up with the frame mounts. After the fact, we discovered that the engine did not drop down onto the mounts' level. The passenger side pin sits at the top of the slot, but the driver's side pin sits at the bottom of the slot. We then discovered the oil pan is sitting below the frame, the driver's side by about an inch. We will plan to try tomorrow to hook the lift back up tomorrow and see if we can pull the driver's side of the engine up to the top of the slot, but the slot only provides for 1/2 inch of travel. If that doesn't get the oil pan above the frame, we are wondering if we will need to put some washer shims between the energy suspension engine mounts and the engine. The other issue we ran into was mounting the transmission plate. We tried to mount it above the tabs but the plate was hitting the transmission. Manuel stated that the plate could be mounted under the tabs, so for now we opted for that position. We noticed in the manual that the Coyote diagram calls for shims under the transmission. No shims came with the engine/transmission mounts, but I picked up some washers today and may install those between the transmission and the Energy Suspension mount to push the transmission up a bit more. Thinking that may help improve clearance so the transmission plate can be mounted above the tabs, which may also help get the oil pan above the frame. Currently, the engine/transmission sits at a 3.5-degree angle, sloping down front to back. We did have some minor engine oil leaking from the oil pan drain bolts. Took both of those out and have about a pint of oil drain out. Ordered some new crush washers and hoping that resolves the problem. Also noticed some metal shavings on the drain bolt magnetic. A little concerning but assume that is typical with a new engine. Just surprised whoever drained the engine at BP didn't wipe the drain bolt off after draining the engine!!!
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[Pete&Scott]

With the engine and trans installed and shimmed up, I started on the coolant system today. Got the Breeze shroud and FFR fan mounted to the radiator, and then mounted the radiator on the frame. The top mount bracket lip sits above the radiator lip, so drill the holes to mount the radiator toward the top of the radiator lip; otherwise, you will end up like me with less-than-ideal bolt and nut positions. Next up was to try to figure out all the hose connectors. I like pictures, but the manual only shows pictures with horizontal inlet ports. The 427 has a vertical port. The second picture shows 3 connectors being used in a horizontal port setup, but even if my 427 had a horizontal port, I would still need two more connectors to install the bottom hose, but they only send you 4. I put one connector on the vertical port and slipped the corrugated pipe into and decided there was no way the hose connector and the corrugated hose were going to make a 90 degree turn without some sort of 1-foot-high loop that was not going to fit under the hood. So-called FFR to see if they had any suggestions. They said the looped corrugated pipe might work, or I could buy a 1.5-inch 90-degree rubber hose, so much for getting a complete kit and another day wasted until I order and receive a 90-degree rubber hose. Looked at routing the lower hose up and then down between the battery and the frame, and then a 90-degree turn and up to match up with the engine outlet mount location. I decided I had enough for the day and will let my son figure out the lower hose routing tomorrow. Not a happy camper today. Pictures in the build thread album in my signature.

[gbranham]

I don't know why BP keeps shipping crate engines with oil pans that are too deep. Seems like they should know that when you order for an FFR. For what it's worth, I'd buy a proper oil pan before I'd shim my motor mounts. Breeze is your friend when it comes to coolant hose routing. See my build thread for details. I also have a 427, but I built mine from a short block from Summit. Also, that Cobra air filter is pretty inadequate air flow for a 427. I'm sure you want the vintage look, but you're leaving HP on the table with that piece.

Greg

[Mike.Bray]

^^^Everything Greg said^^^

[PMD24]

Their engine was shipped with a 7.5" pan. The kit motor mounts were confirmed as the correct model. They did find that one frame mount was lower by a full 1/2". My gut says that the frame mounts were messed up by FFR. Not defending BP by any means. They shipped mine with an 8" pan.

Also, I spoke with BP about changing the oil pan and pickup and they told me it would void the warranty.

Pat

[Mike.Bray]

See if I understand this and I'm assuming the engine was ordered for a Factory Five car. Blueprint are "partners" with FFR and should know what to supply and not supply for FFR cars. This includes the correct depth oil pan. BP sells an engine with a pan that's too deep and can potentially be damaged by a speed bump but if you change it to correct their mistake the warranty is voided?

What's the option, ship it back so they can correct their mistake?

[rponfick]

Well, we got the engine, transmission, and driveshaft installed. The 427 and TKX combo is a heavy beast. The Bill of Lading showed it at 962 pounds, but that probably includes 100+ pounds of crate lumber. Getting the engine out of the crate was our first task of the day. We couldn't lift the engine straight up from the crate, so we jacked up the crate to get the lift's legs under it, then lifted the crate and the engine together. Then we unbolted the engine from the crate and shoved the crate out of the way. Borrowed the lift from a friend and bought the Yellow Jacket load leveler with bearings from Amazon. It worked well and looks like the one on Summit for twice the price. We opted to lift the engine in from the side, as others seem to have best success with that option. We struggled a bit to get the energy suspension engine mount pins to line up with the frame mounts. After the fact, we discovered that the engine did not drop down onto the mounts' level. The passenger side pin sits at the top of the slot, but the driver's side pin sits at the bottom of the slot. We then discovered the oil pan is sitting below the frame, the driver's side by about an inch. We will plan to try tomorrow to hook the lift back up tomorrow and see if we can pull the driver's side of the engine up to the top of the slot, but the slot only provides for 1/2 inch of travel. If that doesn't get the oil pan above the frame, we are wondering if we will need to put some washer shims between the energy suspension engine mounts and the engine. The other issue we ran into was mounting the transmission plate. We tried to mount it above the tabs but the plate was hitting the transmission. Manuel stated that the plate could be mounted under the tabs, so for now we opted for that position. We noticed in the manual that the Coyote diagram calls for shims under the transmission. No shims came with the engine/transmission mounts, but I picked up some washers today and may install those between the transmission and the Energy Suspension mount to push the transmission up a bit more. Thinking that may help improve clearance so the transmission plate can be mounted above the tabs, which may also help get the oil pan above the frame. Currently, the engine/transmission sits at a 3.5-degree angle, sloping down front to back. We did have some minor engine oil leaking from the oil pan drain bolts. Took both of those out and have about a pint of oil drain out. Ordered some new crush washers and hoping that resolves the problem. Also noticed some metal shavings on the drain bolt magnetic. A little concerning but assume that is typical with a new engine. Just surprised whoever drained the engine at BP didn't wipe the drain bolt off after draining the engine!!!
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Pete, I had to grind some off the tranny mount plate to get it to clear the tranny aluminum. I noticed it was required in other build posts, so it is a issue that FFR could easily resolve. So, not sure if you solved the problem yet.
Ralph

[Pete&Scott]

FFR claims all of the MK5 frame mounts are designed to be lower on one side. The phone tech support guys couldn't tell me why.


Their engine was shipped with a 7.5" pan. The kit motor mounts were confirmed as the correct model. They did find that one frame mount was lower by a full 1/2". My gut says that the frame mounts were messed up by FFR. Not defending BP by any means. They shipped mine with an 8" pan.

Also, I spoke with BP about changing the oil pan and pickup and they told me it would void the warranty.

Pat

[Pete&Scott]

We did get it worked out. Ground some of the mount plate and added more shims. Finally got the pan about a 1/6th above the frame. Not ideal but better than below!!!!


Pete, I had to grind some off the tranny mount plate to get it to clear the tranny aluminum. I noticed it was required in other build posts, so it is a issue that FFR could easily resolve. So, not sure if you solved the problem yet.
Ralph

[Pete&Scott]

I am not sure BP or FFR talk to each other, and neither fully configure engine or kits to match up with what either is providing. FFR should have known I was ordering a BP engine with a vertical coolant outlet and sent me a 90-degree rubber hose!! Both FFR and BP sent me fuel lines, fuel pumps, fuel filters, and regulators because I ordered a Holley Sniper with my BP engine. I don't know what options Breeze has for an upper coolant assembly for the MK5; if they do, it is not on the Breeze Website. I did find Boig Motorsports now Tubular, and they have found a way to adapt an MK4 upper coolant hose assembly for the MK5, but they won't be making another batch until mid to late March, so I have ordered some rubber hoses to try make something work temporarily. Going to check with Breeze tomorrow to see if the lower coolant hose option they have will work with an MK5 with power steering. My son was able to get a lower coolant hose connected using the FFR corrugated hose, but it has to go up and over the power steering rack with very little room between the power brake booster and the power steering rack. No way to make the hose do a 90-degree turn and run between the battery and the frame. As for airflow, I am good with restrictor plate street driving!!! BP dynoed the engine at 510h, not sure if that was with the air cleaner on or off but either way that should be enough for Sunday afternoon drives!!!


I don't know why BP keeps shipping crate engines with oil pans that are too deep. Seems like they should know that when you order for an FFR. For what it's worth, I'd buy a proper oil pan before I'd shim my motor mounts. Breeze is your friend when it comes to coolant hose routing. See my build thread for details. I also have a 427, but I built mine from a short block from Summit. Also, that Cobra air filter is pretty inadequate air flow for a 427. I'm sure you want the vintage look, but you're leaving HP on the table with that piece.

Greg

[Jeff Kleiner]

...FFR should have known I was ordering a BP engine with a vertical coolant outlet and sent me a 90-degree rubber hose...

And FFR should have known this how?

Jeff

[Pete&Scott]

Because they ask what engine you are installing on the order form!


And FFR should have known this how?

Jeff

[Jeff Kleiner]

Because they ask what engine you are installing on the order form!

THey ask what engine family but they don't ask where that engine is coming from. Not all are alike, especially as far as front dress and intakes. :rolleyes:

Jeff

[Pete&Scott]

They ask where the engine is coming from on the second page of the Order Form:rolleyes:. 226332

Jeff: Can you share what engine you installed in your MK5 beta build? Did you use the FFR-supplied coolant line parts or did you need to source alternative parts? How did you end up routing your upper and lower coolant lines?


THey ask what engine family but they don't ask where that engine is coming from. Not all are alike, especially as far as front dress and intakes. :rolleyes:

Jeff

[Pete&Scott]

Have been working on wiring, coolant lines, and power steering lines. I took the power steering lines to a local shop to have them shortened and added 90-degree hydraulic crimped fittings. For the upper coolant line, I ordered a 90-degree elbow, Gates Part number 21794 and a 12-inch aluminum pipe on Amazon. I cut off sections of the 90-degree elbow to use as sleeves for connecting the 1.5-inch pipe. I will replace the band clamps with Gates Heat shrink clamps if I decide to keep that setup, but may upgrade to the Borg Upper Pipe setup. I am not installing a heater, so I installed a cap on the heater outlet hose on the water pump. For the lower, my son managed to get the FFR-supplied corrugated pipe to work on the lower coolant lines and will use that setup for now, but talked to Borg, and they are sending me a prototype to test for the lower coolant line for the MK5 and the Blueprint 427 engine. On the wiring front, I sorted out the routing and made the connections for the Holley Sniper. I pulled the orange wiring from the fuse panel and heat-shrink butt-connected the blue wire to the Orange wire so that the Inertia switch would stay in the loop. While working in that area, I also decided to add a relay for the Neutral Safety Switch. It wasn't too complicated to use piggyback connectors off the clutch safety switch. For the other Holley connections, I spliced the yellow wire with heat-shrink butt connectors into the Purple wire and connected the purple wire to the grey wire coming off the bottom of the distribution. (AI gave me bad info on connecting the grey wire to the purple wire; it did not work, so I moved the purple wire back to the negative side of the coil.) I spliced the pink wire with heat-shrink butt connectors into the Orange EFI-Coil wire and connected that to the positive side of the coil. Finally, I used the upper fan switch wire and connected it to the Holley fan switch. I mounted the Holley harness and connector on the top of the passenger foot box. The coil wires come wrapped around the coil from Blueprint. I read some original Holley Sniper owners moved the coil to the frame, but I wasn't up for doing that now, so I just pulled the wires back into the valley next to the valve cover and wrapped those for now. I also installed all of the sensor gauges and connected those wires. The oil pressure gauge requires a 4-inch-long extension with an angled outlet to deal with clearance issues from the block and the oil filter. My son mounted the headers and pipes. The driver's side headers have a lot more clearance off the foot box than the passenger side, and the passenger side headers sit about an inch higher than the driver's side. We are hoping we can adjust the ball fittings to get each side a little closer to being the same. My son and I did a prelube turn over of the engine last night, and hope to do a first start this evening. Noticed a couple more flakes of metal on the spark plugs when we pulled those for the prelube. I assume that is normal with a new engine. The temporary mechanical gauge on the oil pressure port showed 60 psi. Added a few pictures. More photos in my Build thread album.

[Pete&Scott]

We have a running engine!!!. Video in Build Photo Album. We had some issues with the Holley Sniper 2. The engine would start and then shut off. The touchscreen on the Sniper would not let me select the Wizard to go through the setup, and would not let me do a screen recalibration. I had originally read I would need to select the CD Box option on the Sniper if I used the grey wire coming off the or distributor, even if I didn't have a CD box. Couldn't select that option so switched the Yellow Holley wire, spliced to the purple Ron Francis wire back over to the negative coil side, and we finally got a running engine. Will reach out to Holley in the morning to see about a replacement screen or suggestions on how to fix the screen.

Edit:

Spoke with a Holley tech guy on my first call today, got stuck on hold for 25 minutes, and then disconnected. The second call was great. The tech guy knew what was going on. Asked me to email a copy of my Blueprint Invoice, and is sending out a new screen.

[Pete&Scott]

We have a running engine and a drivable Cobra!!! The replacement Holley Sniper Screen came in this afternoon. We fired up the engine and took the go-kart for a test drive. Getting the car off the dolly took a couple of changes in jacks. We had to set the tires on 2x10's in order to get the jack out from under the car. This thing sits low to the ground!!

First Drive Video

https://youtu.be/pUvb_m5gXpw

[rickster991]

Congrats!

[PMD24]

Video link is broken but BIG congrats on first drive! I'm jealous.

Pat

[Pete&Scott]

The Link works for me, but if you can't get it to work, the video is also in my Google Photos build album in my signature. Changed the link from Google Photos to YouTube. The forum seems to prefer YouTube.


https://youtu.be/pUvb_m5gXpw

[Jeff Kleiner]

Congrats on the milestone guys! :cool:

Jeff

[cv2065]

Congrats!! Big milestone.

[RobHartley]

Congratulations, I can't wait to be in your shoes!

[Pete&Scott]

To get our MK5 ready for the go-kart drive, we used Gyraline's app and an iPhone holder to perform an alignment. I saw the app advertised on a couple of social sites and thought we would give it a try. It took a bit of figuring out the system, but it worked well to get the toe and camber on all four wheels set to FFR recommended specs. I found a 20% discount code (SMITHSEURO), making the net cost $151.99 for the iPhone only version. They have a second version that works with Android as well, but it is a bit more expensive.

[Pete&Scott]

Before putting on the body, I decided to tackle the turn signal stalk install. I used Jeff Kleiner's suggestion of taping the screw hole with an 8/32 tap and then inserting a bolt with the head cut off into the turn signal with a little JB weld on the bolt for extra holding power. Worked great to install the stalk and thread on a nut. Figuring out where to drill the hole in the dash was a bit of an exercise. The template FFR provides doesn't fit over the steering shaft, and while it helps with distance, it doesn't really help with where to drill the hole from an up-and-down perspective. I gave the template to my neighbor, who used it to 3D print a collar that goes around the steering boss and then flows over to the steering stalk to help cover up the hole in the dash that is covered in Vinyl. Not thrilled with how the steering stalk cuts directly across the speedometer. I chose to let FFR cut the dash cutouts based on a standard configuration. I guess they haven't updated the dash cutout layout to take the new steering stalk location into consideration. In hindsight, I wish I had elected to do my own gauge layout, but being a first timer, I just assumed FFR would provide an appropriate layout.

226970

226971

[Pete&Scott]

We put our body on last night. I think our issue is that the body is hitting our headers and not allowing it to move forward. I am guessing we might have to remove the body and trim the header opening.

Header from outside
226958
Header from inside
226957
Manual doesn't call for bulb seal across the rear cockpit wall, but it appears to be needed.
226959
Distance from dash to body
226960
Gap between body and dash
226961
Front quick jack bolts are smaller than front quick jack holes. I saw in a MK4 post that it was recommended to install 3/4 sleeves over the existing front sleeves. Is that still recommended for the MK5. The manual shows a picture of a nylon bushing between the front lower body and the frame. No nylon bushings in the kit. Are those needed or recommended?
226962

Other fitment issues:

Door Latches.
Covers are too tight and restrict the latch from moving. Are we supposed to just bend the outside cover out so that the latch will work???
226973

I guess when FFR moved the E brake from the side to the top, they didn't take into consideration how the shifter and ebrake rings would overlap. Any alternate suggestions, or are others just installing them in an overlapping configuration? Rather a visible part of the car to have a less-than-ideal look. Also, the tunnel top hits the E-brake bracket. Is that what others are experience and any suggestions for improvement.
226972

[Jeff Kleiner]

Remove the sidepipes and then trim the openings to fit after the body is in its proper position.

Unlike the Mk4 and earlier cars the 5 gets bulb across the arch of the rear cockpit wall.

Yes, there are supposed to be nylon spacers between the body and the square tube just inside of the oil cooler opening. Although not as critical on the 5 as the earlier cars for securing the nose you can use the grommets from Metro Molded Products along with 3/4” OD tubing for the quick jacks/bumpers. I eliminated front and rear bumpers on mine.

You’ll need to cut back that unused tab on the door latch for the cover to clear. Leave just enough for the spring to still catch.

Jeff

[Jeff Kleiner]

Pete & Scott,
I was waiting to get a haircut when I made the previous reply but will add some more detail now that I'm back home with access to photos, etc.

RE: sidepipe to body clearance...don't take the body off, take the pipes off then trim and reinstall to test fit. Repeat as necessary.

RE: your "distance from body to dash"...mine measures almost exactly 1" which is about the same as what you have so you should be good to go.

RE: front quick jacks...these are the body grommets that I mentioned;

https://metroparts.com/front_bumper_arm_grommets_shelby_cobra_and_kit_car s_ex_17b/

Use these with 2 feet of 0.75" OD x 0.065" Wall x 0.62" ID Stainless Round Tube, 304 Seamless - Part #: 12927
You'll cut that into four 5.5" long pieces. I purchase it from Online Metals

https://www.onlinemetals.com/

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=226983&d=1773939395

RE: the door latches and covers... As I mentioned you'll need to cut back the unused tab like so:

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=226976&d=1773938723

Hope that helps and carry on!

Jeff


226976
226983

[Pete&Scott]

Pete & Scott,
I was waiting to get a haircut when I made the previous reply but will add some more detail now that I'm back home with access to photos, etc.

RE: sidepipe to body clearance...don't take the body off, take the pipes off then trim and reinstall to test fit. Repeat as necessary.

RE: your "distance from body to dash"...mine measures almost exactly 1" which is about the same as what you have so you should be good to go.

RE: front quick jacks...these are the body grommets that I mentioned;

https://metroparts.com/front_bumper_arm_grommets_shelby_cobra_and_kit_car s_ex_17b/

Use these with 2 feet of 0.75" OD x 0.065" Wall x 0.62" ID Stainless Round Tube, 304 Seamless - Part #: 12927
You'll cut that into four 5.5" long pieces. I purchase it from Online Metals

https://www.onlinemetals.com/

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=226983&d=1773939395

RE: the door latches and covers... As I mentioned you'll need to cut back the unused tab like so:

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=226976&d=1773938723

Hope that helps and carry on!

Jeff


226976
226983

Very Helpful. Used your stud and nut option on the turn signal stalk, and that worked great as well.

[rponfick]

Watching to see ideas suggested on shifter/emergence brake trim overlap. Just checked mine and same issue. Looks really hokey.
Ralph

[rickster991]

Same for me. Check my thread. I bought a replacement panel and recut the holes.

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/showthread.php?51417-Rick-s-Mark-V-Roadster-Build&p=598768&viewfull=1#post598768

[Pete&Scott]

Same for me. Check my thread. I bought a replacement panel and recut the holes.

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/showthread.php?51417-Rick-s-Mark-V-Roadster-Build&p=598768&viewfull=1#post598768

It looks you moved your shifter to the forward position to make the rings work. If I recall that was not a difficult move.

[rickster991]

It looks you moved your shifter to the forward position to make the rings work. If I recall that was not a difficult move.

Yes and yes. 4 bolts and swap…

227023

[MakoGT350]

We put our body on last night. I think our issue is that the body is hitting our headers and not allowing it to move forward. I am guessing we might have to remove the body and trim the header opening.

Header from outside
226958
Header from inside
226957
Manual doesn't call for bulb seal across the rear cockpit wall, but it appears to be needed.
226959
Distance from dash to body
226960
Gap between body and dash
226961
Front quick jack bolts are smaller than front quick jack holes. I saw in a MK4 post that it was recommended to install 3/4 sleeves over the existing front sleeves. Is that still recommended for the MK5. The manual shows a picture of a nylon bushing between the front lower body and the frame. No nylon bushings in the kit. Are those needed or recommended?
226962

Other fitment issues:

Door Latches.
Covers are too tight and restrict the latch from moving. Are we supposed to just bend the outside cover out so that the latch will work???
226973

I guess when FFR moved the E brake from the side to the top, they didn't take into consideration how the shifter and ebrake rings would overlap. Any alternate suggestions, or are others just installing them in an overlapping configuration? Rather a visible part of the car to have a less-than-ideal look. Also, the tunnel top hits the E-brake bracket. Is that what others are experience and any suggestions for improvement.
226972

Regarding the nylon spacers under the nose of the car - there were two in that area when I took delivery of the body and frame, they were in use holding the body to the frame. Then there were two more nylon spacers in the box with the bulb seals and gaskets - they were in their own ziplock bag. (I just found them and thought I would share since apparently we are at the same or nearly same stage)

[Aleinsteingenius]

Congratulations! I will get there eventually.

[jfrissora]

Awesome that you guys are tackling this together. A lot of hours with my dad on my cobra and it was cherished time.

[Pete&Scott]

Regarding the nylon spacers under the nose of the car - there were two in that area when I took delivery of the body and frame, they were in use holding the body to the frame. Then there were two more nylon spacers in the box with the bulb seals and gaskets - they were in their own ziplock bag. (I just found them and thought I would share since apparently we are at the same or nearly same stage)

Thanks. I don't recall them being on when we received the car and I didn't see any in the box with the bulb seal. I picked up a couple at Ace Hardware in case I need them. I ordered the 3/4" tube for the front quick jacks and the front bumper grommets, so I'm waiting on those to do the final spacer mount.

[Pete&Scott]

Awesome that you guys are tackling this together. A lot of hours with my dad on my cobra and it was cherished time.

It has been fun to work together. I am retired (Pete), and my son (Scott) is working and planning a wedding for the end of June, so his time is limited, but we have still put in quite a few hours together. He is my second opinion when I get stuck or need an extra hand. We are hoping to have the car finished and painted in time for the wedding so that he can use it as his drive-away car!!!

[Pete&Scott]

I was able to get the body in position after removing the sidepipes. I installed front quick-jack bolts (but ordered 3/4 tubes and grommets for the front to better fit the front hole), and the bolts below the radiator were drilled and installed. The rear quick jack bolts were a bit of a pain as I had a hard time getting the bolts to thread into the nuts on the body. I think powder coat was in the threads, and the bolts didn't have much of a taper to fit into the nut, so you had to have them perfectly aligned. (Should have used the Jeff Kleiner double nut and threaded rod method). I pulled the nuts and ran a tap through them to clean them out, and then ran a die over the bolts and was finally able to get them threaded. I did not have to trim the tubes. The driver's side roll bar fits (still waiting on the passenger side rollbar and the side view mirrors). Getting the side pipes removed and adjusting the ball connector mechanical lock nuts was a major pain. I wish I had seen this post about not using the mechanical lock at all, or at least until final fitting. https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/showthread.php?47732-Another-Parts-Question-Side-pipe-exhaust&p=605423#post605423 I

I did a temporary install of the doors (don't use the Acorn Nuts until final, buy some regular nuts as you will be taking those nuts on and off several times). Temporary install of the trunk and laid the hood in place. Plan to do some initial gap adjusting this week and then hopefully get the car off to the body/shop painter.

Scott switched the Tremec Transmission from the rear mount to the front mount. 4 bolts and some extra grease in the shifter ball and now the rings for the shifter and E brake won't need to overlap. Thanks for Rickster991 for that suggeston.

[Pete&Scott]

With the body on and the hood fitted, we discovered the air filter doesn't fit unless we remove the black ring that goes between the Sniper body and the air filter. With the ring off, the air filter rests on top of the distributor. My son really wants to try to keep the existing air filter. He likes the look of it. So question. Can the rolled edge of the body into the engine bay be trimmed where the air filter would fit, or would that affect the structural integrity of the body? Our other option is a shorter, angled 3D-printed ring to go between the Sniper and the Air Filter. My neighbor mocked up something that might work, but will need to send it off to get printed, as his printer can't do high-heat-resistant parts. Any other suggestions besides getting a different air filter?

227434
Air Filter height with ring on. Wonder if some of that rolled edge can be trimmed to allow the air filter to slide under the body.

227435
Black Ring that came from Blueprint that fits between the air filter and the Sniper

227436
Air filter fits under the body if the black ring is removed

227437
Air filter sits on top of the distributor wires when the ring is removed.

227433
Scott had to do a test run with the body on!!!! Black ring removed and air filter turned sideways for now.

[Jeff Kleiner]

The oval air filter causes problems when used with the tall deck 351 based blocks and a tall intake. I've encountered it on a few customer cars. No only do you get interference at the rear but also contacts the hood:

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=97196&d=1541943155

When looking at this and the space at the rear keep in mind that under acceleration the engine raises and rolls to the right exacerbating the issue.

Also, you may not be aware but those oval filters with the short element are notorious for being restrictive and choking performance. I always recommend doing away with the oval (save it to put on when the hood is up at car shows if you must) and replacing it with a 14" round with a drop base and an X-Stream filter top.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/BdVDKJR8vrp1DqVsHbRgsNZHenxBVfzzY5b2UuUGb0sHT7IC5M Kuke3PeSQJ7MAgT8KVmav4fdO0IhCnwdFhe9HeIUO7Io7qmxVJ 146Qjjk5oZ0Faw5iZdD_TSfhZWBxnjlVwdk3rbRshrTniILulC rOnBQjT7DxhPzRgY0TAEokgM8cMxpMtsNw_WsBBUcTAfs-FIqHZ0YEiYIvFnI=s500-pd-e365-rw-pc0xffffff

It'll clear and your engine will breathe better.

Jeff

[rponfick]

I keep seeing reference to removing 4 bolts and turning the shifter around to the front position. My TKX has 6 bolts. What am I missing? Am I just being picky?
Ralph

[Pete&Scott]

Sorry, I didn't take a picture, and my son did the swap. I confirmed with him, you are correct, 6 bolts. Two in the front of the shifter and 4 in the back.

[F500guy]

Had t sell the oval filter. I got one from Ansen, smaller oval and still shaved down the mounting ring. With Ansen, able to get a matching rocker covers as well. I did also run the one Jeff showed and it worked great.

227463227464

[Pete&Scott]

Had t sell the oval filter. I got one from Ansen, smaller oval and still shaved down the mounting ring. With Ansen, able to get a matching rocker covers as well. I did also run the one Jeff showed and it worked great.

227463227464

Thanks. If we can't get 3D-printed angled rings to work, I will see if I can talk my son into the Ansen option. I like the look of that one.