Lucky's 33 Hot Rod build #524

[H R Lucky]

Well, I picked up my Hot Rod on Saturday at Factory Five, we ran into a couple of snow storms on the way but got Lucky as they had the roads cleared by the time we got there. Today it's like Christmas in March, opening the boxes & taking inventory, looks like I won't be starting to build for a couple of days. I am excited to get started & hopefully build a respectable Hot Rod.
I am attempting to attach a couple of pictures.

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[wallace18]

Welcome to the club. I used to live in Quakertown, Pa. I am building a 33 also. Best of luck and I look forward to your build pictures.

[maczter]

Mine was done Saturday too, but I am now waiting for Stewart to pick it up for shipping! I am worse than a kid waiting for Christmas!

[68GT500MAN]

Welcome and congratulations on the build.
Doug

[hdnik]

Congrats from north of the border. You're gonna have a blast.

[H R Lucky]

Well after a few days of inventory and still working on my garage (getting it cleaned out and organized) we finally got the Hot Rod unloaded from the trailer today.
I noticed that most of the front suspension is raw steel, can someone tell me if I need to mock up the front suspension before sending the pieces out for powder coating?
I had FF powder coat the frame but I guess they don't do front suspensions.

thanks,
Nevin

[esff32]

Welcome to the forum Nevin. I think it's personal preference whether to mock it up before hand or not. I sent all my parts and had them powder coated first. Once I got them back, I only had to make minor tweaks to the components to make them fit properly and did not have a problem with chipping the coating. Others may have a different take. Good luck and have fun... I certainly am. :)

[hdnik]

Mostly some stretching required. I did mock up first but in hindsight may not have had to. It is easier to do the second time around though, so less risk of damaging parts.

[Tony Zullo]

Hi Nevin Tont@ffr it was great meeting you and hope you have fun on you'r build ,you will have a blast!!!

[wallace18]

I painted my stuff. I did every part that was raw steel right away so no rust moved in. If I had to do it again I would powercoat all the front suspension and paint the rest. The adjustments were so small I did not even nick my paint.

[H R Lucky]

Thanks for the well wishes guys, I am sure I will need them.

Wallace, you say you used to live in Quakertown, Pa. did you by any chance know John Trumbauer? He owns Trumbauers Lawn & Garden equip. and also Trumbauers Polaris-Victory. We bought a Victory motorcycle from him a few years ago, nice to deal with.

later,
Nevin

[H R Lucky]

Well it took me awhile but I got the rear end mocked up today, looks like it fits ok so I will take it apart tomorrow and send to powder coater.

Also have pics of engine & transmission:
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[wallace18]

Boy that looks like a real serious drive train you are putting in the 33! That should be awesome together. What gear ratio are you going to run in the rear?

[H R Lucky]

Rear end gear ratio is 3.64, transmission 6th gear ratio is .65

[H R Lucky]

Just a note of warning for anyone who plans on putting a Ford 9 inch rear in the 33HR.
The upper control arms from Factory won't fit without binding & jamming the bushings.
It seems that the tabs/brackets that are welded onto the rear for the upper control arms are bigger than the 8.8 rear, I was able to get the problem resolved by installing stock Ford Mustang upper control arms, they fit fine. I called FFR about it and they told me, that's why they don't offer the 9 in. rear option from Moser.
some pics attached.

Nevin

[myjones]

Just a note of warning for anyone who plans on putting a Ford 9 inch rear in the 33HR.
The upper control arms from Factory won't fit without binding & jamming the bushings.
It seems that the tabs/brackets that are welded onto the rear for the upper control arms are bigger than the 8.8 rear, I was able to get the problem resolved by installing stock Ford Mustang upper control arms, they fit fine. I called FFR about it and they told me, that's why they don't offer the 9 in. rear option from Moser.
some pics attached.
Nevin

The pinion height from the center of the axle is different too. Since the driveshaft is very close to the frame, you may have to set a different ride height for clearance. The shorter the tranny the more this matters for frame clearance.
DB

[H R Lucky]

I got the rear housing powder coated and installed back in the Hot rod, the bronze color contrasts nicely with the black frame.
pictures attached.

Nevin

[hdnik]

Nevin, what is the reasoning for the inverted rear shocks and external top mounting. I can't see in the picture what you used for a crush spacer where the top mout would have normally been.

[Foristell]

I am getting ready to buy a 9 inch rear in a 33 I have on order. Where did you get your housing and axles? Does it work with the Factory five Stock rear brake kit, not the Wilwood piece?

Thanks

[H R Lucky]

Foristell,
Sorry for the long delay in the response, I have been out of town hunting for the past 2 months.
I bought my 9 in. rear from "9 inch Nodular' in North Carolina, 704-507-4300, he sells a complete assy. including the disk brakes & calipers, it fits into the fox body mustang mount points, the only problem was the F5 upper control arms wouldn't fit so I bought a set from a 96 mustang which fit perfectly. So i didn't order any rear brakes from F5 and the complete assy. is less expensive than the 8.8 Moser from F5 with their brakes. My rear is also a Moser piece with Moser 31 spline axles & it's a brand new never used unit.

Nevin

[H R Lucky]

I guess I will have to update my build thread, I actually have been working on the Hot Rod through the spring and summer & had been making slow progress, then the fall hit & hunting season kicked in & all work on the Hot Rod came to a halt. Now that hunting season is over I will be picking it up again after Christmas; looks like I have a lot of posting pictures of progress to catch up on the thread.

Nevin

[H R Lucky]

May 2013:
I got the pedal assy installed, the front suspension, hubs & disks & calipers installed, also rear disks & calipers.
pictures attached:

[H R Lucky]

June 2013:
got the brake lines bent and installed, had to hand make some brackets to hold the hard line to flex line junctions.
pictures attached:

[wallace18]

Coming along very nice!

[H R Lucky]

July 2013:
I got the steering rack & pinion along with the associated steering shafts, knuckles, etc. installed and working. Also put together the Grill/radiator/fan assy, added one of Mike's radiator shrouds. My wheels finally arrived from FFR about the 2nd week in July, I put BF Goodrich tires on them. I think it was about this time I got in on the group buy for a Boyd's tank and my grand daughter was visiting from SC. she wants a ride as soon as it's done. One more thing, the E-brake mechanism; I had all of the little pieces powder coated before assembly, putting this together was one of the more enjoyable parts of the build so far.
pictures attached:

[H R Lucky]

Thanks Tom;
question: when you lived in Quakertown, Pa. did you happen to know John Trumbauer? His family owns the Trumbauers Lawn & Garden supply & also the Victory dealership.

Nevin

[esff32]

Nevin,

FYI...you may end up having an issue with some slop on the passenger side mount of your steering rack. When you put the car on the ground with the motor in, have some turn the wheel back and forth and check to see if the rack moves around in that sway bar style bushing. Mine moved quite a bit and was throwing everything else out of whack. Hopefully you won't have the same problem. I ended up putting an 1/8" shim between the Delrin spacer block and that bushing. It allowed the bracket to draw the rack in tighter to the frame. It's coming together nicely!

Evan

[H R Lucky]

August 2013:
I had previously purchased a used Coyote engine/transmission assy. from a guy in Arizona, it came with a Boss 302 intake, after doing a lot of reading and research I decided to replace it with a stock Coyote intake for a couple of reasons; the Boss intake has more HP @8000 rpm but less torque @ low rpm where I will be most likely running it, also it is higher and won't fit under the standard 33HR hood. I was able to pickup a brand new take off from ebay, he got the Mustang from ford & had the dealer install a roush blower/intake, etc. before he drove the car. I think I got a good price also, $300 for intake w/throttle body and injectors included. So I will be selling my Boss 302 intake w/throttle body & injectors soon.

[H R Lucky]

August 2013:
Installed the engine /transmission for mock up, I am using the original MT-82 mustang transmission and FFR don't support this combination, transmission mount has to be modified.

[H R Lucky]

Thanks for the info on the steering Evan, I will be sure to check that.

Nevin

[esff32]

Anytime! I love the look of that 5.0 in that car. I can't believe how wide it is. Looks great. Can't wait to see some video of it running.

[H R Lucky]

Trying to catch up on my build thread posts; August 2013:
Mocked up the exhaust pipes and muffler, mounted 2 of my 3 MC reservoirs, the 3rd one for the clutch will be mounted later after I figure out where the hood pin receiver goes. mocked up the inside firewall from Mike Everson. Modified the transmission mount, I had to cut most of the FFR mount out of the frame to get my transmission in place, then I had a local guy make me another mount that fit under the frame as this transmission is very tall & long, it turned out pretty well I think.

Nevin

pictures attached:

[H R Lucky]

Sept. 2013:
Installed the fuel lines, filter & fuel pressure regulator. I bought a new double flaring tool as I had to cut some of the fuel lines I got from FFR.
pictures attached;

Nevin

[H R Lucky]

Sept 2013:
I didn't realize it when I bought the engine /transmission (I'm a little behind on auto technology) but the MT-82 is an external shift mechanism type transmission; so after I got it installed, I attempted to install the shifter but I could see right off that it was way to far back, but I was committed by now so I set of to modify the shifter and mounting points. I also had a custom drive shaft made as this transmission has no spline at the tail shaft, it has a flange type mounting for the drive shaft similar to the 8.8 rear mount for the drive shaft so they incorporated a slip spline into the drive shaft at the rear. After installing the drive shaft I could see that the rear mount point I was going to use (FFR's drive shaft loop) was way too low and the bottom of the shifter was going to hit the drive shaft so I modified the loop, I had to raise it by 2 inches, I also modified the shifter; I basically cut it in half in the middle and took 1.5 inches out, then welded it back together. I now have a shifter mounted and in a position that I can shift comfortably while in the seat. Of course I had to cut the transmission tunnel at the rear to accommodate the raised shifter so I will have some cosmetic fiber glassing to do later. don't mind the silver/copper 3rd piece cover on the tunnel, that was a paint test I was doing earlier and it didn't turn out to my liking so it will just be covered with carpet eventually.
Some of the pictures got loaded out of order, I can't seem to rearrange them, anyway, basically you can see what my problem was and the modifications performed to correct it.

[wallace18]

Thanks Tom;
question: when you lived in Quakertown, Pa. did you happen to know John Trumbauer? His family owns the Trumbauers Lawn & Garden supply & also the Victory dealership.

Nevin

I think I went to school with some of his kinfolk.

Your car is going to be awesome. Keep up the good work. Enjoy that venison, good eating.

[H R Lucky]

At my last post is basically how she sits today, I did get a different wiring harness from Art Cuesta at Wire Diet because the Ron Francis harness has only 10 circuits and I need more like 18 or 20 circuits depending on the number of accessories I add. So the next action will be to remove the engine/transmission, get the firewall powder coated, then reinstall the engine/transmission with the FRPP controls pack and start installing the wiring harness.

Merry Christmas everyone,
Nevin

[Foristell]

Hi Nevin,

Thanks for the info on the 9 inch rear end. That was very helpful. I hope you do not mind that I ask a few more questions, I was looking at doing a hydraulic clutch setup in my 33 using the Wilwood master cylinder like you have pictured. What size master cylinder unit did you use? How are you setting up the clutch end? Are you using an internal or external slave cylinder? My car will be a little different. I will be using a Tremec TKO 600 and a Quicktime bell housing but the concept I think should be similar.

-Larry

[H R Lucky]

Larry,
My clutch master cylinder is a Wilwood 3/4 in, the slave is an internal hydraulic throw out bearing (stock Ford 2011 Mustang). I don't really know if it is going to work properly or not as I haven't tested it yet, I have some other mock ups to do before the clutch set up; I will let you know how it works. I think Mike Forte has an external slave set up for the TKO 600.

Nevin

[H R Lucky]

After reading a lot of threads about how the suspension is super stiff and a lot of guys are going with QA1's, etc. I can't quite justify the cost of the QA1's so I'm going a different route, I picked up this tip from the Roadster forum; I purchased a pair of QA1 250 lb. springs from Breeze Automotive, I put the 250's on the rear of the HotRod, then moved the FFR 350 lb springs from the rear to replace the stock 500 lb springs on the front. A couple of guys on the Roadster forum have done this and say it is a good poor mans way to soften up the ride. I noticed that the rear shock body was rubbing on part of the rear end housing close to the LCA mount point so I used the 2 lb. reforming hammer to fix that problem.
I also adjusted the shocks to the softest of the 4 rebound settings.
pictures attached:

[amasciarelli21]

Hi Nevin, Im build# 523 Sounds like a great option on the springs I've also been concerned about ride quality even considered air bags but that would blow the budget , im sure you will be go carting before me at the rate I'm going, hope it works out for you. Please keep us posted.

[H R Lucky]

Man, the weather has been brutal around here this winter, eventually I did manage to remove the engine/transmission so I could get the firewall powder coated.
I have been spending just about as much time cutting and gathering firewood to heat my garage that I think my Hot Rod should be qualified to be called a Woodie!
pictures attached:

[H R Lucky]

I was researching different insulation materials since everyone says the firewall really transmits the heat into the car, I sprayed the inside of the firewall with both Lizard SC & CI then installed this stuff called Dynaliner, 1/2 inch thickness is supposed to drop the temp from 220 F to 70 F, that's 150 degrees!
I put it 1 inch thick on the inside of the firewall so I should be good for 300 degrees! That means if it is 250 F on the outside of the firewall, it should be -50 F inside the car, man I won't even have to install AC, we'll see how it works this summer.
I also installed the electra-steer, that was like starting all over again with the steering but I eventually got it installed.
pictures attached:

[wallace18]

You won't regret the extra insulation. Nice job.

[Arrowhead]

Great job Nevin, you'll be so grateful when it's 90+ in the summer. I'd run it all the way down to the bottom of the foot boxes if you haven't already planed on it.

[hdnik]

Great idea. Wished I'd seen this before I got hanging stuff!!

[esff32]

Looks great Nevin! Just be aware that the flange of the body around the firewall goes on the inside and may get in the way of the Dynaliner. Also, what is that extra bracket clamped onto your frame for the steering? Is that a new set up or?

Evan

[H R Lucky]

Thanks for the good comments guys. Evan, yes I know I may have to trim some of the insulation at the top of the firewall to bolt the body on. That extra bracket on the steering shaft is part of the Coyote package, the purpose is so the headers can clear the steering shaft.

[esff32]

Got it, I had a feeling it something to do with your specific application...carry on! ;)

[rcotner]

Great info Nevin. I like the dynaliner. I sprayed the outside of my firewall with lizardskin. I think, after looking at your pictures, that I will put fatmat vibration insulation on the inside and put dynaliner on top of that. I read on the dynamat web site that dynaliner can be used under the carpet as a carpet pad. Seems like that might be a good solution to the floor heat from the exhaust problem. Any thoughts?

[H R Lucky]

Great info Nevin. I like the dynaliner. I sprayed the outside of my firewall with lizardskin. I think, after looking at your pictures, that I will put fatmat vibration insulation on the inside and put dynaliner on top of that. I read on the dynamat web site that dynaliner can be used under the carpet as a carpet pad. Seems like that might be a good solution to the floor heat from the exhaust problem. Any thoughts?

Yes, I plan on using the Dynaliner on the floor under the carpet, it will be awhile until I get to that point though.

[donshapansky]

Hi Nevin:
I'm using a Coyote and have installed the A/C compressor like yours have you sourced connectors for your compressor? or maybe you are not going with A/C?

Don (Texas)

[H R Lucky]

No, I haven't sourced the A/C connectors yet, but I believe Mike Everson has on a customer Hot Rod build he is doing, maybe send him a PM or go to his build page entitled "Started a new Hot Rod build today".

[48prerunner]

http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k367/ford1969/ACfittings_zps7e058491.jpg (http://s325.photobucket.com/user/ford1969/media/ACfittings_zps7e058491.jpg.html)

sorry pic came out so big but only ones I've found so far are from Sean Hyland Motorsport, they are $149 which I thought was a little high. Have you guys found any other place? I'm still wondering if the f150 compressor has the older style fittings.

[H R Lucky]

Well it's been 9 months since I have updated this build thread; one of my daughters had some serious legal problems that I had to take care of and I had to put the build on hold for 8 months; I am glad that 2014 is over and hope 2015 is much more enjoyable.
Back in November I did get a couple of days working on the Hot Rod and installed some adjustable upper and lower control arms I purchased from Dr. Ruth.

a few pictures are attached:

[H R Lucky]

In January I started on the wiring, I decided to put my fuse box above the pedal box as my reservoirs are on the out side firewall; this way I can change fuses without having to crawl under the dash. Also installed the condenser for the AC, currently trying to figure out how and where I am going to install the overflow tank.

pictures:

[wallace18]

Coming along very nice. Great job!

[H R Lucky]

We have had a rough winter, all the way through the end of March we were in the single digits temperature so needless to say not much work was done on the Hot Rod during that time frame. Since April I have been getting time to work on it & did manage to get some of the wiring done while working toward first start. Got the PCM connected, installed the battery, cut off switch, fuel lines, radiator hoses, filled with oil & coolant, etc.

pictures attached:

[mjazzka]

I like how neat the build is, keep it up! Also, I like the shifter knob, very unique

[wallace18]

Glad to see you back on it! Looking Good!

[BASmith]

Nevin,

Great looking build! Happy to hear the weather is moderating out there and you're able to resume work on the car! As you are getting close to "first start", where did you mount the oil filter? The remote filter mount sent with the kit will not let the filter "can" fit in the space F5 suggests.

Thanks !

Bruce

[H R Lucky]

Thanks guys,
Bruce - I put the filter right on the block where it normally goes, I picked up a filter for a Cadillac CTS-V and it fits right on the block, it's a short one.
Yes, I actually did my first start a little over a week ago but I am having trouble getting my shaky video posted, will probably get it posted tonight.

thanks,
Nevin

[H R Lucky]

About 2 weeks ago I thought I had everything done to complete the first start, I went through my check list - PCM mounted & connected, power distribution box wired & mounted, battery installed, ignition switch wired, enough of the wiring harness completed to accomplish the start, I even mounted the stock mustang airbox & MAF sensor (even though it stuck out way past the side of the engine bay) So, I turn on the key, I see the PCM green light come on, I here the fuel pump running, check the pressure - it was at 60 so i adj. back to 55 psi. turn the key to start, it starts turning the engine over which means the PCM likes what he sees after checking the sensors, etc. but it was to no avail, no-start, it just kept cranking & cranking. The next day I called Ford Racing tech support, they had me run a separate ground wire from the PCM all the way to the negative side of the battery, had me check the voltage on the fuel injectors, it checked 12 v like it should, then they had me get some NOID lights and connect them to the injectors (basically they check that the injectors are getting a ground to the other side), this test failed; they suggested I get a new crank trigger sensor which I did, replaced it and still no start! Ford Racing sent me a wiring diagram-pin out of the engine harness (the problem was that the injectors were not getting a ground from the PCM - each injector is grounded at the correct time in the intake stroke so the plug can fire the fuel charge but none of my injectors were getting the ground from the PCM, this sequence is supposed to be kicked off by the crank sensor detecting the engine is turning over. So I started removing connectors & wiring sheaths to ohm out the individual wires. To save you the boredom of the details, I found 7 broken wires in the harness from the engine to the PCM, I soldered them back together and heat shrinked them & wrapped them back into the bundle. After that I reconnected the PCM, etc. and the next time I hit the start, It FIRED RIGHT UP! What a relief. (This is a used engine/transmission & apparently whoever deinstalled it used a crow bar to disconnect the PCM) Note: this whole process took about a week to complete, so this has to be the longest first start in history!

Pictures attached & link below to shaky video:
https://youtu.be/sGlFn5f8sJo

[BASmith]

Nevin,

Thanks for the oil filter info. Sorry to hear about the hassle with the wiring! However, happy to hear about the immediate start when everything was corrected!!! So, was the inclusion in the video of the side of your snow blower a subtle "artistic" reminder of the weather you've had to endure? LOL
Congrats on the first start! And thanks for the tips and help!

Bruce

[H R Lucky]

After getting the engine to fire, I needed to get the brakes bled and get the clutch working (it is a hydraulic throw out bearing - stock Ford) I had earlier ordered and received a Wilwood master cyl from FFR to install in the clutch position then I needed to get a hydraulic line to connect the master to the TOB. I got a Mcleod flex line with the proper connector for the TOB then I had to get an AN4 to inverted flair adapter to connect the master cyl. Got it all connected, filled the reservoir, then it took me a couple of hours to bleed the clutch but then it wasn't giving me enough travel to allow it to shift into gear with the engine running, eventually I remembered that the master cyl piston rod had about an inch of adjustment so I cranked it back as far as it would go and viola! It went into gear and shifted with the engine running so it was only fitting that I take a go cart ride and that's exactly what I did yesterday, It was a good feeling to get that accomplished!

Here is video, part 1 & part 2 (my daughter took the video with my phone)
You can't see or hear me after I got out of the driveway but believe me it was a blast!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3nbfbZ3ir2E
https://youtu.be/kx0RNvCnBAY

[In33anity]

Congratulations Nevin!!!! Huge Milestone!!! You should have a pretty fun Summer from here on out. --I

[wallace18]

Way to go!

[jayguy]

Congratulations! Looks good, and sounds fantastic! Have fun with it this summer!

Jay

[Andy33tt]

The thing sounds great, nice job

[H R Lucky]

Thanks Andy, Jay, & Tom,
Yesterday I received the parts from Summit & got the air intake & filter installed, it fits pretty good, runs good; picture attached.

When I go carted the chassis, I noticed the steering had a bind in it at a certain point of a turn; even after connecting all of the wiring for the power steering, it still has a bind, I think it's in one of the U-joints but I took it all apart & checked for metal to metal contact, found none. I disconnected all of the U-joints and it's not in the first 2 starting at the steering wheel, also the electra-steering unit itself is not biding, it seem to start when I connect the 3rd & 4th U-joints (starting at the steering wheel) but I cannot see anything touching when turning the wheel, I am at a loss for the cause. Did any of you who put the Coyote in the Hot Rod have a similar problem? (because the steering setup for the Coyote has one extra U-joint to get around the headers)

pics:

[amasciarelli21]

1 also have the coyote set up, no binding on my go carting adventure but from your pictures your angle on those joints may be a little steep.

Ang

[erlihemi]

Those joints look very tight. Couple things to check. 1 would be to make absolutely sure the DD shaft doesn't extend into the body of the joint and make contact at some point in the turn. 2 I would try sliding the split collars down the tube a little to get less angle. this may require adjustment to the short DD next to the firewall. I used your dynaliner photo for reference and that joint next to the PS unit looks the tightest.

[H R Lucky]

Ok I dissembled the U-joints and moved the pillow block with the split collars down the frame tube about 2 inches & had to cut the short D shaft going to the U-joint at the firewall. The hardest part was trying to drill the holes for the locking bolts that go through the clamps because I originally drilled these holes before I installed the engine but now I couldn't even get a short drill between the tube and the headers so I marked the frame tube on both sides and drilled straight through from the outside of the frame all the while I was hoping I would come through the inside tube at the correct spot & everything worked out ok. So it doesn't bind up anymore. Thanks for the help guys.

Before & after pictures attached:

[chazwall]

Looks great. Can't wait to start my build. Still saving my pennys

[erlihemi]

Nevin, i'm glad that worked for you!

[3dGuy]

I just installed the ujoints in my coyote build. I think I ended up placing mine about the same location as yours. How far down from the top of the shaft to the pillow block? How well does it clear your headers? I won't be getting my coyote for a few months so I have been guessing up until now.
http://i1383.photobucket.com/albums/ah288/jason_walker5/Mobile%20Uploads/IMG_20150614_210342_zps7waeh6be.jpg (http://s1383.photobucket.com/user/jason_walker5/media/Mobile%20Uploads/IMG_20150614_210342_zps7waeh6be.jpg.html)

[H R Lucky]

After moving mine to correct spot, it is 4 & 3/4 in. from upper left clamp to upper left weld joint; and from lower right clamp to lower right weld joing = 9 & 3/4 in. this gives about 1/2 inch clearance to FFR BBK header. which seems to be plenty of clearance to me.

[H R Lucky]

Well it's been quite a while since I have posted on my build, over a year & a half; I actually have done some work on the hot rod over that time but for the most part, I have not been able to work on it. My wife & I have both had medical problems, she was actually in ICU for a week & in the hospital for 2 months with lots of recovery time so you have to change your priorities in life. Things are getting back to normal now, she is still recovering but getting better. So over the past couple of months I have been able to get about half of the wiring done & I made a hinged panel to mount the PDM under the dash, then be able to lower it down so I can see the LEDs after the body is on. I also moved the Electra Steer control module onto my hinged panel.
I will have more upgrades in the next couple of weeks.

pictures:

[erlihemi]

Nevin, good to hear from you. I like that hinged panel. Keep at it!!

[wallace18]

Glad both of you are doing better! Keep up the posts. Godspeed.

[WIS89]

Nevin-

So sorry to hear about the medical challenges. Very pleased that they are behind you; I hope they stay that way!

Glad to hear you are back at your build. Your car is way too cool not to finish her up!

Thanks for keeping us updates, and posting your progress.

Regards,

Steve

[H R Lucky]

build update - I had to replace the clutch master cyl. couldn't get enough travel out of the .75 in. cyl., I replaced with a 1.125 in. it works fine now. also, I decided to replace the original mufflers after hearing all the stories about fiberglass chicken feathers blowing out the pipes; I went with the Flow Master HP2's because of the cool temp technology as they will be right under my seat. (thanks to Glenn Somers for the idea)
I also trimmed my FBW original Ford gas pedal, I did not modify it like the manual says to, instead I just mounted it against the firewall in it's original shape & it works fine except it was a little long so I trimmed the bottom for more room against the floor.

Pictures:

[myjones]

Nevin
I wonder what Glenn's up to. I always enjoyed his posts.
Let us know how the sound is from those mufflers, they should be the new FF mufflers to replace the cotton candy machines.
Dale

[H R Lucky]

Since I will be sitting in the car with my leg & thigh about 3 in. from the drive shaft with not too much protection between it and my leg; I decided to install a drive shaft protection loop. I bought the chrome moly tubing from Aircraft Spruce, 1 in. for the loop & 1.25 in for the side supports, had a local guy bend it for me then I welded it together & had it powder coated, then welded it to the frame, I think it is pretty sturdy & gives me peace of mind. I also added some 12 gauge steel floor panels for seat mounting.

pictures:

[myjones]

Nevin
Nice job; I like the way you made the drop out section for ease of repairs just don't know if it will pass scrutiny with NHRA.

I built a hoop for mine too but I put it within 6" of the front U-joint like the sanctioning bodies require. Mine's not quite legal either
because it's 2 overlapping hoops of 270* circles instead of the style the NHRA demands. I still feel a lot better having something
between my hip and that meat hammer if it ever comes apart. I cut the top off of my FF hoop just like you did but mines not for
a nifty shifter mount like yours it's just for ease of service and to minimize the tunnel height for a future console.
Loving the pictures
DB

[wallace18]

Very nice! I like that shifter knob! I guess it is getting a little warmer up there in PA. I was there in Feb. Too cold for me, LOL.

[erlihemi]

Nevin n DB,

My drive shaft is shorter and the u joint is next to my thigh so I made 3 aluminum plates to fit inside the tunnel braces. I should have cut 3/4" off the top of the front brace and pushed it to the passenger side, but that occurred to me too late.
This would have given me room to stuff the remnants of my previous tranny grenade blanket between the Kirkey seat and the tunnel. Or at least let my hand get down the side of the seat to fetch dropped French fries. I didn't do the hoop because I wasn't willing to give up the room next to the seat. With the hoop slightly offset to the passenger side I could not get the seat and belt on that side to fit...easily. I guess I wasn't motivated enough that day.

[NAZ]

Y'all that have planned ahead and made driveshaft loops or other protection in case of a u-joint failure are smart. I've had two driveshafts explode on me and it's amazing how much damage they can do. Having one let go right next to your legs would be terrifying. The original FFR design is not nearly sturdy enough to contain a driveshaft failure at speed. I have an NHRA compliant loop at the front as required for my Super Pro build and one at mid span for my own piece of mind. Then I am fabricating an 1/8" tunnel section over the drive shaft as a ballistic shield. And finally, I'm using an aluminum shaft that is lighter (less kinetic energy if it explodes) and softer (less chance of penetrating the ballistic cover). Having experienced a couple of driveshaft failures I'm a bit more cautious now.

[H R Lucky]

Thanks for the comments,
I'm not too worried weather it passes NHRA or others, I won't be racing, just have it for piece of mind.

Nevin

[H R Lucky]

Very nice! I like that shifter knob! I guess it is getting a little warmer up there in PA. I was there in Feb. Too cold for me, LOL.

Thanks Tom, that knob is a Speed Dawg shifter knob, it has a Bull Dog likeness on top.
The guy who owns the company is local to me, about 5 miles away but it is a world wide company & has lots of different knobs. (speeddawg dot c0m)
yes, we had some cold days but also some very warm days in Feb. last week I think it was Wed. it was 74 degrees! then on Sunday morning it was 12deg.
You never know from one day to the next what kind of weather you will be getting.

Nevin

[H R Lucky]

update, trying to get the body in shape & aligned for mounting. The body does not conform to the firewall at the corners, filled in with body filler with long strand fiberglass, about 90% done with that procedure, also did the 1/4 inch cut to the notch at the bottom of the passenger side of the body at the firewall which helped so I didn't have to file the firewall, also there is a bulge just above the corner of the pass side firewall so I am flattening that out so it looks right.(credit goes to Dr. Ruth for these changes). I had a rough time getting the frame & body level & square all at the same time; I think I have it now but haven't bolted everything down yet. also 1st attempt at positioning gauges, I will have 7 including clock.

Question for those who have squared & aligned their body before mounting; where did you put the mounting bolts, other than the firewall & rear corners which I know about? What size & type of bolts, & how many?

a few pics:

[wallace18]

I added some large washers in the rear to have more surface area to grab. I also drilled some holes in them and epoxy them to the inside of the body for support. In the front I used rivnuts where I could not get to nuts inside of top access panels. I had my front ones spaced about 3-4 inches apart
see post 82 in my build thread.

http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/showthread.php?8759-Wallace18-s-33-build/page3

[myjones]

Nevin
Those reservoirs look like they will be in the way of the hood aligning pin where it hits the firewall ?
I like the dash layout that's close to what I have in mind as well with the big 2 there and the rest off to the side.

Looking back through your struggle with the Coyote vs steering shafts it looks like you should have mounted the unisteer
on the firewall where the bearing mount is. The trick there is to have a 15* wedge behind it to unbind the first joint. That
pushes the shaft forward enough that it jogs around the Coyote much like it had to jog around my Hemi. It's really where
the unisteer belongs and seems to work with any engine and not conflict with any oil pan either.

Dale
Hemi33

[H R Lucky]

Dale, thanks, do you know how far the hood aligning pins or holes are from the edge of the firewall? I haven't seen any posted measurements on this; it might bite me, i will just have to figure a way around it then.

Nevin

[myjones]

Dale, thanks, do you know how far the hood aligning pins or holes are from the edge of the firewall? I haven't seen any posted measurements on this; it might bite me, i will just have to figure a way around it then. Nevin

Really rough number from looking at my hood since I haven't drilled the firewall yet
3.5" in and 3" down is a ballpark number, hopefully someone will tighten that up for you.
Dale

[H R Lucky]

I searched out the hardware for the hood and mocked it up with duct tape, as far as I can see the pin hole is 3 1/4 in from the edge of the cowl/firewall & I have 4 1/4 in. to the edge of my reservoirs so I should be good, at least I am telling myself that. Thanks for the heads up Dale.

Nevin

[myjones]

I searched out the hardware for the hood and mocked it up with duct tape, as far as I can see the pin hole is 3 1/4 in from the edge of the cowl/firewall & I have 4 1/4 in. to the edge of my reservoirs so I should be good, at least I am telling myself that. Thanks for the heads up Dale.
Nevin

It's a real challenge to get them just right when they mount out there because of the frame tube inside limiting how far inboard they can be mounted and trying to keep them as high as possible to help get air out of the system. You have the further challenge of a third reservoir adding to that. The Kugels I used have a different cap that is now at the machine shop getting a bigger chamfer cut on the lids so it won't rub the paint off the bottom of the hood rib. It's that close to the hood and frame both.

This may be one of the changes I suggest to Jim S. for the Gen 2 33 chassis. We have already talked about that area becoming a bent tube VS welded sections we have now.

I'm very much against cutting the big hole in the cowl and mounting them inside because of all the issues with water getting in under the dash. There have been a couple cars that had the fusebox get soaked because of that access plate design.
Dale
Better mouse traps please :)

[H R Lucky]

Trying to get most of the wiring out of the way, I had headlights,(hi-lo beam) tailights, brake lights, park lights, running lights, but no turn signals or hazzard lights; also the horn didn't work either. After trouble shooting & scratching my head for about a week, I was thinking there was something wrong in the I-didit column, I called FFR and Dan suggested that I put in the original flashers instesd of the LED flashers, while I was removing them I read some fine print on the flasher; it said 'input line X should be connected to a fused circuit' right then I had a brain awakening as I knew from trouble shooting that the other wire to the flasher was coming from the fuse box, so I switched the wires in the connector & lo & behold the turn signals started working! It was the same problem with the Hazzards, switched the wires and the 4 ways worked now also! The last problem was the horn which I found out from one of the forum members (erlihemi) that it was missing the little black plastic barrel connector with the spring loaded ground wire for the horn. I was able to get one from a vendor at a car show this weekend & that fixed the horn. Getting these problems out of the way is a load off my plate, So, next will be to install & connect the gauges.

[H R Lucky]

Finally got my gauges hooked up & functioning, still need to tidy up the wiring.

[wallace18]

Making good progress for sure!

[H R Lucky]

Build Update: Life keeps throwing curves at you whether you are ready or not, I was off the build for a couple months for my wife's surgery, she's doing better now.
Installed the speed dial modification from Ford Tech, I didn't have to buy the speed dial black box as my transmission (MT-82) has the OSS signal coming from the output shaft.
It was very tedius to get those pins crimped and set into the PCM connector.
Installed the E-brake cable, had to add some length to the E-brake leverage bars as the brake cable clevis assy. was hitting the frame bracket that holds the E-brake assy.

pictures attached:

[MickHope]

Hi Nevin. Superb build, pictures and thread mate, you have helped me a great deal. Thank you. Im doing the same build as you only using IRS instead of a solid rear. Just wondering how you mated the clutch line to the MT82. Mine has this weird platic pipe connection. And then how do you bleed it? I ended up buying an MGW Short conversion shifter, a late birthday present. I was going to modify the original as well but my local Ford guy said throw it in the bin, its more trouble than it's worth. Interesting what you did with drive shaft. I want to try and leave as much stock Mustang parts on there as I can. So I am leaving the yokes unchanged and modifying the stock drive shaft. I was thinking about the drive shaft protection too, how to protect myself from an angry broken drive shaft at 7000rpm. I'm going to use your idea if that ok.

Thanks in advance.

[H R Lucky]

Thanks for the good comments.
Are you asking about the clutch master cyl. to the hydraulic throw out bearing connection?
I bought a McLeod flex line with a connector on the end to fit a 2011 Mustang plus an AN4 inverted flair adapter.
To bleed the clutch line, get your left leg in shape, set in the drivers position and push & release the clutch a bunch of times, approx 75 to 100, this will bleed the line.

Nevin

[MickHope]

Many thanks for the reply.

Yes that's what I am trying to figure out. How to connect to Fords weird connector. Is it this https://www.lethalperformance.com/mcleod-05-mustang-clutch-line-upgrade.html

Also which clutch master cylinder did you use to go with the FF pedal box. If you have a part number or link of the Willwood cylinder that would be really appreciated.

Mick

[H R Lucky]

Mick,
I originally used a .75 in. master cyl from wilwood but it didn have enough travel, replaced that one with a 1.125 in. from wilwood, p/n -260-10376 and it worked fine.
the link you provided is the corrrect part number of the hydraulic line. Summit has them....McLeod Racing 139252 - McLeod Hydraulic Clutch Lines
it has the connector to fit the MT-82 connection to the hydraulic throw out bearing.

Nevin

[MickHope]

Thanks Nevin,

Dang, I already ordered the 0.75" one based on a thread in the S550 Mustang owners, the Mustang 0.75" CMC must have more travel than the Wilwood. No worries they will take it back and swap it. Does the 1.125 take much more effort to push the clutch pedal in? I took my Mustang clutch line to a friend at a hydraulic shop, he used the end to make me up a new braided line. Looks pretty good too. Thanks for your help mate.

[H R Lucky]

The original .75 master cyl. would work sometimes but sometimes while setting still, it wouldn't go into gear with the engine running so that's why I swapped it out.
It does take a little more leg power to depress the clutch but it works everytime.
The Mustang pedal assy probably has a different linkage ratio to make it work with the .75 cyl. but the wilwood pedal assy won't quite cut it with that size.

[H R Lucky]

Mick,
here's a pic of the wilwod 1.125 in. master cyl for the clutch, forgot to tell you the original flex line with the connector wasn't long enough, had to get a 16 in. extension to reach the master cyl. the way i had the line routed.

pics:

[MickHope]

Thanks Nevin,

I returned the 0.75" and ordered the 1.125". Thank you for the pictures too. It really helps when someone has been there done that before. I am getting a single piece line made from the Mustang bits.

Mick

[H R Lucky]

Mick,
I see you are from Adelaide, I spent 5 weeks at the University of New South Wales back in 1974, wish I could have spent more time; very different from Pennsylvania.

Nevin

[MickHope]

Australia is a lovely place but we have no water. If you ever come back you are welcome at my house mate. Bring your own water. ;)

[H R Lucky]

Back to working on the Hot Rod again, my transmission is so tall, the tunnel isn't even close to covering it so i had to slice it front to back and add about 4 inches to the rear of the tunnel; also had to cut a chunk out of the left front part of the hump for the Drive By Wire pedal to fit, anyway many mods to the tunnel, then had to make a new aluminum rear portion covering the drive shaft because of the height. I made it out of .090 in. aluminum, had a difficult time bending & shaping it but I finally 'Got-er-Done'.

pictures:

[H R Lucky]

I couldn't get the radiator expansion tank to mount in the preferred location behind the radiator, it was hitting my suspension arms. So I made a couple of brackets and mounted it on the front of the engine, I think it will be ok there. I just need to polish up the brackets & it should be good to go.

pictures:

[sperger72]

looks good. Where did you put the PCM?

[Tampa33Build]

I had the same issue with the expansion tank hitting the suspension arms. Mounted it behind radiator also.
112454

[H R Lucky]

looks good. Where did you put the PCM?

Right under the front of the oil pan, with bracket supplied by FFR.