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Inside the Coyote Throttle Pedal
This is a revision of post #180 where I modified and installed the coyote gas pedal. When trimming pedal to make it fit the footbox I had accidentally trimmed it a bit too much such that the red rotating part of the pedal was showing a little. I did some research online and apparently I wasn't the only one that did this. Although it didn't seem like a big deal at the time it's always been on the back of my mind. To settle this once and for all I decided to figure out exactly how the pedal works. I couldn't find diagrams of the pedal assembly anywhere so purchased another pedal just to take it apart and see what's inside it.
While the pedal itself isn't very expensive I still wanted to take it apart without damaging it. Try as I may I could not unclip the tabs that held it together so I ended up pretty much destroying every single one of them. I swear I tried my best, ok? It's worth it... for science.
Mechanically the pedal was really quite simple. There's a big rotating assembly with a large spring pushing on the other side of the fulcrum. The red part that was exposed is just a part of the rotating shaft. Probably a coating to reduce friction.
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On the rotating shaft is a metal target plate used by the RF inductive rotary position sensor. The sensor itself is completely sealed on the other half of the pedal housing.
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The part that I "trimmed too much" is the housing that holds the shaft in place. That part is well reinforced on the inside as well so I've determined my accidental mishap is fine. The assembly still rotates smoothly and I see no possible way for the pedal to be "stuck" in some position. The sensor itself is on the other side and complete sealed so there's no chance of that being damaged either. RF inductive rotary position sensors are very accurate and "dust and waterproof" since the sensor itself doesn't actually contact with the metal target plate. It makes sense that Ford uses it given that the pedal housing itself isn't airtight.
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So that settles it. No more worrying on my end!
P.S. I'm NOT suggesting that one should feel free to over-trim the pedal housing. It's just that if you did by accident then I think you're okay as long as the rotating part still moves freely with good integrity.
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Misc updates: Trunk electronics.
In post #352 we made a trunk cubby for extra cockpit-accessible storage. I planned to add extra accessory and USB power outlets to the cubby so I can charge by phone / power some accessories from it.
The most time was spent on deciding where the fuse-panel should be. I wanted to mount it to the driver side cubby panel facing the trunk, but after some mock-ups I didn't like it because it left very little space for working on the roll-bars and the fuse-panel would be very hard to access from the trunk. I ended up mounting it to the rear facing cubby panel. It'll be openly visible with an open trunk, but that's okay. I had another fuse-panel lying around so I hooked that one up to the switched-battery power wire. That wire is much thicker and can carry a lot more current so if I want to add any heavier duty accessories in the future I can add some relays and power it from that instead. Right now it's just sitting there not connected to anything. I understanding that trying to "future-proof" the project is kinda like trying to future-proof your computer (in that it's pretty futile) but might as well try right?
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I bought some daisy-chained white LEDs that can also be powered individually. I used two of them to light the trunk and the cubby. The 6-way fuse box was super handy and made connecting the lights super easy. I'm very happy about that purchase.
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With all the cables and stuff exposed I figured I should cover it up with a flap of some kind. Don't want random thing rolling around back there with the wires. Did a mock-up with cardboard and will one day turn that into aluminum attached via piano-hinge.
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I also used cardboard to mock-up a glove-box cover. It looks a little high in the pictures but IRL it feels fine. I got some foam-backed felt from amazon I'd like to try. The plan is to cut the shape out of sheet aluminum and wrap it in the felt material. I wonder what a different texture for glove-box would look like. Looks good in my imagination... but we'll have to see.
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Safety, Front Lights, and the Last Box
Was talking with the lady of the house about go-karting around. She's the worrying type, and absolutely thinks the car is too dangerous. She's... not wrong, but I didn't build this thing to leave it in the garage.
A few months ago on a warm summer evening stroll we saw a cobra that looked like it wrapped itself around a fire hydrant and then rolled over a few times just off the local main road. The way the roll-bars were mounted looked like it's a Superformance cobra not a factory five, but that's besides the point. A week later on my way to work I saw flowers placed around the new fire hydrant; the old one, like the cobra driver, didn't make it out alive. I couldn't find much about the incident on the forum. Rumors on the local neighbourhood forums said the driver was an old man who indeed did not make it out alive. I've heard at least 5 people tell me in person that mishandling a cobra is attempted suicide. None of them hit me as hard as seeing it happen right around the corner. I think about the scene from time to time. The road stained with oil and radiator fluid, the flowers, and the roll bar that's been bent out of shape. It would be me if I'm not careful.
We had several long conversations about the safety of driving on public roads, and in the end we agreed that while low back seats look cool, they expose the head too much. The low back seats also don't have a hole for the submarine belt. I know there are mods that "add" the hole, but this combined with other safety factors made racing bucket seats a much more attractive option. We went to the race shop at Sonoma Raceway and purchased a set of Sparco Pro 2000 bucket-seats. I sat in a bunch of them at the shop and these felt the best. I plan to use these in the roadster instead of the factory five provided low-back seats.
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You'd think the low back seats are gonna be wasted right? Turns out they are excellent floor seats! Now I watch TV sitting on my low-back seats on the floor. They feel great! Haha!
We also purchased an open-face helmet and a hans-device. I made sure to purchase a hans-device with a high degree of neck rotational freedom so I can check my blind spots and look around when I need to. The open-face helmet, too, was chosen such that it barely blocks my peripheral vision. The idea here is that if I ever go on a medium-long trip that involves a lot of traffic or the highway, I should wear it. If I get T-boned I'm gonna be toast, but a bit of confidence in other situations help. Safety is a topic of never-ending opinions. Some say why build a cobra if you're gonna be so scared? Some say why drive a cobra without a flame suit? I'm sure some of you would snicker at a guy who wears a helmet and hans on a public road. Just don't tell me you did. That way I won't mind. :p
She and I also agreed that I won't go-kart the car until I have all the lights installed. That way at least the cars around me will know if I'm braking or turning. That's not a bad idea. So I decided to get the lights onto the car. Before that I tidied the dashboard wires to a state that's more "plug-and-play"-able. I just don't like the look of messy wires dangling around. It's nothing like John or Paul's clean wire bundles, but at least it ain't flopping left to right.
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The body won't be anywhere in sight for a while, so I gotta mount it another way. I had some oriented strand board lying around doin nothin, so I made temporary mounting boards for the lights. Made appropriate holes for the headlights and turning signals then spray painted it black.
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It actually looks pretty cool from a distance!
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I gotta figure out the rear light converter so the rear lights will go on later. I've read quite a few threads about it and it all makes sense. I just gotta do it. I WILL say tho, I WISH I did the converter install before sealing up my trunk aluminum. The firewall is already a mess and I'm not looking forward to complicating it more with a converter dangling in there.
The next morning I did my routine mental inventory work of the FFR shipment boxes. I was pleasantly surprised to find that there's only ONE more box to open! I remember the day I piled the mountain of boxes in the shed wondering when I'll ever get through them. Today's the day! The contents of Box 7A saw the light of day for the first time since its time at FFR. It's a bittersweet moment moment opening up that last box. Hehe.
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Lord knows this ain't the last car-related box I'll open.
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Trunk Carpet Fitting & Dash Mounting Tabs
Decided to fit the carpet and upholstery around my trunk cubby box. I want to install the rear cockpit panel soon, but fitting the carpet then would be more difficult so we're doing it now. Before doing too much I layed out some of the carpet. Gotta say, they are cut a lot better than I thought they'd be. Fits like a glove everywhere I tried! Kudos to FFR.
I bought some foam-backed suede fabric material for the insides of the cubby. The walls of the cubby will have the suede on all surfaces visible from the cubby/trunk. The carpet's cut to fit the area taken up by the cubby as well as the driver side of the cubby. That area I'm leaving open as that's where I'll put all my trunk electronics and I'll put an access door so stuff in the trunk won't roll into it. The access door is mocked up with cardboard in the first picture below.
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I decided to also glue on the cubby panel fabric. The carpet can be glued down later.
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Pretty slick eh? The outer vertical edges of the cubby has exposed foam material. I purchased some plastic trims which I'll glue onto the edge to cover it up. I took a candid picture of the trunk in progress one afternoon and loved the lighting. Thought I might share:
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Circling back to the front for a bit; I replaced the hacked-up flimsy dash-mounting holes with stronger aluminum tabs with rivnuts installed. Now they ALWAYS point forward and I can secure my dash with screws instead of clecos. Yay!
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You can also see that I've started fitting the under-dash carpet for my ignition control panel box. That's next.
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Ignition Control Box Upholstery
The ignition control box I added right under the center-dash is another piece of interior that deviates from the FFR manual. This time it's not too much work on the carpet. I drew an outline of the box and cut out that area in the carpet.
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As for the box itself I used a generous amount of 3M Super77 on the foam backed suede fabric and slapped it on the box as required. I folded the bottom fold down under the box so it can't be seen from any angle except the bottom. I trimmed the fold on the top edge since that part is completely covered by the dash anyway.
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Here it is mounted on the firewall:
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Here it is with the dashboard mounted too:
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I'm super happy with how it turned out! Dare I say it looks like it was designed to be there since the start. :p The suede material of the box blends seamlessly into the surrounding carpet. The carpet also smoothes out the bumps created by the screws used to secure the box in place. I thought I had to do something about that part and I'm glad I don't.
I think the only thing left before bodywork is the glovebox and some misc bibs and bobs. I'm really excited to work on the body since it's been sitting there for over a year now and all I've ever done is look at it. I plan to do the minimum amount of work necessary to get the body safely onto the chassis so I can haul it to Jeff Miller when he gives me the call. I think the current schedule is sometime in November. It's more than a month away, but unlike my college schoolwork I don't plan to be late for this one :p
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Side pipe heat-shields installed!
Received by side-pipe heat shields from cobra stuff. I opted for the ceramic coated version. It's not as shiny as the chrome one, but it will deal with the heat a lot better. I had some trouble mounting the shields onto the exhaust clamps though. The heat shield doesn't curve enough towards the ends of the wrap:
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I emailed Alex at cobrastuff and he replied saying I need to loosen the bolts a bit and really squeeze. I wasn't a fan of that because if I squeeze the sides the middle will bulge out and have an awkward cigar-shape. Luckily I had my sheet metal brakes that were large enough to fit the shields. I protected the shields with some towel to prevent scratching as well as softening the bend and bent the edges incrementally bit by bit.
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...and now it fits like a glove!
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Boots on this, boots on that...
"Fools learn from experience, I want to learn from the experience of others." I should repeat that to myself more :rolleyes: Its only been 1mile on go-kart and the front UCA ball-joint boot is already on its last legs. Paul (edwardb) warned about this in his build threads and recommended the Energy Suspension 5.13102G upper boots as an replacement.
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I had actually purchased the boots a while ago but was just too "lazy" to install it. I like to think of it as "I'm curious as to how long it takes for the current ones to break, for science." Unfortunately it wasn't until the moment that I needed it did I realize I purchased the wrong item. I bought the Energy Suspension 9.13101G tie-rod boots instead. Thought I could use it instead of the boot on the FFR provided tie-rod but it doesn't fit. Sooo... if anyone wants this tie-rod boot send me a PM and I'll send it your way. (if this comment is here that means it's still available.) :)
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Luckily Summit Racing had them in stock and was able to ship it to me super quick and I had it just 2 days later. The new boots are MUCH more elastic and slippery. Looks like these will work!
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While I was waiting for the correct boots to arrive I had an idea about sealing the large hole near the top of the driver-side firewall panel where the reservoir lines come out. I was going to use a rubber plug for it, but didn't have a good way to put holes in rubber. So instead I got some generic rubber boot grommets and made an asterisk shaped cut at the tip which formed 6 triangular tabs, removed every other tab so it had 3 openings and 3 tabs. The idea here is that the lines will go through the opening and the space between the lines will be filled by the tabs. It worked pretty well! I like the look! I also have 2 of these boots left. If you want one PM me and I'll put one in the mail for ya (if this comment is here that means it's still available).
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I ended the night by installing the coolant hose clamps from breeze.
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Remember to PM me if you need the stuff! I still have 4 fuel-resistant crimp-and-shrink wrap from #134!
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Take a grinder to my bell housing
Noticed that my bell-housing lower lip is extended pretty far under the main tube frames. There are no bolts there nor does it look like it's holding anything together. Does anyone have any words of caution before I take a grinder to it and flatten it out?
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God damn I didn't know they made steel this tough!
Spent a good hour shaving off the bottom of the bell housing. What can I say except HOLY **** IS THAT STEEL TOUGH. Initially I tried using a flap disc and it made a tiny dent in the bell housing after a few good seconds of grinding. At that point I knew I wasn't getting anywhere with a flap disc. Like Al_C said, I made a cut that connected to two side holes, eliminating the middle hole.
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It doesn't look pretty at all, but I'm at a point where I'm completely okay with it looking like that until I put this thing on a real lift. I've had enough of laying under the car with sparking flying all over my work suit. It still sticks below the frame by less than half an inch, but it's a lot better than what it was before. I'll grind the rest off some other day.
I also spent some time yesterday installing the wilwood brake bias adjuster. It's been covered many times on other build threads and the optimal location seems to be next to the fuse-panel in the driver footbox. I copied the tried and true solution. See this thread for a more detailed discussion: https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/show...-location-work
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Two things to note:
- First, the tilton right angle coupler's cable end hole isn't big enough wilwood's cable. You'll have to enlarge it a tiny bit.
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- Second, I've seen some builders use the 3/8-24 collar nut provided by wilwood, the one used to "lock" the bar in place for those who don't plan to adjust brake bias after it's dialed in. Do not use that nut to secure the tilton coupler's bias-bar end. The collar can get caught on the clevis knuckle and there's no way to free it unless you pull it up a little by hand. Use a 3/8-24 jam-nut instead. You can turn the collar nut into a jam-nut by grinding off the collar if you want. I just had a jam-nut laying around.
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Body On! Part 1: Starting California Registration
Boy it's been a while since the last update! I've been so busy wrenching and cranking it out that I barely had time to take pictures! Let's catch up.
Starting California Registration
Like many other topics, this one has had many detailed threads on it. I'm not going to repeat the general registration process. What I hope to do here is to provide some information that may help folks specifically around my area. If you're looking for general information on CA registration, here are a few fantastic threads that I consulted:
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/show...0-Registration
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/show...cess-for-SB100
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I went to the DMV on Tuesday morning of last week. I specifically chose to go to the DMV in Los Gatos. Wisdom from the builders in the area points towards that DMV because they've simply seen more SPCNS and SB100 processes. This is super important has SB100 is a process that most DMV employees never see. A DMV location with employees who've done this before saves a ton of headaches. If you're in the Bay Area, I recommend the Los Gatos DMV. This DMV is also less crowded, which, I can verify as I went 30 mins early and was already the 6th in line.
I was placed at window #10. I said "I would like to register a self-built car." The lady at the desk (her name was Jill) asked me if I had a VIN number. I said no. She then immediately told me they can't do anything if a car doesn't have a VIN. It's important at this moment to quickly tell them that you are applying for the very forms and permits to allow you to get a VIN; that and show her the STATEMENT OF CONSTRUCTION. When I did this she immediately realized what's happening and started the process for me. I waited there as she went through all my documents.
Moments later she called me up again to discuss the COST OF CONSTRUCTION. On my form, I listed everything I could find and brought all my receipts. She went through every single one with me again and crossed off a bunch of misc. items such as the battery and some construction bits and bobs because they weren't "Cost of construction". She also crossed out "self labor" and specifically told me they do not take self labor into account. So on your statement of construction, just leave it blank. She made a point to circle the FFR kit receipt and the engine receipt. If I could do it again, I'd circle the kit and engine costs in big circles because that's what she looked for the most. I paid the taxes on the construction and waited there again as she processed further paperwork.
When she returned all my documents she did NOT give me a temporary permit. I got her attention and pleaded that "I cannot complete the next steps if I can't drive my car to these places you've listed." She was very sympathetic and came back a moment later with a temporary permit that allowed me to drive my car until November 30th. MAKE SURE YOU GET A TEMP PERMIT. THE FORM THEY GIVE YOU IS NOT A PERMIT.
The overall process took only 30 mins. That's a LOT better than I expected. I walked out that day with a temp permit and instructions on the next steps: CHP VIN Verification and Smog.
If you're reading this and will be heading to the DMV, see if you can go on Tuesday morning and ask for Jill. She'll probably remember and it will be much quicker for you.
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Body On! Part 2: Windshield Mounting
I purchased Mike Forte's windshield mounting brackets. I was convinced after seeing both Dave (SJDave) and John (JohnK) had them on their build and looked like it would save a ton of time. To find the correct orientation of the brackets I used spacers made by Dave. They slide snug into the brackets with protrusions that fit into the original mounting holes. It's a super quick and straightforward!
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I purchased some 5/16-18 flange head nuts and bolts to secure the brackets once I had it aligned with Dave's spacers.
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The windshield posts were a little tricky to put on. No pictures here... just don't screw the first one all the way in. Screw all the screws in a little to make sure they all catch and then fasten it down. When inserting the posts into the brackets I noticed the posts were cut quite rough, so I chamfered the post where it inserts into the brackets and it slid in super easily. I gotta say, I was expecting one hell of a time getting the windshield to slide in. I mean... it's a huge thin piece of glass... with brass posts that attaches with a few screws... you'd expect to need some twisting and fitting no?
Anyway, IT'S ON! I haven't drilled the windshield posts yet because I don't yet know how high the body will prop it up. I plan to drill the holes after final mount and paint at Jeff's.
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I taped my temp operating permit on the top passenger side of the windshield. I'll call it a day here!
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After I took that picture of the car I sank into a bittersweet mood. Tomorrow Dave, Kevin, and Herman will stop by to install the body. By the end of tomorrow the car won't look like this anymore. It feels like the "build" part of the car has come to an end. No more installing of major drivetrain components, no more figuring out how to make the car run. I understand that there's still a lot of work left to do, but once the body goes on everything else just feels like aesthetics. I really do like the way it looks right now and I almost wish I can just drive it like this forever. :p
The first start was a few months ago, and tomorrow will be the next big milestone. I'm excited!
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Body On! Part 3: Better With Friends!
A while ago I scheduled with Dave and Thomas to help me with installing the body. Dave got Kevin and Herman too and we all decided to meet on Saturday bright and early. Once again I couldn't really sleep the night before :p
Before that, I spent some time doing "frame alignment" where I make sure the front quick jack holes are exactly 30 inches apart and that the center of the left and right quick jacks lines up exactly with the center of the front wheels. Was pretty easy to do. I transformed a stepped drill bit into a plumb bob using a string and some tape then used it to cast 4 points onto the floor. 2 points for left and right front suspension top bolt, 2 points for left and right quick jack holes. My quick jack holes were 30 1/2in apart and biased to the driver's side by about 3/8in. Used my dead-blow hammer and whacked it until everything lined up like Jeff suggested. Didn't take long at all! Now I know my front wheels will line up with the body just right. :p
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I opened my garage door to find everyone already there waiting. How I didn't hear them coming in their cobras I have no idea. Must've been microwaving or something. Anyway we got our gloves and lifted body off the buck, around the house, and onto the front lawn. Boy that fiberglass body sure is light when you have 5 people carrying it! The guys then took out their sanders and grinders and went to town on the body. When I planned this with Dave he said "see the reason why it's a lot faster with other guys helping you is because we'll take a grinder to your body no problem while you'll be all paranoid and ****". He's right. I don't think I'd work with as much "gusto" as the guys did :p
Within 30mins the edges were all sanded and trimmed back a little. We added the rest of the bulb seal onto the rear panels, put masking tape on the bulb seals (to avoid scratching it up since I'll be taking it off at Jeff's anyway), and lifted the body high into the air. 2 guys at the back, 1 on each side, and 1 on the front. We tilted the front down first to attach the front quick jack posts, then lowered the rear as the sides were pulled outwards around the body. Quick and easy! The guys were surprised at just how well the body fitted onto the frame! The rear panels lined up perfectly with the curves of the body. The front-wheels aligned perfectly with the wheels well. The rolled edge on top of the dashboard sat high and didn't cover the whole dash, but I've read about this issue and should see it get better as I "cook" the body in the hot Californian sun. In hindsight I should have taken more pictures... but I was busy holding up the body so whoever's reading this remember to get an assistant photographer!
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Kevin brought his Milwaukee Fuel M12 right angle die-grinder and it was the SINGLE MOST USEFUL TOOL OF THE DAY. That die-grinder with a carbide router bit chewed through the fiberglass body with smooth and controlled sweeps. Enlarging the roll-bar and windshield post holes were no problem at all. Pretty much every hole needed to be enlarged on the body, so do be prepared to do that even if you got the body with cutouts from FFR.
Kevin and Thomas had to leave early so Dave, Herman, and I went to get lunch at the local Black-Bear Diner. Always loved to hear the older cobra guys talk about cars and fun stories of the past. After lunch we went back and called it a day after trimming the side-pipe holes and mounted the side-pipes. Dave can confirm that no matter how many times you take the side-pipes off they are always a massive PITA. It was a massive PITA. I dread the day where I have to replace them. Good thing the windshield slided in pain-free. I think I only have enough patience for one of the two.
(oh, and I will have to replace the side-pipes, because the passenger side side-pipe is already rattling on the inside.)
The next day I spent the whole day installing my lights. Nothing special here, just center stuff and enlarge the holes!
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Super happy with the weekend's work. It ACTUALLY LOOKS LIKE A COBRA NOW!
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A funny note: That evening I wanted to put the car back on jack stands before I go to sleep. To do that I need to first drive it onto some short ramps so my jack can reach under it. I gave it a bit too much throttle and the ramps FLEW OUT from underneath the rear wheels, skidded along my driveway, and ended up equidistant from the car, LOL! I guess physics does work.
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Now that I have my temp permit, my lights, and my windshield, I have everything I need to drive it around! I plan to drive it to work this week. So excited!
VIN Verification, SB100 number, and driving the thing around!
Continuing from where we left off in post #388 I booked appointments with the local CHP office about 2 weeks after my initial DMV visit. The office I went to is the one at 2020 Junction Avenue, San Jose , CA 95131.
I drove the cobra to the CHP office and arrived super early. I took a route that avoids highways and major intersections since I'm still not fully confident in the car not breaking down :p I'm sure that gets better with time! Officer Troy Elder came out 15mins early to meet us to walk through the process. He was super knowledgeable about Factory Five kit cars and said if he was in my position, he'd rivet the serial number plate to the chassis, and then show that to him so he can use that serial number as the VIN. He said that was possible because it was known to him that FFR issued an unique serial number with each chassis. What a cool guy! I showed him the serial number that's already etched into the frame. He confirmed that it matched the serial number on my certificate of origin from FFR, took my paperwork, and a few mins later came out with a filled out VIN verification form. The whole process didn't take more than 30mins.
Since I was ahead of schedule, I drove by a brake and lamp inspection station just 5mins away to get my brakes and lights inspected. I didn't know if I needed it because the list of requirements on my DMV printout didn't mention brake or lights inspection, but I've read about it so many time I thought I might as well do it just in case. The inspection costed me $150 in total. The guy doing the inspection wasn't the friendliest fella either.
It was around 2pm when I realized that I COULD just swing by the Los Gatos DMV again to get my SB100 number. I have completed everything required for that step. Why not? To my surprise when I arrived at the DMV there was no line! What a lucky feeling. I carefully explained to the lady at the window that I have returned to the DMV after completing steps requested by them and I'd like to CONTINUE my registration process. I also made sure to tell them that I need an SB100 number. Overall the process went smoothly with the branch manager's help and I walked out of the DMV with my number written on a piece of paper. Sacramento will mail me an official document with the number, but nevertheless I have obtained it!
Oh, and they didn't bother with my brake and lamp inspection certificate. I'm not sure if they'll eventually ask for it so I won't claim it's useless yet. I hope I didn't waste $150.
Another takeaway from this is to go on a weekday around a time when everyone else is at work. I took a day off for this and I think it's super worth it.
Now all I have to do is wait for that letter from sacramento and book my smog appointment with BAR. Soon I'll have my license plate! Woohoo!
