Power Steering, Heat, A/C
Still plowing ahead. Since last update, jumping around again with power steering, heat, A/C, radiator connections, etc. Lots of dependencies (mainly for space) so need to keep everything in mind. Received the SS flex and fittings from Breeze to hook up the power steering. Had that basically done the day the package arrived. The Aeroquip hose and fittings he provides are top notch and assembly easily. I also used the Breeze -6AN rack fittings with the rubber O-rings. First time I’ve used those. Worked well and did my best not to over-tighten the O-ring seal. Decided to install a PS cooler and used the same Derale 13310 piece like I’ve done before. Maybe not needed for a street driver. But easy to do now and certainly doesn’t hurt anything. Already has the -6AN fittings. So, two more connectors and it’s done. After looking at multiple locations, centered the cooler on the back wall of the radiator tunnel where it will get bolted when that piece is installed. Worked well and gave nice easy routings for the lines. Used a couple Earl's Performance 167207ERL clamps.
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...4&d=1545151098
With the lines installed, filled with Honda PS fluid that I’ve used before and like, took the belt off the pump, and spun it up with a drill motor like the KRC instructions describe. Quickly burped and the pump was working. Had my number one shop assistant (wife) turn the wheel back and forth as I was running the pump, and all is working properly. No leaks so far.
Next up it was finally time to dive into the heater and A/C hoses. But first quickly realized that before mounting the evaporator in the passenger side footbox for the last time, best to first install the carpet in the footbox. It’s tight in there and would be difficult if not impossible to install the carpet with the evaporator in place. With that decision, decided to go ahead and do both passenger and driver side footboxes. Rest of the carpet is a breeze after getting those pieces in. Used the DAP outdoor carpet adhesive I’ve used before. Works extremely well. But the smell is powerful. Needs to be used in a ventilated area with the gas heater turned off. Which I did. Then it takes a while to air out once installed. But I like it because it grabs but still allows repositioning. And the final product isn’t ever going to come off. Did all the carpet pieces in both footboxes except the floor pieces, which will be an easy add when doing the rest. The inner walls on both sides are interesting since the shapes are quite irregular. But the pieces fit with very minor trimming. Based on their complexity, don’t think I’d try those two pieces with regular contact cement or spray. Would be really easy to get them off a little and then not fit very well. For the driver’s side, I added a heel pad on the side of the footbox next to the accelerator pedal. I’ve done that on previous builds, and not only does it prevent wear to the carpet, makes the accelerator easier to operate without your shoe dragging on the carpet. The pad is a “small” size from http://www.heelpadwarehouse.com/ (talk about a niche market) glued and stitched to the carpet after giving the carpet a bit of a haircut in that area. This pic shows the final driver side footbox less the carpet on the floor. Thinking about also putting some carpet around the frame members along the bottom. But we’ll see what it looks like when finished.
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...0&d=1545151241
With that done, hung the evaporator for hopefully the last time. First up were the heater hose connections from the evaporator to the bulkhead fittings. Easy enough. Next up were the A/C hoses from the evaporator to the bulkhead fittings. Here it gets a little tougher. Couple of other build threads noted this as well. One eliminating the bulkhead fitting completely. The final hoses are short, stiff, a little hard to get into place, and length is very critical. What I learned from other build threads is the hoses “grow” slightly in length when crimped, making them hard if not impossible to install if not considered. The A/C kit came with a bunch of extra fittings and plenty of hose. So, I practiced making one with spare parts, measuring before and after. What I found was the hoses grow a little less than 1/8-inch. Closer to .1000 inch. Taking that into account, made up the two hoses. Happy to say both are in and installed. As expected, they’re stiff to put in, and easy to cut an O-ring if you’re not careful. With that fixed, have them in and tightened. Hopefully don’t leak and I won’t have to touch them again. I’ll find that out later when the system is charged. Just a side note FWIW: The three brackets and small screws provided to mount the evaporator in the footbox seem a little wimpy at first. But with the four hoses attached on the back, it's a lot more stable. I'm confident it's not going anywhere. The kit comes with insulation that goes over the hoses and valve block in this area. I’m assuming to prevent condensation and dripping into the footbox. But I’ll wait until the system is charged and tested to install. Just in case... Looks like this now:
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...9&d=1545151204
Made up all the other hoses, and now have them all done except for the ends that attach at the condenser in front of the radiator. I’ll get the final length and crimp those on when the radiator is mounted. I did have to move the drier/trinary switch slightly from where the Factory Five instructions showed because of where I mounted the Coyote PCM. But works out fine here:
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...8&d=1545151181
Speaking of making the A/C hoses, mentioned before that I picked up the Mastercool 71550 A/C hose crimper referenced in the Factory Five instructions. It’s very simple to use and a nice quality tool. Highly recommended.
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...5&d=1545151157
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...6&d=1545151165
One last comment about the A/C installation at this point. The Factory Five instructions show cutting off the leads to the connector on the A/C pump and hard wiring the harness to them. Not real excited about doing that for a couple reasons. Checked with my friends at Ford and learned a Motorcraft WPT-984 connector mates to the CR33-19497-BA / DKS-17DS compressor that comes with the Coupe heat-A/C kit. Used on 05-14 Mustang 5.0 V8 BTW. Ended up getting the connector on Amazon, but they're widely available. In this case, listed by the seller as a subwoofer speaker connector, so obviously used elsewhere. But as long as it says Motorcraft WPT-984, fits perfectly.
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...7&d=1545151173
Haven’t started the heat-A/C wiring yet. Will do that when I move into the cockpit and start wiring there. I’ve started but haven’t completed the radiator and hose installations. I’ll save that for the next update. Getting close to having everything in the engine compartment hooked up.
Gen 3 Coyote CMCV Plumbing
Ford added Charge Motion Control Valves (CMCV) to the Gen 2 Coyote when it was released in 2015. Also sometimes referred to as Intake Manifold Runner Controls (IMRC), which were used on some versions of the previous mod motors. But apparently this time around they are serving a different purpose, so technically not the same thing. According to Ford literature “…charge motion control valves… partially close off port flow at lower engine speeds. This increases the air charge tumble and swirl for improved air-fuel mixing, resulting in better fuel economy, idle stability, and lower emissions.”
It was common in former times to lock these out. Also common today with the Coyote by the performance crowd. But if you do, you’ll need a custom tune otherwise the PCM will throw trouble codes. I’m fine with leaving them, as I did on the Gen 2 Coyote in #8674. But out of the crate the vacuum required is not plumbed. There have been several threads and lots of posts about this, including from me. It was relatively simple to do, but still caused lots of discussion. Ford didn’t help by changing the plumbing slightly in later versions of the Gen 2. There’s also been some discussion about whether the CMCV function is even active in the special crate motor PCM tune. What I can say is (1) if you don’t plumb them you will get trouble codes (personal experience) and (2) when I reviewed the log files while working with Lund Racing on the custom tune in #8674, I could clearly see they were being commanded. I can’t confirm whether this was from the original tune or from Lund’s custom tune. But regardless they were in use. For whatever reason, which I don’t understand to this day, neither Factory Five or Ford Performance address the CMCV function in their instructions.
So with this as background, now the Gen 3 Coyote in my Coupe build. The Gen 3 Coyote has a brand new intake manifold. Side note: It apparently is a nice performance upgrade. Many are fitting the 2018 Gen 3 intake onto previous generation Coyotes with good results. The Gen 3 does still have the CMCV function. But the plumbing is changed. Perhaps because of the Direct Injection (DI) on the Gen 3 Coyote which takes up real estate under the intake that used to be open, there are no longer any vacuum or vent hoses from the back of the intake. Everything is on the front. Additionally, the Gen 3 vents the vacuum motors to atmosphere, like later versions of the Gen 2. There’s no vent tube to the intake like on early Gen 2’s, including mine in #8674.
So let’s get down to it. Here’s the intake area on my Gen 3 Coyote, with the various connections annotated and explained. I’ll cover more than the CMCV and vacuum required, just for information and clarity:
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...1&d=1545753516
A = Heater hose connections
B = Upper radiator hose connection
C = Lower radiator hose connection
D and E = Connections to coolant expansion tank. Note: Capped if using Factory Five instructed T-filler and overflow tank.
F = Vacuum connection for CMCV function. This replaces the similar connection that was on the back of the Gen 2 Coyote.
G = Right side PCV connection.
H = Main vacuum port. This connects to a manifold setup in the Mustang (not included with the crate motor) which supplies vacuum to the CMCV plus the power brakes.
I = Vacuum port for evaporative emissions canister purge valve. The 2018 intake no longer has the purge valve as part of the assembly like before. It’s separate and not included with the crate motor. The only thing left is the vacuum connection. More on this later.
At the back of the intake, two things. At the top of the picture is where the system vents. To atmosphere like later generation Gen 2’s. At the bottom of the picture is the vacuum source. It's connected to item F in the previous picture. Based on the way it acted when I was testing, I suspect there’s an internal reservoir like the Gen 2’s. But I don’t have a source that confirms. Regardless, it’s a direct connection.
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...2&d=1545753525
So, armed with that information, the vacuum connection to activate the CMCV function on the Gen 3 Coyote appears to be as simple as making a single connection between one of the two vacuum sources at the front of the intake and the vacuum connection for the CMCV. I chose to use the smaller vacuum connection, which is used for the purge valve in a stock setup as already mentioned. But since there’s no purge valve here, and I had a connector that already fit, I used that one and capped the larger vacuum source. Note I removed the throttle body and confirmed both vacuum sources are open into the intake. So for this purpose I believe they are interchangeable.
The other consideration is the vacuum signal for the fuel regulator. Both the Ford Performance and Factory Five instructions show using a fuel pressure regulator with a vacuum signal reference. Some builds use the GM style regulator back by the fuel tank, which is fixed and doesn’t have provision for a vacuum reference signal. Apparently it works fine. But, on a side note, the Ford Performance instructions for the Gen 3 Coyote say to set the fuel regulator at 65 PSI. Clearly more than the 55 PSI for the previous versions, and more than the fixed 58 PSI of the GM style regulator. Additionally, some custom tuners will tell you to remove the vacuum reference line, plug it, and let the regulator vent to atmosphere. Lund Racing told me that for #8674 and I’ve heard the same from at least one other tuner. Not sure about any of that. For my build with the Gen 3 I’m using a typical Aeromotive regulator, will set it for 65 PSI as instructed, and will plumb the vacuum line. If the vacuum reference signal isn't required in the future, easy to remove. So this means a “T” or “Y” connection in the vacuum line.
So I came up with this combination of parts to connect everything, mostly with parts I already had on hand. It’s not elegant, but it should do the job.
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...2&d=1546032796
Installed, looks like this. As you can see, I capped the larger vacuum connection as mentioned before. Also all the other connections (heater hoses, PCV, radiator, etc.) are now completed.
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...3&d=1546032803
That’s it! As they say on one of the car shows, “Job done.” Hopefully... Yesterday I filled the system with 50/50 Prestone. Put in just under 4 gallons. I’ll check it and top off if needed once it’s run. Running out of things to do with the Coyote installation. Digging deep into wiring in the cockpit now. First start is getting closer.
Gen 3 Coyote First Start!!!
Today finished the last details before first start, so went for it. No particular surprises really. Put fuel in the tank for the first time. Nearly all of a 5 gallon can and shows a little under 1/4 full on the gauge. Good. Took a bit to get the Aeromotive regulator set. Needs to be 65 PSI, according to the Ford instructions, for the Gen 3 Coyote. The short bursts of the fuel pump when turning the key to run was taking a long time and didn't seem to tell me much. So just hot wired the fuel pump so it would run continuously with the key off (clip lead into the RF fuse panel) and that worked. The regulator was way off and I would probably never have gotten it set without doing it that way. Checked all the fuel lines and connections and no signs of any leaks. With that, no more excuses. So set the camera on a tripod, had a fire extinguisher nearby and cranked away. It didn't jump to life like my previous Coyote. But still started and all good. Had immediate oil pressure and tach reading. Plus voltage jumped up a bit so the alternator was working. Some smoke off the new headers, but that cleared. After the first 1 minute or so run, stopped and looked everything over. No sign of any leaks or any issues. Ran it a few more times. Subsequent starts were nearly instant like I'm used to. Water temp gauge and cooling fan work. Since the rear wheels were off the ground, ran the transmission through a couple gears. All good, and the reverse lockout module is working properly. These aren't the greatest videos, but you get the idea. The last video, with the engine at temp, hit it harder a couple times. It sounds angry. I have temporary Roadster side pipes on it right now. BTW, the first video is the real deal. Actually is the very first attempt to start. No camera tricks. :p
https://youtu.be/4ytnm8CV5ZQ
https://youtu.be/aESV65nw4ok
https://youtu.be/6ZqzZrdcMSY
https://youtu.be/LY6-IUp3na8
Wiring Mostly Done (and it works!)
Been a while since my last update. But working on getting all the wiring done and everything tested. Good news. As of this morning, I’m mostly done. Temporarily hooked up all the lights and went through every combination I could think of without the engine running, and then again with the engine running. All the lights, horn, turn signals, hazards, brake lights, back-up lights, switches, gauges, accessories, everything, all work as they’re supposed to. Can’t find any faults at this time. So I’ll get things cleaned up and move on. Final electrical will be when the body is on. Then can get the final length on the lighting cables and add connectors. Same for the wipers. That should go quickly. In previous updates, I already described having the main chassis, power, under hood including Coyote, and gauge cluster wired. What remained was the cockpit and everything that goes on there. Took longer than I expected but what’s new. As has been mentioned several times, my goals here are to keep everything as neat and serviceable as possible while maintaining as much open space as possible for the heat/A-C ducting. I think it’s going to work.
This was little over a week ago:
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...1&d=1548528924
Now essentially completed and looks like this. The loose wires on the right are the wipers, washer, and RH footwell light. All tested but not tied down yet. Will be once the body is on.
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...3&d=1548528941
Closer view. Visible here, left to right at the top, are relays for the headlight reminder and fog lights, headlight module, keyless start module, T-56 reverse lock-out module, and ground bus bar. At the bottom (right behind the switches) the Watson’s Streetworks headlight reminder and the Cole Hersee wiper/washer switch. Couple words about the relays. One has sense wires from the headlight switch and the ignition switch. If the ignition is off and the headlight switch is on, it powers the reminder which lights and beeps until you do something. The fog light relay has a sense wire from the headlight switch and allows the fog lights to only be powered on when the headlight switch is in the first or second position. So you could leave the fog light switch on all the time, and they would go off and on with the headlight switch. Most DD’s are wired this way. The Cole Hersee wiper switch I’ve talked about before. Also works basically like a DD. Push and you get washer and a few swipes of the wiper. Turning it on, it has a range of intermittent speeds, then a low and high setting. Works really well. The A/C switch, fan, and temp controls are placed here instead of the using the separate panel from Factory Five. The switches need to be labelled. Looking for some options for stick-on icons, or maybe have the knobs engraved or laser etched. Haven’t looked real hard yet.
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...4&d=1548528950
This is a little bit of a busy picture, but shows the connections to the Russ Thompson turn signal using 2-pin and 3-pin AMP connectors. The 2-wire is the momentary switch which give flash-to-pass and normal low-high beam function. The 3-wire is for turn signals. The bumps in the line are diodes because my hazard switch is only a single pole. Based on changes I made, none of the turn signal, hazard, or headlight wiring is in the dash harness any longer except for the indicator lights. Made things a bit simpler. The two larger connectors are for the gauge panel.
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...2&d=1548528933
This is all the wire that was removed from the RF and Coyote harnesses. Plus a few of the wired accessories, but mostly from the harnesses. Makes me tired looking at it. But done.
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...5&d=1548528958
A few words about some of the major wiring. The heated seats from Corbeau had several feet of unneeded wire harness length plus multiple connectors. Slimmed it down to just what was needed. The connectors under the seats that hook each one up. Then the connectors in the center panel to the switches. Everything else is shortened and hard wired. Not complicated, but exceptionally tedious because all but the main power and ground were tiny delicate wires. I don’t have a schematic, but pretty sure they’re for the relay box under the seat for the high and low settings. But done and works. Took both seats for a test drive.
Spent a lot of time getting the heat/A-C system wired up and checked up. There’s a harness in the engine compartment to be made connecting the trinary switch on top of the receiver/drier, the compressor clutch, and the heater control valve. Those hook up in the cockpit with the evaporator fan, thermostat, and control knobs and switch. The instructions from Factory Five are very thorough and detailed (100+ pages for everything) but when it came to the wiring I found them slightly confusing. I did most of my work from the schematic versus multiple pages of hooking this color to that color. Especially since I changed things up a bit so the harness was a little more hidden. Happy to report that when it was all wired everything worked. Mostly. Ran the engine long enough to get some temp in the coolant and had heat. I didn’t expect the A-C system would cool because it isn’t charged. But panicked some that turning the system on didn’t start the compressor. Checked and double checked my wiring, and popped a fuse sticking a probe in the wrong place. (oops) About 2 minutes searching on Google demonstrated that I’m about the only person on the planet apparently that doesn’t know that the trinary switch won’t let the compressor start if there’s no pressure in the system, e.g. at least a partial charge. My complete lack of experience in this area shows big time. But I did confirm I have +12V on one side of the trinary switch so the A-C switch is working. Also confirmed if I put +12V directly on the compressor clutch wires it clicks on and off. Confirmed as well the compressor clutch resistance and current draw are in spec. So I’m sure it will work once it’s charged. Thinking about buying the gear to do that myself (more learning and less outside hands on my build) but not sure. Plenty of time to decide.
I saved wiring the keyless push button start system until last. I wanted to make sure everything else worked exactly right since several have indicated some challenges with systems like this. Not necessarily this brand, but these systems in general. Nothing worse than chasing multiple electrical gremlins at the same time. Plus it was just easier to switch a key on and off while doing all the wiring, testing, etc. Anyway, with everything else done and working, went for it. I described before why I selected the Digital Guard Dawg PBS-1 system and that I had played around with it on the bench to confirm it worked plus had the lead connections all mapped out. So it was pretty easy to remove the ignition key and re-route the wires to the system. Basically, it has the same wires as the regular ignition key: Battery, accessory, ignition, and start. The PBS-1 has an additional accessory lead that I used to power my USB auxiliary port (through a circuit breaker), needs a couple grounds, and also needs a lead from the brake switch. With everything wired up, followed the instructions for start-up and checkout, and all good. Works exactly as it’s supposed to. Really happy with it. It’s basically the same as the pushbutton start in our Durango and I think most other DD’s with this feature. When it comes into range from the key fob, there’s a light in the start button. Without doing anything, one push for accessory one, second push for accessory two, third push for ignition on, and fourth push it turns back off. At any time, with your foot on the brake, the light starts blinking and pushing the button starts the engine. I would say the only thing that’s slightly different from our DD is for this system you also have to push the brake down to stop the engine. Makes sense since our Durango must be in park for the button to shut it off. Same idea and accommodates the aftermarket for either manual or automatic transmissions. The other feature I decided I like is the key fobs can be either in manual or automatic mode. Automatic is the usual function of getting in range and the systems automatically unlocks and is ready to start. Manual means you have to push a button on the key fob to lock or unlock the system. The instructions recommend leaving it in manual while doing the build and maybe even later when working on it, at a car show, whatever. The range is pretty long. What I found is if the key fob is in the garage, the system is unlocked. Not as finely tuned as our Durango, where you have to basically be in the driver’s seat before the start button is active. But then you’re talking a universal system versus one that’s tuned for a specific vehicle. Anyway, really happy with how it works and I highly recommend if you’re looking for this function. Not cheap, but how many times have I said that? I’m using the simple start only PBS-1 model. They have other models that do more, like locking/unlocking doors, etc.
Wiring Mostly Done (and it works!) Continued
This build will have windshield washers as I’ve mentioned before. I’ve managed to skate by the police safety inspection on this one on previous builds. Charitable officers have checked the box even though I haven’t installed them before. So went for it this time. The wiper switch I’ve mentioned integrates it easily and uses the same power as the wipers. For some time now, I’ve been looking for a tank and pump system I thought would work. I don’t expect to use it much, so don’t need a big reservoir plus space is limited. Plus from what I could see, many of the aftermarket tank and pump systems looked really cheap and of marginal quality. Or are purpose made for vehicles in all kinds of crazy shapes. After a bunch more searching this week, pushed the order button on a 060800-0550 Denso Heavy Duty Windshield Washer Kit. Denso is one of the world’s largest automotive suppliers (my former company competed with them, or tried to) and makes quality parts. So hoped this was better than your average aftermarket product. Listed lots of places, but Amazon had them so bought it there. Interestingly, shipped from an RV supply store and learned this setup is widely used on certain RV’s. There were no dimensions on any listings that I could find. But comparing to other units, looked smaller than average, so took a chance. Arrived today and I think it’s going to be perfect. The tank is 5-1/2” wide, 7” tall, and 3-1/2” deep and holds slightly less than 2 quarts. Fits right where I was hoping it would fit. On the lower RH side of the firewall. Seems like a heavy duty and well-made piece.
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...6&d=1548528968
Something else I’ve been looking at and researching is side mirrors. One common feedback I get about the Daytona Coupe, Factory Five and otherwise, is rear vision isn’t the best. The single bullet mirror in the kit is maybe legal but less than what I want. Another build thread mentioned side mirrors from Peter Brock. (https://bre2.net/) Looked at those plus other builds and other options. Finally decided to go with the mirrors from Peter. Again, not cheap (yet again??) but couldn’t find any that I liked better and kind of cool to have something from him on my build. The mirror body can optionally be painted body color. Will see about that. He recommends leaving the stalk and mount satin black as they come. Liked how they came with backing plates to go inside the doors where they attach. Little concerned about the width since they stick out quite a bit, and my trailer (when used) isn't very wide. But now that I have them, looks like I could fold them back if necessary. Anyway, quality looks great and should be another nice and very functional addition.
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...8&d=1548535657
With all the progress, do have a couple issues to deal with. I noticed a couple days after the first start I had a few drops of power steering fluid on the floor. Have been watching it. Not a gusher, but definitely wet most of the time from the pulley bearing location and occasionally enough to drip. Talked to KRC, and looks like it’s going to have to go back for warranty repair or replacement. I mentioned the Honda power steering fluid and he said they’ve had a couple examples of that fluid being corrosive. Haven’t heard that from anyone else plus I’ve used it successfully in #8674 with zero issues. But he also said the newer aluminum pump for this build has a different seal than the older steel pump. It will go back and maybe I’ll switch to their fluid. The other issue is I’ll be sending my PCM back to Ford. The MIL doesn’t work. With an MIL ON indication seen by scanning the ODB2 port, the light isn’t on. Received word a few days ago that their engineers agree it’s not working on the Gen 3 Coyote crate. So they’ll ask for the PCM back once they have the program updated. This will be second turnaround on the PCM. Had another minor issue right after I installed it which they resolved and turned around the next day. I found out from talking to them the other day I have serial number one of the production Gen 3 Coyote crates. I asked if I should be excited or nervous. The answer was excited of course. There were several that went out before mine. But they were to the press, etc. and not actual customer deliveries. In the same conversation though they confirmed my PCM is the latest version (they call it a calibration) so whatever issues I might be having (or success, e.g. first start) are the same as everyone else. Will get resolved. I’m not too worried about either issue and now is the time to get that stuff sorted out.
That’s it finally. I have a list of minor things to wrap up. Then will start body fitting. Looking forward to getting to that stage.
