Gas tank vent charcoal filter
As many others have done, I created an activated charcoal filter to help reduce the gas smell coming from the tank vent line. This is a super cheap mod so why not? Many have done this but I pretty much copied EdwardB except used a different bracket. I think he may have increased the size of the vent hose coming from the tank as well...I stuck with the size that came w/ my kit (1/4").
Here's the parts used:
- (1x) 3M Scotchbright pad
- (1x) 2" PVC coupler - Home Depot
- (2x) 2" PVC caps w/ 1/2" NPT threaded hole - Home Depot
- (1x) 2" pipe bracket - Home Depot (spray painted black)
- (1x) nylon barb (1/2" NPT male to 1/4" barb) - Amazon
- (1x) activated carbon - Amazon
For assembly, simply cut the 3M Scotchbright pads into round circles that fit into each cap, then thread the barb fitting into one cap. Install the barbed cap into the PVC coupler (I added a little epoxy to fix in place), then fill w/ activated charcoal. Cap off the top with the other cap (no barb, no epoxy in case I need to remove cap and swap carbon). Plug in 1/4" vent hose coming from gas tank, and mount to trunk sidewall panel near tank filler neck. For mounting, I'm considering adding rivnuts to the bracket so that the screws would come from the trunk side (TBD) for easier access.
Parts:
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...5&d=1664377091
Install pads:
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...8&d=1664377091
Install barb into lower cap:
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...9&d=1664377091
Fill w/ activated carbon:
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...6&d=1664377091
Finished install location:
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...7&d=1664377091
Carbon Fiber Dash Gauge Install
A few weekends ago I finally cut holes in the FFR carbon fiber dash so I could mount the Vintage GPS gauges. I was a bit nervous because once you start cutting you are basically locked in on gauge position. In the end, like many things related to this build, just taking time and planning ahead made the task very simple. Here are the general steps I took:
Step 1 - layout the gauges: I positioned them where I think I would have best visibility and per my aesthetic tastes. I had the seat temporarily positioned so I could evaluate visibility. I had painters tape on the dash to protect it while working.
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...5&d=1666806538
Step 2 - I drilled a small pilot hole at the center point of each of the 7 gauges, then used a compass (old school) to trace out the diameter for each cut
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...7&d=1666806538
Step 3 - This is when I realized some of the gauges were too close to the curved dash hoop on the frame and would interfere. So I used that pilot hole to draw the diameter of each gauge nut on the backside of the dash. I saw a couple that would have interfered, so I shifted my pilot hole down just a tad and redrew the new cutout hole diameters. Measure twice, cut once and all that...
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...6&d=1666806538
Step 4 - To cut the actual holes, I didn't have a hole saw so I used a Dremel with a cutoff wheel to make polygon cuts for each hole. The cutoff wheel goes through the CF dash like a hot knife through butter. Just make sure to wear good PPE (long sleeve shirt, respirator, goggles) - you do NOT want that CF dust getting on your skin or in your lungs
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...9&d=1666806538
Step 5 - After cutting the rough shape of the holes, I used a Dremel sanding drum to clean up each cut. This also worked great and the sanding drums actually remove the CF material better than I thought they would.
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...1&d=1666806552
Step 6 - Finally, I was ready to mount the gauges.
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...2&d=1666806552
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...4&d=1666806552
As I'm still undecided on my final color scheme, I am considering replacing the chrome bezels on the gauges with black anodized aluminum bezels which can be purchased from Speedhut. I also need to finish mounting some of the other dash items such as the indicator lights, ignition, horn, toggle switches, and headlight switch.
Brake line flaring and installation
Over the last two weekends I got a chance to finally install my brake hard lines. I used the steel 3/16 lines included with the kit. Some of the lines had already been installed, but I had to pull them out because the routing interfered with placement of some of the accessories I've added such as the front battery box from Breeze. In this post I'll show a couple of the issues I encountered, and in the next I'll go over the actual routing.
I started out using a cheap bending tool from Harbor Freight - it actually worked just fine for bending the lines without kinking them. Where I ran into problems was using the cheap Harbor Freight 45 degree double flare kit. The mandrel on the kit I had was completely crooked and wouldn't make a straight flare. I tried fixing it but not matter what I tried I couldn't get a decent looking flare. I sent ahead and bought a new tool from Capri (on Amazon) and this thing worked like a charm, making perfect double flares (45 degree SAE) every time. Here's the tool:
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...9&d=1667785819
Next up, I also had to buy a 37 degree flaring tool for my 3AN fitting connection to the Forte hydroboost setup. I bought a Rigid flaring tool and this too worked very well - no issues making the 37 degree single flares with this.
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...8&d=1667785819
I did a couple of practice flares and bends before starting the real deal. I used some of the old tubing that I pulled off, straightened it, and mocked up some of the more complex bends to create a pattern, then replicated it on the new 3/16 steel tubing I picked up from the local auto parts store.
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...0&d=1667785819
In the next post I'll include pics and videos of how/where I routed the lines.
Brake-Clutch Triple Reservoir Mount
This weekend I finalized the mounting for the triple reservoir. I was originally worried about how to route the power steering hydraulic lines and not interfere with the reservoirs, but it looks like it will snake between the hoses coming from the reservoir just fine with this new mounting scheme. I actually bought the Tilton triple reservoir than many folks use (p/n 72-576) but found it to be quite large so decided to stick with the OTBGear polished CNC reservoir (Item #6444) that came with the kit when I bought it. I used one of the FFR aluminum brackets that has the FFR logo on it....I forget what this is typically used for (maybe the fuse box?). Anyhow, I repurposed it and mounted it to the back of the reservoir. To mount this to the frame, I cut a 6x1.5x.25 in. piece of steel using my angle grinder w/ cutoff wheel. Then I tapped 3x 1/4-20 holes which allowed me to secure the reservoir bracket to the steel strip.
Angle grinder to cut a strip of steel (used to mount reservoir bracket to frame):
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...1&d=1668391752
To mount the steel strip bracket to the frame, I plan to use (3x) of the 3/16 rivets to permanently mount it. For now, I just have it tacked in place with Clecos because I'm worried it will end up in the way when I pull the engine later one.
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...2&d=1668391752
After a couple coats of paint, I'm pretty happy with how it turned out. Here's a FRONT VIEW:
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...9&d=1668391850
TOP VIEW - plenty of room to remove the dipstick:
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...5&d=1668391752
FRONT ISO VIEW - easy to remove if needed (3x 1/4-20 screws):
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...8&d=1668391850
Next couple of big tasks (in no particular order):
- Finish routing flex fuel line
- Radiator & expansion tank mount + plumbing mockup
- Mount power steering components and route hoses
- Mockup electrical harnesses
Hydroboost pushrod adjustment question
I need some help/advice on my hydroboost. I've read several forum posts about needing to verify the hydroboost pushrod depth is set so that it has a very minimum gap (~.020") to the master cylinder push rod. My setup is a 1999 Chevy pickup hydroboost from Forte's. I'm reaching out to Mike separately to see if he can offer advice here, but I thought I'd ask the group as well. I did talk to him on the phone and he confirmed this is something that should be checked. So I removed the master cylinder from the front of the hydroboost and measured the pushrods on both sides.
What I measured has me worried that the current setup is pre-loading the brakes. The distance from the mounting flange to the tip of the hydroboost pushrod is 1.238". The distance from the flange to the receptacle on the master cylinder side (which I'm pretty sure is connected to the master cylinder pushrod) is 0.852". This means they overlap by 0.386" and I believe this means the master cylinder pushrod is displaced by this amount when everything is bolted up. If this is true, then the brakes are always actuated which is not good.
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...7&d=1668896798
I am able to sort of confirm this by mating the two, and push them together until the hydroboost pushrod bottoms out on the master cylinder socket --> you can see the gap here:
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...9&d=1668896798
If I bolt it up, the master cylinder compresses and the gap closes up.
Can anyone confirm if I'm looking at this the right way? If so, it implies I need to shorten my hydroboost pushrod by about 0.406" --> this would leave a .020" gap between the two when mated together which seems to be about what most people recommend (YouTube videos like this). All the videos I've seen are for a vacuum boost system, so maybe there is something different w/ a hydroboost that I'm missing? The pushrod in my hydroboost looks like this picture below - I'm assuming to shorten it I'll need to remove some of the nuts? Seems I would need at least two to use as locking nuts....so not sure I will be able to shorten it enough. I haven't messed with it yet because I wanted to make sure I understand what I'm doing before I start turning nuts. Any advice here would be greatly appreciated!
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...1&d=1668897415
Hydroboost pushrod adjustment
To close the loop on the Hydroboost discussion - I confirmed w/ Mike Forte that I needed to shorted the pushrod in they hydroboost. This should be pretty much flush (or very small gap, like .010" - .020") with the cup/receiver in the master cylinder. I took it apart and remeasured, but found the actual interference was exactly 0.25", not the 0.386" I measured last time. Looks like when I measured before the brake pedal wasn't pushed all the way to the stop. I measured multiple times just to be sure. Anyhow, to adjust the length I just had to remove the middle nut from the pushrod which was exactly 0.25" thick. I put a hefty amount of blue Loctite on the ball stud end threads and tightened it down - I was worried that getting rid of that middle lock nut would allow it to vibrate loose but with the Loctite I think it will be OK. If anyone disagrees let me know!
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...8&d=1670295165
I do need to still replace the hydroboost power steering return nipple (5/16" thread) with a Hydrotech HBS9101 06AN adapter (or equivalent). This will allow me to run a braided stainless steel line from the return.
Fuel Line Routing - 3/8 SS Braided PTFE
After fixing the hydroboost I moved on to finishing up installing the Coyote single-line fuel send kit (Breeze p/n 70766). Back in post #80 I detailed modifying the fuel pump hanger unit and mounting the pressure regulator per the Breeze instructions. The only thing left to do was run the stainless steel braided PTFE fuel line included with the kit. The nice thing about this is you don't need to cut anything on the hose - it's the right length from Breeze. You do have to install the 06AN fittings to each end, but I found that to be pretty easy following the instructions HERE. Here are some pics showing the routing - nothing new here...lot's of folks have routed this kit the same way. I followed the reference pics from GTBradley's build.
View from above the 45° 06AN fitting goes on this end:
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...9&d=1670295870
A little hard to see but I mounted an insulated hose clip (included w/ the Breeze kit) to the underside of the frame tube where I'm pointing:
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...0&d=1670295870
Then down the 2x2" frame behind the passenger side of the cockpit and along the outside of the Ø4" frame tube to the engine bay:
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...1&d=1670295870
Up the passenger side footbox (in the engine bay), across the firewall and to the fuel rail on the Coyoted Gen2. I didn't add the mounting clips in the engine bay but I'll probably use 2 on the firewall and one on the footbox inside wall. I was waiting to mount all the other components (mostly electrical harness) to the firewall before I put the clips in.
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...2&d=1670295870
For now everything is just tacked in place w/ Clecos but I'll probably go and tap the holes for the #10-24 screws included w/ the Breeze kit (stainless steel + split lockwasher). No reason I can see not to go ahead and permanently mount this, and if I need to remove it later I can just pop the screws out.
Pedal Adjustment and Clutch Safety Switch Mounting
I was looking over the Wilwood pedal setup in my build (assembled by previous builder) and see that they mounted both of the FFR provided switches for the brake and clutch (newer style with both NO & NC contact pairs). These are mounted on the little tabs in front of the pedal arms. I'm leaving the brake switch as-is because it seems to work well and triggers almost as soon as you touch the brake pedal. However, I'd like to remove the FFR clutch safety switch (mounted similar to the brake pedal switch) and use the switch provided with the Coyote Controls Pack instead because it triggers only when the clutch is pushed all the way in which I think is the intended use. I don't think I have either bracket shown below (I found this image on the forum), or at least I can't find them. They look laser cut so I assume they came from FFR. I have seen some people make their own custom mounts but I'd rather use FFR parts if they are available (will save me time). The Coyote Install Instructions (Gen 2) show the switch bracket and the actuator bracket mounted to the clutch quadrant, but since I'm using a hydraulic clutch I think I need something like this instead. I'm guessing at some point FFR added this other version which doesn't require the clutch quadrant for mounting? Can anyone confirm this?
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...2&d=1670939453
My second question is regarding the pedal positioning. I noticed that my brake pedal arm is currently hitting the 3/4" frame tube. I've seen on the forum that it shouldn't be this way because it means the MC piston is travel limited and not returning to the full resting position. Do I just need to adjust the threaded rod until the pedal arm clears the frame? What gap is appropriate here? I didn't see anything in the FFR instructions talking about this.
Finally - after reading more on the forum, and seeing the brake pedal arm issue, I'm wondering if the clutch pedal needs to be adjusted at all. How do you determine if the travel in the clutch MC is too much or too little which could impact the internal seals? I've seen people have added hard stops for the clutch pedal (to limit travel when depressed). Is this documented anywhere on how to check/adjust this? I have a Forte hydraulic clutch but haven't hooked it up yet. I think Forte adjusted the slave pushrod when he shipped the drivetrain (Gen2 + T56 + hydraulic clutch) but I'll check that to see what the travel is on the actual clutch fork - but can't do that until I hook up the hydraulic lines and bleed the system. Any guidance on how to make sure the pedal travel is appropriate for the clutch MC would be appreciated!
Question: Brake Pedal position adjust w/ hydroboost?
While messing around with the brake and clutch safety switch mounts and just getting more familiar w/ the Wilwood pedal box in general (I didn't assemble it originally so new to me), I discovered the brake pedal arm hits the 3/4" frame tube. I guess this is a known issue, but I was unaware. Anyhow from what I've gathered this is not good because it prevents the pedal from moving all the way to the resting position, which means the hydroboost piston in my case may not be moving all the way back to its resting position. So, all that investigating and effort to reduce the hydroboost pushrod length may have been for nothing :) I'll need to fix this pedal arm interference, THEN remeasure the hydroboost to MC pushrod distances again.
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...3&d=1671051588
Now to my questions:
- For those w/ hydroboost setups, what is the best way to adjust the brake pedal position? On my hydroboost there are no flats on the threaded rod to be able to turn it in the clevis. I tried with some pliers but it didn't seem to want to turn (access is limited when its all installed). Maybe I just didn't grip it tight enough. I thought about removing the pivot pin from the clevis, which would allow me to rotate the clevis in 180° increments. Looking for some advice on how to adjust this.
- I notice this hydroboost threaded rod doesn't have a backer nut like the one on the Wilwood MCs (like the clutch MC). I'm worried this would allow this distance to change over time due to use/vibration if that rod does in fact turn. Should I be concerned about this?
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...4&d=1671051588
Hydroboost Fix and Brake Pedal Arm Positioning
After a lot of research I found that with my setup, the brake pedal arm was hitting the frame which prevented the hydroboost pushrod from returning to its resting position. In post #94 I discussed shortening the hydroboost pushrod because it was interfering with the master cylinder pushrod in the resting position. Well it turns out this interference was due to the pedal arm issue. To resolve this, I had to get rid of the pedal arm interference and then re-adjust the hydroboost pushrod length (grow length back to original length). Good thing I saved the lock nut!
Adjusting the pedal arm position turned out to be way more painful that I thought. I initially tried turning the threaded rod into the clevis on the pedal arm, but found that the rod bottomed out on the brake arm (i.e. it was too long). With it bottomed out, the pedal arm was still hitting the frame tube. My only option at this point was to completely remove the hydroboost so that I could cut the threaded stud shorter by about 1/4". Easier said than done. One of the bolts for the hydroboost is almost impossible to get to as it us buried by the Wilwood pedal box, including the Coyote pedal module. After about an hour of micro turns (that's all the wrench had clearance for) I finally got the nut off and was able to remove the hydroboost.
I then marked and cut off about 1/4" inch off the bolt. This looks like Forte welds a 3/8-16 bolt to the stock GM hydroboost pushrod. I also added a jam nut to the rod since it didn't have one from the previous builder - after talking to Forte he said it would be a good idea to add the jam nut to lock everything in place. I didn't have a thin nut so I used an angle grinder with the sanding wheel and made my own out of a standard 3/8 nut.
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...2&d=1671469102
After this was done, I re-installed the hydroboost and adjusted the thread depth into the clevis until it pulled the brake pedal arm off the frame tube by about 1/8". I made sure the hydroboost piston was at full travel to resting position, then re-measured the interface between hydroboost pushrod and the master cylinder pushrod. I had to increase the length of the hydroboost pushrod back to its original length from before I had made the previous adjustment.
Once the bolts were re-installed (again, that one bolt was a PITA), everything was good to go.
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...9&d=1671469102
Here's a picture of the clearance to the brake pedal arm:
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...1&d=1671469102
The last step was to adjust the brake switch position so that it fires almost as soon as the pedal arm starts to travel:
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...0&d=1671469102
Clutch Safety Switch Mounting
As previously mentioned, my build had a 3/4" MC installed on the clutch. Per Forte, and as others have mentioned, with his setup the proper MC is 13/16 for Forte's hydraulic clutch setup. Luckily the previous builder had the 13/16 MC in a box still, so I went ahead and swapped that out - easy. I did have to cut the 5/8" off the threaded rod but that was simple and quick. I then adjusted the clutch pedal position to be even with the brake pedal (just thread the MC pushrod into the clevis until the pedal position is where you want). This leaves about 8.5" from the face of the pedal to the firewall (just for reference). After bleeding and testing the clutch actuation, I may need to add a pedal stop to the firewall (TBD) - I'll be looking to make sure the piston in the slave cylinder isn't extending beyond it's range. Some have had it travel too far and the piston actually pops out of the slave cylinder. So if this happens I'll add a pedal stop to limit clutch pedal travel.
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...5&d=1671469115
Next up, I needed to mount the clutch safety switch provided by Ford with the Coyote Controls Pack. This switch gets mounted using some brackets provided by FFR with the Coyote Install Kit. My kit was from 2019, so this was before FFR started providing brackets specifically for those with hydraulic clutch setups. But others on the forum had made it work using the provided bracket which was intended to mount to the clutch quadrant. All I had to do with drill one extra hole in the bracket and tap a 1/4-20 thread into the clutch clevis. I could then use the existing pivot on the clevis to prevent the bracket from rotating, and drive in a screw to secure it. I used a washer on the backside to match the offset of the brass washer and lock ring on the pivot. This worked like a charm. Here are some pictures - you can see I marked where the switch closes the circuit and where the end of travel is. I set the position of the switch (adjustable with the FFR bracket slots) so that the circuit closes close to the end of clutch pedal arm travel. This should guarantee the clutch is fully disengaged before triggering the switch. One thing I will check once I bleed the system and verify slave cylinder piston travel and clutch actuation, is whether or not I need to move the switch a little bit based on final pedal arm travel. If I have to use a clutch pedal stop, then I might need to shift the switch forward but that's easy since it is slotted and I would be moving it forward so it triggers sooner.
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...4&d=1671469115
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...3&d=1671469115
Here's a video showing the switch actuation and testing:
https://youtu.be/ApIA6aJrVTw
Finally, I hooked up the flex line so I could mock up where to route it to the transmission. I think I'll do as some others have done and drill a new hole in the DS inside footbox panel and use a grommet to pass the flex line out. Very similar to how I have it shown in these photos, just a little cleaner than trying to squeeze it between the gaps in the panels which doesn't really work.
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...6&d=1671469115
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...7&d=1671469115
Radiator Mount - Breeze Fan Shroud + Upper/Lower Mounts
Today with a little bit of time off from work I decided to start tackling the cooling system. I wanted to mock up the radiator mounting. I used the Breeze fan shroud as well as upper and lower radiator mounts (which Santa conveniently delivered just yesterday!). Here are the Breeze part numbers used:
As usual, the Breeze instructions are straight forward. I started with the fan shroud. This has holes to mount the stock FFR radiator fan - just attach with 4 provided screws and nylock nuts.
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...9&d=1672097273
Next up, I went ahead and mounted the upper mount hinged bracket to the radiator upper front flange. I did this before mounting the shroud to the radiator because some of the hardware has to go through the upper hinged bracket and needs to be drilled out. So I marked my rivet holes, and drilled them through the radiator flange and hinge bracket flange, making sure the actual hinge pivot faces rearward. Using cleco's to tack it together for now, because ultimately I will disassemble and paint the radiator and brackets black. There is a special paint made specifically for painting the radiator, if that is the look you are going for. Here you can see the upper hinge bracket with rivet holes drilled.
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...6&d=1672097257
I then mounted the shroud to the FFR radiator (AFCO). The fan shroud has 2 holes on the top that you mark on the back of the radiator flange, then drill through both radiator flanges and the upper hinge mount, then insert a spacer (between the flanges). Once the top was held in place with the bolts, I marked and drilled the two lower holes and secured with the provided screws, washers, and nuts. I Here's a good view showing what it looks like after complete:
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...5&d=1672097257
Next up I went ahead and mounted the lower radiator mount to the frame. For this I just followed the instructions - nothing much to it really. The kit comes with a square tube, a couple of pieces of hose to slide over the tube, and some mounting brackets and hardware. I centered the radiator, marked and notched the tube to clear the weld beads on the bottom of the radiator, and them temp mounted it all to the frame. I used a floor jack to hold the weight of the radiator, then adjusted until I got the 51° angle required (noted in the instructions). I then marked where the brackets were on the frame, removed it all and drilled the holes in the frame for the lower mount brackets.
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...4&d=1672097291
Here's what the lower mount bracket looks like installed:
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...7&d=1672097291
And a close-up of how it mounts to the frame:
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...5&d=1672097291
I temp mounted everything and realized why the Breeze instructions say to cut away the stock FFR radiator mounts (these are the two small sections of 3/4" tube welded below the 3/4" cross tube). The upper hinge pivot hits the stock FFR mount. By cutting it away, you create clearance for the hinge which lets the flange sit flush with the cross tube.
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...8&d=1672097273
So what is left for me to to? I need to remove all the parts/brackets and spray paint everything black. I'll cut the stock FFR radiator mounts off the frame and then touch up everything with paint. For the radiator I'll use the special radiator paint, and for all the Breeze brackets and frame touch-ups I'll use Rustoleum Matte Custom Shop Black - P/N 263422 - which does a decent job of matching the FFR powder coat used on the frame. Once painted, I can re-mount everything, rivet the upper hinge, and bolt everything down.
Radiator Mount Finalization
Over the Christmas break I went ahead and spray painted all the radiator mount brackets, as well as the hood hinge brackets and trunk hinges as well.
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...6&d=1672700945
Next up I went ahead and cut off the stock FFR radiator mounts, on the recommendation of several folks (this is recommended in the Breeze upper radiator mount instructions as well). I used an angle grinder w/ cutoff wheel, as well as a Dremel with cutoff wheel, then cleaned up the cuts with the sanding wheels.
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...7&d=1672701961
After cleaning them up, I hit them with some of the Rustoleum Matte Custom Shop Black (P/N 263422) which matches the FFR frame powdercoat decently enough:
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...8&d=1672701961
After letting them cure for a few days, I re-mounted the radiator and drilled the 4 holes in the upper hinge for the the 1/4-20 bolts to secure it to the 3/4 frame tube. I have the radiator set to 51° per the Breeze instructions. I might still paint the radiator black once I finalize my overall color scheme. It's easy enough to remove/disassemble when the time comes. For now, I won't rivet the hinge bracket to the radiator just yet until I make that paint color decision.
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...7&d=1672700945
Side view:
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...8&d=1672700945
Rear view:
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...9&d=1672700945
Hood Hinges Installation & questions on gas strut and expansion tank mounting
Having finalized the radiator mounting, next up on my list is the coolant expansion tank. I bought the Mishimoto MMRT-MUS-15EBK tank which is very similar to the Moroso tank many Coyote installers use. I went with the Mishimoto tank because #1 it is black, and #2 it has a little fill-level indicator tube on the side which I like. However, in order to place the expansion tank, I needed to go ahead and mount the hood hinge brackets since this will dictate how close to the side of the engine bay I can position the tank.
I had a couple of helpers to assemble the hinges. Everything is pretty straight forward following the FFR instructions, and we didn't have any issues with assembly.
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...1&d=1672700973
Here's one of the hinges assembled and ready to mount:
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...2&d=1672700973
And installed:
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...3&d=1672700973
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...5&d=1672700986
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...6&d=1672700986
Question #1: Is the gas strut supposed to be this long? I haven't mounted to bracket with the ball-stud to the hood yet, but in the uncompressed state the strut is hitting my triple reservoir. I had marked the frame with blue tape where I thought the strut length would stop, based on reading other build threads. Just wondering if this is a non-issue once the strut gets compressed and mounted to the hood bracket?
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...4&d=1672700973
Question #2: For the expansion tank, should I plan on mounting it as close to the hood hinge on the PS as possible? I'm thinking I'll need room for the air intake elbow. Also, are there any recommendations on how high the tank should be sitting? I couldn't find any mentions of vertical position of the expansion tank so that the cap clears the hood. Any recommendations?
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...0&d=1672700973
Mishimoto Coolant Expansion Tank MMRT-MUS-15EBK Install
This weekend I finished mounting the Mishimoto MMRT-MUS-15EBK expansion tank. This one is similar to the Moroso tank many folks use, just with the included sight tube to see fluid level. I opted for the matte black version (they also make a bare aluminum finish). To mount this, I needed to make 3 brackets - two for the mounting flange, and one to support the bottom of the tank. Took a little longer than I anticipated, but I'm pretty happy with the end result.
Here's a pic of the upper brackets. All are made with 0.100" aluminum stock and 1/4-20 rivet nuts. With the Breeze upper radiator hinge mount in place, I was able to wedge this bracket between the hinge and the 3/4 tube and bend it so that the mounting flange is flat/level. It is positioned on the 3/4 frame tube so that the expansion tank flange is even with the bottom of the 3/4 frame tube.
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...2&d=1673240272
Upper brackets get riveted to the underside of the 3/4 frame tube. I had to remove the radiator to get access to drill the rivet holes.
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...3&d=1673240272
Looks like this with the tank mounted:
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...6&d=1673240272
I needed to reinstall the radiator in order to figure out how to fab the lower bracket. Due to the position of the tab on the tank, it actually extends slightly past the Breeze fan shroud. After positioning and mocking up the bracket out of cardboard, I fabricated the lower bracket, marked the position on the shroud, and riveted it in place.
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...4&d=1673240272
Here's how the tab on the bottom of the tank mates with the lower bracket. After bolting in place, the overall assembly is rock solid and doesn't move at all. I'm pretty happy with the result.
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...7&d=1673240285
Here's the final product, showing reference dimension from center of the hinge mount on the frame:
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...5&d=1673240272
Side view:
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...8&d=1673240285
Radiator Expansion Tank Install (Part 2)
Following up on Post #114, I sat the hood on some 3/4" blocks to check hood clearance to the Mishimoto expansion tank cap - looks like I have about 1/2" - 3/4" clearance. I did shift the hood forward/rearwards slightly because I'm not sure 100% where it sits relative to the frame, but the clearance seems to be adequate +/- 1" in either direction which is all the hood hinge slots would allow for so I think I'm good to go.
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...3&d=1674516269
Also, I found out that the overflow nipple which comes out of the neck where the cap screws on is a 1/16-27 NPT thread, not the 1/8 NPT I thought originally (see HERE). Mishimoto tech support confirmed the thread size for me via email. As this port isn't needed, I still needed to plug it. So, I bought the correct size 1/16-27 NPT plug, but unfortunately couldn't get them to thread into the hole. I had one hell of a time getting the nipple to unthread also...so something strange was going on with the threads. Anyhow, this was easily resolved by buying a 1/16 NPT Tap (about $5 on Amazon w/ next day delivery). I ran the tap through the hole, and threaded it a little deeper than the original threads which opens up the diameter of the tapered threads just a bit. I think this was the issue - the original ID of the taper was too small to get my plugs started. After re-running the threads a little deeper, the plug threaded in perfectly. I added some thread sealer grease too.
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/atta...7&d=1674516100
