Gbranham's MkIV 427/IRS/TKX Build Thread...Spark Plug Shenanigans

[M22_COBRA]

Congrats! Sounds real nice. Are those the FFR side pipes?

[gbranham]

Thanks! Yep...bare steel FFR sidepipes and standard FFR headers. I'll likely paint my sidepipes with high temp BBQ grill paint for now, and might upgrade to GasN pipes at some point.

[Mike.Bray]

Thanks! Yep...bare steel FFR sidepipes and standard FFR headers. I'll likely paint my sidepipes with high temp BBQ grill paint for now, and might upgrade to GasN pipes at some point.

I'll tell you what, I have the standard Factory Five sidepipes that I had ceramic coated. A lot of people on here complain about the sound but my wife and I both love it. Our car has a really nice low rumble, the kind of low frequency sound that sets off car alarms, but when we're driving we can still hear each other talk even on the highway. Wouldn't trade the sound we have for anything. To me a Cobra needs the sound to go with it! I hear a lot of good things about Gas-N, except for the lead times, but I don't see any reason to change from the Factory Five pipes.

[gbranham]

I'll tell you what, I have the standard Factory Five sidepipes that I had ceramic coated. A lot of people on here complain about the sound but my wife and I both love it. Our car has a really nice low rumble, the kind of low frequency sound that sets off car alarms, but when we're driving we can still hear each other talk even on the highway. Wouldn't trade the sound we have for anything. To me a Cobra needs the sound to go with it! I hear a lot of good things about Gas-N, except for the lead times, but I don't see any reason to change from the Factory Five pipes.

I used the FFR pipes on my MkIII, and was happy with them, until the resonators came loose, as so many have. I'll likely stay with them on my MkIV until/if I have the same problem again, then will consider GasN pipes...not the touring, but the 'standard' sound level pipe. Also not a fan of the lead times, so that's shied me away from them from the get-go.

Greg

[gbranham]

I know how it goes around here...no video, didn't happen. Here's a snap of one of my first drives, from my home security camera. Sadly, no sound.
https://youtu.be/4UjXFCVwxRc?si=OpVcWKEOjBTr7MTd

[gbranham]

And a fun one of a Fox Mustang I built several years ago. This was my father-in-law's daily driver...an 88 LX 4cylinder. He lived in Oklahoma, and they don't salt roads, so it had zero rust. I stripped it to the unibody, did all the bodywork and paint, and bought a train wreck of a 1989 5.0 to use as a donor. Rebuilt the engine and tranny, put on all the typical go fast goodies, and even ran new brake and fuel lines in the proper 5.0 location. New control arms, etc. Total money pit, but it sure was fun.
https://youtu.be/NtbYHAbzsNs?si=Pz13XAuCoKtUdNTh

[gbranham]

Beautiful Saturday here in the Midwest! After putting new brake pads on my wife's Cayenne this AM, I set my sights on getting the car ready for body installation. I set ride height to 4" front and 4.5" rear, and once again set the front and rear alignment, good enough to drive it to the DMV for inspection. I then installed my Wilwood electric park brake package. Very simple installation, and it worked great until I installed the dash switch, then it didn't work at all. I think I boogered up the dash switch, so I ordered a new one. Should be here in a few days. But when it did work, I could tell it was a solid system. I go-karted around the neighborhood a couple of times today, and logged about 5 miles (whoa), and so far, no leaks, or other issues. Feeling pretty confident about dropping the body on soon. I LOVE the power steering system Gordon Levy sold me. Very responsive, and light to the touch. Everything else seems to be behaving itself, so BODY ON soon!

Have a great weekend, everyone! Spring has sprung...at least in the Midwest!!!

Greg

Shift Knob 1.jpgInterior 1.jpgTrunk Mat 2.jpgTrunk Mat 1.jpgWilwood EPB 1.jpgWilwood EPB 2.jpg

[danmas]

Beautiful Saturday here in the Midwest! After putting new brake pads on my wife's Cayenne this AM, I set my sights on getting the car ready for body installation. I set ride height to 4" front and 4.5" rear, and once again set the front and rear alignment, good enough to drive it to the DMV for inspection. I then installed my Wilwood electric park brake package. Very simple installation, and it worked great until I installed the dash switch, then it didn't work at all. I think I boogered up the dash switch, so I ordered a new one. Should be here in a few days. But when it did work, I could tell it was a solid system. I go-karted around the neighborhood a couple of times today, and logged about 5 miles (whoa), and so far, no leaks, or other issues. Feeling pretty confident about dropping the body on soon. I LOVE the power steering system Gordon Levy sold me. Very responsive, and light to the touch. Everything else seems to be behaving itself, so BODY ON soon!

Have a great weekend, everyone! Spring has sprung...at least in the Midwest!!!

Greg

Shift Knob 1.jpgInterior 1.jpgTrunk Mat 2.jpgTrunk Mat 1.jpgWilwood EPB 1.jpgWilwood EPB 2.jpg

I very much like my e-brake! I also love how clean your dash looks. I may revert to a no glove box dash. Your build looks tight.

[gbranham]

Spent a little time in the shop today, working on my transmission tunnel. I covered it in Cool-It ThermoTec, and used some of the leftover dash covering I had purchased from a local fabric store. I'm fairly happy with it, and if I ever want to change it out, it's super easy to remove the trans tunnel top. It's held on with strong velcro where it touches the trans tunnel bits of the frame. Solid.

Greg

Trans Tunnel 2.jpgTrans Tunnel 1.jpg

[gbranham]

My Amazon friend brought me some more rivets this afternoon, so I buttoned up the trunk aluminum and installed my Thermotec, then laid the carpet in to test fit. Looks pretty good!

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[gbranham]

Going in for an alignment next week. I rented a U-Haul trailer. I think I've read that folks have a fairly easy time loading and unloading from it. Perhaps maybe elevating the tongue of the trailer makes life easier. Anyway, to be sure, these are the alignment specs I should give the alignment shop, yes? As a reminder, I'm running power steering.

Front:

Caster: 7 degrees
Camber -0.5 degrees
Total Toe: 1/16"

Rear:

Camber -0.5 to -0.75 degrees
Total Toe: 1/8" in

[Jeff Kleiner]

U haul trailers work well. Yes, you may need to raise the tongue a couple of inches (just use a floor jack placed under the hitch of the tow vehicle) to keep the pipes from touching at the top of the ramp breakover.

Make sure that the alignment guy knows that you're talking TOE IN, not toe out in the front. I prefer a little more and suggest 3/32"

Jeff

[gbranham]

U haul trailers work well. Yes, you may need to raise the tongue a couple of inches (just use a floor jack placed under the hitch of the tow vehicle) to keep the pipes from touching at the top of the ramp breakover.

Make sure that the alignment guy knows that you're talking TOE IN, not toe out in the front. I prefer a little more and suggest 3/32"

Jeff

Roger that, Jeff. Thanks. I'm taking it to a place that builds race cars, so they should be competent. I'll go with 3/32" toe IN front 1/8" toe IN rear. Also, my Ram has airbags, so I'm thinking I can raise the truck up to it's highest setting to raise the tongue of the trailer. Easy peasie.

Greg

[gbranham]

My new Wilwood dash button arrived today, and all's well. Love it!
https://youtube.com/shorts/FU74lSPr4...Xo9OOAbNZrtuVL

[cv2065]

My new Wilwood dash button arrived today, and all's well. Love it!
https://youtube.com/shorts/FU74lSPr4...Xo9OOAbNZrtuVL

That's so cool! Looks great as well!

[Blitzboy54]

They have a nice sound

[gbranham]

Got my pipes painted black. I kind of love Rustoleum hi-temp BBQ grill paint.

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[Highplainsdakota]

My new Wilwood dash button arrived today, and all's well. Love it!
https://youtube.com/shorts/FU74lSPr4...Xo9OOAbNZrtuVL

Love that dash button for your P brake!

I have some questions though. I went with E-Stopp for my brakes and I've been struggling with how the switch should function with the indicator light. I was wondering how your parking brake functioned with the car on and off. Can you walk me through the following switch positions and how they work on your car?

Ignition key ON position (engine running or not):

Momentary switch on = P brake on, red light ring on.
Momentary switch off = P brake off, red light off.

What if you turn off your ignition and remove the keys, like you're parking it somewhere. I assume the parking brake stays engaged. Does the red indicator ring light on the switch stay on? What about parking for long periods of time? Does the light turn off when you turn the ignition off but the parking brake stays engaged? If the light turns off when you turn the ignition off, does the red light come back on when you start the car telling you the parking brake is still engaged?

Thanks

[gbranham]

Love that dash button for your P brake!

I have some questions though. I went with E-Stopp for my brakes and I've been struggling with how the switch should function with the indicator light. I was wondering how your parking brake functioned with the car on and off. Can you walk me through the following switch positions and how they work on your car?

Ignition key ON position (engine running or not):

Momentary switch on = P brake on, red light ring on.
Momentary switch off = P brake off, red light off.

What if you turn off your ignition and remove the keys, like you're parking it somewhere. I assume the parking brake stays engaged. Does the red indicator ring light on the switch stay on? What about parking for long periods of time? Does the light turn off when you turn the ignition off but the parking brake stays engaged? If the light turns off when you turn the ignition off, does the red light come back on when you start the car telling you the parking brake is still engaged?

Thanks

There are two fused power leads for the Wilwood EPB; 12v constant and 12v switched. Wired in this way, the EPB won't function with the key OFF. With key ON (engine running or not...doesn't matter), I can engage and disengage the EPB. As long as the key is ON, the red indicator light is on when the EPB is engaged. If I leave the EPB engaged and turn the key OFF, the red indicator light goes out, but the EPB remained engaged. If I turn the key back to ON, the red indicator light illuminates.

Greg

[Highplainsdakota]

Thanks! That would be the ideal way to make this system work. I may purchase this switch for my Estopp. The Estopp has a blue wire that prevents the Ebrake from engaging while the engine is running. It's supposed to be a safety feature but many choose not to connect this. I appreciate the feedback. Good luck with your build!

[gbranham]

Thanks! You, too!

[gbranham]

Finished up my trunk carpet today. The covers for fuel pump and fuel sender look bronze colored in the pics, but they're covered in the same material as my dash and transmission tunnel.

20250328_161151.jpg

[Justin]

I used the high temp pain for years. It's not super durable but cheap and prevents rust. Looks great though!

[gbranham]

Got the body out today and hosed off nearly 2 years of dust, then installed taillights and headlights. Also got the harnesses installed. I bought the Breeze LED headlight and amber turn signal bulb kit. The replacement lenses are less convex than the stock headlight lenses. Not really noticeable, but I think I like them a bit better.Body on next weekend I think. Have a great weekend, everyone!

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[gbranham]

Oh, and between parts and fasteners, there are 93 parts to the hood hinges. Hah!

20250329_170348.jpg

[Jeff Kleiner]

Oh, and between parts and fasteners, there are 93 parts to the hood hinges. Hah!

20250329_170348.jpg

And there are about 93 different ways to assemble them incorrectly...pretty sure I've seen every one! See those 8 wave washers in the upper right? Pro tip: throw those directly into the trash before you begin.

Jeff

[gbranham]

And there are about 93 different ways to assemble them incorrectly...pretty sure I've seen every one! See those 8 wave washers in the upper right? Pro tip: throw those directly into the trash before you begin.

Jeff

Hah! Yes, sir!

[gbranham]

A few reference pics.

20250329_192938.jpg20250329_192927.jpg20250329_192919.jpg

[TrackDay17]

Are you getting close to test fitting the body ?
I'm fairly open if you need a hand !

[gbranham]

Are you getting close to test fitting the body ?
I'm fairly open if you need a hand !

Yes, sir! I planned to reach out to you tomorrow, to see what this coming weekend looks like for you. Could use your help sure!

Greg

[Mike.Bray]

Getting exciting! I second tossing those wave washers, nothing but a PITA.

[gbranham]

Getting exciting! I second tossing those wave washers, nothing but a PITA.

Thanks, Mike. Exciting, indeed! I really appreciate all the help and recommendations you've given me during this build...your DNA is all over it. You, too, Kleiner. Looking forward to dropping it off at your shop.

Greg

[gbranham]

I think I installed these correctly. I have two brackets leftover. Maybe FFR sent me extras.

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[Jeff Kleiner]

You got it!

Amusing story... When we got the Mk5 Beta cars the manual was still a work in progress and we'd get bits and pieces of it as the updated instructions were completed. I had already assembled my hood hinges (similar but different from the Mk4) when that section of the manual was sent out for proofing. The manual and associated diagrams didn't match how I (or Erik, or Ron) had put them together. I reported back that they simply would not work as shown, pointed out where the error was and made a wise *** comment about how I've gotten cars in with the hinges assembled in just about every possible combination of wrong. Jesper's reply was that with that being the case if we show them wrong in the manual by the time the builders misassemble them they should accidentally get them right

Jeff

[gbranham]

That's funny, Jeff. The trials of.being a beta tester. Thanks for confirming my install looks correct. Have a great rest of your weekend!

[Justin]

Looks sharp! I like how simple it all looks.

[gbranham]

This is going to be painful. OOF. I noticed a small coolant leak from the rear corner of the driver's side head, where it meets the block. Thinking I may need to snug up that lower head bolt, I tried to do just that, and it gave way without too much effort. I heard a snap, and then could back the bolt out by hand. These bits of the (presumably) threads in the block were attached to the bolt when it came out. Tried to put the bolt back in, but it just free spins. I'm kind of in shock at the moment, because I know this is, at a minimum, a tear down to try to fix the head bolt hole with a helicoil. I just shut the door on the shop and walked away for now. I know that the reality is, to fix that leak would've likely required the head to come off anyway, so it is what it is.

What's curious about this is where those bits of thread were on the bolt...you can see where the bits of thread were by the shiny marks on the bolt. That suggests to me that the bolt only had three or four threads of engagement, if I presumably broke off the block threads at the top of the block. That's weird to me. This is the lower set of bolts; the ones you can get to without removing the valve cover.


Greg

Head Bolt.jpg

[Mike.Bray]

Oh no!! At least at the stage you're at pulling the head isn't too terribly bad.

This is one of the reasons I prefer studs, the force on the threaded hole in the (relatively) soft block is only tension and not tension + rotational.

[cv2065]

Sorry to hear that Greg!! You'll get it back up to speed in no time. As Mike said, good time to find it.

[gbranham]

Thanks, guys. For sure...loads easier before the body goes on. It's not the end of the world. I've been pondering this, though, and something doesn't seem right. Trick Flow recommends ARP 154-3603 head bolts for my 11R heads. In looking at my bolt that I took out, it seems like I only had a few threads of engagements in the block. I can drop the bolt into the head right now, and it sits flush on the head, which I assume means I can confirm I stripped out the top couple of threads in the block. I measured the depth of that hole, from the deck of the head to the bottom of the blind head bolt hole, and it's ~3.6" deep. The underhead length of the ARP 154-3603 is ~2.54". The thickness of the lower deck on my 11R heads, where the lower head bolts sit, seems much thicker than many other heads. I wonder if I should be using a longer bolt? I might buy one 1/2"-13 bolt with UHL of something like 3", and see if it threads into that hole. I'll bet it does. In such a case, I wonder if I would've had a longer bolt to begin with...I likely could've snugged it up and stopped the leak. Maybe. Oh well.

Greg

Greg