JB in NOVA's MK4 build : First overnight road trip!

[460.465USMC]

465USMC, thanks for the kind words. BTW, my dad is from Wallace, Idaho, not too far from Spokane. If I recall his stories correctly, Spokane was the "big city" they used to drive to when they could save up enough gas money.

Neat fact--thanks for passing along. Wallace probably hasn't grown much since your Dad lived there. In fact, it's likely became less populated after the area mines shut down decades years ago. Unfortunately, I-90 was rerouted to bypass this town, so now it's barely a blink when when zooming past at 70 MPH.

[JB in NOVA]

After the excitement of the engine install, the next question was: okay, what’s next? Being a linear thinker, I turned to the FFR manual, and the next step in the manual is to install the battery (which I’ve already done), and the last step of that process is to “Attach the battery cable to the battery post on the starter.”

The RF wiring diagram seems fairly clear on this point:



It seems like the three red wires bundled together and labeled with “Starter Solenoid” in the RF wiring harness, plus the positive cable from the battery, all meet up at the large stud on the starter solenoid. The smaller stud hosts the wire from the ignition switch via the clutch safety switch. And the third stud is pre-wired with a black cable to the starter. But given the importance of this step, I decided to consult the forum. I found many posts about this step, including from EdwardB, Papa, Karl, and several other luminaries. That, alone, gave me pause.

Before I continue, let me just say that I’ve read and studied EdwardB’s excellent comments on this issue, such as here: https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/show...ter-Alternator. But what concerns me is that I don’t seem to be having the same problems others have reported on this issue. I know that sounds weird, but as a newbie I get nervous when my build deviates from those who are more experienced than me.

From what I can tell, people have reported two problems with this step: (1) it was difficult to get all four red wires onto the same stud on the starter solenoid; and (2) the three “starter solenoid” wires in the RF harness did not reach all the way to the starter. Most of the comments I found were aimed at solving these two problems, and they typically involved using a remote bus or terminal to collect the ignition and alternator wires so that only a single positive feed needed to be attached to the starter solenoid.

Here’s the thing: I have not seen either of those problems in my kit, and that make me nervous that I’m perhaps doing something wrong. As I’ve currently mocked it up, all four red wires fit comfortably on the same stud on the starter solenoid, and all the wires seem to reach fine (in the picture below, the battery positive cable has light-blue heat-shrink):



For context, I have the Breeze forward-battery tray, and I’ve routed the positive and negative battery lines as shown here:


(negative terminal to engine ground)


(positive terminal to starter solenoid (mock up)).

Is my setup OK? I know there might be more elegant ways to wire the starter solenoid, but at this point I’m fine just following the FFR manual. But I definitely do NOT want to wire it incorrectly. So if anyone sees a problem with my wiring, I would greatly appreciate your feedback. Thank you!

[edwardb]

Nothing wrong with pulling those wires down to the starter if it works for your setup. Electrically it's fine. Some of us have gone a different direction, as you described. Usually because of other decisions made with the wiring, the harness leg locations, etc. But if that works for you, go for it. No one right answer for every build.

[JB in NOVA]

Thanks edwardB! That gives me peace of mind.

[JB in NOVA]

Today I worked on connecting the oil pressure sender. This is what came with my RF harness:



The RF instructions say: “The Vintage gauges oil pressure sending unit requires 3 wires. The oil temp gauge wire can be used for the third wire if an oil temp gauge is not used.” Since that describes my setup, I decided to follow this instruction, even though it is silent as to exactly how to use the oil temp gauge wire as the third wire.

The first thing I noticed is that the pin connector for the oil pressure gauge has three wires on the gauge side (yellow/green, yellow/red, yellow/brown) but only two on the sender side (grey and black).



The sender-side pin corresponding to the yellow/green wire is empty:



From this I surmised (more like “guessed”) that the yellow/green wire is the one that should connect to the repurposed oil temp gauge wire. Based on this assumption/guess, I cut the yellow/green wire and connected it to the light-blue oil temp gauge wire behind the dash.

The RF instructions then say to cut the sending unit plug off, leaving 1-2” of wire on the plug. I did that:



Finally, the instructions say “Attach the plug[] to the sending unit harness, black is ground and the white plug wire goes to the colored sending unit wire.” I assumed that the “colored sending unit wire” means the gray wire. So I connected black to black, white to gray, and red to the repurposed light-blue oil temp sender wire.

I wanted to test the pressure sender before installing it, so I hooked up a bicycle pump to put pressure on it, and I applied battery power. As soon as the battery was connected, my oil pressure gauge pegged at max. My first instinct was that I had reversed the white and red wires. My understanding is that the “third wire” carries a constant 5V signal, so if I connected that to the variable voltage wire, then the meter would detect maximum pressure.

I switched the wires at the sender: black to black, white to light-blue, red to gray. Reconnected the battery, and *presto* my gauge accurately recorded the bicycle pump pressure of about 18 psi.





I pumped up and relieved pressure several times and could see the pressure gauge on the dash responding perfectly. So I’m assuming I got this wired correctly.
After that, I installed the sender into the engine using Teflon tape on the threads:



As always, please let me know if you see something incorrect or problematic. Next up will be the water temperature sender.

[JB in NOVA]

I’ve finished most of the engine wiring except the water temperature sender. Fun fact: if you torque too hard on the water temperature sender, it will break:



I even told myself before I started tightening it, “don’t over-torque it!” But I did anyway. Here’s the replacement for $21.80 in case anyone runs into the same problem: https://www.speedhut.com/ecommerce/p...on-and-Legacy).

Other than that, the wiring went well. I routed the EFI battery and coil wires along the 4-inch tube on the passenger’s side:



I connected the EFI battery wires to the terminal clamp bolts:



I tucked the fuel pump relay and fuse under the passenger’s side engine mount:



With everything hooked up, I turned the key to “on,” and my EFI computer came straight to life:



I also heard my in-tank fuel pump run for about 5 seconds and then shut off, which I understand is the normal EFI startup sequence.

Progress continues . . .

[egchewy79]

looking good!
assuming you don't have fuel in your tank, i'd recommend pulling the fuel pump fuse for now. my in tank pump would come on anytime the key was in the "run" position as the EFI (FiTech) wouldn't shut it off unless it detected fuel pressure. I needed to check out several things w/ the dash wiring and didn't want to burn out my pump if it was running dry. plugged the fuse back in once i was ready for first start.

[JB in NOVA]

egchewy79, yeah that's a good point. I will definitely put fuel in before I cycle the pump again. Thanks for the heads-up.

[JB in NOVA]

Just a quick update on my water temperature sender. I got a replacement sender from Speedhut – their shipping is very prompt! Before installing, I wanted to test it, so I attached the sender wires and dipped the sensor in hot water.



The temperature gauge responded accordingly:



Because I had brought the water to boil in the microwave just a minute before, I expected the temperature readout to be closer to 100 degrees C, but it only got to about 73 C. Perhaps the sensor is not as efficient unless fully immersed in a closed environment? In any event, the gauge and sender appear to be working reasonably well.

Incidentally, per egchewy79’s suggestion in Post #167, before turning the key to ON, I isolated the fuel pump with my fuel cutoff switch so it would not cycle. I’m not sure if running the pump dry for just 5 seconds will damage it, but I don’t want to take any chances.

When I installed the water temperature sender, I did it differently than before. First, I installed the 1/2 inch threaded adapter into the engine port. Then I installed the sender into the adapter. I torqued it tight but did not worry that there were still a couple threads showing. I figure if it leaks I can carefully put another quarter turn on it until it stops leaking. After breaking the first one, I definitely did not want to break my replacement!



I'm looking forward to tackling the fuel lines and hydraulic clutch line next.

[egchewy79]

Running your pump 5 sec at a time probably won't hurt anything, but why chance it. My FiTech apparently will keep running until it registers fuel pressure. Are you putting any thread sealant on the water sender?

[JB in NOVA]

egchewy79, I used high-temperature teflon tape on the threads, which I've read works fine. Let me know if you've had any bad experiences with it.

[sread]

egchewy79, I used high-temperature teflon tape on the threads, which I've read works fine. Let me know if you've had any bad experiences with it.

Actually teflon tape is usually not recommended for sensor installation because it can interfere with the sensor being grounded to the engine which is necessary for proper operation - teflon paste is the preferred sealant to use .

[D Stand]

This looks to be a 2 wire sender so no ground to block is needed. The tape is fine in this application.

[JB in NOVA]

This week I’ve been working on completing the fuel system. First, I assembled flexible send and return lines to the engine using -6AN braided nylon hose and AN hose ends from Summit. Before connecting them to the engine, I wanted to pressure test the entire fuel system and confirm proper operation of my in-tank fuel pump. Stealing an idea from JohnK, I hooked the lines up to my spare external pressure regulator and plugged the engine-send port. Then I put 3 gallons of fuel in the tank, 1 gallon at a time.

My fuel gauge acted kind of squirrely during the first 1.5 gallons, but it eventually smoothed out. With 3 gallons in the tank, it registered 1/8 of a tank:



Obviously, the FFR tank is not 24 gallons, so “1/8” is technically incorrect for 3 gallons in the tank. But I wonder if the system essentially ignores the first 1.5 gallons. Anyway, I know there is a method for calibrating the fuel gauge, but I think I’ll wait to see how it responds to more fuel before going down that road.

After double-checking all my connections, I closed my fuel cutoff switch and turned the key to ON. The pump started properly and the external regulator showed about 25 psi:



I was happy to see no leaks anywhere in my fuel system. Satisfied that the system is basically sound, I connected the fuel lines to the Holly Sniper and cycled the pump a few more times. Again, no leaks anywhere. Given that this was my very first fuel system install, I must say I was pleasantly surprised!

Finally, I worked my way through the Holley Sniper Setup Wizard using the handheld computer. One question for the forum: I set my target idle speed at 850 rpm. Does that sound like a reasonable setting for a Blueprint 347?

[Fman]

Oh yea! Looking great JB, I cant wait to hear your engine fire up! Nothing better than a pushrod V8 to soothe the soul

[JB in NOVA]

I’m slowly making progress toward my first engine start. Today I installed the headers. Nothing unusual or problematic to report. I found this YouTube video helpful for showing the proper procedure for installing the FFR-supplied “Mr. Gasket” aluminum header gaskets: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e3l3MQHqpas. As it instructs, I attached the two outer bolts first, leaving them loose, then I slipped the gasket from the top over those two bolts, and everything lined up perfectly. That’s a nice design! If I hadn’t watched that video first, I probably would have done something much more tedious and frustrating. So kudos to Mr. Gasket!

Per the Mr. Gasket video (and other info I found online), I did not use any gasket sealant. But I did apply some Loctite Blue to the header bolts, per the FFR instructions. Here are the installed headers:

(passenger's side)

(driver's side)

I also attached the Sniper oxygen sensor into the port in the DS header, as shown above. I routed the cable up and away from the heat source, per the Sniper instructions.

One other thing I did is reinforce my bracket for the hydraulic fluid reservoirs. Originally, I had riveted the L-shaped bracket to the frame rail. But the more I worked on the car, the more I realized that the bracket was too flimsy. It was already starting to wobble back and forth. So I removed the rivets and tapped holes for ¼ inch stainless steel screws. I also installed zinc-plated steel L-brackets (cut to fit) on the backside of the mounting bracket. Now it's solid as a rock!



As always, please let me know if you see anything wrong in the pictures above.

[VAHokie]

Looks great. I'm not too far off from installing these myself and appreciate the link to the video.

[jrcuz]

Looking good JB, not long and we'll be watching your video with the engine running!
JR

[JB in NOVA]

Today I finished installing the accelerator cable. Thanks to some excellent advice from this forum (see post #133), I decided to use a Lokar 36” throttle cable (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000CONKFQ/) and a Fast cable mounting kit (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BBOLWTM/).

These are really nice products with easy-to-follow instructions, and they fit perfectly. Here is how I routed the cable:



I shamelessly copied Papa’s idea of using 1” aluminum extension sleeves and longer valve cover bolts to create an elevated passageway for the cable routing:



I found that by rotating the Fast kit’s adjustable mounting bracket 180 degrees compared to the illustrated instructions, the throttle cable lined up better with the throttle:



In the picture above, you can see the adjustable bracket angles outboard, but the Fast instructions show it angling inboard. When I angled it inboard per the instructions, the cable approached the throttle at about a 5-degree angle. By flipping the orientation of the adjustable mounting bracket, the approach is nearly 0 degrees, as shown above.

I am using the Russ Thompson accelerator pedal, which has the advantage of being adjustable forward and backward along the ¾ inch frame tube. I set it so that it is just slightly lower than the brake pedal at rest and allows full throttle without hitting any obstructions:



I’ve got it on my “to do” list to install a pedal stop to prevent over-extension of the throttle.

[JB in NOVA]

Accelerator cable (continued)

One thing I'm a little concerned about is chafing of the throttle cable as it exits the footbox. In the pictures below, you can see the cable rubbing against the Lokar ferrule at high throttle:

(pedal at rest)

(high throttle)

As shown above, as the throttle pedal is depressed, the cable begins to rub against the top of the Lokar ferrule. For completeness sake, this is how the Russ Thompson setup looks:



Is this something I should be concerned about? If so, does anyone have any suggestions about how to solve the chafing issue?

[D Stand]

Could you simply drill a new hole about 3/8” lower on the pedal and move the cable attachment down?

[TMartinLVNV]

It looks pretty good the way you set yours up. I have one suggestion for you though with your throttle return springs. Take a look at how I did mine.



I originally used the small hole to hook the two springs into as well. I did not like pulling on the springs at an angle and they would bind sometimes. So I used one of the unused brackets in the second slot and mounted it upside down to hook the spring to. It keeps things must more in line. I also replaced the stainless steel hex socket bolts/nuts with chromed ones. The stainless galled and locked up on me. Finally, I put the yellow paint pen mark on the side of the mount to be able to quickly see if the adjustable brackets slipped forward. There is quite bit of pressure on them.

As far as your throttle pedal goes, I adjusted it back and used the back wall as my throttle stop. You want that throttle pedal at least an inch, if not more, lower than your brake pedal. But, you also want to ensure that you are able to get near 100% WOT. It is fun getting it all worked out. BTW, making adjustments to the pedals when the body is on SUCKS!

[TMartinLVNV]

"Is this something I should be concerned about? If so, does anyone have any suggestions about how to solve the chafing issue?"

I don't think so. That part is polished smooth. Mine does the same thing. But I'm certainly not an expert.

[Railroad]

Shortening the threaded end of the cable cover would improve the angle. You can make up the adjustment on the other end.

[Fman]

I’m slowly making progress toward my first engine start. Today I installed the headers. Nothing unusual or problematic to report. I found this YouTube video helpful for showing the proper procedure for installing the FFR-supplied “Mr. Gasket” aluminum header gaskets: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e3l3MQHqpas. As it instructs, I attached the two outer bolts first, leaving them loose, then I slipped the gasket from the top over those two bolts, and everything lined up perfectly. That’s a nice design! If I hadn’t watched that video first, I probably would have done something much more tedious and frustrating. So kudos to Mr. Gasket!

Per the Mr. Gasket video (and other info I found online), I did not use any gasket sealant. But I did apply some Loctite Blue to the header bolts, per the FFR instructions. Here are the installed headers:

(passenger's side)

(driver's side)

I also attached the Sniper oxygen sensor into the port in the DS header, as shown above. I routed the cable up and away from the heat source, per the Sniper instructions.

One other thing I did is reinforce my bracket for the hydraulic fluid reservoirs. Originally, I had riveted the L-shaped bracket to the frame rail. But the more I worked on the car, the more I realized that the bracket was too flimsy. It was already starting to wobble back and forth. So I removed the rivets and tapped holes for ¼ inch stainless steel screws. I also installed zinc-plated steel L-brackets (cut to fit) on the backside of the mounting bracket. Now it's solid as a rock!



As always, please let me know if you see anything wrong in the pictures above.

JB, question for you on the headers. I am running the same setup and getting ready to install my headers. I was told today by FFR via email they do not use loctite on the header bolts and to torque them down to 40 ft lbs which seems high to me. Maybe someone can chime in and expand on this? It makes sense to me to use loctite to prevent them from coming loose but I am concerned about the heat cycles causing the bolts to seize into the head and never being able to be remove them without breaking them off. Are you using blue or red loctite?

Thanks for sharing that video, nice tip on the two end bolts

[JB in NOVA]

Fman, I used Loctite blue on the header bolts, but I must confess I didn't consult anything other than the FFR manual, which says on p. 235 that "Thread locker is recommended." Before I start the engine and subject them to heat cycles, I too would be interested to hear from others whether thread locker is recommended on the header bolts. Thanks for bringing this up.

[TMartinLVNV]

Fman, I used Loctite blue on the header bolts, but I must confess I didn't consult anything other than the FFR manual, which says on p. 235 that "Thread locker is recommended." Before I start the engine and subject them to heat cycles, I too would be interested to hear from others whether thread locker is recommended on the header bolts. Thanks for bringing this up.

I've never heard of using any thread locker on header bolts. This is a mighty hot spot of the motor and I don't know if any thread locker would hold up. There are several mechanical bolt locking products out there. I used the Stage 8 setup. There are several threads on here about locking header bolts. Lots of choices out there.

[jrcuz]

I used ARP studs on mine and copper RTV.
JR

[JB in NOVA]

Gentlemen, thank you for your helpful comments! I will be ordering a set of mechanical bolt lockers for my headers, per your recommendation.

[JB in NOVA]

This weekend, I mostly completed my heater installation. As a reminder, this includes a “bump out” box to allow the heater to be installed with a full sized FFR glovebox. Here is the Vintage Air heater motor installed on the bump-out box with the supplied 90-degree fittings, the shutoff valve, and the coolant lines:



I was definitely nervous about clearance issues after a cautionary comment from a more experienced builder (see post #107) but, luckily, I managed to squeak by. As shown below, I have about ½ inch clearance between the aluminum heater fittings and the PS valve cover:



Of course, this was just pure, dumb luck. If anyone else does this particular bump-out mod with a SBF engine, I recommend moving the box at least 1 inch more toward the passenger side to provide better clearance. I should also mention that I had a contingency plan, which was to cut the copper tubes coming out of the heater core and install compression fittings with 90-degree turns. I will continue to monitor my clearance issue after engine start and go-carting to see if I might still need to resort to that plan. But, so far, it looks like I squeaked by.

I routed the supply and return hoses along lower PS frame rail as shown below:



Per Blueprint’s instructions, I attached the heater supply line to the port behind the water-temperature (dashboard) sensor, and I attached the return line to the barbed fitting on the water pump:

(heater supply line)

(heater return line)

To make these fittings, I used pre-bent 5/8-inch hose segments from my local auto parts store. Otherwise, it would have been impossible to make these connections without kinking the hose.

With the bump-out modification, my FFR glove box abuts the heater core with basically zero clearance:



So it looks like the dimensions of my bump-out box (9” x 6.5” x 2.5”) were exactly right. But again, I strongly recommend locating the entire box at least an inch more toward the PS edge of the firewall to avoid any “nervousness” about clearance issues with the PS valve cover, like I experienced.

[JB in NOVA]

A few more notes about my heater install. The wiring was straight-forward. I ran the wires though a grommet in the PS firewall extension. For the vent tubing, since I don’t need a defroster (no top), I ran both the heater and defroster ports to four swivel louvers under the dash.

For the far DS and PS louvers, I fashioned some under-dash extenders to make room for the extra louvers:


(DS)

(PS)

I purchased the 2” chrome-finish louvers here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00LEV9MYE/. Here’s how they look under the dash:



With the heater motor on (especially on the highest setting), the vents put out an impressive amount of air. I’m hoping that in warm weather, with the coolant shutoff valve closed, this will serve the same purpose as forced fresh-air vents. If I get hot coolant “bleed-through” the knob-controlled shutoff valve, I might consider installing a manual shutoff valve in the engine compartment that I can close during warm weather.

One thing I’m still noodling is how to get rid of this vent tube arc, which I understand will interfere with body fitment:



I’m leaning toward fabricating a thin, flat manifold to get past the glove box area (as others have recommended). Still thinking about how to do that . . .

[JB in NOVA]

Today I completed filling and bleeding the hydraulic clutch system. I started this process on Friday but ran into a problem, which I’ve now resolved. For background, I’m running a TKO600 transmission with a McLeod hydraulic clutch from Blueprint. I used a -4AN braided steel line from the bulkhead fitting on the inner DS footbox panel to the clutch, which I purchased here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009Q7643A/

Bleeding the McLeod hydraulic clutch is a bit tedious because when you loosen the bleeder valve, it also loosens the compression fitting, which lets air into the line. Because of this, McLeod recommends submerging the entire bleeder valve in a cup of brake fluid during the bleed process and then reaching into the cup to close the bleeder valve once the air bubbles stop. I used the bleed technique shown in this video: https://youtu.be/wgc7ApCMTGA.

The bleed process went fine, and my clutch pedal felt firm. But when I tested the clutch, I could not get the transmission into first gear. I could get it into every other gear, but not first. I initially suspected air in the system, so I re-bled the lines. But again, I could not get the transmission into first gear.

After that, I contacted Johnny at Blueprint, who suggested a few potential remedial actions. The easiest of those was simply to rotate the shaft to see if the transmission would naturally fall into place. To do that, I inserted the splined drive shaft into the transmission and slowly rotated it by hand. As soon as I did that, I heard a “click” in the transmission. I continued for a couple revolutions, then I re-tested the clutch. Happily, it went into first gear with ease. All other gears, too. Problem solved!

On a more personal note, we celebrated my birthday this weekend, and it seems my family is really starting to embrace my Roadster project. The T-shirt was a gift from my wife:



She’s having fun picking out color combinations. Meanwhile, progress continues . . .

[460.465USMC]

Thanks for the tip on the hydraulic bleed, JB.

Awesome shirt! I will hit the big Five-Oh next year...will that qualify me to wear one?

[jrcuz]

Good to see the easy fix for 1st gear. Awesome shirt!
JR

[RJD]

Happy birthday! And glad you resolved the first gear issue.

[JB in NOVA]

One more quick update about my heater install. As I noted above, I wanted to figure out a way to flatten the conduit from the outboard heater core outlet to the DS heater vent because I understand the hose will interfere with body fitment if it bows up above the dash hoop as it goes over the glove box.

Taking a cue from other build threads, I decided to fashion a thin, flat plenum that can carry the airflow past the glove box without rising up above the dash hoop. I used aluminum flashing material, which is very thin and easy to work with but rigid enough to hold its shape. I fashioned an L-shaped plenum roughly 2.75 inches wide and 0.75 thick, cut a hole at the bottom of the L, and attached it to a 2.75 inch box with a matching hole on the top and a hose inlet on the side:



I covered the entire thing with aluminum tape to seal all the holes and hold everything together:



I cut one of the unused defroster vents to fit and inserted it into the opening at the end, secured it with screws, and sealed it with aluminum tape. This left an oval fitting for the 2” flexible hose:



Finally, I installed it by pushing the heater core stub directly into the 2.75” plenum box and attaching a flexible 2” hose to the other end:





I ran the heater motor and got good air flow from all four vents (although the far vent is a bit weaker, as would be expected given the tortuous path I put it through). Anyway, I’m happy with how it turned out, and I hope this avoids any interference with the body when I install it.

[John Ibele]

That looks really well done, and I'm taking notes for when I get to that point. Man, you've made fast progress. You must be itching to turn the ignition key pretty soon

[ydousurf]

Genius! Way to think out, er, inside the box I may have to borrow that idea too.

Dj

[BadAsp427]

This weekend, I mostly completed my heater installation. As a reminder, this includes a “bump out” box to allow the heater to be installed with a full sized FFR glovebox. Here is the Vintage Air heater motor installed on the bump-out box with the supplied 90-degree fittings, the shutoff valve, and the coolant lines:



I was definitely nervous about clearance issues after a cautionary comment from a more experienced builder (see post #107) but, luckily, I managed to squeak by. As shown below, I have about ½ inch clearance between the aluminum heater fittings and the PS valve cover:



Of course, this was just pure, dumb luck. If anyone else does this particular bump-out mod with a SBF engine, I recommend moving the box at least 1 inch more toward the passenger side to provide better clearance. I should also mention that I had a contingency plan, which was to cut the copper tubes coming out of the heater core and install compression fittings with 90-degree turns. I will continue to monitor my clearance issue after engine start and go-carting to see if I might still need to resort to that plan. But, so far, it looks like I squeaked by.

.

Wow. Close. Nice job. Now the only concer is if you ever have to remove that PS valve cover. It’s all looking great!

[JB in NOVA]

I didn’t have much time for the Roadster project this week, but one thing I managed to do is install the power steering lines and fittings that I purchased from Breeze. The kit from Breeze contains a braided steel hose for the PS rack outlet that must be cut to length and finished with the supplied AN fittings. It also includes a rubber hose for the PS rack inlet, which requires one AN fitting on the rack side. Not surprisingly (coming from Breeze), all the fittings were high quality and were the proper size and shape to fit the PS rack and pump perfectly.

Here are the installed lines:


(connections at rack – Breeze fittings on the right)


(connections at pump - the rubber inlet hose can be seen below the pump)

I filled the system with power steering fluid and turned the steering wheel back and forth several times to get some air out of the lines. Everything looks and feels fine, except I have a small leak from the inlet port on the PS rack. I’ve tried tightening the fitting into the port a bit more, but the leak seems to persist. I don’t have problems with any of the other fittings. I suspect it’s an O-ring problem (either crushed, misaligned, or improperly installed).

The Breeze instructions say to look at the inlet and outlet ports on the PS rack to determine if they are chamfered to accept an O-ring. If not, they say to use sealing washers, known as Dowty Bonded Seals, to capture the O-ring on its outside diameter. The instructions specifically state: “New racks supplied by Factory Five Racing lack that chamfer and in that case you will add the included sealing washers.”

Long story short, I have a new Factory Five PS rack and I did not see a chamfer in these ports, so I used the sealing washers as instructed by Breeze. But now that I’m experiencing a leak, I’m wondering whether I got that wrong. If anyone out there has the same setup as me (new Factory Five PS rack), can you confirm whether the ports are already chamfered to accept an O-ring?

Any other advice on this issue would be appreciated. Thanks.