Holey Cowl

Its been a while and I completed a few tasks to advance another step closer to First Posi-Mark Day.  As the corny title suggests, the cowl was my next task.  Its been on my list for some time now but I have been trying to avoid doing that work since its pretty major surgery.  

Background

The plan was to remove the top of the cowl, trim the metal and weld in the replacement 'hats'.   But as these things go, a closer inspection showed that someone had done work here in the past.  They had cut the top off and just sealed off the grille from underneath with a metal plate. Leaves and dirt had already gotten stuck inside.
I considered trying to work with what was still left but there was just to much damage to fix. The was even a nasty crease on the passenger side in a very conspicuous place. There were also some rusted out edges along the firewall that would take pounds of seam sealer to waterproof. 
Shopping around, I found that it was cheaper to purchase the entire assembly so it made sense to place the whole thing.

Removal

Don't forget to support the car with jack stands under the frame rails just behind the firewall or the empty cowl opening will collapse together a little (or a lot if your floors are rotted). 
To remove entire the cowl assembly, I began by drilling out all of the spot welds around the perimeter, starting with the apron extensions.  Make sure you have a sharp 5/16 or 3/8 drill bit and be careful not to drill all the way through.  For most spot welds on the cowl, you have to cut through the metal of both the top and lower parts to free it from the firewall and cowl sides. There are also a bunch of spot welds along the windshield flange that attach the cowl to the dashboard metal. In my case some of my spot welds were in rotted areas so I didnt have all 150 to drill out. After some chiseling and prying, and cutting a couple factory braises, the cowl was free. Note that the rear of the lower half does not attach to the dashboard flange and is welded only to the upper half of the cowl. Did I mention this would be much easier to do when the engine is not there?
Looking at the old cowl, it turns out the the plate just under the grille was meant to catch water and route it off to the passenger side. When they welded the plate on, it caused the crease in the upper surface of the cowl.

Cleanup and Repair

Next its time to break out the flap disc, clean up the mess and assess the damage. I ended up cutting out the cancer in the flanges along the outer edges of the firewall. I had some left over edp coated metal that was the same thickness and used some thin cardboard to make templates and trace out on the metal.



Once the patches were welded in, I added some seam sealer in the hard to reach spots.  A coat of primer on the entire flange surface was next. I used weld-through primer but I have seen some people use regular primer over dots of tape where the spot welds are going.
This was also a good time to patch up some unneeded holes in the firewall.  

Reassembly

I have seen a few different ways to assemble the two cowl pieces. Some attach the lower part first then the top. Some attach the two parts together completely then attach to the car.  I decided to do a combination of both.
First, I added a little seam sealer around the bottom edges of the hats to reduce the chance of water getting in.
Next, I set the lower part in place and chose and marked all the points that were to be spot welded to the flanges taking care not to line up with the old drilled out spots.  You'll notice that rear part of the lower cowl doesn't reach the dashboard metal. It is supposed to attach to the bottom of upper cowl piece (it helps to look at the old cowl).  I used my hand punch to punch 5/16" holes around all the edges of the lower cowl.  The plan was to spot weld the bottom half to the top just along the back edge. The idea is that you will see little or no evidence of welds on the top making less work later. This area is under the windshield clips so not too much to worry about.
Before attaching the bottom to the top, I lined up the upper and lower parts using the alignment holes and clamped them together so I could mark top through the punched holes.  The idea here is to spot weld the top and bottom and firewall/dashboard together through the same holes.

With the two pieces partly welded, I placed them on the opening and used the large holes to line up with the alignment holes in the firewall and clamped everything together and started spot welding. The corners near the pillar posts may need a little extra hammering and clamping to get things to sit right.  Make sure all of the spot welds penetrate well.  There is a lot stress on this part of the body. 
Its a good idea to tack the cowl assembly in a few spots then place the fenders to make sure the cowl lines up right and the gaps are good.
Finally, I spot welded the original apron extensions in place and lined up using the drilled out spot welds.
Later, a nice bead of seam sealer will go in underneath along the firewall and cowl sides.

Pedal Assembly 1

Its been a long time and a lot has been completed.    I decided to get started on the pedals so I could complete the brakes and clutch.  A quick search in my parts pile revealed the original pedal mount with brake pedal in place and it didn't look to be in great shape.   Doing a little research, I found Mustang Steve's bearing kit and a way to install a clutch quadrant.  

The hope was to salvage the original pedal mount and install Mustang Steve's bearings.  Not sure what is supposed to be used for the axle in mount but the axle was just a fat bolt that was tack welded in place and there were no bushings or bearings of any kind.

I cut the all tack welds and cut nut off the end of the bolt.  It looks like the original was badly damaged at some point and washers were welded in to support the brake pedal.  Unfortunately, this mount will not work for what I want to do.  Mustangs Unlimited had a replacement piece so the next day I had my new mount.

The Mustang Steve bearing kit consists of two sealed bearings, bearing mounts, washers, and bushings.   The work started with removal of the stock pot metal bushings that come installed in the new pedal mount.   Next step is to lay the large washers in, centered over the large holes.  The washers get lightly welded to the mount.  Then the clutch pedal, bearings, bearing mounts, bushings, and brake pedal are installed and clamped in.  Being a perfectionist, I took the time to make sure the axle was centered and square in the mount before tack welding the bearing retainers in place.  Next step was to remove the bearings and bushing and pedals and do some minimal weld beads around the bearing retainers.  Light welds are needed as you could warp the retainer rings or the pedal mount.  Once thats done, maybe shoot a little paint and you're done.

Mustang Steve also has the plans and kits for an adapter plate for mounting a later model power brake booster.  This simple plate is simply welded to the front end after the stock mounting ears are cut off.  It gives you a nice way to align and bolt-in the booster without much fuss.   Stay tuned for the clutch pedal quadrant/cable mod.

"New" Driveshaft

I was sorting through my parts pile and found two drive shafts.  Both are the flange yoke type and are a few inches too short for my application.   My setup is a Ford 9 inch and new Tremmec T-5 with 26 spline output.  The rear yoke is a 1330 with 3 5/8" width and 1 1/8" caps.   The cap to cap length is about 47".    I looked around locally and found a place that would make a new steel shaft but I was a little skeptical about their quality so I looked online.  I found a few shops that do custom shafts and settled on Denny's Driveshaft.  They had a sale on for $299 for a custom "street rod" shaft with 1330 rear joint so I went for it.  Three weeks later shaft arrived in a well padded box and I quickly unpacked it for installation.   The shaft looked well made and welds look good.  

I have to say I was a little disappointed in the transmission slip yoke that Denny's Driveshaft used.  It appears to be a used yoke that was refurbished.  It has the look of having a lot of pitting or galling still left after being polished down.   Its smooth and groove free so I guess it doesn't really matter but I was expecting all new parts.  

Looking at the site, it doesn't actually say "all new parts" so I guess I cant complain.  I will always ask from now, that's for sure!  Hopefully, the u joints are new. They do feel new and stiff though. 

One positive is that it came with new u bolts. Everything installed well and seems to fit perfectly so I'm happy.

Rear Disc Brakes Install

After a long summer of projects around the house and vacation, I finally found time to take another step forward on this Mustang project.  I had ordered a complete rear disc brake conversion kit for Ford 9".  This kit included (and this may frighten the purists) GM calipers with brake levers and GM universal rotors, brackets, hydraulic hoses, parking brake cables, and some necessary hardware. Why do they use GM parts?  Probably due to low cost and high availability and readily adaptable design.   

The first step is to remove the bolts that hold axle retaining plate and pull the axle.  The axles need to be removed so that the old drum brake backing plate can be removed.  The kit provides a new spacer plate that is the same thickness as the drum plate so that the caliper bracket can sit flush to the rear housing and not against the bearing. It just slips over the bearings like the drum backing plate so no pressing is needed.  If they just machined a recess into the mounting plates, a spacer would not be needed. Probably costs less this way.
The next step is to replace the wheel studs.  This is not required by the kit but is needed for my application since I'm not using the stock steel wheels.  This should be required since you need larger diameter wheels to clear the calipers anyway and they tend to be thicker alloy wheels - YMMV.  I used Moser Engineering 8250 Torino/Lincoln wheel studs.  Stock is 1.5", these are about 2" and thats just enough for my application.

Next step is to reinstall the axles and mount the caliper bracket adapter plates to the housing.  The plates are held in place by the axle retainer bolts and I used slightly longer grade 8 bolts since the brackets add thickness.  The stock ones are supposedly long enough but in my case they were replaced long ago with grade 5. Since brakes are involved, I'm not willing to compromise.   Then the caliper bracket plates are bolted to the adapters.   

After that, the rotors are mounted.   The instructions say that some axle flanges may have a larger diameter and need to be machined down for the rotor to fit correctly.  Luckily mine were ok.   Finally, the calipers were installed using the supplied bolts.    
Once I find the stock parking brake parts, I can begin that install along with the brake lines.
Stay tuned....

It Runs - Fuel System Part 2

Now, determined to get my Mustang started, I ordered a new in tank pump and a new in tank pickup tube.  Other than the crappy Ron Morris 'Sending Unit' , I had not seen anything that would be plug-n-play with my 65 Mustang fuel tank so I need to make something.  Looking at the online auto part sites, I found a perfect pickup tube from AdvanceAutoparts.com part #FG30B for a 93 Mustang for $89.99 and it even has the fuel pump plug and leads.  Its also has a 3/8" tube.  This 'hangar' is actually a 2 piece unit, held together with 4 screws.  I could also cut and weld if needed.   Next I got a Walbro electric fuel pump part# GSS307, a 255 lph in tank pump.  It comes with a pigtail plug and small hose, clamps, and a strainer.

I started my custom setup by unscrewing the bottom half of the hangar and attaching it flipped around in the opposite direction and the small tabs bent out of the way.  I used 2 #8-32 screws and nylock nuts so the bottom section could swing freely.  The outer cover fits only one way so I had to make sure I could get the angle of the whole assembly correct and match the approximate angle of the original sender unit and still be able to let it flex.  

Next, I installed the pump into the bracket. It is held in place by the strainer and a zip tie. I also added a couple of wide rubber bands to the pump for extra noise isolation.  I also cut off the end of the return line above the elbow since it interfered with the pump.  I then cut the pre-bent hose that came with the pump so that it was just a single curve that was long enough to allow the assembly to flex enough installation. This must be EFI rated fuel hose. I also soldered the wires from the pump to the hanger plug and covered with shrink tube.  The pump bracket is clocked a little from vertical but not enough to be a problem since the bracket flexes toward the bottom.   

To install the new pump unit into the tank, it must be folded a little to fit through the hole then once in the tank, allowed to straighten and drop to the bottom.  The cover plate is exactly the same as the 65 unit so it fits right in. 
The only catch is that it uses a funky connector so I had to order a 93 Mustang fuel sender plug from CJ Pony Parts #HW2606.




With the pump installed and plumbed there's nothing left except to start it up.

Shocking Wiring and Fuel Fouled Up

I'v gotten a lot of engine compartment work completed.  The power wiring is nearly complete and I just need to get the looms in and tidy up a little.   The battery is located in the right side of the trunk and the power is routed to the front using a Moroso 2Ga cable passing over the right side wheel house, along the edge of the floor and through a grommet  in the fire wall then along the frame rail to the former battery location. The cable connects to a lug on the starter solenoid and every thing that needs 12v is connected to that same lug. The engine and starter are grounded to the body via a short 1Ga wire I got from my brother-in-law.

The new fuel system is composed of 3/8 steel tubing, an in-line fuel pump, and a fuel filter.  The fuel pump is Professional Products 220 LPH EFI fuel pump #70151.   I also have a new Ron Morris efi conversion pickup tube and sender for the 65's tank.   
I hand bent the feed and return lines and connected them to the filter and pump, then connected the pump to the tank with efi fuel hose.   The front side connections were through another efi fuel hose to a spring lock fitting to the stock fuel rail.   I then wired the pump to the pink wire from the RJM wiring harness for power and a short wire to body ground.   To prime the system, I jumpered the eec test connector which switches the relay on.  Hmmm, pump is running but no fuel is coming out of the hose at the rail.  After some trouble shooting, it turns out that the Professional Products pump cannot pull the fuel up and out of the tank, even though the pump is a little below the tank.   I think I will need a normal in-tank pump -- even a stock pump will work.  Stock was fine for my old 300+ hp blown set up so it should be fine here. ..To be continued...
A note about the Ron Morris pickup tube.  During installation, the return fuel line tube fell out in my hand.  It seems that the soldering was really bad and probably would have leaked all over if it hadn't fallen out.  Should have returned it but I just tried to sand the pipe for soldering with enough solder to hold it tight and seal it -- but that didn't hold.  Bottom line : DO NOT BUY A RON MORRIS RMP 9112 SENDING UNIT !!! THE TUBES WILL FALL OUT AND IT WILL LEAK FUEL. IF YOU HAVE ONE SEND IT BACK TO CHINA.

Installing a TFI Distributor in 5.0 Mustang

For those who don't know how to install and line up a distributor, here is one way to do it.
First make a highly visible mark on your damper at 10 degrees.  It will help you line up the marks and makes it easier to see when setting the timing.  Mine has a mark at 0 and 10 since the mark may be out of view when I'm using the timing light.

Next, using a breaker bar or big ratchet on the center bolt on the damper, turn the crank clockwise until the #1 piston is moving upward for the compression stroke. This is much easier to do with the spark plugs removed.  
You have to determine when the #1 cylinder compression stroke is about to happen. This can be done a few ways.  One way is with the passenger side valve cover removed, turn the crank until the front most intake valve opens then closes -- that will be the start of the compression stroke. On my engine, the headers are not installed yet so I used the #1 exhaust valve closing event as the start of the intake stroke and turned the crank until the timing marks came back around.
Start turning the crank clockwise slowly, when the piston nearly reaches the top, you should see the timing marks approaching the pointer. Carefully, bump the crank clockwise until the 10 degree BTC mark is lined up with the pointer.  If you go past to 0 remember to reverse past 10 degrees because of minor slop in the timing chain, then come back to 10.

Now, figure out how you want the distributor clocked.  On mine, I wanted the TFI plug turned so it points toward the power steering pump or AC compressor. This will leave enough room to adjust timing + or -. Then, with the rotor installed, line up the rotor tip close to the #1 wire.  This is marked in the top of the distributor cap. I usually mark the distributor where #1 is lined up with the cap.  Next, turn the rotor to a point just past the #1 mark counter-clockwise.  Drop the distributor in the bore and wiggle it to line up with the oil pump drive shaft.  The rotor will move clockwise toward your #1 mark as the helical drive gears mesh on the way down.  Once all the way home look at the rotor tip alignment.  If it doesnt point at your mark, try moving the body a little. If there is not enough room left for adjusting the timing then pull it back out and drop it in again with the rotor slightly repositioned until it lines up.  Install the distrib hold down loosely.
If you get this lined up right, it should start and idle on the first try.   Remove the pip jumper plug and hook up a timing light and set to exactly 10 degrees.  Dont forget to replace the pip jumper after and tighten the hold down bolt.

5.0 Engine Installation

Since the weather has improved,  I have been itching to get some Mustang work done -- actually, the nice weather inspires be to go for a ride in my 65 Mustang but it needs a little work before I can drive it.

I stopped by Quality Rental in Carmel on the way home from work and picked up the hoist and got to work upon arriving home. 

 The first order of business was to cut the hole for the RJM Injection Tech EFI harness while the engine was out of the way.   This needs to be an oval hole 1.5" x 3" to fit the rubber grommet supplied by RJM.  It was simple to do by marking the 2 center points 1.5" apart, drilling, then trimming the triangular 

pieces to complete the oval.   I chose the location so that the harness would be less prominent based on what Brad suggested.

EDIT: The hole actually cannot be in the middle.  My harness from RJM Injection is well wrapped and branches off to either side of the intake in precise locations.  I could probably re-wrap the harness but they did a nice job wrapping and it would be easier to redo the hole where the instructions say.  

Next, I installed the used bell housing to my new Tremmec super heavy-duty T-5. Here are the specs for this tranny:

Ford Racing Super Heavy-Duty "World Class" T-5 5-speed Transmission.
Features double-moly 2nd, 3rd and countershaft cluster gears, carbon-fiber 3-4 blocker rings, 1-1/16" diameter 10-tooth input spline, 28-tooth output spline and Cobra style pocket bearing. Rated for 330 ft-lbs. torque. Fill with Mercon/Dextron ATF.
Ratios: 1st - 2.95, 2nd - 1.94, 3rd - 1.34, 4th - 1.00, and 5th - 0.63.

I hooked up the hoist and engine tilter to the engine and removed it from the stand.
After that, I bolted on the new pressure plate and clutch disc.  Nothing special here, just the basic stock replacement parts.  The stock t-5 and clutch survived more than 10 years in my 93 Fox Mustang -- and that was supercharged and dyno'ed at 320 horses at the wheels. I also raced it quite often and only the part I had to replace was the thow-out bearing after 103000 miles.
With the clutch ready to go, I tilted the engine to line up with the tranny and bolted together.   Tip: using the clutch alignment tool to get an idea of the rotation of the clutch disc splines and rotate the transmission's input shaft's splines to match. Everything slips together with very little effort.   Also, apply some anti-seize lube to the engine's bell alignment pins.  I found that this helps installation and, years later, removal.
I highly recommend using an engine tilter especially when the tranny is attached.  I've installed engines lots of times in the past without one and it was a real pain having to unbolt and reposition the chain to the right angle.  Using the tilter to get the right angle is just a matter of buzzing it with the impact gun.

The engine basically just dropped right in and with the engine mounts supplied by Total Cost Involved, it was a snap to line up.  The extra space left after removal of the shock towers helped a lot too.   I could almost stand in the engine bay with the engine if needed. I should be able to bolt in pretty much any exhaust header without clearance issues.  

Here are some of the torque specs and bolts I used:
Transmission to bellhousing  - 30 ft-lbs w/ Loctite
Pressure plate bolts              - 25 ft-lbs w/ Loctite
Bell to Engine                       - 30 ft-lbs
Bell to Engine bolts were 7/16" coarse - grade 8
Tranny to bell were M12 x 1.5 - grade 8