excell

Don't ask him about the rear main seal

Actually, I am 90% certain it's the oil pan bolt and the lower intake gasket.

Prolly a good idea to change motor mounts since you are that far down.

Here you go. Snuck out and tossed these in.

Why did you redo the engine IN the car? Is the clutch/trans good enough?

 

Just surprised if you're unsure of the mechanical history, why not pull the engine to ensure main seals are good, pan gasket, clutch/throwout bearing, etc...

 

Although I'm realizing you've driven it, so maybe you're already more comfy with its mechanical condition behind the engine.

Two reasons -- 1) I don't have a lot of room to work, and since I 2) am very confident in the condition of the engine, no reason to mess with the rest of it until it's time.

Prolly a good idea to change motor mounts since you are that far down.

I have a box of Prothane mounts ready to go on.

Ha! Your car is in better shape than mine. I have a pile of stuff I need to fix this Spring / Summer:

 

Throw out bearing is making a lot of noise

Might as well change the leaking rear main seal while I'm in there

Passenger seat is broke, I need someone to weld a plate on it

Dash lights don't work again, hopefully just the light switch

Tires are dry rotted and shot

Brakes are really bad

 

I haven't driven it much in the last two years and the list above is me paying for that. But again, as you said, it's a 30+ year old car. It still starts right up and moves around when I need it to...

I'm doing a bunch of this too. Just not part of the engine build.

Made some good progress this weekend. Got the block all cleaned up and the cam changed out. Almost ready for the timing set, found a previously broken-off timing cover bolt. Thanks to the monkey who left it in there... now I understand why there was so much RTV on the old cover. That has to come out.

Cleaned the shit out of the block. I used brown Roloc's but made sure to keep things covered, very clean, minded my order of operations to keep only the minimum holes open (removing lifters were the last step after all the cleaning) and I spent an insane amount of time vacuuming the hell out of the block and lifter valley with my small shopvac and detail set. I figure, if any of the shit did manage to get in there, it's a 100k block that I drive 2k miles a year so what the hell. If it gets eaten up I'll just do a stroker and call it a day.

Interestingly, Ford's QA process in the 80's was pretty shitty. The block surface was pitted and not in nice shape seemingly from the factory. Based on this, I've decided I'm not comfortable with an MLS gasket so I'm gonna swap out to the FelPro 9333 composites people seem to like.

One side done:

Post-cleaning, cam and lifters out:

F303 boomstick

Cleaned and ready.

I taped the engine up for the time being. Next steps will be to get that fucking timing bolt out, then get the timing set in and degree the cam. Then clearance checks, and it'll be heads and valvetrain time.

Still a metric assload of stuff left to do, but over the hump now. Gonna try and get the motor mounts, sway bars, and new power/ground wires in this week. Then I should be in a good place for the rest of the block work on Saturday if my wife will let me...

I'm jealous!

Well color that a first, lol.

That combo and a proper tune/timing should hit that with ease. Plus removing the factory smog, mechanical fan, etc, there will be less power loss. So were you didn't gain it, you are at least feeling it more lol.

That's the idea. Once I get it built and put a couple easy hours on it, I'm gonna trailer it to Brian Turner for a tune. Already spoke with him.

This is a very specific list of good hop-up parts for the 5.0L. How did you get around to this specific combo? Any ideas on expected output?

 

I was looking at 5.0-swapping my E36 BMW but got off of that bandwagon for the time being due to budget and time constraints...but something I'm still considering in the future.

Honestly started as a "budget" build to add 75-100HP. I knew the car needed the A/C and engine fan redone and that's how it started. I wanted to convert fully to 134a, and I wanted to do electric fans vs the mechanical fan. Since I was gonna have all that cooling equipment removed, I figured it would be simple to install an intercooler and turbo stuff so I was going to go with a base On3 turbo kit and otherwise stock engine. I was reminded in my other thread to run more than a few pounds of boost I'd need to replace the head gaskets and switch to head studs. Figured if I'm going spelunking into the engine, I'm not putting stock components back on. So I decided I would go ahead and upgrade the motor components, as well as set it up for boost later on.

The Explorer GT40 is a known good performer, and with the Tom Moss ported lower is known to flow as well as pretty much all of the high-end intakes. Total cost was a few hundred bucks less than buying one of the other intakes, and I prefer the way the GT40 looks.

The F303 cam is a known performer, especially on boost, so that was an easy choice.

I initially had chosen SVE aluminum heads which are off-brand, not super great heads but they were on sale for $800 so I figured what the hell. They ran out and backordered them until May, so they made me a stellar deal on a set of the Twisted Wedge 170's and that's how I ended up with those. In hindsight, it's a good thing that happened and will make for a more rounded build.

The rest of the shit may all not be needed, but I am a firm believer in doing things right and once. If you're that far in, there is no reason not to replace lifters, the distributor, water pump, etc. since they're 30 years old. I bought all ARP fasteners for everything, a new timing cover, etc. The only things going back on are the original brackets and the PS pump (and I gotta replace the lines...). The rest is all new.

Still hoping for around a 75-100 whp bump. I'd like to dyno around +-315. We'll see.

Ah, memories

You, too, can still re-live your past with a Foxbody.

Did you get an adjustable fuel pressure regulator yet? If not, you should

Yep. Kit came with an Aeromotive regulator and I bought an oil filled on-rail pressure gauge. Still undecided if I buy new rails, leaning toward keeping the stock rails. They're in good shape and I like how they look.

lol

Going to DC for the week. All I want to do is go to the garage and start Roloc'ing the shit out of everything.

Nah the 5.0L vacuum lines aren't all that complicated for a late 80's/early 90's car thankfully. Most are the same size, and only run through the firewall for the controls. I would plumb the ones to the heater controls now while you have the block tore down since its easier to access.

Yea, I've done them before. I labeled everything and took good notes on what I can eliminate. I usually get the extra length kit, re-do everything at the firewall, then tuck it all aside over the fender and assemble the engine. Then, run, loom, and cut to length. Cars...

Nice. Leave the smog shit off of it. Makes it much easier to get to everything. Spark plugs especially.

Yea, no way that's going back on. I have historical designation and in PA, that means no emissions check and a permanent plate. It was very satisfying just hacking the smog tube in half to remove the heads instead of fucking with the bolts and brackets in the back.

I call it "Project not quite a mid life crisis" but it should be "Project thought I was gonna go turbo a mostly stock motor but decided to go motor for now instead including a cam thanks to Hoblick". Decided to set the car up for boost as I go, so I can still add a turbo or blower later.

1989 Mustang vert, 98k miles, not mint/original but pretty nice condition. When I bought it two summers ago, it was clear it was re-painted once, and the front bumper cover and hood used to be red so I suspect a minor collision. The dash used to be white but was painted. It was a Florida car, so I am sure the dash was replaced for sun fade. The interior had recently been totally re-upholstered, new carpet, new top, new windshield, etc. so all in all, a nice car but I'm not worried about every little scratch or my kids dropping ice cream in it or anything. That was goal, didn't want something perfect and I don't care if it's perfect.

Car had weld-on subframe connectors (that need to be re-welded...), BBK catless H pipe, Flowmasters, and at some point someone hogged all of the metal out of the passenger fender by the airbox so I assume a cold air intake setup of some kind. Car also had a cheater 134a conversion kit installed, but the A/C did not work. Shocks and struts recently replaced with Sensatrac's (blech). The timing cover has definitely been off the engine and a new timing set installed, no idea why. The rest of the engine is definitely factory and the heads had not been off of it, further feeding the curiosity of why the timing set was replaced... maybe a gasket leak, and they figured why not if you're already in there?

A short list of the project... from front to back ha:

One piece head/turn/signal light housings

Full 134a conversion kit (all new components)

Aluminum raditor and all new hoses

Electric fan conversion

Remove smog and EGR and associated bullshit

130A alternator upgrade

F303 cam, new timing set and all that jazz

Trick Flow TW170 heads

Fel Pro MLS head gaskets with copper spray

Trick Flow 1.6 adjustable roller rockers

New lifters/pushrods/etc.

PDI hot forged distributor and Screamin' Demon coil

Explorer GT40 intake with ported lower by Tom Moss

BBK ceramic shorties

47lb injectors, Pro-M meter, 340lph fuel pump, pump re-wiring kit.

Eibach sway bars

Steel brake lines

Pro 5.0 shifter

Bunch of other minor resto parts -- motor mounts, battery tray, balancer, fuel lines, yadda yadda... shit you replace on a 100k 30 year old car.

Here it sat, 98k miles.

Tearing into it, and then the final product down to the shortblock. The lower intake was FULL of mouse shit. Some little mouse family fucked for generations in there. Must have sat a while.

Pile of most of the parts I pulled off:

Next step is to clean the shit out of the block, do some minor engine bay cleanup and rust prep/cleanup, and then I can start measuring clearances for the heads and pushrods. Hopefully this Sunday I can get all the cleanup and prep done, and get ready for measuring.

Still have to get the rear brake drums off to see if the wheel cylinders need replaced (I suspect they do), and still deciding if I install the 340lph fuel pump, or step back to a 255lph as I have heard some rumors a 340 cycles the fuel too much too fast on stock fuel lines and causes it to heat up. Not sure if that's bullshit. Keeping the stock lines, except for the engine-side lines...

I'll be across the channel from you that week on Cozumel... We're going April 13th-22nd

I shall raise a beverage to the south-east to you, sir! 20th-26th for us.

 

We're headed back in 4 weeks for our second trip this year, can't wait.

Us too. Not second trip, but headed there in 6 weeks.

We visited Xcarats one time and I have a feeling your kids would really enjoy that. It's an eco swim tour in a bay closed off by net. You get to snorkel through a massive lagoon and mangrove forest and see crazy wildlife. And there's no unsafe marine life in the area. It has water obstacle courses, cliff jumping, games as well as breakfast and lunch buffet.

I feel like the old men above don't realize hiking a ruin probably doesn't cater to kids greatly :eyes:

I have a 4 and 2 year old. Suck it. A 7 and 8 year old would have a blast at Ek Balam.

Good call on Xcarats. We heard it's awesome!

Playa: Honestly, in my opinion, not really. The nightlife there is supposed to be the biggest draw, which with kids, is prolly off the table, right? The rest of it is essentially shopping and stuff (kinda a tourist trap) which in my opinion was not worth the time spent to get there. I'm of the mind I'd rather have just stayed at the resort and enjoyed the amenities there. It's why you're doing the resort, after all. There's also plenty of family friendly fun stuff to do much closer (zip lining, animal parks, etc etc.) nearby that may be a better fit with kids.

I personally did not do a shark swim, but one of our friend group did two years ago and they really had fun.

Food for thought: consider a tour of the Mayan ruins, Chichen Itza is the most popular but we visited Ek Balam as well and I liked it a LOT more. Ek Balam is smaller but you can still climb it. It's quite the experience. You can usually get a good long day tour to Chichen Itza that does Ek Balam and a cenote (giant earth pools) visit/swim.

We have been going every year the last few years to the Iberostar Grand. It's the adults only part of the Iberostar complex, but in general, I can't recommend Iberostar and the general area around it enough.

AMA