[Killer95Stang]

Work on the motor and car has been pretty slow. Kind of a pain to work on it since its marooned at my folks house. I spent the last few weekends finishing renovations on my house.

Got some good news and some bad news... Trick Flow finally delivered on a Carb-EO sticker for a street burner intake, bad news is the part number listed is for a silver finish intake, not black, different part number. Additionally, all Trick Flow intakes have no part numbers on them at all. Bottom side of the intake has "TFS-SBF-EFI-2U" cast in the bottom. "2U" is a track heat "1U" is a street burner. one would need to do some deep google work and read forums and look at photos to figure that one out. Both intakes are identical to the naked eye. Shall I slap the Trick Flow back on it and take it to the smog shop with my shiny new sticker? here is a link to the executive order pdf, no part number or product description listed. 1995 mustang gt used for testing

Executive Order D-369-3 Trick Flow Specialties

CARB approval executive order D-369-3 validity, vehicle applications, and document download

arb.parts

okay bad news time... I think I need a new timing cover. I was cleaning the gasket surface and noticed some huge globs of RTV stuck to the gasket. After cleaning it up some I found 4 pretty large chunks out of the water pump mounting flange.

Would you run this timing cover and just goop it with RTV or buy a replacement for $65 from LMR?

Is the replacement 94/95 specific. It can always be tig welded, but that might cost more than $65, unless you have a buddy that can do it for a case of beer.

 

[DCx]

I passed on the budget timing cover. It has mixed reviews and a dorman replacement got horrible reviews. Summit had a ford racing cover in stock so I just bought that. part number M-6059-A50

I tried to order a CARB compliant 4 cat system from rockauto and when I tried to check out it said it could not be shipped to California due to prop 65 warning. So a California and New York emissions legal part cant ship because they didn't approve a hazardous materials warning label? this is ridiculous. Looks like all the magnaflow 2.5" carb legal systems are out of stock or built to order. I will have to make some phone calls tomorrow. I found one website that said the magnaflow system can no longer be shipped to California?

I really don't want to buy 4 stand alone cats and cobble it together myself, each cat by themselves is $400.

since rockauto ditched my exhaust setup I just bought new ac hoses, suction/discharge, liquid, Dryer, and condenser. I picked up the timing cover and a new Stewart stage 1 water pump and some remflex header gaskets.

Waiting on parts again...

 

[DCx]

I made a few phone calls and found a Magnaflow CARB legal stainless 4 cat X pipe ready to ship. It was costly but I was able to use a 20% off coupon code. Hott exhaust hooked it up!

I should have everything to get the car running and rolling soon. I just need to swap the cam and gaskets on the engine and swap out the front bearing retainer and speedo gears on my T5.

 

[Detroit Iron]

The H pipe situation in CA is effing ridiculous. You have two choices if want to pass the smog test. OEM H-pipe, Ford doesn't make them anymore and you are rolling the dice with 30 year old high mileage stuff. The only other option is the $2500 Magnaflow X-pipe that has a CARB EO number. We have 40 year old fox bodies that still need to pass a stringent smog test...a sniffer test on the rollers. Effing ridiculous!

 

[sn95gts331]

As much as I like SN95 Mustangs I’d probably just put a nice set of wheels and a good paint job on the car. Get it running and sell it out of state. That’s if I lived in California. Smog laws sound like literal hell for car guys.

Then I’d try to find a 1965-1970 Mustang instead as long as they are smog exempt.

 

[DCx]

As much as I like SN95 Mustangs I’d probably just put a nice set of wheels and a good paint job on the car. Get it running and sell it out of state. That’s if I lived in California. Smog laws sound like literal hell for car guys.

Then I’d try to find a 1965-1970 Mustang instead as long as they are smog exempt.

I have a 67 mustang coupe with a 5.3 LM7, T56, 76mm turbo, fox 8.8 axle, Holley HP efi, Aeromotive stealth fuel system, C5 corvette front calipers with cobra rotors. Car runs, Haven't even driven it, it just sits.

I got all that to fit in the stock shock towers with the factory steering. I did have to hack up a canton front sump oil pan. Im using a modified LS3 camaro exhaust manifold on the driver side and a home-made log manifold on the passenger side.

The car is stripped and in epoxy primer.

I also have a LS1 swapped 69 camaro with a T56 and a 9" rear. It was carbed at one point in time and is not running a holley sniper EFI setup. Car hauls a$$. Running a Texas speed cam and CNC ported 243 heads.

 

[DCx]

I tore into the 5.0 yesterday and changed all the gaskets. I installed the melling cam, timing set, new timing cover, new water pump and oil pan gasket. I used ARP fasteners throughout.

I did discover the engine has some TRW or speed pro pistons. Do these look forged? part number was 255-98

 

[HYBRED]

Looks like the speed pro skirt, which is probably forged, and probably oversized.

someone spent a significant amount of dough on that engine before you.

 

[sn95gts331]

Very nice classic Mustang and Camaro. It’s too bad it’s so much trouble just to do simple modifications to an SN95 Mustang.

 

[DCx]

Progress has ben pretty slow between work, winterizing my home and finishing some renovation projects. I did make some progress on the car on Thanksgiving. I completed the following:

Removed the Radiator and Condenser
Removed 50% of the blue tape on the wiring
Installed Steeda double hook clutch quadrant and firewall adjuster
Cleaned and degreased all the front accessories and brackets
Cleaned and degreased the bellhousing
Cleaned and degreased the T5, discovered it has a steel bearing retainer in excellent shape
Notched and relocated the rear brake line bracket to clear my BMR upper torque box bar
Installed new braided rear brake hose
Installed my BMR lower control arms
Installed the rear axle in the car

I was hung up on the rear brake line forever. The banjo bolt for the rear hose was wrecked, mushroomed out and needed replaced. Finally got a new one, took forever to ship because of the holiday.

I want to installed autometer water temp and oil pressure gauges in the dash clock pod, Thinking of drilling and tapping a hole in the trick flow intake for the water temp sensor, I want to retain the stock gauges as well. Does anyone know if an oil pressure extension adaptor will fit without interfering with the AC compressor?

I will probably order a Maximum Motor Sports steering shaft next since the engine is out of the car. I hear they really improve the steering feel but its $320!

New rear brakes, brake hoses, shocks and quad shocks will be installed this weekend. Hopefully I can get the valve train and intake manifold installed soon. Now that the radiator is out of the car I will probably install the flywheel and clutch before dropping it back in. Anyone know if the engine can go back in with the headers and trans attached at the same time? man that would save a lot of time and headaches.

 

[DCx]

Forgot to add this...

Broke the fuel rail rear crossover hose while removing the injectors. Guess ill just use some 5/16 hose and clamps to fix it. I would step up to an aftermarket set of fuel rails but moving the regulator externally would probably be a red flag and fail the smog visual inspection. Among other bad things, I found extra O rings jammed in the fuel rail.

 

[Ilusivefox]

You can drop the engine back in with transmission hooked up and shorty headers attached if you have a tilt bar hanging from your hoist. Just take your time and two sets of eyes makes things easier. On the fuel rails you can use Aeroquip -4 pushlock fuel line hose to repair your stock fuel rails. No clamps needed. They make the hose in black or light blue. Simply push onto the barb fittings they won't come back off. I use a little wd-40 over the barbs to make them slide over easier.

 

[Bentley]

I reinstalled my engine and transmission in my fox by myself without any tilt bar.... I am 67 years old and it was pretty easy..
Jack up the rear of the car as high as you can.
Get the tilt correct with the initial attachment of the engine to the cherry picker
While installing it I used my lightweight aluminum jack on the back of the transmission to lift it level as it was installed..

 

[Ilusivefox]

Tilt bar. No tilt bar. Tilt bar!!

 

[P63]

OP, did you pass smog?
The key, be prepared, keep your car running for at least 30 minutes to warm up the cats, and don't offer any intel about heads, cam, and chip. If the guy even realizes your headers aren't stock, have the EO numbers. You can look up the list of acceptable aftermarket stuff on the CARB website.
As has been said, most shops don't even know what to look for. If there's a bunch of Honda driving teens working there, go somewhere else. Ask local speed shops to recommend a place.
You didn't mention exhaust. I think Magnaflow makes the only legal x-pipe. If you have a catted X, it will probably get rejected on the visual. Once you fail visual, they record in the statewide database why you failed, and the next guy who looks at your car will specifically know what to check.
As has been said, many shops have no clue. I caught one hammerhead almost bending my passenger fender trying to shove his hand between the rockshield and the fender. LOL, walking up to a guy whose all self-dorked like that. He immediately accused me of removing the cannister that's supposed to be in the fender. I told him it was there. He got angry and said there's no way to prove it's there. I said "I'll show you" and opened the passenger door so I could see behind the fender.
Him: deer in the headlights. "you removed it"
Me: "it's right there. I'm looking at it. Come here and look."
Him: "I'm not going to smog this car"
Me: (after my WTH moment) "I'll go somewhere else, but don't put anything into the state database"
LOL.

 

[DCx]

Sorry for the lack of updates. The car hasn't been touched since my last post. I need to order some more parts first. I need fuel line for the rails, vacuum line, and the parts to add the autometer gauges in the clock pod, if I choose to go that route. I have all of the fittings for the fuel rail to convert it to -6 lines, as well as the adaptors for the stock hard lines. Ill order some pre made PTFE lines, I have a roll of PTFE but no fittings, much more convenient to get premade fragola lines. Making PTFE braided lines is a pain, my turbo 67 Mustang has lots of home made lines. I also have a ridged 37 degree flare tool for hard line.

I plan to pick up one of those cheap fuel injector cleaners from ebay, that allows you to squirt carb cleaner through them as well as a spill proof coolant funnel to burp the cooling system. I have an drill driven engine oil primer somewhere, cant find it. I will probably have to order another.

My Magnaflow Cats better not fail the visual, they have large CARB EO numbers laser etched on them. My BBK unequal headers have the EO cast in the #5 primary tube.

Thanks for the insight on installing the engine and trans together. I installed my LS1 and t56 into my 69 camaro, less the headers with just a lift plate mounted to the top of the engine. I have a tilter as well as a 5.0 upper intake lift plate. In the past I have hooked the engine on the front loop of the lift plate and picked the trans up and swing it over the fender.

Regarding the fuel line for the rails, should I use just the push lock by itself or should I add oetiker clamps as well? I see summit sells them when looking up push lock hose.

 

[Ilusivefox]

No clamps needed with Aeroquip push lock hose on the fuel rails.

 

[DCx]

Finally got some projects completed. I ordered some much needed parts, package was delivered to wrong house, then recovered. Gotta love package delivery during the Holiday season.

Took the tail shaft off the transmission and replaced the speedo gears. Went with the LMR 3.73 gear kit. Yellow drive gear and Red driven gear. while I was in there I added a new tail shaft output shaft seal and replaced the front bearing retainer. There was an existing steel bearing retainer that seemed brand new, but due to the excessive amounts of RTV and questionable seal, I changed it anyway. I now realize, I should have removed the top cover and ordered some bronze shift fork pads... I did use an anaerobic sealant, so tail shaft removal should be easy.

RTV much?

Everything inside looked very clean and spins nicely

Next up was the valvetrain. I was super duper upset to find out my new ford performance lifters would not install with the heads on the engine. Just too much material to tilt into the corner lifter bores. In went the old ones... installed without a hitch. I did add new comp cams magnum stock length pushrods. I set the rocker arms up using this guide:

Valve Adjustment Procedure

How to correctly and easily adjust your engine's valve lash. Proper valve adjustment is important to long valvetrain and engine life, maximum power, reduced emissions, and racing consistency.

www.centuryperformance.com

I was able to set zero lash and lock each rocker down to 22 foot pounds with 1/4 of a turn from 12 oclock position. Engine turns over my hand easily, very smooth.

Next up was cleaning all of the fuel injectors out with a crappy ebay kit that allowed me to spray carb cleaner through them with a 12v drill battery. All injectors opened and closed under command and sprayed out carb cleaner nicely. They received new O rings. I made new fuel lines using Fragola, Parker-push-lok hose and matching Fragola oetiker clamps. better safe than sorry. Hose was a BEAR to twist and install on the fuel rail barbs. Heated it with a hair dryer and used some lube.

Lastly, installed the intake T-stat, valve covers. I used some new steel core rubber O-ring style valve cover gaskets from LMR along with ARP studs and LMR's ARP intake bolt kit with water pipe stud. I used the recommended felpro intake gaskets for GT40x heads.

It probably wont last long but that summit racing timing tape is awesome, very accurate. As mentioned before, new steward waterpump, ford performance timing cover, and ARP everything, including balancer bolt.

 

[HYBRED]

There are 2 part numbers for the ford performance lifters. One set will fit without removing the heads, and the other will not.

fyi

 

[DCx]

There are 2 part numbers for the ford performance lifters. One set will fit without removing the heads, and the other will not.

fyi

I got the lifters from LMR, went back to their website and started reading the reviews. Saw two 1 star reviews stating they didnt fit under SVO GT40 heads. Oh well, doubt I can return them as they have been submerged in oil for months.

I decided to take the transmission apart again. I was curious to see what the top cover reveled. It had tons of RTV squished out of it and some ripped off when I removed the tail section. I wanted to re-seal the entire box. I was pleased to see the gears were in beautiful shape. I can tell the box was recently rebuilt. Previous owner probably destroyed the 3-4 fork, the car still had a factory shifter when I took it out. I skipped out on the RTV and used permatex anaerobic sealant.

new 3-4 fork and pads

Everything looks very clean, no chipped gears, all the teeth look nice and sharp. Shaft spins easily with no noise.