[Huntingky]

Well, finally got the Vintage Front Runner System installed last night. Having done it once now, with good tools, the RIGHT tools, I could probably do it in a fraction of the time it actually took me. The directions were sketchy (literally, they were drawings, no photos), and left a few steps to interpretation. Had to go back and redo a couple steps etc. Luckily, I had decided to forgo torquing most bolts until final assembly. Still had to re-torque a few.
Also, the loaner pulley installer had been used and abused by previous borrowers. The threads were pretty mashed and worn and I fought for an hour to get the pulley to within a 64th of an inch of recommended depth and no more. I did some test fitting and it looked fine so I went with it. Over all, pretty happy with the results.
I started to stay up and install the starter and the Boss 302 alternator that arrived a few days ago, but I was tired, the starter arrived without bolts and the alternator without directions so I decided another night.

 

[Boss5Oh]

I sort of went through the same story when I installed my KRC PS pump. Bolts of varying lengths, but no description as to which position to use them in. As with you, a bit of trial and error determined the best configuration.

Looks like a Sanden AC compressor. I imagine you remove the block off plate and there is a fitting with the #8 and #10 threaded connections. I made up my AC hoses to the compressor and condenser the other night. Everything fits, but a bit busy having three large hoses in a small space. I went with the Vintage Air kit that mounts the dryer on the DS. The longer hard lines gave me a bit more adjustability as I had to massage them a bit to get around my radiator. Isn't plumbing fun?

BTW, the hard lines bend without a lot of effort. I made up some wood blocks and cut them in half. I put them in a drill vise and drilled out the center so that I could clamp them around the hard lines without crushing them worked pretty well. With one end in a vise, I used a hose clamp and a dowel to apply leverage to the other end.

 

[7T02S]

Was hoping to have a bunch of updates by now but.......getting ready for a trip, then taking the week long trip (bear hunting in Vermont) followed by recovery from trip. And doing prep work for deer season...on and on. But I did get to spend some time in the shop Saturday. Installed flywheel and bell housing and set up dial indicator for checking bell housing. Unfortunately I didn't have anyone around to turn engine over and my attempts to do it myself and monitor the gauge at the same time didn't work out so well so I had to delay anything further there. OH, and backing up a little bit, I bet I spent 45 minutes going through all the hardware verifying what goes where. Checking out threads and bolt sizes, counting how many holes in the housing to block, how many in housing to spacer etc. Amateur stuff.
So I then jumped to accessory drives. Got my Vintage Front Runner system in. First step in the instructions: Cut Tab off Block, off my brand new, never installed, never started engine block. No pressure there. Got it done, the picture shows right after I cut it off. After the picture, I ground it smooth and go the first couple brackets and the tensioner installed. While I was out yesterday, I stopped by Advance Auto and borrowed a Power Steering Pulley tool to set up the power steering pump.

I had this same issue on not having a helper turn the engine for me while checking the dial indicator on the bell housing. My solution? I went into the house and pulled a mirror off the wall. While the mirror didn't follow my directions on turning the engine for me, it did a fantastic job of allowing me to see the indicator while I turned the engine over myself

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[Huntingky]

Ok, so I was determined not to have to cut and modify the transmission tunnel to fit the larger transmission, and I came close. It was going to be very close because the Griggs suspension setup doesn't allow the engine to be dropped much, in fact I had to use some spacers to raise it about 1/8 of an inch. The real issue came from the fact that it moves the engine AND transmission to the passenger side slightly. This gives a little needed room on the driver's side for the brake system and steering. But it makes it very tight for the passenger side header and causes the transmission to bump up against the passenger side of the tunnel. So, this means I had to break down and cut out the tunnel, and will mean I will have to fabricate a new one wider on the right side to give me some more room. All this was not without some benefit though. The IRS I installed actually locates the rear end center section offset to the passenger side. The fact that the drive train is now offset to the passenger side means I have better alignment between transmission and rear end. I cut a piece of PVC pipe to substitute for a drive shaft and did some testing and the critical up and down driveline angle is about 2 1/5 degrees front and rear....almost perfect.

 

[Huntingky]

Ok, now to start building a new transmission tunnel. I started to order a new tunnel for transmission swaps but was afraid it wouldn't be right and I would end up doing a much of mods. After making some measurements and cardboard mock ups, I went out to buy metal. I found very limited selection, but wanted to avoid ordering any. The best I could find was 16 gauge in 12"x12" and 12"x24". Heavier than original and not what I wanted, but will have to do. 16 gauge is pretty tough to bend.
Ok, first thing I started in on was building the center section. Two things: my metal break won't handle metal that heavy I don't want sharp bends, I prefer to keep it more curved. Once I decided where I wanted my bends I first tried clamping the metal to a bench and bending it by hand. Right now, with work boots, work clothes and a month of holiday eating, I probably have 220 pounds to throw around. It wasn't enough on that heavy gauge metal! Got a slight curve started but that was it.
Time to work smart. I marked my bend lines and centered them over a piece of channel iron in my 30 ton shop press. I then laid a rusty old shotgun barrel over the line and lowered the press down, forcing the barrel into the metal for some very nice even bends. A couple test fits and some slight adjustments back on the press and it is just about what I want.

 

[Russstang]

They never have this much trouble on TV, not sure what the problem is..... I would have been ratchet strapping it around a telephone pole, I don’t have your smarts.

 

[Boss5Oh]

Ok, now to start building a new transmission tunnel. I started to order a new tunnel for transmission swaps but was afraid it wouldn't be right and I would end up doing a much of mods. After making some measurements and cardboard mock ups, I went out to buy metal. I found very limited selection, but wanted to avoid ordering any. The best I could find was 16 gauge in 12"x12" and 12"x24". Heavier than original and not what I wanted, but will have to do. 16 gauge is pretty tough to bend.
Ok, first thing I started in on was building the center section. Two things: my metal break won't handle metal that heavy I don't want sharp bends, I prefer to keep it more curved. Once I decided where I wanted my bends I first tried clamping the metal to a bench and bending it by hand. Right now, with work boots, work clothes and a month of holiday eating, I probably have 220 pounds to throw around. It wasn't enough on that heavy gauge metal! Got a slight curve started but that was it.
Time to work smart. I marked my bend lines and centered them over a piece of channel iron in my 30 ton shop press. I then laid a rusty old shotgun barrel over the line and lowered the press down, forcing the barrel into the metal for some very nice even bends. A couple test fits and some slight adjustments back on the press and it is just about what I want.

Wow, that was more tunnel surgery than we did for my 6R80 to fit. Fortunately TCP kept the transmission centerline pretty close to original, my issue was height. I finally had to make a 3D template from 20 GA 1 inch strips to form a cage. A local metal worker was able to form a tunnel patch in 18 gauge that is pretty close. I hear you about the 16 gauge metal, even 18 gauge is difficult to shape.

Good to see you making progress again.

 

[Vogelsong]

I have heard you can buy the preformed transmission tunnel panel for a new S550 straight from Ford., and some guys have used that.

They buy the panel and use it as a template for the hole in the floor, cut out the old tunnel, and weld in the new one.

Did that ever cross your mind?

 

[wicked93gs]

I have heard you can buy the preformed transmission tunnel panel for a new S550 straight from Ford., and some guys have used that.

They buy the panel and use it as a template for the hole in the floor, cut out the old tunnel, and weld in the new one.

Did that ever cross your mind?

Using the s550(or s197) tunnel has its own issues...it is slightly wider to both sides...grafting it in gives you essentially vertical walls and is also significantly taller(which is fine, but it does stand out). I used the S197 tunnel myself....custom console required, for me that was fine because it gave easy E-brake mounting...hand fabbing one will likely come out with a cleaner result....also, that tunnel is 2 layers of sheet metal, each of which is thinner than factory gauge...it was VERY frustrating to weld it in, even if the overall strength is greater.

 

[Jedidiah55]

Im sure once you get the final touches on your tunnel, it will be amazing like the rest of your car.

 

[Huntingky]

They never have this much trouble on TV, not sure what the problem is..... I would have been ratchet strapping it around a telephone pole, I don’t have your smarts.

Hmmm....actually I like that idea, may keep it in mind for future projects

 

[Grabber70Mach]

On your driveshaft you may want to consider something like this:
DSS is who I understand makes them.

 

[Sixx]

Hey Huntingky. I'm considering the Heidts IRS setup for our 67. What spring weight did you go with for that rear suspension? They are recommending 500# with a coyote and the various accessories and a little concerned that might be too stiff.

Edit: actually some confusion there. Recommendation is 350# or 400# rear spring weight.

 

[Huntingky]

Hey Huntingky. I'm considering the Heidts IRS setup for our 67. What spring weight did you go with for that rear suspension? They are recommending 500# with a coyote and the various accessories and a little concerned that might be too stiff.

Edit: actually some confusion there. Recommendation is 350# or 400# rear spring weight.

I can't remember right off, I believe it was 400. I will check my notes.

 

[Huntingky]

With Christmas festivities, working on tractor Covid 19 etc., it has been real sketchy trying to get work done on the Mustang. I have just about finished up the new tunnel thought. I ran into a lot more work than expected though. First off, after bending it to shape, I decided to fit it slightly higher, which meant it didn't need to be as wide as I had made it. Ok, little loose, I can make it work. HA....I should have taken it back to the press and put some more bend in it. Then I started welding and there were a couple pops and creaks and it lost some of it's bend, widening out. OH DANG! It would not come in on the sides. After some pushing, sheet metal screws and some application of the proverbial BFH it was obvious I needed to come up with a solution. That 16 gauge steel was just too tough to bend. I did NOT want to grind all the welds. So, I ran down to local hardware store and bought a couple pieces of threaded rod, washers and nut to fit and got to work. I drilled holes in a couple 2x2 pieces of wood, matching holes in both sides of the tunnel. Then I ran the rod through both sides of the tunnel, and though the wood, one piece on each side. Once I had the washers and nuts on I now had a makeshift press and started tightening the nuts up, pulling the sides in. I over tightened in order to not just pull it in, but put a little bend in it and started welding. Once I got it welded in, I went back and welded up the slits I made to form the end and filled in the wholes I had drilled.
I just about have it finished, still needing to add a few beads, fill holes and do a little grinding.

 

[Dan Babb]

Homemade tools are the best. I’ve made a few for my project along the way.


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[Huntingky]

Well, no pictures, just an update. I have given up on the factory headers and placed an order for a set of Ultimate Headers.
The first time I was in Vegas, I left a restaurant one night and I could see my hotel in the distance. Why pay a cab when it was nice night for a walk and I could see my destination. Well, I walked and walked and walked and it seemed like forever before the hotel actually seemed closer. 45 minutes later I actually reached it. This is how I felt trying to fit the factory header on the passenger side. It seemed like just a little dimpling of the pipe, a little notch in the frame rail and I would be there but no matter how many tries, the goal seemed to just keep moving out of reach.
Finally figured it was basic geometry where a little movement of the inside of a circle, causes great movement to the outside and vise versa. I only needed a fraction of an inch to clear frame rail, I only needed a fraction of an inch to seat header flange. The flange was the inside of the circle and the pipes were the outside. A LOT of movement was needed on the pipe to close that small gap at the flange....sigh. Time to bite the bullet and place the order.
Also stopped fighting with factory CAI that comes with the Coyote. The Gen 3 needs a smooth airflow, gotta' have a box around the filter. Started to build one, decided to go ahead and order. The only one available to install a Gen 3 in older Mustang comes from Revology. Not cheap but not much more expensive than the other CAI's out there and utilized a reusable K&N filter.

 

[Boss5Oh]

I also choose the Ultimate Headers and worked with them on the design of the 471071 version. The 471071 fits much tighter to the PS of the block than the 471041 version.

I had not heard that the Gen 3 Coyote was highly sensitive to air flow around the filter. As a former Factory Five Cobra owner, I still spend a fair amount of time on their forums as there are many Coyote users there from all three generations. One of the best builders, Edwardb (Paul), has built a Gen 3 Coyote based FF Coupe. He has had a lot of communication with Ford Performance regarding his builds. I do not recall that Paul built a air box for his filter. I went back and checked, here is a link to Paul's build thread, note no shroud or box around the air filter.

Edwardb’s Gen 3 Type 65 Coyote Coupe #59 Build: Complete and Graduated - Page 4

April 2020: The build is completed! Table of Contents posted on last page. Link Time to start another build! This will be my fourth FF build, and the first one that doesn't look like a Roadster. I’ve always had my eye on the Type 65 Coupe. When Factory Five announced the Gen 3 Coupe, I...

thefactoryfiveforum.com

It might be worth it to join the factoryfiveforum.com and contact Paul. His car is finished and on the road, so if anyone knows about issues with the Gen 3 Coyote intake path, he would.

Also, the Factory Five Cobra I built had the 4.6L DOHC engine from a 2004 Mach 1 for power. I was having some cold running issues with a O2 sensor code that a tuner in SoCal diagnosed for me. He made the suggestion that I needed a shield in front of my air filter to block air from the electric fans from disturbing the air around the filter. I listened, but I never installed a shield. My car ran great and the idle speed never fluctuated when the fan kicked in. So maybe the box is needed, but not my experience with the older 4.6L.

 

[sessayan]

Yes, the desert view makes everything seem so close! Oddly, I am in Vegas as I read your post!!

 

[Huntingky]

I got the Revology CAI in yesterday and mocked it up last night which required me to install the top piece of radiator support and slide the radiator into place. A big magnet to support the airbox and bunch of zip ties and I took a moment to step back and envision how it will be when it finally comes together. Well, on with the story. It is well built unit, fits like a glove, in other words it is close. Now I just have to decide how to install it.
The back of the box has the opening into the fender well and has a pre-filter. The install instructions call for cutting out the inner fender and butt welding this into place. Then rivnuts are installed and the rest of the unit, the remaining 3 sides are bolted into place, attaching to the rivnuts. Earlier in the build I might have gone along with this. Maybe I still will. I am really thinking though that I may just go ahead and install the rivnuts in the original metal and bolt whole assembly to fender after cutting air hole. OR, I could just install the rivnuts in the original metal, cut an air passage and install the three sides directly to the fender well, forgoing the back of the box altogether. I could make my own plate to hold prefilter if I wanted to keep it.
Anyhow, I did go ahead and test assemble everything last night. Several reasons: it gives me better feel for final assembly and any issues, it lets me verify all the hardware is there and keeps it safe, AND it gives me more time to think about which direction I will take. I am really leaning towards just cutting my own air passage, forgoing the supplied box back section and bolting directly to existing inner fender metal.