Father, son and a V8

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LincolnLovin

Original Poster:

2,730 posts

217 months

Tuesday 25th March 2014
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The conversion is complete, all the parts are back on and the engine bay looks pretty stock:



All that was left was to charge her up and get her started, which proved to be more difficult than planned....but she lives!

Exhaust: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7K-GoqXOOWU&fea...

Engine bay: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sVGwQ-pGH0k&fea...

There are some small issues still to be resolved (leak from water pump, hunt/stall/CEL from lack of Mass Air Conversion) but otherwise we're looking good!

Edited by LincolnLovin on Tuesday 25th March 11:47

LincolnLovin

Original Poster:

2,730 posts

217 months

Tuesday 25th March 2014
quotequote all
I'm quietly hopeful that we'll be ready within the next week - looking forward to getting back on the road (and giving the car a wash!)

skyrover

12,668 posts

203 months

Tuesday 25th March 2014
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Looks great... any ideas on the power increase from stock?

LincolnLovin

Original Poster:

2,730 posts

217 months

Tuesday 25th March 2014
quotequote all
Stock is a tyre burning 150 bhp, this should take it to 225bhp but its running a restrictive exhaust setup so probably around the 200/210 area.

Next years upgrades are an explorer upper and lower intake, upgraded exhaust headers and a new straight through exhaust system which should take me to near 250hp (and the limit of the gearbox)

LincolnLovin

Original Poster:

2,730 posts

217 months

Tuesday 25th March 2014
quotequote all
Source of the coolant leak was an incorrect water pump gasket, which is a cheap fix thankfully!

DuncanM

6,109 posts

278 months

Tuesday 25th March 2014
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Just read the original post for the first time, so happy for you OP smile

skyrover

12,668 posts

203 months

Wednesday 26th March 2014
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LincolnLovin said:
Stock is a tyre burning 150 bhp, this should take it to 225bhp but its running a restrictive exhaust setup so probably around the 200/210 area.

Next years upgrades are an explorer upper and lower intake, upgraded exhaust headers and a new straight through exhaust system which should take me to near 250hp (and the limit of the gearbox)
excellent... should make the car far nicer to drive. No doubt a bit more shove from the torque as well.

LincolnLovin

Original Poster:

2,730 posts

217 months

Wednesday 26th March 2014
quotequote all
Indeed though I believe that the gearing and higher torque curve will make a little slower off the line but guess ill find out when I drive her

LincolnLovin

Original Poster:

2,730 posts

217 months

Thursday 27th March 2014
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Ok so water pump is cleaned back up and the new gasket should arrive today, so that will be going on tonight. Which leaves the final issues: the check engine light is on and whilst the car idles and returns to idle fine - when pulling up to a stop it dies.

As we've replaced most of the sensors and the egr valve all signs point to the TPS needing adjustment or replacement.

Fingers crossed we can adjust it, as if the pump issue is sorted we are good for an MOT!

Edited by LincolnLovin on Thursday 27th March 09:26

LincolnLovin

Original Poster:

2,730 posts

217 months

Sunday 30th March 2014
quotequote all
The saga continues!

So when we last left off we suspected the TPS was causing the check engine light to come on.

The TPS was dead but luckily had a spare in my big box of bits so with that adjusted the hope was that the CEL would be banished....

Unfortunately not - pulling the codes from the ECU informed us that the computer was none to pleased about the lack of a MAS and had flicked the yellow light of doom as a result.

Whilst this conversion can run fine with the air density (me either) setup of the town car it needs an older mustang ECU, sadly the one I bought is from an 89 car so will need a MAS before it runs correctly.

Luckily I had thought ahead and sourced a MAS, however the wiring setup is different so needs a kit to work (typical).

I have one on order from the states, in the meantime I need to source a cone filter as the stock setup won't fit properly with the MAS installed.

skyrover

12,668 posts

203 months

Sunday 30th March 2014
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it's always the little fiddly things that slow you down eh?

Actually rebuilding the motor takes half the time as sorting the wiring out hehe

LincolnLovin

Original Poster:

2,730 posts

217 months

Sunday 30th March 2014
quotequote all
Wiring the MAS in and sorting out the new air intake should take about 3 hours and then we're done, so it's not the end of the world

LincolnLovin

Original Poster:

2,730 posts

217 months

Tuesday 1st April 2014
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All ready for the boy racer K&N cone filter:



The water pump has still not sealed properly and continues to leak, it points to both gaskets being incorrect. I've ordered some more and Chris has kindly offered to take off the water pump and replace them for free.

New parts ordered:

Cone filter £40
MAS wire conversion kit from eBay $40
Two new water pump gaskets $9
Rotor arm £3.17
Distributor cap £12

LincolnLovin

Original Poster:

2,730 posts

217 months

Thursday 3rd April 2014
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Test fitted the k&n air filter, some might say that I am trying to compensate for something:


cobra kid

4,906 posts

239 months

Thursday 3rd April 2014
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Frigging love it. Keep it going.

Troubleatmill

10,210 posts

158 months

Thursday 3rd April 2014
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LincolnLovin said:
Test fitted the k&n air filter, some might say that I am trying to compensate for something:

Bit limp looking. Chin up.

LincolnLovin

Original Poster:

2,730 posts

217 months

Thursday 3rd April 2014
quotequote all
Well having it in a more...ahem proud look may cause it to foul on the bonnet.

We all have our crosses to bear.

LincolnLovin

Original Poster:

2,730 posts

217 months

Friday 4th April 2014
quotequote all
So with the induction schlong test fitted it was time to get a bracket made to make sure its ample girth didn't snap something when the car was moving.











All in it looks pretty good, as I'm waaaay over budget due to the unexpected exhaust work, Chris made a functional bracket rather than a pretty one.

In other news my sensor wiring kit and water pump gaskets are currently with a San Francisco based colleague who is heading over to the UK. There was a slight drama as wasn't sure if the FedEx truck would arrive before they departed for the airport - cue refreshing the beautiful tracking page for three house straight wink

So next the water pump has to come off, old gaskets need to be removed, surfaces cleaned than then the new ones put on. Hopefully this will stop the slight weep from the pump, speaking of weeping it looks like the front oil sump continues to leak - it appears that the thread in the sump is screwed so it will need to be sealed up until I can source a replacement.

Then all thats left to do is wire in the MAS, set the timing and take to the MOT station.

Edit - 12 pages!

spitfire4v8

3,990 posts

180 months

Friday 4th April 2014
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Excellent topic smile
Loved reading your opening post .. sounded just like me looking all these years for the Stag my dad owned back in 1977. Eventually it popped up on ebay just 3 miles down the road from me. I don't believe in fate, but ..
It now sits in my garage next to my Spitfire (in bits!) that I've had since mum and dad bought it for me when I was 14.
I had a tear in my eye reading some of the posts in the early pages.

What a cracking thread!

Troubleatmill

10,210 posts

158 months

Friday 4th April 2014
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[quote=LincolnLovin
Then all thats left to do is wire in the MAS, set the timing and take to the MOT station.

[/quote]

Good luck fella!