BlueCASVO's 85 1D

[BlueCASVO]

A few of you can prb relate to the first pic - dash and heater/AC box removed. Needed new dash, because the old one was cracked bigtime in 8 places, and the heater needed a new heater core.

Second one is of the engine compartment. Had the intake out and mildly ported (sticking with the inline intakes, I hope), the upper is off until someone has a 65mm throttle body kit to sell. Turns out the PO installed one of those super-fantastic, ultra-high quality Chinese turbos...so it and the exman are coming off soon. Thinking about a merkurdepot exhaust header, it would be very easy to put an EGT in, and its a good price point.

Fixing wiring now, then on to suspension!

[BlueCASVO]

I HATE Wiring!!!

Still working on it. I had to repin the whole ECU, when the PO did the change from the 85 ECU to the LA3, he screwed up the wiring bad. Moved a total of 11 ECU pins, and only three of the required ones. He told me when I bought it that it wouldn't boost after the LA3 swap - no wonder, it was going into limp home mode I am sure.

All of the manuals I have don't show accurate color wires for the ECU pinout either (using stuff I downloaded form Chris Roth's reference directory on his site). After chasing down almost every wire to the ECU and where it went/came from, I also found the manuals to be wrong (for my particular car) on the color for 5 wires - it would say blue with a red stripe, and the real wire in my car was green with a gray stripe (anyone else ever ran into this?). Another thing, the manuals will say Y/LG (Yellow with Light Green stripe) when the wire is really Y/LG H (Yellow with Light Green Hash marks). That makes a difference when you have Y/LG, Y/LG H, and Y/LG D (dashes or dots) all in the same harness and the manual says Y/LG for all three.

So the pinout is now correct for an 85, and all the interior main harness is fixed where wires were crumbling and shorting out. That has taken two weekends, plus a week's worth of evenings, to do. Found eleven wires that had shorts - or potential shorts - in them, so I replaced the whole wire run. 7 went to the engine compartment. Pain in the rear!!! I am now down to the two mystery red wires that the PO cut, that are behind the glove box, and I can't find where they go yet...then redo the pin changes for the LA3 PROPERLY, add ACT, VSS, and datalink wire (going to try to find a tripminder in the junkyard), and then I will be DONE!

Few pics of the spaghetti, had to unwrap the ENTIRE thing...

[BlueCASVO]

Well,

Had to take a break to move, finish divorce, and other things that life needed to get done, and I finally got back to the 85 in the last few weeks.

Figured out all of the wiring finally, and started to get the dash back together. I added 87 power mirrors, and I got a complete dash out of an 86 convertible - they are hard to find in decent shape. I put the power mirror switch where the hole was for the power top switch.

Got all of the wires/sensors run for the Zeitronix wideband setup (EGT, wideband O2, rpm, etc), and have them all come out in the glove compartment.

I can't decide where to mount the Zeitronix wideband display, or even if I should. It looks cool, but strikes me as pretty useless, since instantaneous info really won't help much in tuning/tracking performance. The Zeitronix does do data logging well, that is much more useful. We'll see - am not a huge fan of having all kinds of gauges and crap all over the place.

So I will be wrapping up the wiring in the coming week or two, and then turn to finishing the engine compartment. Have been powder coating a lot of brackets and stuff to look pretty. I also installed a 65mm FRPP throttle body for a 95 GT, on the inline manifolds, and ported them just enought o clean them up, and open them a little. I learned you can't open the throttle body mount on the intake to 65mm without adding some material to the intake (SURPRISE, big holes in three places - ooops!)! I also had the stock exhaust ported when I had the hole drilled for the EGT. I went with the stock ex man, because I would still like it to pass smog, if possible.

Next is the FMIC and piping, which I started workin on this past week. I have decent fabrication skills, can weld, and have some tools for working with metal.

I decided to try doing my own custom FMIC. I am not totally regretting yet, but if I wasn't in it for $400, I would probably scrap it and go with a Stinger kit. Even with my skill, building brackets, measuring everything out, and making it look really good (I want it to look like the car came with it, not like a backyard drop-in), it's been really challenging. Since I do want to road race the car, everything has to be really solid. I wonder about any kit with A/C, I still haven't totally figured out how to get the IC, A/C condenser, and Radiator all in the same spot. I will most likely end up fab'ing some new brackets for the rad and condenser, and moving backward into the engine compartment about 3/4". Also, the power steering cooling line is in the way of my brackets, so I am going to end up rebending it, or making a new one.

Anyway, I have a new target date to finish, the Queen Mary show is September 20th. I am going to try to get this one done by then, so I can bring it and the 86 up for the show...we'll see what happens!

[Erics SVO]

Lookin' good!

[BlueCASVO]

Custom FMIC

Grrrrrr...So I took my FMIC tubes in to be welded, the compressor outlet one was easy, there were only three pieces. The other one was six, as it had to go around the radiator and A/C condenser, then line up straight to go to the throttle body. I decided not to weld the pipes myself, as I am not so good at welding the circumference of 2 1/2 inch pipes in six different pieces.

Picked them up just now, thinking, this will be sooooo cool, I can put them in, get the VAM back in, pick up a new rad tonight, and have it running.

Wrong. The six piece pipe was welded completely wrong, it angles right into the radiator, instead of around it. I was careful and put marks and numbers on every piece, thinking, with all of my marks you can only weld this one way, and thought it was foolproof. I guess I should have written my numerals in Spanish.

So I am going to take it home, try to cut out the offending pieces, and recut new pieces to be welded in correctly (thank god for big throated band saws). On the plus side, the welder insisted he welded all of the marks correctly (of course) but said if I cut new pieces and brought it back in, he'll weld them for free. Hopefuly it will be done by Friday, I need to get the 86 in the garage to do spark plugs, wires, and a new fuel pump this weekend - it has recently developed a loud whine, and a stumble at WOT.

So anyway, the morals of the custom FMIC story are: 1) universal piping kits and FMIC kits aren't, and rarely have all of the pieces you need, 2) with all of the welding, and taking into account every penny I have spent on a custom FMIC (pipes, IC, couplings, brackets, bolts, and clamps), I have spent almost exactly $100 more than I would have had I just bought the Stinger kit, and 3) this has taken about 3 times the amount of time to fab and install as I would likely have spent installing the Stinger kit. And, because of my beefy brackets and rock solid install, I will likely have to get a different size A/C condenser and rad (26" wide vice the stock 30"). On the plus side, once installed, it will look awesome, pipe lengths are the shortest possible runs with the fewest turns that I could figure out, and I have the personal satisfaction of doing it (mostly) myself.

Bottom line: if you are not really really good at fabricating aluminum, buy a proven kit from a vendor. THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS AN EASY CUSTOM FMIC INSTALL. I'll put up some pix when I get the pipe fixed.

[Meotchh]

Chuck can you just put a few spot welds on the piping when you have it mocked up in place?
That way you can bring it to El-Welder. That way he will have it exactly the way it goes together.

[BlueCASVO]

Thanks, Mitch, that's what I did last night. Cut it up, cut two new pieces, tack welded the whole thing, and took it back in for him to fix this morning. I don't think he can screw it up again...

[BlueCASVO]

FMIC is in!

Made good progress on getting the FMIC in, got the pipes done - right - and they fit perfectly. Picked up an aluminum radiator from Jegs, 24 inches by 19 inches, to leave space on the right side for the pipes. Had the pipes powdercoated gloss black, which I am doing with some of the other things under the hood.

I had managed to get the whole thing in, plumbed and finished without taking the bumper cover off, but while fitting the pipes I notcied that the header panel was broke into three pieces. so, I ended up taking the front end off anyway, to fix it.

I have most of the interior done as well, but didn't get pictrues of it, I will tomorrow.

[BlueCASVO]

Two more, this is with the bumper cover and header panel off.

Looks like I will be skipping the A/C condenser in order to try to make the Queen Mary show (it also is a custom piece to fit in the smaller space I now have to work with), so it won't go in until the fall. I need to make custom brackets for it, and I don't think I will have the time.

Now, on to body work, and get ready for paint!

[SVOeric]

looking good. my IC setup is very similar.

[Meotchh]

Nice work there Chuck.

You don't need AC down in SD, just roll down the windows & you're all set. I'll be sending in my registration this week. I hope you can get both cars there to QM13.

[BlueCASVO]

Wiring Almost done still lots to do!

So I have the premium fuel switch wire, the ACT signal return wire, and one other (I forget what it was for, it's brown with a stripe), and I am done.

So the car wiring has been heavily modded - more than the motor, which is kind weird - and all the additional wiring I ran in the factory wire runs, since I had them apart anyway. Wiring changes include:

1) 1987 Mustang power mirrors
2) A 2006 Ford/Donnelly auto day/night mirror with compass and outdoor temp gauge (Hey, my mercedes has this, and I am spoiled)
3) Zeitronix Wideband with EGT, display, user input from VAF, TPS and RPM, and datalogging. The datalog output will be finished into the glove box, so the wire isn't just hanging there like it is now.
4) Tripminder, with VSS (split, one output to the Zeitronix, one to the tripminder
5) most other wiring was changed over to 88 T-Bird - I had it all apart and had to replace a lot of wire, so I just did it. I am running an LA3 anyway. So the car has factory ACT, and DOL for the tripminder.
6) stock stereo wiring was removed completely, and new wiring was put in for an aftermarket unit.

I took a shot of my little custom throttle linkage bracket, that I had to make when I changed over to the 65mm Motorsport TB. I used the bracket that I got from Motion D awhile ago, but I still had to make this little piece for the linkage. The actual ball the linkage snaps on to is a holley carb linkage part I found at Summit.

So now the wiring is basically done, I am pulling out the entire interior. Am going to redo the seats, and put in new carpet a la the 86 last year - since the goal is to get it to the QM show, I thought I would try to make it look nice.

[BlueCASVO]

Wiring almost done part 2

I am going to convert it to MAF, and I have a Moates setup, but I don't know that it will get done in time for the Queen Mary show, so I am buttoning everything up with stock injectors, <10 lbs of boost, VAM, etc. I have a set of FIC 85 lb/hr injs and a Lightning MAF sitting on the shelf, but am not going to upgrade unless everything else gets done first.

I need to clean up the wiring/fuel lines/hoses against the firewall, and get the turbo coolant line underneath connected, and the engine compartment is pretty close to done.

I also found a really nice set of chromed 96 Ford Probe GT wheels in the junkyard, got them all for less than one of the KONIG rims I was looking to buy. I like the look of them, so I bought a set of cheap tires, and am polishing them up - I think they look pretty good - they are really good when you consider they were a factory Ford option.

So as you can see I Am also into the body work. Fortunately there are only door dings, which is good because although I am decent with bodywork, it is by no means my specialty, or favorite thing to do! There is one rust spot on the hatch, at the bottom of the window - pretty common I imagine - that I will have a pro body guy fix, since it is going to require cutting the section out (why the rear window is out). Other than that there is no body rust, so I am happy about that.

One other thing, I threw on a set of dropzone springs that I got from Mark/cometcyclonemk. I am not doing anything else to the suspension other than putting poly throughout, and I might get a set of caster/camber plates, depending on how much money I have left over for paint. I also have a set of motorsport C springs in a box that I picked up locally. I will write up later my impressions of the dropzones, and for comparison purposes may change them out for the C's, unless I am in love with the DZs.... which I doubt. But I got the DZ's cheap and figured I Would try them out. A lot of the honda guys like the DZ springs, and hate their coilovers. A lot of Mustang guys don't like the DZs, period. We'll see...

Well, off to take my daughter to the airport, she is flying to Colorado to see a couple of her friends for a week before starting college in the fall.

[BlueCASVO]

It's Alive!!!

I'm gonna call it Frankenstein.

Wiring is done, and everything works except the HEGO. Looking at the plug that the HEGO connects to, the green and black wires are missing insulation right at the plug, and some of the individual wires are broken. When I wiggled them the air fuel ratio flattened out to 15:1 - not perfect, but it is stable, and hence workable. So I will get a new plug from forced4, and install that - should make the intermittent problem go away.

Did KOEO and KOER, only code thrown (besides the 41 for the HEGO) was an 81. I am not sure what that one is exactly, but I am betting it is the BCS, since it is the only thing I did not convert to 88 TC wiring - just looked too hard. I had the KS connected, but I kept the inline intakes, so as soon as I ran the tests I disconnected it.

So, the engine looks like:

Rebuilt block bored .030 over, stock bottom end
Big valve ported head with ranger roller (for now - Bo-port 1.5 on the wish list)
Ported stock E6 with EGT sensor inline
3" downpipe, hi flow cat, flowmaster, 3" all the way back
Ported inline intakes
65mm FRPP throttle body
T3/T4 60 trim with .63 A/R
Custom FMIC with 2.5" piping
New TFI/PIP, Livewires, DUI coil, E3 plugs
Billet FPR set to 40 psi
Zeitronix ZT-2 wideband with datalogging on a new netbook

Car is on the ground, with poly bushings everywhere but the rear uppers, DZ springs, and new konis. The wastegate is a custom one I got off a ricer website, and set to 8 psi. If I have the time I will hook up a manual boost controller, but if not it is good enough to get to the Queen Mary show. I have to say, if the DZ springs suck, at least the ride height is perfect. The car is 1.5 inches lower which to me looks perfect.

I have a local kid that works at a body shop coming over tomorrow night to help with fixing all the wally world tattoos, and I will hopefully get it off to paint next week.

The car sounds awesome, with the T3/T4 hybrid, FMIC, and a full 3" exhaust. If it wasn't for the fact that the front and rear bumper covers were off - and no lights, etc - I would take it for a drive tonight to see how it does. It actually sounds mean, like it wants to eat something - maybe I'll feed it hondas.

The dash has been converted to blue led backlighting, to match the Zeitronix display and the Tripminder (both in blue/green). I was afraid it would look like something from Pimp My Ride, but it actually looks pretty cool. I never liked orange.

I will get some pics after we get the bodywork done, and post on Thursday.

[turbofiend31]

Wow, can't wait to see it Chuck.