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ENCYCLOPEDIA FOR FFR ASSEMBLYBy John Minton 15 Feb 2003 TABLE OF CONTENTS
·
BATTERY
·
BODY PREPARATION AND
PAINTING
·
BRAKES
·
COOLING
·
ENGINE
·
EXHAUST
·
FINISHES
·
GAUGES
·
HEATER
·
MAINTENANCE
·
PEDALS
·
REAR END
·
ROLL BAR
·
SEATS
·
SUPPLIES
·
STEERING
·
TOOLS
·
WIPERS TOE IN ADJUSTMENT The adjusters, no matter whose kit, are not incorrectly machined. They
are incorrectly named! They (we) call them couplers. The coupler is assembled
to the rod end and held with the jam nut. On our coupler, there is a hex
section for the purpose of tightening the jam nut. When assembled, the unit is
the same as a standard outer tie rod end, with right hand female threads. Front Suspension Do It Yourself Alignment Article, http://www.ffcobra.com/FAQ/irs.html Front End Alignment Specs: (GL) "Align it to 1 degree neg camber, 4 degrees pos caster, 0 toe. I am assuming you are using 17" tires. Tire pressures should be 23psi front and 27psi rear on a good gauge." - Solid axle car. [FFR]:
Camber Simplified Camber is the tilt of the tire as viewed from the front of the car. If the top of the tires lean toward the center of the car then you have negative camber. If the top of the tire tilts out away from the center of the car then you have positive camber. Adjusting camber can have a dramatic effect on the cornering of your car. Most oval track racers run negative camber on the right side of the car and positive camber on the left. Optimum camber settings will result in more speed and ideal tire wear. Camber is measured with a caster camber gauge and is usually easily adjusted with shims or adjustable upper a-arms. Always check the toe when making camber or caster adjustments. The amount of static camber that you should run is a result of testing, pyrometer measurements, front suspension geometry and discussions with your car builder. Remember that poor camber settings will cause excessive tire wear. Camber settings set to extremes can reduce the braking ability of the car. Caster Simplified To understand caster you need to picture an imaginary line that runs from through the upper ball joint and extends through the lower ball joint. From the side view the imaginary line will tilt forward or backward. The tilting of this imaginary line is defined as caster. Caster is measured in degrees by using a caster camber gauge. If the imaginary line described above tilts towards the back of the car, at the top, then you will have positive caster. If the imaginary line tilts forward then you would have negative caster. Positive caster provides the directional stability in your racecar. Too much positive caster will make the steering effort difficult. Power steering will allow you to run more positive caster. Negative caster requires less steering effort but can cause the car to wander down the straightaway. For oval track racing most racers run more positive caster on the right side tire than on the left. The caster split helps pull the car down into the turn, helps the car turn in the center and helps it stay hooked up on exit. How much caster should you run? The amount and split depends on the type of car and track conditions. The details should be worked out with your car builder and through testing. Toe Simplified Toe is the pointing in or pointing out of the front wheels as viewed from the top of the car. If the front wheels point in, toward the engine, at the front edge of the wheels then you have toe in. If the front wheels point out at the front edge then you have toe out. In general, racecars are set with a small amount of toe out. The toe out provides directional stability. Toe out pulls on the tie rods taking out the tiny clearances that are built into the tie rod ends. Depending on the type of car typical toe readings are 1/16" to ¼" out for tracks under ½ mile in length. Toe should be checked often as any contact with other cars or retaining walls is likely to change your toe setting. Changes in ride height can have an effect on toe as well. Toe can be set with a pair of toe plates that are rested on the sidewalls of the tires. A tape is placed on the toe plates in front of the tire and an additional tape behind the tire. When using toe plates a smaller tape reading on the back tape indicates toe out. For a very precise reading you can scribe a line in each front tire. Use a tire scribe and spin each of the front tires to get your straight line. You can then measure between the two scribed lines with a tape measure or with a toe bar. As with toe plates, a smaller measurement at the backside of the tire indicates toe out. Some racers use a toe bar to measure the toe that lies against the sidewall on one side of the racecar. On the other side, this toe bar extends past the sidewall by a few inches. A tape is used to measure from the toe bar back to the sidewall. When this system is used a smaller tape reading at the front of the tire indicates toe out. You will notice that this is opposite the two other methods described above. Setting Toe Properly You will get better more consistent results adjusting your toe in settings if you go the extra mile to eliminate variables. You must first decide which technique that you plan to use to take the measurements. Each technique offers different benefits and drawbacks. The methods discussed here will be the Toe Plate method, Toe Bar Method and Tire Scribe Method. If you understand each toe setting technique you will be assured of repeatable results. Before you begin taking measurements you must insure that the car is race ready. Ride heights set, weight percentages correct, driver weight accounted for, bump steer set, camber and caster set, Ackerman set, air pressure set, stagger correct....you get the idea. You should also inspect the steering components and replace any that are worn or bent. Center up the steering before you begin. Center the drag link or rack so that the inner control pivots and inner tie rods are centered to each other. Tie rod lengths should be adjusted to match you lower control points if possible. String the right side of the car to line up the right front to the right rear. By lining up the right side and starting with the right front in line with the right rear you will eliminate any Ackerman effect that is in the car. If the wheels are turned away from straight when you take your toe measurement the Ackerman effect can add toe out that will not be present when the wheels are straight ahead. Take the time to string the right side and you will get more precise results. Make sure to settle the car and roll it forward just before taking a reading. By rolling forward the caster in the car will pull the front wheels take any clearance in your suspension components all in one direction. Be sure not to let the car roll back after you have rolled it forward. By rolling the car forward each time you will get more accurate repeatable results. Be sure to roll the car back then forward after each adjustment to relieve any pressure in the tire and suspension components. When taking toe measurements that utilize the side wall it is a good idea to spin each front tire and mark the high spots on the side wall with a piece of chalk. Jack up the car and spin the RF wheel. Hold a piece of chalk on a jack stand about 1/8" away from the sidewall. Spin the tire and see if the chalk hits anywhere on the sidewall. If the chalk does not leave a mark then move the chalk gradually closer until you get marks on the high spots. Then find the uniform spots on the side wall and orient the tire so that those points will touch the Toe bar or toe plate when the car is on the ground. Lower the car and repeat the process on the other side. Toe Plate Method: Toe plates offer fast and easy measurement of the front end alignment. When using toe plates be sure to have the toe plates resting flat on the ground and centered on the tire. You should always be sure to have the toe plates flat against the side wall. Make sure that the plate is up against the side wall evenly on both sides. Air up the tires so that there is not a bulge at the bottom of the tire in the center due to under inflation. Go the extra mile and mark the high spots of the side wall with chalk. Use a tape measure to check the back of the tire and the front between toe plates. The toe plate method should give you a smaller number at the back of the tire if you want to have toe out. Remember that any bent wheels or imperfections in the side wall will affect your settings. Toe Bar Method: When using a toe bar make sure that the toe bar is held in the same place on the side wall each time on both sides of the car. Make sure that the toe bar is straight up and that equal pressure is place both front and back. Chalk the wheels and take your measurements. Measure the difference from the toe bar to the side wall on the back and on the front. To have toe out you will need to see a larger measurement on the back side of the tire. This is opposite of the toe plate and Tire Scribe measurement techniques. Any wheel run out or side wall imperfections will have an effect on your readings. Tire Scribe Method: Start by scribing a line in each front tire. By spinning the tire and scribing a line with a tire scribe you will take out any variables to bent wheels or side wall wobbles. Measure the front and back of the tire. A smaller number at the back side of the tire will produce toe out. Regardless of the method used you should use care to adjust the tire rods equally so as to keep the geometry of the front end correct. Be sure to tighten all jamb nuts and other steering components as well as visually inspecting the steering system. All three methods can give you good results if you take your time and eliminate as many variables as possible. RIVETING I've been reading Carroll Smith's book, "Nut's Bolts, Fasteners,
and Plumbing Handbook". He devotes an entire section on rivets and
riveting techniques - a subject near and dear to our hearts. Also a subject
that I didn't know there was so much to know about! Using 1/8" drill bits instead of #30 bits: a constant aggravation. (Forrest 1) On a side note we never use 1/8 in bits, we use #30s as they are .03
larger than an 1/8 and make for almost never having to redrill a hole. Richard
Oben) If I may suggest an inexpensive alternative to all the welding and
epoxying being suggested, I just used 1/8" stainless rivets instead of
the cheezy aluminum ones. I realize that the silicone does the work of
bonding, but the steel rivets pulled everything together more tightly before
snapping than the aluminum ones did. I was also careful to run a thin
(1/8") bead of silicone right across the rivet holes, so it sealed them
up as it spread across the joint area. I used GE silver colored silicone and
it actually looks pretty good. If you have some cheesecloth and denatured
alcohol handy, the GE stuff cleans right up when fresh. You can use the cloth
and alcohol to fillet all the joints and clean up excess silicone. It cleans
up better when fresh than it does dry. (Joe Leone) RIVNUTS My son thinks I must have stock in the rivnut company. Every time I
look at something I wonder if it would work better with a rivnut. RIVNUTS are super little gizmos. But, like all things mechanical, there
are a few tricks you'll want to use. Don't over pull them, because the threads
rip out pretty easily. Just before you put them in for the final time, put a
little dab of JB Weld or epoxy on them. Once they are installed, the JB Weld
will act like a "key" so they won't spin. Finally, before you mount
whatever it is you are using these for, run a screw or tap through to
straighten out any threads that distorted during the installation. (Joe Leone) DRIVER FOOTBOX ALUMINUM ASSEMBLY ORDER The "book" says that after installation of the donor pedal box , the builder should seal and rivet the front driver foot-box panel...if this is done....it would make it impossible to install the rest of the driver foot-box aluminum....is this a mistake in the book (page 53 step 8) or am I misreading the instructions? (Gordon Levy replies) Install the front, inside and bottom of the
drivers foot box. Leave off the top and the outside panel until you are ready
to install the body. BUILD SEQUENCE I installed the all rear cockpit aluminum (the big piece) before I
installed the upper trunk floor. Fortunately, I had Russ's trunk kit - so I
was able to cut out the hoop and get the piece in that way. (John Hudson) Was very careful in aligning, drilling, and clecoing all of the aluminum for the foot boxes and floorboards before riveting. Everything was perfect until I tried to install the front vertical piece that ties both sides together. Lots of flexing of that piece to finally get it to fit (it actually cracked on one corner). If I had it to do over I would definitely include that vertical piece in the alignment process before doing any riveting. (David Douglas) TREATING ALUMINUM PANELS I'm using a process from the aircraft industry which is quite simple and inexpensive. Etch and alodine. Both processes are water based, easy to do and provide corrosion protection. The chemicals can be obtained from any of the aircraft suppliers. The only drawback is that the aluminum takes on a slightly gold tint when done...doesn't bother me. E-mail if you need a source for the chemicals. (Bob G) BATTERY FLOAT CHARGER On the boat, and I will do this on the Cobra build as well, I installed a 12V accessory jack directly to the battery through a 10 amp fuse, nothing else on the circuit. I then bought the charger that Wal mart sells, (small black potted unit for about $23) and wired a standard 12V plug to it. When I put the boat away for a time, I just plug into the jack and leave the charger on. It charges the battery to float voltage, then a red LED comes on to indicate a full charge. The last set of batteries I bought for the boat are over five years old now and still going strong. (Rick Harper) I use one on my Optima battery. In fact, I just
posted on another thread the advantage of having a power outlet connected
directly to the battery on the rear cockpit wall. I can use the battery
disconnect switch and cut of the rest of the system while I use my trickle
charger to keep the battery topped off (John Hudson) Uses a model called Battery
Tender. DOOR PANEL TIP I used 5/32" hardboard treated for waterproofing. This can be found at your local upholstery shop. The foam was about 1/16" or so and then vinyl over that. Cushy soft.(WeenDoggy) PREFERRED METHOD OF PLUMBING DEFROSTER VENTS http://www.cobraforum.com/yabbse/index.php?board=1;action=display;threadid=3276;start=0 HOMEMADE DEFROSTER DUCT I couldn't figure out any
way to get a standard plastic defroster fitting to fit behind my AutoMeters,
so I crafted my own fiberglass ductwork. Not real purty, but it seems to work
ok. FIREWALL INSULATION That Home Depot stuff is Mylar coated polyethylene intended for
household use. It might make you feel good thinking you've provided some heat
protection, but only real heat shielding will do the job right. You need a
double faced aluminum/ceramic fiber sandwich at least 3/16" thick to
provide heat resistance 2" from the headers. I did the foot boxes,
firewall and tunnel with such a product and the floors with a 1/2"
automotive sound barrier. I only used the Home Cheapo crap for the rear
bulkhead to provide a little extra cushioning. Here's a good starting point,
but there are many other sources. BRAKE VENT BOOTS http://www.ffcobra.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=013293 (Cobra Earl) CARPET UNDERLAYMENT I think I'll go Thermo-tec on the foot boxes/firewall, Dynamat on the floors and transmission tunnel, and the Home Depot roof stuff on the rear wall. How much of the Thermo-Tec insulation should I buy for the foot boxes and firewall? How much Dynamat should I buy for the floors and trans tunnel. No problem with the Home Depot stuff as I could do the house for $100.(Tom ) CLEAR FENDER GUARDS http://www.clubcobra.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=17840&highlight=rear+fender+guard+clear HOOD AND TRUNK LIFT SHOCKS Actually Excalibur did all the science... TIP FOR MOUNTING INTERIOR DOOR FINISH PANELS Use "Christmas tree" type studs into predrilled holes DOOR PULLS Europa Specialist Spares, UK... page 17... item stock
number (BSGH)... Chrome swivel grab handles (2) @ £11.00 ea = £22.00 =
$35.20 + shipping and handling (Back in August 2000). They’re a little
pricey... but they do the job... in keeping with the vintage style of the
chrome MGB/carriage door latches (they’re probably more reliable too). (Bob
Aruba) FOOTBOX VENTS The ducts I used were from Lefthander chassis, (815)389-9999. They are 5x9.75 and available with 3" hole centered or offset. Part #102-7009 is offset and 102-7022 is centered. Trimming is required to fit the face to the curved opening, then glass it in. $18.00 each, ask for a catalog...400 pages of good stuff! You can go into Portland to Race Central, <http://www.racepartsnow.com/>,
and they have lots of ducts that you could rig up behind the front end. Cobra Restorers Ltd sells fresh air accessories......every thing you need. I just installed aluminum blast gates from Grizzly and will use 3"
aluminum flex tube to the brake vent holes. I have not gotten to the
connection at the front yet but will probably use modified heat duct if I
can't find something in fiberglass. SEAT BELT SHOULDER HARNESS ANGLE Seriously! Use your shoulder belts! But mount them correctly! We’re
talking about incredible G-force loading should you ever experience an
unexpected frontal impact, which can be (read) thousands of pounds for a
typical male 170-250 pounds. And to contribute to minimal spinal compression
injuries attempt to make sure the belts are at the very least mounted at least
5 degrees above the shoulder line to eliminate compressive forces in a frontal
impact. TIP FOR TRUNK CARPET TEMPLATES If you are planning on upholstering the interior of the trunk, and you
are not planning on buying one of the precut carpet kits, I've got a tip for
you. BEFORE you install the aluminum trunk floor pieces, take 5 minutes and
make a template of them...complete with all the holes for roll bar and belt
mounts. It's five minutes that'll save an hour or two of trying to make
templates by cutting little bits of poster board around all the obstructions. SHORTENED ROLL BARS I shortened mine by about 2.5", and I think it's still more than
2" above my head. The original front mounting points stayed where they
were, but the rear mounting stub had to be moved forward about 3" to fit
without rebending anything. I can give you exact measurements as to the length
of the uprights and diagonal if you want. Once the cuts are made, you simply
slice the rear stub off the frame with a sawzall and move it forward until it
fits the diagonal brace and weld it there. You also need to relocate the hole
in the body, but that's just trial and error. Joe Leone) INSTALLING SEATS I have the Sube Cobra Classics and love 'em. I always felt like I was
sitting on a barstool in the FFR seats and got a sore back after a few hours.
With my new seats I've driven eight hours straight no problem. Like others
said, you should pay $190 from any Sube dealer, not $250. I bought mine
through Whitby. HOOD HINGE MODIFICATION http://www.cobraforum.com/yabbse/index.php?board=1;action=display;threadid=3175;start=0 I used the hinge from onlinecobra.com to do both trunk and hood. Easy
install and works great.(Joe Leone) WIND WING ATTACHMENT I'm about ready to start the install of my Wind Wings. However I
remember reading earlier that people recommend not useing the existing screws
in the windshield frame for attaching the Wings. My instructions say to do
just that. What is the reason not to use these screws? (Duane FFR2704) The screws that hold the sides of the windshield on are threaded into brass (about 2 threads). Drill new holes (at the same place just toward the rear) and put nuts and bolts on the wing window mounts. This will make them fit nicer too. (Jeff Hamilton ) Best bet is to drill and tap threads. I found that easier and less
stressing because I did not have to worry about cracking my windshield. For a
flush fit, one can cut the supplied bolts to length and avoid using the acorn
nuts on the inside of the frame. (Jose Borja) Of note, Bill has a good method to avoid cracking the wind wings and visors. He uses nylon washers on both sides of the wings. This goes a long way in preventing any cracking. (Duane FFR2704) THROTTLE PEDAL Russ Thompson's pedal is highly recommended.
Contact him at rtcobra@attbi.com FENDER WELL GUARDS I put "Devinicel" or something similar to that word inside my
wheel wells while building my new car. It's foam sheet, scribed into 1"
squares, so you can form it to the contour of the inner fender. You glue it
down, then glass over it. There are some pics at Foam
inner fender <http://www.webscando.com/phoenix/phoenix15.htm>
and a written description of that procedure is somewhere in the build diary,
hey I just found it: Foam install
<http://www.acuraworld.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=676&perpage=20&pagenumber=4>
go to the 6-16-02 entry. I'm sorry I don't know the exact name of the material
used; it came from my fiberglass expert friends, but it's available at
fiberglass supply shops. 8,000 miles so far on my new car with no visible
fender damage, even over lots of dirt roads. Hope that helps. John Phillips) UNDERCOAT TIP For those undercoating their cars with truck bed liner products here is
a good tip... Complete the under-liner first prior to painting the body. I did
it the opposite way and taped off all openings real nice like so the shiny
part would not be not so shiny. Turns out the underside of these bodies are
real porous and the bed liner product soaks in like a sponge. Any pinholes or
thin spots (mine were around wheel openings and headlight openings) bled up
through the shiny side. If you were to apply the under side first the body
prep to the top layer would cover the black.. My fix was with a small detail
spray gun and it was a pain in the but! Joe ) Body Work Steps PRIMING no real reason to use an epoxy primer over the glass, and definitely
not over the body filler. PPG used to recommend priming anything that you
worked on first with DP primer. then do your filling over it. I cannot get
their old DP primer here in Cal, only their DP LF (lead free) version. definitely
don't use it over or under your filler. anyhow, do your bodywork, fill as many
pinholes as you can find, then prime with Featherfil. block sand that, and
re-fill any leftover pinholes. if you are satisfied with the work, prime again
with k-36. if not, do some more filling and fairing work. it's ok to do minor
filling over Featherfil. anyhow, when it seams pretty smooth and wave free,
prime with k-36, 2-3 coats. the k-36 will seal in the polyesters and give the
body a smooth surface. block sand that with 280, then follow up with 400. if
you don't burn through, you won't need to seal it. if you do, just shoot one
final coat of k-36 reduced 10% with urethane reducer. sand it with 600 and
you're ready for paint. good luck, cheers, SRP SANDING BLOCK RECOMMENDATION I use a sanding block made by Dura-block. it is high density foam
rubber and it's about 1" in diameter. Eastwood sells the assortment of
blocks including this one for $50. cheers, SRP BODY PREPARATION VIDEO To order, please send $15 to: WHEEL WELL COATING I used the brush on bed liner. It worked very well. Although brushing it
on takes longer I felt that I could do a neater job and not worry about over spray. Be sure and paint on a good coat of black epoxy to seal the glass surface
before spraying/rolling the bed liner in the arches to seal the glass
surfaces. If you do not do this, when stones or whatever loosens the liner it
will create a void that will possibly fill with moisture that can possibly
capillary thru to cloud the glass/paint at that point, depending on the amount
of FGRP crazing. UNDERBODY PAINT I bought a gallon of paint on bed liner from Wal-Mart. The body is yellow
w/ white stripes and the black wheel wells look great. Even better the stuff
really works. It prevents any kind of road abrasion. I did the entire under
body. SEAM FILLER I know why you want to use the flox and balloons since it's what you know. I thought the same thing before I started my seams. Don't worry about it. Do it SRP's way. Just get the 3M blister repair to fill the groove, and the Rage to do the top and shape it all out. It's just as easy (easier actually) than working with the epoxy, flox, and micro balloons. A couple of weekends and you'll be 90% done with the seams. (Advil) I use Featherfil. some guys use slick sand, some use K-36 or K-200. if
the body guy is comfortable using his product, it should be fine. just make
sure that he doesn't change the seam filler. use only west system's epoxy, or
3m Vinyl ester repair filler. if he uses any other product for the main part
of the fill, he will be re-doing it in a couple months. good luck, and as
always, Cheers, (SRP) I use Rage Gold. it matches the gel coat better than the 3m fairing
filler. gel coat is polyester based. the main lay-up of the body is vinyl ester,
hence the reason to use the vinyl ester for any deep filling. fair it out with
Rage Gold. it sands easier and costs quite a bit less. cheers, (SRP) Don't go much deeper than 1/8". also make sure you taper the ground out area to avoid a sharp edge at the top. sharp edges picture. neither the flox or micro balloons are like Rage Gold. Hetonite and talc is what is in Rage Gold. both are compatible though if you plan to use Rage Gold over west systems. cheers, (SRP) It is this stuff, called High strength repair filler #046014 a unique vinyl ester formulation. cheers, (SRP) SRP, After many calls and visits to a few marine supply stores, I
picked up 3M Marine Blister and Repair Filler #46013. In your earlier response
you mentioned using #46014. Are you aware of any big difference between the
two? Can I use the 46013 to bond my hood hoop? It may seem trivial but I
rather not be picking my hood up off the road. (Vermont Cobra) The item number is different on the quantity: HOOD HINGE BONDING Oldguy, use the blister repair filler for your bonding agent. if you
prefer to avoid using mat, then do the following. drill 4 to 6 1/4" holes
in the plates that will attach to the body, (assuming you're using some type
of different hood or trunk hinges than FF). the on the side not being bonded,
use a countersink and taper those holes out to about 3/8". grind the back
of the plates with a 40 grit disk. sand the corresponding area of the body
with 80 grit as well. then, using the blister repair filler, bond the plates
in place. the filler will ooze out the holes you drilled. spread the filler
over the tapered hole. when it cures, it will not be removable, so make sure
you have it right. hope this helps, Cheers, (SRP) FIBERGLASS CRACK REPAIR Ouch, materials: 3mblister repair filler or Mar-glass, Rage or Rage
Gold body filler, die grinder with 40 grit grinding disc or dremel tool, wax
and grease remover or Comet, 40 grit, 80 grit, 180 grit, and 400 and 1000 wet
or dry paper. urethane primer, fiberglass mat, either polyester or vinyl ester
resin with catalyst, adhesion promoter Dupont 222s(if you are going to attempt
a blend), base color, clear coat. ok you need to make sure there's no wax on
the surface, so clean with wax and grease remover, or comet/scotchbrite and
hot water. find the end of the crack and drill a 1/8" hole through the
body to stop the crack from going any further. with a die grinder and a 40
grit disc grind the crack into a V shape. then sand the surface about 2"
beyond the crack with 80 grit. if the car was painted you will want to have an
area about 1/2" on either side of the crack down to bare glass tapering
out through the layers of gel coat, primer and paint to about 2-3". blow
off any dust, and place masking tape on either side of the crack so that only
the bare glass and crack are exposed. fill to just below level with 3m blister
repair filler if you can find it, or Mar-glass. remove the tape and let cure.
scuff the filler with 40 grit and skim coat the area with Rage or Rage Gold
body filler. you will want to scuff sand the back of the crack at this point
with 40 grit. make sure the area is clean before you scuff. cut a
2"x4" piece of mat, mix up the resin and lay-up one layer of resin
and mat. go back to the rage and rough shape it with 40 grit, final shape with
80 grit, and then final sand it with 180. sand the surrounding area about
6" diameter) with 400 wet). then prime. let it set a few days. sand the
primer with 400 wet, if the shape is good, then sand about a 12" area
with 1000grit wet. now you're ready for a blend. if you need this info, let me
know and I'll walk you through it as well. cheers, (SRP) BONDED PLATES FOR BODY MOUNTING I'm torn between two choices here. One the one hand, I'd be happy to
leave the bolts as the primary fastening if I could get a really trick looking
bolt. On the other hand, it'd be nice to have no bolts at all. Do you think 3M
Blister repair is strong enough to bond stud plates to the inside of the body?
I figured I could make up the plates (with plenty of holes), bolt the plates
to the correct orientation, and then bond them to the finished body. I
intended to use nuts on both side of the frame mounting plate instead of
spacers, so I could jack the body stud plates right into position before
bonding. What's your opinion? (Joe Leone) That's precisely what I do. make sure you have them where you want
them, once the blister repair filler cures, you would have to cut them off.
also, do it before you paint. the blister repair filler generates quite a lot
of heat when curing. it could bubble the paint. cheers, (SRP) I use a piece of 1.5" x 6" 1/8" steel with 2 5/16"
studs welded to it for each one. Cheers, (SRP) SRP LONG BOARDS As for long boards, I use several. if I catch the filler as it is curing
and not too hard, I use an 18"durablock with stick it paper. if the
filler is hard, I use a 18" aluminum shoed board. it has a thin layer of
holy rubber on the paper side with a handle. if it is really hard, I use
either my air file, or orbital air board by Hutchins. I use a shorter block
for the tight areas, about 6-9" long, and a round block for the inside
curves. those are made by Durra Block. good luck, (SRP) ROLLED BODY EDGES http://www.ffcobra.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=24;t=000062#000002 UNDERCOAT TIP For those undercoating their cars with truck bed liner products here is
a good tip... Complete the under-liner first prior to painting the body. I did
it the opposite way and taped off all openings real nice like so the shiny
part would not be not so shiny. Turns out the underside of these bodies are
real porous and the bed liner product soaks in like a sponge. Any pinholes or
thin spots (mine were around wheel openings and headlight openings) bled up
through the shiny side. If you were to apply the under side first the body
prep to the top layer would cover the black.. My fix was with a small detail
spray gun and it was a pain in the but! Joe ) BODY SEAMS like John said, I use 3m's vinyl ester line. I use the blister repair filler for the main seam work, then follow up with Rage. I haven't used the premium vinyl ester filler, but I'm sure it would work fine. I use Rage for the fairing after the main seam work, as it more closely matches the first primer that I use which is Featherfil. either way will work, but make sure your main fill is with a vinyl ester filler. cheers, SRP this is the stuff. part # 046014 by 3m marine. cheers, SRP PAINT PRODUCTS Use Rage Gold for final fairing. Featherfil or Slicksand for you major
blocking. if you can get it, move on to PPG k-36 for your final prime and
block. I use Dupont color and clear, although I don't like most of their VOC
compliant primers and I can't get K-36 either. I use Spies 2k primer, but any
high quality 2k urethane primer will work for that step. block it with 280 and
then seal. scuff sand the seal coat with 600 then spray. hope this helps,
cheers, SRP RAGE GOLD FAIRING FILLER Is this the stuff you use? If so, how much do I need to do the new body?
The guy that is going to paint mine also said I need to get some 2 pat epoxy
stuff to finish it...any idea what he may be taking about? Rage
Gold <http://shop.papaint.com/browse.cfm/2,148.html> LONG BOARD RECOMMENDATION I would keep it in the house so that the temp stays around 60-70d. if
it gets too cold or too warm, it will separate and get lumpy. as for long
boards, I use several. if I catch the filler as it is curing and not too hard,
I use an 18"durablock with stick it paper. if the filler is hard, I use a
18" aluminum shoed board. it has a thin layer of holy rubber on the paper
side with a handle. if it is really hard, I use either my air file, or orbital
air board by Hutchins. I use a shorter block for the tight areas, about
6-9" long, and a round block for the inside curves. those are made by Durra
Block. good luck, SRP GUIDE COAT PAINT Use only lacquer based paint in a rattle can for guide coat. PAINT QUANTITY I normally use 3 quarts, but buy a gallon for the main color. 1 quart
for the stripes, and a gallon of clear, plus the activator and reducer.
cheers, SRP SPRAY GUN FOR PRIMER also, yes a cheapo for your primer works good. Harbor Freight has a
Central pneumatic that is decent for primer. about $75. cheers, SRP PAINT RECOMMENDATIONS You will want to lay down 3-4 coats of base. the key is having the
primer/sealer the correct shade for the topcoat. with yellow, your starting
shade should be VS-1(dupont)which is a very light shade of gray, almost white.
yellow is very transparent, so make sure that the body is a solid shade before
spraying the color. if you are striping, do the body color first and lay one
coat of clear. sand 600/mask stripes, and spray the stripes. this way you are
not trying to cover a different shade with the yellow. hope this makes sense.
you will want 3 full coats of clear on the final clear coat. buy a gallon of
base and a gallon of clear. I prefer Dupont, but PPG is fine as well. cheers,
SRP TIME REQUIRED FOR BODY PREP AND PAINT 80-90 hours max if experienced. cheers, SRP SPRAY PATTERN TIPS FROM SRP Mike, all Q's are good Q's. yes I have a pattern. I use the same
pattern every time, with every step from primer to final clear. Don't tell
anyone but here it is. start with the back, at the bottom, right to left up to
trunk opening, inside trunk opening at bottom, over and up to top of taillights.
two passes around trunk opening sides and top, then continue over to the right
of trunk opening over to gas filler. go back to left of trunk opening, out to
top of fender. only go from top of taillight to imaginary line equal to top of
trunk opening. then back right, start at bottom of rear quarter, up to your
last spray at gas opening, down up and over inside and out of fender opening,
continue up and over fender and onto rear deck halfway across. go down front
edge of same quarter, bottom of door jamb, up and around rear cockpit edge. go
left, start at bottom of quarter, up till you meet the last spray at top of
quarter, go inside/out down up and around quarter opening, to top of fender.
hit rear left cockpit edge, bring your spray across deck to top of quarter.
the go down leading edge of quarter, do rear and bottom of jamb. go around
right, starting at bottom of body side, full length fender opening to fender
opening, up to door jamb. do forward edge of jamb. bring spray up and over top
of fender to hood jamb. do jamb, front side and rear, move across front cowl,
then front cockpit edge. bring spray up over and down front fender flair,
under nose, and up to underside of nose opening including front of headlight
area and inside edge of front fender facing top of nose. go to left bottom, up
to door jamb, do leading edge of jamb, up across cockpit front edge, and bring
spray across to top of fender at windshield hole. go back to side and bring it
on up and over top of fender, do hood jamb, front back and rear. go back to
right of nose, bring across to left fender, up and melt in. go back to left
fender flair and bring down and across lower front. this is just my pattern.
do it how you like, but the object is to not let the finish flash before
you're back to melt it in. most important on clear coat, but doing it the same
every time, helps to achieve the best results every time. cheers, SRP Man...I could write a book, go off and forget the other part of the Q.
anyhow, headlamps. yes and no. I don't use them to dry basecoat or clear coat,
primers or fillers. I use them during the winter to "cure and cycle"
the fillers and primers only. I cycle each part with heat, 20 min at 160d. I
usually do it a few times. hot and cold cycles are the best way to avoid
shrinkage down the road. anyhow, back to the painting pattern. you need to be
quick, but not sloppy. if you move too fast you create dust, so move along
quickly, make sure you have even coverage, and all will be fine. even a dry
edge in clear, can be melted using slow reducer back over it. and if you're
spraying in a garage, you're probably going to want to color sand and polish
anyhow which will remove that type of flaw as well. good luck, Cheers, (SRP) TOOL
TIPS FROM SRP safety: face shield, safety glassed, but shield is better. a box of
good dust masks, not the super cheapo's, get the ones with the one way valve.
a little more $$, but they won't fog up your shield. rubber gloves, leather
gloves, and a must have, bottle of baby powder. rub yourself down with it
before you start grinding fiberglass. it will help to wash off the particles.
for painting, at least an active charcoal respirator and painting goggles.
better is a supplied air respirator. the chemicals can enter your system
through your eyes and skin, so be sure to be covered up.
PORTERFIELD BRAKE PADS You may want to consider the Porterfield R4S
Carbon Kevlar pad. Very grabby, low dust and rotor friendly. I have these on
my Cobra and ran it at Pocono North Course. Never faded. JEEP MASTER CYLINDER Richard has confirmed that the correct bore size for the
Jeep Master Cylinder is, indeed, 15/16". Protection of polished metal is a very complex topic.
There are a lot of products out there with fantastic claims.
Unfortunately not all of them are true. The purpose of this post is to spark a
dialog on clear finishes. What are your experiences? Which products do you
recommend and which do you not recommend?
I'll start this off with the coatings I
know about. Please post comments about your experience with these or any other
coatings that are not on the list. JEEP MC PUSHROD MODIFICATION I used the Jeep MC plunger but cut it, threaded it and used a collar nut with lock nuts at either end. If you go this route, make certain the splice is as far toward the pedal end of the plunger as it can be so the lock nut at the other end doesn't interfere with the plunger entrance to the MC. 15 minute job.http://www.ffcobra.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=012972 (Todd Buttrick) Call Jeff Collins at Whitby's and order an adjustable pushrod, this way you can set it to the exact length you need and it should provide the additional leverage that you may not currently have with a pushrod that is too short. Haven't installed mine yet, but didn't want to mess around with cutting one down, etc.(Drew) DISASSEMBLE AND REASSEMBLE SN95 SPINDLES I want to sandblast my rusty 'ol SN95 spindles, so I was going to take
off the hubs. Last night I popped the dust cover off and got a little
intimidated. I don't recognize the type of cage on the nut. How do you get
that off? Does the bearing have to be pressed off? I want to replace the seals
while I am at it. Has anyone done this?(Joe) Piece of cake, don't worry about it - I've done two sets in less time
than it takes to write this. Do I need to pry open the cage on the nut, or just take the whole thing off? What should I torque it to when I put it back on?(Joe) Nope, get a 36mm socket, you can "borrow" them from places
like pep boyz, the whole nut stays together. When you put a NEW nut back on,
don't reuse the old one, the torque value is 250 ft. lbs.(FFR2372) STEERING RACK RELOCATION TO HELP ACKERMAN http://www.ffcobra.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=005373#000003 GREAT WEB SITE FOR FFR BRAKES http://cobrasite4.home.attbi.com/sn95_upgrade_front.HTM WEB SITE FOR FRPP BRAKE INSTALL
FLARING BRAKE LINES Did the double-flare myself. First tried a cheap kit from Harbor Frieght.
Bad Idea. Then got the one from Snap-0n - much happy. PRE FLARED BRAKE LINES RECOMMENDED Here is the list of lines and adapters that I got from NAPA for about $20: Chose the alum 84 Jeep MC as well. Fits good. Lightweight. Using SS
Brakes prop valve. ($50 for SS vs $90 for WW)(LIJ) If you have the Mustang rod it works fine. The Jeep rod can be cut and
sleeved or the Whitby rod is also fine. cobraman, do you know the size of the fitting that goes on the 84 jeep mc, the one closest to the mounting flange.(Boomer) "Try a 3/16 female tube to a 1/4 male tube adapter." JEEP MASTER CYLINDER On the IRS cars we trade in the Mustang front calipers for the Lincoln
units (bolts right up). We use the Jeep MC, PN 10-1896 with a prop valve for
the rear. We put the prop valve on the 2X3 behind the seat. Very simple
plumbing there was a thread a couple of days ago I listed all the parts
needed. Hope this helps. Cheers Richard. I have some pics if you want to email
me.(Richard Oben FFR builder) We have used, and continue to use, for disc/disc and disc/drum the 84
Jeep manual brake master cylinder (pn 10-1896). We use an adjustable
Proportioning valve for both set ups. When you are complete, and feel the
brakes to be less than perfect, invest in some good pads and shoes. It is a
good system if set up right. We have never put power brakes on a car yet. Hope
this helps. Cheers Richard. http://www.ffcobra.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=11;t=000073#000000 I am hoping you would know the bore size of the Jeep Master cylinder you
are telling us to use. (15/16 bore. Cheers Richard.) http://cobrasite4.home.attbi.com/jeep_mc_tip.HTM (good discussion of Jeep
MC) GORDON'S BRAKE RECOMMENDATION The FMS kit is a decent kit and the price is right. I use ether the
Baer kit (very simular to the FMS kit), or the 6 piston Wilwood kit. The
Wilwood is the best brakes I have ever put into one of these cars. FRONT BRAKE RECCOMMENDATION You may consider upgrading the brakes to the ones found on 99+ V6/V8
Stangs. They are lighter and more powerful than the SN95 ones and they bolt
right up to the SN95 spindles. They are aluminum PBR dual piston with a
10.8" rotor. They are very similar to the Cobra brakes but lighter, they
are made by the same company. Personally, I think CObra brakes are overkill
unless you count onusiong your car on an open track. These cars are way too
light to need such heavy duty brakes. Go for the lower unsprung weight.
13" rotors weigh quite a bit (but is is neat to see the cobra logo
between your wheel spokes).You can find these brakes easily as many stangers
are installing cobra and bullitt brakes on their heavy cars and need to get
rid of their almost new stock brakes. I got mine for $120 with new rotors,
almost new pads and calipers. The 94-95 spindles are the same, they have the same track as FOX body
stangs. The 96-98 are the same except they have a wider track. This wider
track may or may not work with your wheels. The 99+ GT/V6 brakes will bolt up
to 94 and newer spindles. Not sure about the cobras, but why would you want to
give up cobra brakes? Anyhow, there is a writeup and pics of the swap at www.svo73mm.cjb.net
<http://www.svo73mm.cjb.net> (GREAT site by the way)You need
to grind a very tiny amount off the spindle (about a millimeter, takes less
than 5 min), put spacers on the lower ball joint, or even better, use SN95
ball joints. I used the spacer since it came with the spindles (I paid $140 I
think). You can even use the soft lines that come with the brakes. I may have
a set of soft lines laying around since I went with stainless braided ones. (FFroggy) I found a set of SN94/95 spindles with complete front setup (spindles, calipers, hubs, rotors, and brackets) in pretty good shape for around $250 shipped. I paid $150 from a local junk yard. You'll want to replace the calipers
anyways and at least have the rotors turned. The assemblies are the same for the V6 and V8 so either will work but it
must be from a '94 or '95. This is because the spindle was moved out about
¼". Half inch on the '96 and later Mustangs. This will cause the wheel
to stick out too far and possibly cause interference problems with the wheel
well lip on the fender. If you are
getting the parts from a wrecker in a complete assembly, then make sure that
they include the Banjo Bolt that attaches the flexible brake line to the
caliper. This will allow you to connect your existing brake lines to the SN95
caliper since the threads are different and the Fox Banjo Bolt will not thread
into the SN95 caliper. Using the SN95 Banjo Bolt is the easiest way to do it
rather than connecting the SN95 flexible lines to the Fox hard lines because
they are different sizes and will require adapters (and the SN95 uses two
different size connectors left and right side). Just use the SN95 Banjo Bolt
on your flexible line for ease of installation.(Keith) The caliper mounting points of a '87-'93 spindle won't allow you to use
a rotor larger than 11". So if you ever want to upgrade the front brakes,
you'll have to go to the SN95s, which don't have any rotor size
limitations.(cobra3657) M-2300-K - Forte has them for $1700. You sell the booster and MC (which
you can't use) on Ebay for about $350. Be aware that the M2300 K will contain
axles that you'll need to make the caliper mounts work. They will increase
your rear track by 1.5". Or, you could take the $350 and buy North
Cobras caliper adapters and the Motorsport conversion axles and get back
to Fox axle width.(Joe Leone) SOURCE FOR COBRA BRAKES http://www.discbrakesrus.com/make/ford/mustang.htm NEW COBRA BRAKES FROM FORD Here is a parts list of what I ordered from Five Star Ford. SN95
spindles and Cobra brakes. BRAIDED BRAKE LINES [Olli] "To all those that have 4 wheel discs Earl's has a very nice 5 piece braided stainless steel brake hose kit. I wanted braided lines that were DOT legal and could only find 3 piece kits. I contacted Russell and Earl's. Russell doesn't make a 5 piece kit but Earl's does. The part # is 28B020. I ordered it through Summit. The price, only $89.99, compare that to the 3 piece Russell kit at $74.95 ( also Summit) Most kits are 3 piece, front calipers (2) and the short rear hose that goes to the block which connects the hard lines to the drums (1), total 3 The 5 piece kit does all of the above but also replaces the stock rubber hoses that go from the hard lines to the rear calipers. (sn95) The only way to truly benefit from braided stainless brake hose is to replace ALL the rubber hose not just some of them. Why Russell only sells a 3 piece kit for the sn95 is beyond me." [JB] "You should note that the once 5 piece kit is now only four pieces. The t-block is no longer included. I know because I ordered it expecting five pieces and got four. Naturally I thought Summit F'd up, so I called them...Nope only four, call Earl's if you want to check with them. Called Earl's, nope only four. It is still a good deal, since it costs less then the stock lines if you are running IRS." [Olli] "I have the Cobra R M-2300 K brake kit and the kit from Earl's worked great. Sorry to hear that they made it only a 4 piece kit now." [TAZ] "I just got off the line with Earl's Performance Products Tech Support and here's what I've found out about these two kits. 28B020 28B010 Pretty close to being the same exact kits,
with the exception of slightly short lines and the fronts have a slight angle
on them. BRAKE PEDAL MODIFICATION http://www.ffcobra.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=010958#000000 http://www.ffcobra.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=012187 http://www.norcal-cobras.com/fick/Pedal_Box.htm COBRA R BRAKES PARTS LIST Go to <http://www.svo73mm.cjb.net/>
and select the "94-01 V6/GT & Fox3 (79-93 w/SN95 Spindles) Brake
Upgrades" link. It has a list of information on what you need to make a
"cobra" brake package. For decent prices on calipers and rotors go
to <http://www.discbrakesrus.com/> PROBLEM WITH FRPP M-2300-K COBRA R BRAKE KIT AXLES I have 17"-10" rims with 6.5" backspacing on the back of my
8.8 live axle with the motorsports cobra r kit. Everything was great until the
body went on. The wheels stuck out about 3/4 too far due to the longer kit's
axles. After help here on forum I sold the axles and got the 5-lug drum
conversion axle kit from summit $185 and some brackets from richard Oben to
move the calipers to proper location. After the e-bay sale it cost me about
$120 to fix...(Joe AKA Wnstwolf) GOOD POST FOR BRAKES http://www.ffcobra.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=004346#000008 http://www.ffcobra.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=003848
MASTER CYLINDER ACCESS The is no problem with access to the MC. I can reach through the hood opening or take the louver off and access there. I used commerical velcro for the louver just in case. (San Rafael Mike)
BUILD TIPS Using 1/8" drill bits instead of #30 bits: a constant aggravation. (Forrest 1) On a side note we never use 1/8 in bits, we use #30s as they are .03
larger than an 1/8 and make for almost never having to redrill a hole.(Richard
Oben) tightened the Lemans cap to the flange, drilled it and screwed it on the
body. Then I found that once the flange was screwed down I could REALLY
tighten the cap. Now I'll have to remove it, drill the body holes again and
fill the first set of holes. (Uraeus) Did not bend the wings on the donor fuel tank and tried to force the
straps on. Does not work. (Pete N) Check to make sure that the gas gauge works before riviting the trunk floor in.(Veloce) Did not use the aluminum piece on the front of the transmission tunnel to line up the footboxs and floors.(Rigler) BUILD SEQUENCE How many of you installed the engine before the steering shaft cover on
the drivers footbox? STARTER SOLENOID MOUNTING LOCATION Where not to mount it. If you are using Donor EFI harness you have to
mount the selonoid and the coil somewhere on the driver's side about in the
area of the master cylinder. I just got my body on and discovered I made 3
mistakes in mounting items. DRIVER FOORBOX ALUMINUM ASSEMBLY ORDER The "book" says that after installation of the donor pedal box , the builder should seal and rivet the front driver foot-box panel...if this is done....it would make it impossible to install the rest of the driver foot-box aluminum....is this a mistake in the book (page 53 step 8) or am I misreading the instructions? (Gordon Levy replies) Install the front, inside and bottom of the
drivers foot box. Leave off the top and the outside panel until you are ready
to install the body. http://www.cobraforum.com/yabbse/index.php?board=1;action=display;threadid=391;start=0 COBRA MANUAL ERRORS 1. Manual cites wrong sequence for tabs over/under each other for drivers
footbox. Best recommendation is to fit it all together using clecos and
working for which way fits best and keeping in mind the flow of water/rain and
upward facing exterior folded tabs.
Other members including myself have assembled more than a dozen FFRs. A
simple rule of thumb about the aluminum is: Mike, "back in the day" (1988) I installed a high-peformance
impeller in my Jet Ski. The jet pumps in those are bolted into the hull, then
completely siliconed to the hull as well. I worked for hours with razor knifes
and stuff trying to get the pump out. Someone suggested carburetor cleaner,
which ate the silicone and the pump came right out.(SleekCraft Steve) How many of you installed the engine before the steering shaft cover on
the drivers footbox? Using 1/8" drill bits instead of #30 bits: a constant aggravation. (Forrest 1) On a side note we never use 1/8 in bits, we use #30s as they are .03
larger than an 1/8 and make for almost never having to redrill a hole.(Richard
Oben) Check to make sure that the gas gauge works before riviting the trunk floor in.(Veloce) Did not use the aluminum piece on the front of the transmission tunnel to line up the footboxs and floors.(Rigler)
RIVITING I've been reading Carroll Smith's book, "Nut's Bolts, Fastners,
and Plumbing Handbook". He devotes an entire section on rivets and
riveting techniques - a subject near and dear to our hearts. Also a subject
that I didn't know there was so much to know about! On a side note we never use 1/8 in bits, we use #30s as they are .03
larger than an 1/8 and make for almost never having to redrill a hole.(Richard
Oben) RIVNUTS My son thinks I must have stock in the Rivnut company. Every time I
look at something I wonder if it would work better with a rivnut. CAR COVER I bought a " cheap " car cover from PEP BOYS that fits a miata.
It is water proof, will fold small enough to fit in the upper level of the
trunk. I keep it on in the garage and take it with me when rain is possible.
It should fit a two hump as well as a single like i have.$ 40.00 (jack AKA
OldMan) CAR CLEANING CALIFORNIA CAR DUSTER - You can get-em at Wal-Mart around $10.00
They are coated so don't apply any pressure just lightly dust the car
or it will leave streaks. They are great and get better with time. (Orange
Crush) California Duster and Meguiar's Quik Detailer. Mothers has a good
version of this too. Mist on, wipe off. Go back and buff with clean cloth as
the Detailer has a small amount of glaze in it. I have never cleaned my car
with water or soap. My painter, the infamous StreetRodPainter, recommended it
to me and it works great (unless you have a mud-encrusted mess to work with).
(Hula Master) Me too California Duster. As far as a mister, I found Maguirer's Final
Inspection glossier than Quik Detailer but.........nothing can compare to
Zaino's #6 or BeadX Formula 115 available at car shows and swap meets. Here on
the Right Coast I get it at Carlisle or Englishtown. But as Bill said the
Zaino products have an anti-static built in and dust is a little less of a
problem.(Chabel) FAN THERMOSTAT My FFR's fan is set to be always on. How do I hook it up to be
thermostatically controlled? I've got the factory harness and computer(EFI)
and a 160 degree thermostat.(Gary ) I bought one from advanced auto for about $30 Can get a adjustable one for about $50. Pretty easy to hook up.(Scott) I've got a Hayden adjustable switch.I think I got it from PEP boys for
around $40. (Smitty) OIL COOLER THERMOSTAT Hi, RADIATOR OVERFLOW Ive hooked up my (Summit) 1 liter polished aluminum overflow tank by installing it on the right side of the "X" frame. It is about half way up the "X." Ive connected the Breeze supplied overflow line from the Morsco "T" to the bottom fitting on the overflow tank. Ive run the remaining piece of line from the top tank fitting up to the top of the "F" and then back down to the bottom of the "F" as an overflow line, which is vented to the air. This is a copy of what I found on the donor's OEM plumbing. I can understand how hot fluid, under pressure can make it past the spring loaded radiator cap and into the overflow tank. But, I cant figure out how liquid from the tank can make it back into a cooled engine and get past the spring loaded radiator cap. However, it seems to do that on OEM set-ups. Help please. Eddie As the fluid cools, it contracts, causing a vacuum in the cooling system.
In the radiator cap, there is a valve that allows this vacuum to suck in
coolant from the reservoir. So, basically, a cap is a device with two valves
in it: The high pressure (15-16lbs) to relieve internal pressure when hot and
one which allows suction of overflow during cooling down. If it's not to late to return it...you may want to try Mike Forte(he has a banner) he sells a tank that is made for a FFR.It incorporates a recirulating overflow tank with a radiator fill cap,and is made of aluminum.
RADIATOR AND TEE FILLER CAP PRESSURE RATINGS The cap on the tank shouldn't be a problem. I would use a 20lb cap on
the rad and a 16lb cap on the T filler. COOLING SYSTEM SHORT THROW SHIFTER STICK http://www.afterthoughtsauto.com/lousshortstick.html NARROWED REAR I have a narrowed 8.8 2-5/8ths rear and run 285-40 17s with compomotioves and 5 inches of backspace. You cannot narrow the rear any more than t5his or the coilover will hit the caliper which would be bad. I had to grind the 2*3 in the corner right behind your shoulder when sitting in the car. I have no rubbing at all. 17 inch tires have almost no sidewall bulge with 15s you will probably have issues. I have heard of people running 315s with the irs with frame modification (Rich Birkhan - Cobra Forum) Steve Ford had some really good detailed stuff on his site about narrowing
the live axle and using the deep dish wheels. I tried his URL but its not
working. Ill try again when I get home. You don't need them and can remove both but you might want to consider
leaving them on just in case you ever want to upgrade and sell the axle.
LUBRICATION OF THROW-OUT BEARING pulled the motor and trans to install the midplate that a blindman couldnt miss but i did. anyway i was looking at the clutch fork and throwout bearing, should i put some grease on these parts and what type? i was kinda thinking wheelbearing grease. how about on the pivoting part of the fork and the sliding part of the throwout bearing, NOT where the bearing depresses the fingers, but on the shaft and around the bearing where the fork holds it. any suggestions? thanks, vince I have always used high temp wheel bearing or general black moly grease
on both of those spots. (MOTORHEADCRM) DIFFERENTIAL COVER I sell an aluminum finned rear cover that has "COBRA" machined
into it. Very nice and no complaints about fit. TREMEC GEARBOX OIL I do like the way the Tremec shifts with the GM Syncromesh. It is what the factory recommends. I have no experience in the Mopar oil. As for Mobil 1 and Red Line, they are great oils, but do not shift as well as the GM Syncromesh. As for Mustangs, the factory quadrant has a lot to do with shifting. Thats why I worked on the developement of my firewall adjustable quadrant kit. It releases the clutch more in the same pedal travel. (Mike Forte ) CENTERFORCE CLUTCH PROBLEM I bought a Gold Center-force and the same problem I am having. The
trans will not shift above 5000 rpm. I tryed a Richmond 6-spd than a G-Force
semi clutchess 5 spd. I race both autocross and roadrace and both trans will
not shift. I can get the trans out of gear but will not upshift or down shift
above 5000 grand. The guys with no problems are running McLeod clutches or
Hayes. Any body want a new Gold Centerforce REAR END BALLAST What is the purpose of the iron lump bolted to the bottom of the rear end housing? Is it needed on a FFR? Why cart all that extra weight around. Put it in the pile with the 100 lb factory sway bars! Vibration dampner, but it's tuned to the mustang chassis, driveshaft, etc. Toss it! DRIVESHAFT LENGTH I measured for mine with the idea that if the amount of the driveshaft
"snout" that was in the Mustang tranny, was the same on the cobra,
everything would work O.K. The dimension came out to about 7.25" from
u-joint center to u-joint center. That's the way most driveshaft shop measure.
3300 miles later and no problems. DRIVESHAFT SHORTENING The most practical way is to shorten the shaft yourself. It's really
not very critical, not like welding the steering shaft like early FFR's
required. For a new driveshaft Denny's is great<http://www.dennysdriveshaft.com>(Roscoe) REAR END OIL I've heard Amsoil rocks. At $8.50 per quart x2, it isn't all that
expensive either. Plus, it has the friction modifier already in it, so you
don't have to buy that separately.(Mike ) Because it's already mixed in the oil to begin with. Most all of your high end (i.e. synthetic) lubes will come with the friction modifier. Redline, Royal Purple, Amsoil, Mobil 1, etc. I have been using Redline in my rear end for quite some time now. I really liked it. I went to a local vendor and asked him if he had any, and he said all he carries now is Amsoil. I guess he read some studies where other brands weren't even close to Amsoil in performance... So, he sold me on a couple quarts! Really, I doubt I could tell a difference between any of the synthetics. I could tell a difference when I went from regular oil to synthetic, however. My MPG improved a bit! I figure it's probably paid for itself by now... (Mike) NARROWING THE REAR I cut my own housing and had moser make new axles They are not that expensive. If you don't want to cut the housing yourself you can usaully find someone to do that for $150.(Dennis Weinstein) Gordon, I had mine shortened 2.5" on both sides, had 9"axle
bearings and retainers installed (eliminates the "c"-clip), had disc
brakes installed,(off '98 explorer), new axles from Moser 31 spline, had new
posi installed and new gears set up (I had already purchsed the posi and
gears) for about $1100. Youll probably have to eliminate the quad shocks,
although some guys have swapped quad shock axle mounts side to side and they
said that works. Right now I'm running adjustable upper arms, FFR lowers and
am installing coilovers to move my shocks inboard away from my disc brakes.
This will also allow me to raise the rear a little more. My wheels are Torque
Thrusts, 15" with 3.5 BS. The wheel/tire fills the wheel well and looks
good with the deep offset. If you need pics I can e-mail some to you. Good
luck, (Bob AKA BK347) I did 2 3/4" on each side and they turned out great, I have P S engineering wheels.(Reno) I don't know if you can get 6" without cutting the lower control
arm mount off. I did mine 4" (2 on each side) and like the look. I had it
done locally.(Jeff Hamilton ) $345 Moser axles and cutting the housing..(Jeff Hamilton ) I'll be going w/PSE Halibrands - with a deeper offset in the rear (getting the axle narrowed 2" on each side).(KobraKurt) 2. Rear end dimensions are these, flange to flange: REMOVING TRANSMISION Not sure why the tranny problems but yes the tranny will come out without
pulling the engine. TRANNY REMOVAL I've only done it once from under the car, so haven't yet got it down to
45 minutes.....like some guys. This removes the gear box. You can then deal
with the bell housing assembly. Grandev - Just thinking about this further. When we put in our new TKO, I
also put in a new fork and bearing (and clutch - there was no good sense in
leaving any money in the bank account). We forgot (OK- I forgot) to grease the
face and interior of the bearing and got resultant herky jerky movement when
depressing the clutch along with some clunky noises. A mechanic friend
suggested that before going through the aggravation of removing the tranny
from a finished car, we shoot some moly grease alongside both sides of the
fork in the general direction of the bearing and shaft. I gave this little
chance of working, but it did! The herky jerkies are about 95% gone now and
getting better all the time. Did not hurt the clutch either as we did not
spray too far forward of the fork. We used some stuff in a can that is
intended for motorcycle chains. It "hardens" into a wax-like grease. DIFFERENTIAL COVER I sell an aluminum finned rear cover that has "COBRA" machined
into it. Very nice and no complaints about fit. MKII REAR END INSTALL Was about to bolt up ther rearend when I put in the aluminium peices around it. I was planning on using the lowest bolt hole because of all the wheel hop problems (stock uppers). When using the bottom hole the bolt HAS to go from inside out, BUT if the bolt goes inside to out when the rear cockpit wall is in place the bolt cannot be removed. Has anyone else had this problem?? Should I just put them in and deal with them later?? Please help! Thanks (jake ) DRIVE SHAFT SHORTENING Too high. Here in Houston you could have it done for $65-85 w/ new
U-joints and balancing, and they have it in your hands in 1hr. For those interested in the shop many of us in Houston have used its. MID SHIFT KIT The Hanlon Motorsports' mid-shift kit is $299. this INCLUDES the PRO.5.0 shifter (no lever). I was BSing with Bob while he did the install on my 3550. Not a difficult install but there was a trick or two involved. It took Bob about 15-20 minutes. The install can definitely be done with the tranny in the car but with the tunnel removed. (Olli ) I'm not sure how much is would cost to add a mid-shift kit to an existing Tremec. I bought mine as part of a new TKO from Bob Hanlon of Hanlon Motorsports. Bob charged an extra couple of hundred bucks (can't remember how much but Olli would probably know) for the Pro-5.0, which I believe he has custom-made for this application. Bob then installed it as part of the $1875 price for the TKO. I used my FFR stick. I cut it down, from the top, to a shortened quick
shift length. I just had Bob Hanlon put the mid-shift kit in my 3550 on Saturday. I spent the better part of Saturday with Bob talking cars and it turns out that we have a mutual friend or two.We talked about the shift lever. We have a few options. We could go with the shortest lever that PRO 5.0 sells (it is quite short but straight) or take a look at what Hurst has in the way of levers. When we were setting the stops on my shifter (take a look at that photo folks, the Hanlon kit INCLUDES a PRO 5.0 shifter!) we had a Hurst lever bolted up to it. That lever was very short, and slightly to the left. Just about exactly what you want. I don't have a part #. I will do some searching on the Hurst site. If I don't find it, I'll call Bob. (Olli ) Short Stick for the Aftermarket Hurst (Part #'s 52502, 52503) and Pro 5.0 Shifters (Part # 52502A) "The Short Stick for the aftermarket Hurst Competition Plus, Hurst Billet Plus and Pro 5.0 shifter reduces shifter throw by 17%. It has a bend toward the driver (left) of approximately 25 degrees and a bend toward the rear of approximately 5 degrees. It also shortens the handle considerably for better knob position. It is available to accept the stock knob and the small Hurst knob (used on the chrome Hurst handle). Available in black finish only."There's a picture of it at:Lou's Short Stick <http://www.afterthoughtsauto.com/lousshortstick.html> At $47, it's a little pricey for a short piece of steel. TREMEC INSTALLATION TIP For those of you installing Tremec transmissions, I just talked to Joe
at Factory Five and was told that the rear of the Tremec needs to be raised
5/8" to 3/4" in order to get proper drive shaft alignment. According
to Joe, this applied to IRS or live axle isntallations. I hadn't seen this
piece of information, so I thought it should be posted. (George) Either way, IRS or solid you must raise the rear.
It is not a drive shaft issue it is a clearance issue. The OD unit on the TKO
and 3550 is further back and will hit the front of the crossmember if not
raised. This is the same reason you have to trim off the GM counterweight
flange, clearance. Hope this helps clarify. Cheers (Richard.) GROUNDING THE STARTER Just an idea: did you paint the block, bell housing and starter? If you
did, perhaps the starter is not actually grounded to the engine. (Paul
Burchett) FUEL PUMP RELAY Taz, you should check the fuel pump relay. I was getting 6 volts to the
pump and after talking to my wiring diet guy, Rob, we figured out that the
relay was faulty. The relay is located on the harness that's at the top of the
footbox. There are 2 large slots in the plug that the relay plugs into. If you
take a small piece of wire and jumper these 2, you should hear the pump whir. GROUNDS Three words, Grounds, Grounds, Grounds BATTERY MASTER SWITCH SCREWS UP THE COMPUTER WHEN OFF Wire the master switch in line on the pos side of the battery. For the
spec racers we put the switch on the rear bulkheads between the seats. On
street cars we mount it on the rear bulkhead close to the floor between the
drivers seat and the tunnel. If you are using injection, only turn it off when
you have to. When ever you turn it off it will scramble the computer. The is a
master switch made with a constant power terminal for EFI engines. This
terminal would be for computer power. 10k Ohm RESISTOR AT PURGE CANISTER SOLENOID You'll need to wire in a 10k Ohm resister where the purge cannister
solenoid used to go. Otherwise, when the computer looks for it periodically to
purge the cannister, it'll collect computer faults.(Donald Rogus) ROGER STEIN - WIRING HARNESES DIET MSTINE@SURFSIDE.NET and LUCAS
SWITCHES I swapped out the FFR supplied toggles w/ Lucas (from Finish Line). I went w/ Finish Lines wiper motor switch (low/high/park) for the wipers. Two position switch for the manual fan override, and three position switch (off/on/on) for the heater which has two speeds (low/high). The Lucas switches are a bit more robust than the FFR supplied ones and all my switches and bezels look the same and are period correct. ARM MISSLE SWITCHES Summit SUM-G3902 6 amp $19.95 REAR HARNESS DIET Bob, ACCESSORY DIET GALLERY http://www.ffcobra.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=010069#000000 BATTERY MASTER SWITCH SCREWS UP THE COMPUTER WHEN OFF Wire the master switch in line on the pos side of the battery. For the
spec racers we put the switch on the rear bulkheads between the seats. On
street cars we mount it on the rear bulkhead close to the floor between the
drivers seat and the tunnel. If you are using injection, only turn it off when
you have to. When ever you turn it off it will scramble the computer. The is a
master switch made with a constant power terminal for EFI engines. This
terminal would be for computer power. STARTER SOLENOID MOUNTING LOCATION Where not to mount it. If you are using Donor EFI harness you have to
mount the selonoid and the coil somewhere on the driver's side about in the
area of the master cylinder. I just got my body on and discovered I made 3
mistakes in mounting items. HONDA S2000 STARTER BUTTON Call Westbroad honda and ask for Chris. BATTERY CUT OFF SWITCH TERMINAL PROTECTION I am installing my battery cutoff on the rear bulkhead with the terminals protruding into the trunk. My B&B has a "shelf" where the terminals stick into. Having a 2 guage, unfused terminal back there open to the world kind of bothered me. When ordering my weatherpak connectors, I saw Waytek part number 23507. It is a rubber boot that goes on the end of the cable and fits nicely over the terminal. I have not done the final install, but a rough test indicates that it will fit snugly over the nuts on the terminal and be held in place by the cable. (Tom ) McMasterCarr BoatUS and West Marine sell all of the same thing if there is one in your area. HEADLIGHT SWITCH AND 4-WAY FLASHERS Bob, I used a GM, push-pull type headlight switch. It was $25 from Watson's Streetworks, p/n AA-HLS. It has a rheostat to dim the instrument lighting and a switch to control the courtesy light I installed in each footbox. The Mustang courtesy light circuit wiring requires a couple of snips and splices to work with the GM switch, but it's no big deal. Watson's web site is: www.watsons-streetworks.com <http://www.watsons-streetworks.com>http://www.watsons-streetworks.com/wiring_accessories.html
Bwana50, I'll try. The colors I give are for an
'89 harness. JOHN HUDSON'S ALTERNATOR Do you really need a 3G? WIRING HARNESS DIET JD, MSD WIRE ROUTING Just one thought, don't run ANY MSD wires in the same wire loom as the
EFI harness. BATTERY CUT OFF SWITCH If something like your ammeter shorts to the frame somehow, do you
really want to be climbing under the rear of the car to disconnect the
battery? (happened to me...was lucky enough to wiggle the right wire and stop
the short) If you want to keep your computer memory alive just wire in a small
buss fuse or 5A circuit breaker over the disconnect switch. I have my cut-off switch in the negative side, and my engine also
continues to run - due to the feedback through the alternator. Painless makes
a relay kit to prevent this, and someday I may install it. As another posted, if you are putting this in a race car, it will not
pass tech if it isn't on the positive side. Looks like a good opportunity to clear up what Breeze offers here. Both
our kits were developed for rear mounted applications and assume use of the
FFR supplied positive cable and crimp terminals. We include the remote
termials, Keep alive memory fused jumper, 2 gauge negative cable and
associated crimp terminals and mounting hardware, Two 3/8" flange head
thread cutting screws for attaching the ground wires (engine to frame, battery
negative cable/remote terminal to frame, and either the red-flag removeable
Key type switch (with spare key) or the Die-Cast Cole Hersee switch. We also
include a sketch of how to wire it all up (we say switch in positive cable but
do not believe there is any functional electrical difference which side of the
battery gets disconnected). Both kits are $85.(Mark Reynolds - Breeze) I've done this a time or two... FAN THERMOSTAT My FFR's fan is set to be always on. How do I hook it up to be
thermostatically controlled? I've got the factory harness and computer(EFI)
and a 160 degree thermostat.(Gary ) I bought one from advanced auto for about $30 Can get a adjustable one for about $50. Pretty easy to hook up.(Scott) I've got a Hayden adjustable switch.I think I got it from PEP boys for
around $40. (Smitty) WIRING DIAGRAMS FOR STRIPPING EFI HARNESS http://www.ffcobra.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=012101 http://www.ffcobra.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=012489 AUTOMETER TRI ALERT I just installed the Auto Meter Tri-Alert warning system in the car
yesterday. Aside from having to pull the steering column and dash, it went in
like a breeze and works perfectly. Big red light on the dash hooked in to all
three gauges. Water and oil set at 220 deg and the oil pressure at 30 pounds.
(Roscoe) I'm using the Autometer Pro-Lite Warning Light, P/N 3240 if
I'm not mistaken. Jeg's P/N 105-3240. Cost $28.99.(Hank Dondero) E-BRAKE MODIFICATION FOR REAR DISK BRAKES http://www.ffcobra.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=013527 FIERO E-BRAKE If using the Fiero setup, as I did, you'll need 1 Fiero cable for the
right side and 1 M2809 Ford cable for the left. I just happen to have 1 Ford
cable which you are welcome to. I'm going over to Merrimack tomorrow to help a
few hours with badcaiman's build. I can bring it if you're going over there.
I bought the Fiero boot when I bought the rest of the stuff. If you
want I'll send it to you so you can use it as a pattern. I haven't installed
my carpets yet, but I did install everything else. Your picture shows the
handle about 4 inches further to the rear than mine is, but I'm using FFR's
Vintage Racer seats. Here's a picture of Wade Chamberlain's setup, which is
what I used as a guide:(Joe Leone) EMERGENCY BRAKE CABLE ROUTE Can anyone help me with some feedback here please. We made a set of small brackets that rivet on the frame and
keep it away from the spring. They work great. TIP ON REMOVEING THE DISTRIBUTOR Did you mark the base of the distributor before you removed from donor....and at Top Dead Center? Was it at TDC , when you reinstalled? SEALING HEAD STUDS From memory, I was always told to use Permetex (Hell, I can't even spell it!) #2 on Ford head bolts. Have you ever used the junk before? It looks like dark, loose Dog Squirt and second off who designed a Damn engine block that the bolts have to be sealed? OK back to the problem... When I built the engine in 2335 I used the Doggie Doo #2 on the head bolts and didn't have any problems but where I had a leak was at the rear of the intake where it seals to the block. Be sure and Put double silicone sealer there or the Sumbitsh will LEAK Oil! Looks like to be the bolts leaked to me. Also don't use synthetic oils in it, it's a FORD!(Mcathcart) EXPLORER FUEL RAILS Another FFR owner (FFR1222K here on the forum) brought up the good idea of swapping out the Mustang fuel rail (exits out the front of the engine) with an Explorer fuel rail (exits out the back of the engine). This way, I can not only hide the fuel lines behind the engine (instead of snaking them all around the engine compartment) but I can also run the lines down the transmission tunnel straight into the engine with little to no bends in the line.(Drew) Yes, the Explorer fuel rails will add another obstacle but Ron Morris says he uses the Explorer rails all the time on the older 5.0/Mustang setups and apparently it is a direct swap. EGR ELIMINATOR PLATE http://www.uprproducts.com/shopping/shopdisplayproducts.asp?id=77
(UPR Products) OIL PRESSURE GUAGE I've also seen where people use teflon tape on the
oil pressure fitting. It needs to ground on some units so if you used it, take
it off and retry. (Mike) HEAD
TORQUING STORIES http://www.ffcobra.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=013843 DISTRIBUTER GEAR FAILURE http://www.cobralads.com/butcher63.html (Excellant discussion on why distributer gears fail) OIL PUMP I'll never figure it out. Everyone buys a High Volume pump when a High
Pressure pump is all thats needed. I sell mostly stock or high pressure and
they work best. When you think of the power it takes to pump more volume. It
only has so many places to go, the rest goes into bypass back into the sump.
That means you lose HP, heat and aerate the oil. All of that and Fords have a
problem with distributor gears. It is a MUST to use the correct gear. You must
put a lubricant on the gears before startup. I stock cams, gears, lifters,
pump, drive rod, pan, pickup & one piece gasket. If you have any questions
please call me. YES, You have made the classic cobra builders mistake of putting a CAST iron dist gear on a STEEL ROLLER CAM. THE E303 requires a STEEL dist gear, and all of you guys should remove and throw out completely your high volume oil pumps. They are just not needed and will actually cause more problems than they are worth. STOCK IS BEST. I have factory Roller motors running right now with over 200K miles on them and they have NEVER been apart. You guys are blowing up rebuilds like they were old chewing gum!!!! This must stop. STEVE SIEGEL O2 SENSORS I am certainly not an expert on this, but I did have a pretty interesting
experience. QUICK RELEASE OIL DRAIN PLUG I have one of the below quick release drain setups. It is a pleasure to
change and you never have to unscrew a bolt again. Once installed you just
take the drain hose and snap it on the pan fitting. I used the shraeder valve to relieve my fuel pressure system for my manifold swap. Now the valve leaks under pressure. I have gone to every parts store for a replacement, but they all say it is a factory part It's the same type of valve that keeps the air in your tires. Not to be the one to say the sky is falling, you should at least be aware that the tire valve and the fuel valve may not have the same rubber in the seat. There could be fuel compatibility issues down the road. OR, MUFFELERS To get through DE inspection I need to get Quiet. I have the 3 disc C.C. inserts in, but it is not even close to passing. HELP!!!!!!! I installed the cats with the CC inserts to get the noise level down. My CC inserts are in the tail of the side exhaust. The cat's really do help with the noise level too!!! Limit the throttle travel for the inspection. Prevent it from reving up so that it can't go over the db limit. Then remove the limit. I found them. In case someone else searches, here's a link <http://store.summitracing.com/default.asp?target=%2Fsection%2Easp%3Fd%3D8%26s%3D127> I use the three disc setup but you must install them in the J pipes before the side pipes. I just notched the third disc a little then welded them in. In fact that is the plan on ALL spec cars that will be running in teh Northeast FFROG spec series. Gary DISTRIBUTER GEAR MATERIAL Roller Cams are steel. They need steel or Bronze Dist. Gears. HEADER GASKET RECOMMENDATION Summit part number: EAR-29D03A. $35.00. The best gaskets I have used. Get Stage 8 header bolts while you are at it. After fighting w/ the header gaskets on my FFR 4x4 headers (one of their first sets ), the only header gaskets I'll ever buy again are Earl's. They're pricey at about $32, but I'm a believer now! HEAD GASKET RECCOMMENDATION We always use Fel Pro with the stainless compression ring and depending
on cu. in. we run 13.5:1 to 15.5:1 at near 800 HP. Like Andy said, we also
silicone the water passages, studs, and washers or else aluminum motors WILL
LEAK coolant until they reach temp. Iron blocks don't move as much as aluminum
so the silicone is more of a precaution than a necessity but a very good idea
none the less. Use sparingly for the reasons Excaliber stated. (The bead of silicon around the pump expanded out when the pump was bolted
down tight, thus "squishing" out some residual amount around the
inside edges. Months later little ridges of the residual silicon finally broke
free and worked it's way into some water passages in the head gasket area.
Thus causing just enough blockage to cause a very difficult to diagnose over
heating problem! [I now use either Fel Pro or Mr Gasket with the steel ring. No sealer
is necessary, just put them on a clean surface. The only thing you can use on
it is a bit of adhesive. REAR MAIN SEAL LEAK Have you got a Positive Crankcase Vent system set up on the car engine. When you installed it, did you "tap" it in? I've heard of
having the spring in the seal become dislodged from vigorous tapping. They say
to pack the back of the seal with grease to keep this from happening.(Forrest) I have found that using RTV sealer on the outside edge of the rear main
seal helps a ton. It also helps the seal slide into place easier during
instalation. I have not had any more leaks since I started using this method. PULLING THE ENGINE WITH THE BODY ON Take Bob's advice on pulling from the side. I have had my motor in and out to many time to care to count, with the body on. Slide the tranny back, pull the motor, and then pull the tranny.(Hank FFR 1776-II ) OIL PAN Gordon Levy's oil pan - Check out this thread: DUAL
OIL FILTERS Another advantage is that if need to replace the single remote bracket,
for some reason you can get a dual one for about the same amount money REMOTE OIL FILTER www.cmfilters.com <http://www.cmfilters.com> LIFTER PRELOAD The way to adjust them is to loosen them until you get a little slop.
Tighten until you feel no clearance betwwen the push rod and rocker. Then
tighten a 1/4 turn. There is some compression in the lifter when not running.
It's hard to feel and can be easy to over tighten these. Please call me if you
have more question or are confused by this answer. DON'T USE AN OIL COOLER We don't use oil coolers as you think of them. I don't like the one
that sits out in the front being hit by anything that flys up on it. What we
use is a heat exchanger. This unit is mounted in the engine compartment and
the lower radiator hose runs through it. On the top are the oil lines and a
series of coils that the oil runs through. The coolent heats up the oil to
operating temp then keeps it cool under hard driving conditions. No the oil
doesn't heat the coolent up. With using the air type cooler in the front,
under normal street driving the oil doesn't reach operating temp. This isn't
very good for the engine. PAINTING ENGINE BLOCK UNDER INTAKE MANIFOLD It really isn't necessary to paint the valley pan. If you do, don't use
spray paint. Over time it will flake off and go into the engine. We have used
a product called glicktal. It is brush on and won't come off. STANDARD ROTATION WATER PUMP And then the 1984 Crown Vic Water Pump that rotates opposite a 87-96
5.0 by Cobra Earl: LUBRICATION OF THROWOUT BEARING pulled the motor and trans to install the midplate that a blindman couldnt miss but i did. anyway i was looking at the clutch fork and throwout bearing, should i put some grease on these parts and what type? i was kinda thinking wheelbearing grease. how about on the pivoting part of the fork and the sliding part of the throwout bearing, NOT where the bearing depresses the fingers, but on the shaft and around the bearing where the fork holds it. any suggestions? thanks, vince I have always used high temp wheel bearing or general black moly grease
on both of those spots. (MOTORHEADCRM) OIL COOLER THERMOSTAT SPARK PLUG GAP I hate to disagree with the chart from MSD. My experience is not as
straight forward as their chart. Compression ratio is not a great basis to go
by. Cylinder pressure / horse power numbers are more real. Power adders like
NOS, turbo or supercharger all change the spark plug setting. The larger
amount of energy a MSD unit provides can easily cause a misfire at peak torque
because of to large of a gap. Also the wires will deteriorate faster with the
larger gap. I have always told customers to gap their plugs no larger than
.040". On engines with power adders no larger than .035". If anyone
has any questions, please feel free to call me. HEAD TORQUE SPECS AFR tech recommends the following: From the AFR tech site: (see intake section) 302 OIL PAN Call Gordon Levy at Levy Racing. His
pan is designed for the FFR. It does not hang below the frame, has an 8 qt.
capacity, and the cost is almost the same ($350) as the Moroso pan. Has all
the goodies - trap doors, windage tray, etc.. <http://www.levyracing.com/main.html> ARMANDO'S ROAD RACE OIL PAN Here's some pictures of Armando's pan that I'm using. Its a GT40 pan. 6
1/2" deep which means its about 1" above the framerails. Holds 8 qts.
and is AWESOME. Combined with my Canton Accumulator its as good as it gets
without going drysump. It also comes with a windage tray not shown in
pictures. I'll second Armondo's pan. I needed more clearance than Gordon's pan
offered (which was great otherwise) and this was the only really low profile
one I could find. It's a copy of the pan AVIAD sells for a much higher price,
and was used on the GT-40s, and I think on the Coupes. (not sure on that) Very
nice workmanship on this piece. Note that it's a tight fit on the early
frames, but any frame made after the big block option became available should
be fine. I think there were some recent posts on Armando -- here's the web site. Might be worth checking out. Let us know what you find out<http://www.geocities.com/MotorCity/Flats/1624/>(Part no. 406 at $399) or (Part no. 407 at $420 - GT40 pan 1" less high) EMISSIONS REMOVAL <http://www.sisalnet.com/ffr/emissions.htm> IGNITION WIRES MSD 31329 8.5mm Superconductor Remember! When using an MSD Ing. Do not use solid core wires!(Whalen) here is some info on wires <http://www.magnecor.com/magnecor1/main.htm>(Alain) For a SBF the MSD wires are great since they are easy to replace if
necessary. In my case, wires are a royal PITA so, I went with the Taylor 409s.
I've had the MSD's arc in the past on the blower bracket but with the right
clearance, no problem. The 409s have taken a ton of abuse, they look cool as
well... They get my vote. (Keith) ADJUSTING SIDEPIPE HEIGHT WITH ENGINE MOUNTS Assuming you are measuring from the 90 deg bend just before the collector of the sidepipe, you can get these to even up by loosening the motor mounts at the frame and tilting the engine. You'll be surprised how little it takes at the motor to get lots of swing out at the pipe ends.(Todd) CAR CHEMISTRY INSERT INSTALLATION I cut open the J-pipes and welded in Car Chemistry Inserts (Summit) with the 3 discs for street. Welded pipes back together using 2.5" exhaust pipe couplers from Pep Boys. Made the alignment of the side pipes easier as I could rotate the J-pipe pieces to get side pipes straight before tack welding the couples to the J-pipe pieces. Am awaiting return of the J-pipes from the ceramic coater in Phoenix. Havent run car with them yet so cant attest to muffling quality.(Eddie ) CERAMIC COATING My go-kart has less than 100 miles on it in 18 mo. since I got my kit
with the FFR coated pipe option. One of the side pipes is rusting in the
valley of the 4 pipe segment. My body will be out of the painter in about a
month and I've elected to have the side pipes re-coated by Custom Coating of
PHX who did a super job on my J-pipes. In retrospect, I'd recommend folks save
the money spent on the "thin" FFR coating job and have a better
coating job done elsewhere. I was quoted $230 for the coating and $35 to
remove the FFR coating + shipping. I hear that the worst part is shipping the
pipes and not getting them beat up by UPS. I'm using the plywood from FFR's
crate to build a shipping crate, lined with foam carpet pad, etc. Due to UPS's
surcharges on large items, I'm limiting the box to 60" long, 18"
wide and 9" tall. Agree with Racing Rob, Airborn Coatings is the way to go. $420 for
headers, J-pipes and side exhaust. Takes about a week and is close enough to
drive to. Scott's a nice guy. Here's a couple of pictures HEADER COATING [SC] "I just what everyone to know that Performance Coating in Jonesboro, GA did a awesome job coating my FFR 4 to 4 headers. They were very quick with getting me my headers back (1 week) and, also very cheap. It was only $149 shipped back to me. I will always deal with these people from now on. 1-770-478-2775 or www.headercoatings.com <http://www.headercoatings.com>" [oo] "We have a place that is closer. Looks like there might be some promising (and cheap) polished aluminum
sealers @ Aircraft Spruce. Probably
"Zoop Seal" without the branding. (Ozona) PAINT CUT AND BUFF PRODUCTS http://www.ffcobra.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=003100 HEADER COATING [SC] "I just what everyone to know that Performance Coating in Jonesboro, GA did a awesome job coating my FFR 4 to 4 headers. They were very quick with getting me my headers back (1 week) and, also very cheap. It was only $149 shipped back to me. I will always deal with these people from now on. 1-770-478-2775 or www.headercoatings.com <http://www.headercoatings.com>" [oo] "We have a place that is closer. CERAMIC COATING My go-kart has less than 100 miles on it in 18 mo. since I got my kit
with the FFR coated pipe option. One of the side pipes is rusting in the
valley of the 4 pipe segment. My body will be out of the painter in about a
month and I've elected to have the side pipes re-coated by Custom Coating of
PHX who did a super job on my J-pipes. In retrospect, I'd recommend folks save
the money spent on the "thin" FFR coating job and have a better
coating job done elsewhere. I was quoted $230 for the coating and $35 to
remove the FFR coating + shipping. I hear that the worst part is shipping the
pipes and not getting them beat up by UPS. I'm using the plywood from FFR's
crate to build a shipping crate, lined with foam carpet pad, etc. Due to UPS's
surcharges on large items, I'm limiting the box to 60" long, 18"
wide and 9" tall. Agree with Racing Rob, Airborn Coatings is the way to go. $420 for
headers, J-pipes and side exhaust. Takes about a week and is close enough to
drive to. Scott's a nice guy. Here's a couple of pictures PAINTING ALUMINUM best thing to do with alum is to prime it first with variprime, dupont
615s, but only the areas that you want it to stick. cheers, SRP Use Dupont Variprime - 2 part metal etch primer - ask for sluminum
substrate additive - 2 coats, let dry a day, wet sand w/ 600 and paint. I have the home powdercoating system and it works great. I use the propane method and it comes out fantastic. Yes, one propane tank will do what you want to do and then some. One pound of powder is enough to do both sidepipes and then some. I have been buying my powder off of EBay since I can get about 2 pounds for the same price as some other places 1/2 pound price. Lots of colors to choose from too. (Super Skippy) I used some scrap lumber to make a "spray booth". It's just the
right size to hold the oven racks. Then I line it with a large plastic bag to
collect the overspray. And I have a cooling rack on the wall to hang them up
after coming out of the oven. CHROME PLATING SOURCE Out here in the west, one of the most reputable chrome plating shops is: I paid $80 for each roll bar, and $80 for all four quick jacks. VHT HIGH PERFORMANCE COATINGS - HEADERS, ENGINE, AND CLEAR COAT FOR POLISHED METAL http://www.caswellplating.com/frames.php?bottom=/vht.htm ALUMINUM PANEL PRIMER Use Dupont Variprime - 2 part metal etch primer - ask for sluminum
substrate additive - 2 coats, let dry a day, wet sand w/ 600 and paint. Best thing to do with alum is to prime it first with variprime, dupont
615s, but only the areas that you want it to stick. cheers, SRP PAINTING THE PLASTIC GAS TANK Use SEM paint for plastic. available at any auto paint store. some
jobbers can tint it to match your car color. cheers, SRP POWDER COATING REMOVAL http://www.hotcoatpro.com/cgi-bin/sgsh0108.exe?&UID=2002032018300172&SKW=TPA3&FNM=15 http://www.hotcoatpro.com/cgi-bin/sgdynamo.exe?HTNAME=hotcoatpro/proinst/required_pro_new.htm&UID=2002032018300172 RADIATOR HOSE MAINTAINENCE TO KEEP YOUR HOSES LOOKING GOOD, SPRAY THEM WITH LEMON
PLEDGE FURNITURE POLISH. THEN WIPE. CHROME
PLATING Eric, I heard that New England chrome
plating is a CERAMIC COATING FOR HEADERS Powder Coating Solutions Talk to the guys at Powdercoating Solutions in Greenland NH. They were
doing all my go-kart stuff for several years, and I'm a tough guy to
please...I always shop for the best for the least $$.(Joe Leone) These people do an excellent job: CERAMIC COATING New England Industrial number is Worcester, MA $350 for pipes and headers FRAME MODIFICATIONS REQUIREING WELDING Ground studs - One on each outside corner of the frame
(1/4-20x3/3" for the lights), two on top of the 2x2 behind the dash (for
gauges, etc.), two 3/8-20x1" on the upper, forward corners of the trand
tunnel (just below the firewall) for engine ground studs (connecting both
aluminum heads to block and frame), and one 3/8-20x1" on the inside of
the one of the (3x2?) frame rails (just above the rear suspension) for a
master battery ground. GOOD SOURCE FOR FUEL LINE FITTINGS http://www.amstreetrod.com/contact.html
(Technical help available) AEROQUIP SITE http://www.aeroquip.com/media/A-SPPE-MC0001-E.pdf (PDF Format with
assembly and technical help) FUEL LINES Fuel Lines <http://www.ffcobra.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=013007> I ran the back with the basic ford stuff. Fuel line thread http://www.ffcobra.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=013007#000000 Advil, out here in Oregon, used some lines from Ron
Morris Performance <http://www.ronmorrisperformance.com/04fuel/fittings.htm>
of California on his FFR roadster. I placed a call today.(lnj) FUEL LINE UPGRADE Try purechoicemotorsports.com they have the adapters and the lines. A few guys here went that route, but I'm not sure how much it costs. I would be interested. You might consider making the hose yourself from Aircraft Spruce and Specialty parts. I did. You'll find the fittings are cheaper at Aircraft Spruce. I'm using braided steel lines and AN fittings for my car. Here is what I
estimated: Here's what ya do for EFI. Use the Purechoice adaptors to AN off the fuel
rails. Run braided line down to the footbox, lower. Run the steal line from
the lower footbox to the rear. Use Purechoice fuel line SS compression to AN
for the feed line and get something similar from NAPA for the return line.
Pure choice can help you out here as well. Couple the steel hard line to
braided line at lower footbox area and likewise on vertical 2'" member
that's behind the wheel. At the rear couple into the stock lines that run into
the filter and tank. My solution was by no means cost effective! I went from the steel lines
supplied by FFR through stainless unions under the drivers footbox to
stainless tubing. I used stainless Swagelock (brand name) compression fittings
to get to NPT thread. From 1/4" NPT thread I used Aeroquip AN fittings
and braided stainless hose coupled to the Purechoice fittings. While the
stainless tubing was only for looks, the rest of the parts are high quality
fittings that don't leak. In my mind that justifies the cost. The last thing I
wanted was a fuel leak above the J-pipe. Here is my list starting from the
tubing and working to the fuel rails: FUEL PUMP RECOMMENDATION Spend a couple of extra dollars and get the walbro GSS340M. Best prices I've found for Walbro pumps is JDs Performance (<http://www.jdsperformance.com>).
Great customer service too. http://www.ffcobra.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=013007#000000
SITE FOR POSTING PICTURES will soon January (5th) be setting up a web site devoted to pictures for
FFR COBRA cars. Any and all members will be able to post ther pictures there
in any of 40 some catagories or just by name or car number. Total storage will
be somewhere it the range of 1.2 terabytes or about 1million 1mb picture
files. I need to get together with Bill#1 and have him put a link up on the
forum. This should solve everyone picture posting problems and save some money
too. HOW AND WHERE TO POST PHOTOS COURTESY JOHN HUDSON http://www.ffcobra.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=004924;p= LOST A FINGER You are very lucky-years ago an acquaintenance lost his finger while
removing the positive clamp on a battery-wrench on the positive
terminal-wedding band touching the wrench-other side of the wedding band hit
the sheet metal causing a ground-500 plus instaneous amps vaporized the
ring---finger bone burned---finger amputated. FFCOBRA FORUM POLICY http://www.ffcobra.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=010052#000009 WEB SITE FOR MPH/REAR GEARS http://chris.kellnet.com/chambers/gear_selector.htm WIRING DIAGRAM FOR AFTER MARKET GAUGES http://www.onlinecobra.com/dash_schematic1.gif AUTOMETER 427 GAUGES Has any one bought the AutoMeter 427 gauges from Highland Daytona Racing
to use in there FFR. They look very similer to the Smiths. Is there any
complants with these gauges and is Highland Daytona Racing a respectable
company. Want to know before i send them 600$. Don't know about HDR, but I got mine from Mike Mack <http://www.tristatemotorsports.com/>
he's got a banner here plus I believe he had a special of $475 for the gauges
at one time. Love the look and the reliability of the Autometers. You will
need a reverser for the speedo (another $40) I bought the Autometer 427 guages from Mike Mack. They are nice guages and fit the FFR dash without modification. You will need the reverser adapter and the fuel sender, which is much nicer than the factory sender. You may also need a longer speedo cable to come into the reverser adapter. Breeze has a nice Stainless Steel speedo cable that is a foot longer than stock. The only problem I had with these guages is when I tightened the speedo into the dash too hard and popped the trim ring off of the guage. It appeared to be held on with hot glue, so I put epoxy on it and have had not had any other problems. Oh yeah, I forgot about the fuel sender. You use the old float and adapt
the new sender. Delivery was good, My Speedo came with a loose bezel, Mike
replaced it. The stock speedo cable length worked fine, you need to mod the
gage end of the cable to make it fit. TriState sells the reverser and tank sender. Make sure reverser is set up
right, it gan be "built" 2 different ways, I ruined a speedo cable
not knowing that. Not only is it a reverser, it can be used on a standard reading speedo,
some folks use it to bring the cable in from the side for what ever reason,
maybe clearance. There is a "S" (standard) and an "R"
(reverse) cast in to the little housing. I believe the cable attaches to ther
"R" side the other end attaches to the gauges, I 'm going on memory,
which should cause you to check it out for yourself. With the car up on jack
stands, run the car to determine the cable rotation, attach the reverser to
the speedo spin the little drive shaft and note the direction required to get
a reading. Make sure the 2 jive or you will twist off the end of your cable.
One more thing, remove the little brass bushing that is pressed onto the
square shaft of the reverser, it causes everthing to bind when the reverser is
tightened. AUTOMETER GAUGES I need to order a full batch o' Autometer Ultralites...the firt place I
ordered them from was taking too long, so I cancelled the order. What prices
can your guy offer? ELECTRIC VS MECHANICAL FUEL PRESSURE GAUGE Roscoe's right about the isolator if you go w/ a mechanical gauge. If you
get the electric fuel pressure gauge, it has a sending unit similar to an oil
pressure sending unit that gets "tee'd" into the fuel line. AUTOMETER COBRA GAUGES The Gauge set comes with: Speedo 180mph reverse (Mike Mack - Tri State Motorsports) RESETTING THE ODOMETER It's a bit tricky, but yes you can. First take the donor guage out and
on the back side you will see a couple of pins... one that hold the wheels in
place. Pull out the pin out of this one and rotate the numbers to where you
want them to be. A little bit of tape can be helpful in keeping them lined up
as you try to get it back into place.(Steve Armstrong) HEATER I Agree.. Mount the firewall first , then the heater, and the wipers last . ( route around heater) I used a dremmel with a cut off wheel to cut the opening for the HEATER. Worked Great!! 50515-VUH is heater only. Comes with three speed Same one used here 50610VUH. Ran the defroster duct to the driver footbox behind the dash and it gets great heat. Make sure you use the stock 195 thermostat, as I used the 180 degree at first and didnt get any heat when the outside temperature dropped below 50. I also had some trouble when I would accelerate rapidly, the heater would blow cold air for a few minutes. I put in a couple of vacuum checkvalves in as well, however it might have just been that thermostat. Hey guys, Just wanted to let everyone know that I found a place that sells
the Vintage air compact heater/defrost with vents for $169, which is a heck of
a lot cheaper than anyone else I could find. Check out Hot Rods USA. The
details are below: Try www.hotrodsusa.com
<http://www.hotrodsusa.com> for Vintage Air HEATERs,
price similar to above quoted by PepeBorja. I ordered mine there, it arrived
within a week, drop-shipped direct from VintageAir! 50615-VUH , same as FFR
supplies. HEATER If you want the one FFR supplies, buy it from Vintage Air for $75-$100 cheaper. I bought mime from FFR because I reasoned that installation instructions specifically for the FFR would be worth the extra cost. The FFR instructions are a joke. They're completely useless! The heater, on the other hand, is great. Call Vintage Air @ 210-654-7171 and order p/n 50610-VUH. 3.27 Rear Axle with Traction Loc, Mark VIII Spindles,
Brakes, and CVs. ngle V-belt, standard rotation) - Powder coated frame (FFR option) MAINTAINENCE PEDALS REAR END ROLL BAR SEATS PAINT CUT AND BUFF PRODUCTS http://www.ffcobra.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=003100 BRITISH RACING GREEN Colors are BMW Oxford Green Metallic (authentic BRG but with the high metallic content I was looking for) and Lotus Yellow L07.http://www.ffcobra.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=012657 PAINT QUANTITY the 2 gallons of k36 should easily get you through the bodywork stage. you will need a gallon of color and a gallon of clear. plus activators and reducers. STEERING NARROWING THE REAR I cut my own housing and had Moser make new axles They are not that expensive. If you don't want to cut the housing yourself you can usaully find someone to do that for $150.(Dennis Weinstein) Gordon, I had mine shortened 2.5" on both sides, had 9"axle
bearings and retainers installed (eliminates the "c"-clip), had disc
brakes installed,(off '98 explorer), new axles from Moser 31 spline, had new
posi installed and new gears set up (I had already purchsed the posi and
gears) for about $1100. Youll probably have to eliminate the quad shocks,
although some guys have swapped quad shock axle mounts side to side and they
said that works. Right now I'm running adjustable upper arms, FFR lowers and
am installing coilovers to move my shocks inboard away from my disc brakes.
This will also allow me to raise the rear a little more. My wheels are Torque
Thrusts, 15" with 3.5 BS. The wheel/tire fills the wheel well and looks
good with the deep offset. If you need pics I can e-mail some to you. Good
luck, (Bob AKA BK347) I did 2 3/4" on each side and they turned out great, I have P S engineering wheels.(Reno) I don't know if you can get 6" without cutting the lower control
arm mount off. I did mine 4" (2 on each side) and like the look. I had it
done locally.(Jeff Hamilton ) $345 Moser axles and cutting the housing..(Jeff Hamilton ) I'll be going w/PSE Halibrands - with a deeper offset in the rear (getting the axle narrowed 2" on each side).(KobraKurt) 2. Rear end dimensions are these, flange to flange: BUMP STEER Bump steer is the effect of the wheels going toe in - toe out when going
through suspension travel. It can be corrected in a number of ways. (there may
be more, but I know of 3) The adjusters, no matter whose kit, are not incorrectly machined. They
are incorrectly named! They (we) call them couplers. The coupler is assembled
to the rod end and held with the jam nut. On our coupler, there is a hex
section for the purpose of tightening the jam nut. When assembled, the unit is
the same as a standard outer tie rod end, with right hand female threads. LOWER CONTROL ARMS WITH 3-LINK http://www.ffcobra.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=012112 REASONS FOR USING SN95 SPINDLES They already have 5 lugs. DISASSEMBLE AND REASSEMBLE SN95 SPINDLES I want to sandblast my rusty 'ol SN95 spindles, so I was going to take
off the hubs. Last night I popped the dust cover off and got a little
intimidated. I don't recognize the type of cage on the nut. How do you get
that off? Does the bearing have to be pressed off? I want to replace the seals
while I am at it. Has anyone done this?(Joe) Piece of cake, don't worry about it - I've done two sets in less time
than it takes to write this. Do I need to pry open the cage on the nut, or just take the whole thing off? What should I torque it to when I put it back on?(Joe) Nope, get a 36mm socket, you can "borrow" them from places
like pep boyz, the whole nut stays together. When you put a NEW nut back on,
don't reuse the old one, the torque value is 250 ft. lbs.(FFR2372) STEERING RACK RELOCATION TO HELP ACKERMAN http://www.ffcobra.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=005373#000003 UPPER BALL JOINT CROWN NUT SPACER I have my front end together and painted, now i am removing all pieces to line up and torque down everything, while tightening the crown nut from the upper balljoint to the comp bracket{ for sn95} the nut keeps going,, as if the balljoint were too small, in the manual it says you may need a spacer, i tried that , no help, the nut goes way past the cotterpin hole. the control arms are the adjustable ones with screw in balljoints. am i missing something, or is there a problem and i should call ffr? also both sides are doing the same thing, drivers and passengers.(vince ) You'll need the tapered spacers from Mark Reynolds. Breeze Automotive.
There's no pics yet but here's his site: Guys - I did a lot of research on this awhile back. Here is what I
found: KILLER SHOCKS James Creasy and I are working with Ground Control to create a shock
Specifically for the FFR chassis.
GOOD 3-LINK POST http://www.ffcobra.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=012949 TOOLS WHEEL AND TIRE SIZE Wade used - front wheels are 17"x 8" with 245/45/17's and rear wheels are 17"x 10" with 275/40/17's. http://www.tmctechnologies.com/cobra/Build.htm MAXIMUM TIRE SIZE WITH 3-LINK I have the 3-link. My street tires are 285/40-17 and they can rub the
frame during hard cornering. I have a set of 275/40-17 for autocross and they
are fine. (Bill - administrator) INFORMATION ON TEAM III WHEELS Richard Oben is most helpful and can specify and supply the correct Team
III wheels for your car as that is his business. TIRES there are TWO kumho dot-r tires now: the Ecsta V700 and the Victoracer
V700. TIRES Front tires are NITTO NT 555 Extreme Performance 245/45ZR/17 TIRE RECOMMENDATIONS http://www.ffcobra.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=011744#000014 EXPLANATION OF WHEEL OFFSET AND BACKSPACE http://www.usacomp.com/Offset.htm
WIPER RECOMMENDATION Wipers from Cobra Spares in England. Same Lucas setup as everyone else,
but $245 complete. The holes should be perpendicular to the windshield and smaller than the angled covers but large enough to pass the shaft. If you plan on buying the Lucas wipers, go the Cobra Spares in Britain. $245 US for the complete setup, wipers arms, wheelboxes, motor (everything except the switch) which includes shipping. I tried them with some trepidation, but ordered on Wed, received on Sat worked for me. http://cobrasite4.home.attbi.com/lucas_wiper_install_info.HTM WINDSHIELD WIPERS My take on the wipers holes, etc., is that the holes are setup for the
original right hand drive cars hence the wipers are setup to park to the
right. I perfer to have my wipers park to the left and sweep the water away
from the left side of the car. I realized this after I used FFR's holes. If,
for myself, I were to install the wipers again I'd make a change to the holes,
allowing the wipers to park to the left easier. Again this is just my take on
wipers and what I like or don't like. MARINE WIPERS Here's the installed motor, roughly the size of a can of WD-40. Completely self-contained, no maintenance, 2-speed and self-parking. It's called an MRV Wiper Motor, from AFI, Inc., 110 degree sweep, 2 1/2' shaft, 12V, part no. 34010. I believe it's in the West Marine catalog. You'll also need a 3-position switch, and the wiper arm and blade Motor: MRV 110 degree sweep, 2 1/2 inch shaft, 12 volt part number
34010, by AFI Inc. About $150 or so, I think. The phone number for AFI is
707-226-9600 and the fax number is 707-226-9670. They have other motors, but
this one has the biggest sweep, so get it. |
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