Reply to "Installing Brake Kit"

Road Test

First road test, the right front scrapes the windshield wiper motor splash shield, so that was removed for nw. It'll get modified later. Spongy brakes, so they got bled again, and more air was removed. No probles with air in the new hydraulic clutch line, firm pedal pressure.

Second road test, the tires are rubbing somewhere as I corner a little hard, and not at full steering wheel lock. I have to find out where this is occuring, and correct it. The brakes still have some air in them, and another bleed is called for. At full lock, the front tires must be rubbing on the drain tubes, so I have to look for shiny spots when the wheels come off again. It's been up and down on jack stands several times doing all this, and I have to keep at it.

Cross drilled rotors. My neighbor has cross drilled rotors on his "Bullet" dark green Mustang, and he was counselling me on breaking them in and what it's like: scary. There's grinding noises, pulsating brake pedal syndrome, and it takes about 3 days of normal driving to get the brakes seated in and to function properly. He, like me, tried to keep the rotors clean and the pads clean too, but his theory is the rotor manufacturers use solvents to inhibit rust, and while you can clean it off the rotors, it stays in the drilled holes and directional vanes, and gets on the rotors and pads anyways. That is what causes the scary brakes at the beginning. Afterwards, they are smooth and don't pulsate. Hot rod guys got to stick together to explain this stuff to each other, because it can get discouraging if you don't know what to expect. So, I'm glad to have another seven days before leaving for Vegas. It's not a good idea to just go driving on the freeway 10 hours and build up heat in the brakes without properly seating them in. SO, I have to drive it some more, but out of traffic because the lady in the minivan got within inches on the way home from work. I couldn't see her face in my rear view mirror, was she fusing with the kids? Talking on the cell phone, fumbling with a cigarette? I was talking to her: you hit me and it's going to cost you more than you think, so push on your brakes and quit rolling forward, I got no where to go with the car right in front of me! Man, I watch that happen on occasion, hit from behind by some one not paying attention.

The engine whisping noise is completely gone. Master Mechanic Mike helped me and taught me a trick installing new exhaust gaskets between the headers and the valves. Notch out the end holes to let the gasket hang, only leave the two end bolts in on each side, and tighten the ends first. I'm not putting the Stage 8 locking header bolt clips on now, that's a real pain and I need better gaskets than these Mr. Gasket paper jobs, I want FelPro, the best, so I have to look around, at a later time. New gaskets installed, the whisping noise is gone. That can cause a fire, the header flames exiting forward, toward the firewall, can catch grease on fire or burn thru a fuel line. Problem solved but it's on the "look out for" list of preventative maintenance.

Ups and downs of Pantera projects keep me guessing, while the rest of life floats along just dandy, thank goodness.... No more Pantera projects for a while. Right. I'll be on a new Pantera project as soon as I work out all the bugs on this project, having this sickness classified as Pantera Fever, as correctly diagnosed by my hot rod buddies.

I've invited over as many local Pantera guys as I can find to get together for some bench racing with the Pantera guys from Atlanta next Tuesday night. So, Fred may bring his Pantera over, he's supposed to contact Jim. Foster got an e-mail from me and there's also a hot Mustang guy from Los Alamos, NM who is invited, since he's one of us, going to Vegas, to do some qwick laps. Beer, pool, bench racing on a Tuesday night in the spring time, and then off to Vegas. Sounds great to me. Any other NM Pantera folks are invited too. Greg got an e-mail, but folks always have things on their plate, so who knows. I'll just try and make everyone welcome, and invited. Should be a cool sight on my street, never having seen so many great Panteras at one time.... Looking forward to that.