Super job! Looks great. lets hear/see some video soon!
Neat Job, well thought out and executed.
I am on the road! The car sounds fantastic. Everything seems to work well together. The electric water pump works well so far, although it gets up to temperature very quickly, and the pump turns on like a light switch. It is probably a good idea to let it idle a while in the driveway after starting cold to avoid localized boiling before the pump cycles. Water temperatures are very consistant with the assistance of Mariah fans and a Hall Phoenix radiator.
The Big Throat mufflers from PIM do a great job of creating fantastic sound.
I spaced out the firewall cover approximately 1/4", with some judicious pounding added. Everything fits, including the AC. I can put the driver seat all the way back, but the passenger seat appears to have lost some rearward adjustment. A small concession to keeping the transaxle in the "stock" location. I did cheat a little and bent the rear trans mount ears into an "S" shape, giving me an extra 1/2" or so.
I installed a removeable crossmember, which is probably recommended anyway. I also removed the hand brake linkage. I plan to install a hydraulic conversion or modify the old brack to work in the near future.
A teething problem: Every tenth time a start the car the starter pinion grinds. It appears that the pinion is butting against the flywheel and not extending into the flywheel teeth on these occasions. I am using a PowerMaster starter with a QwickTime bellhousing and Ford Racing Flywheel. Its is all aftermarket parts but I don't see any areas for adjustment. I will need to investigate further.
Overall I am very happy with the swap and would recommend it to anyone with enough patience and dedication. A welder helps, too. If I can figure out how to post a video, I will do so.
The Big Throat mufflers from PIM do a great job of creating fantastic sound.
I spaced out the firewall cover approximately 1/4", with some judicious pounding added. Everything fits, including the AC. I can put the driver seat all the way back, but the passenger seat appears to have lost some rearward adjustment. A small concession to keeping the transaxle in the "stock" location. I did cheat a little and bent the rear trans mount ears into an "S" shape, giving me an extra 1/2" or so.
I installed a removeable crossmember, which is probably recommended anyway. I also removed the hand brake linkage. I plan to install a hydraulic conversion or modify the old brack to work in the near future.
A teething problem: Every tenth time a start the car the starter pinion grinds. It appears that the pinion is butting against the flywheel and not extending into the flywheel teeth on these occasions. I am using a PowerMaster starter with a QwickTime bellhousing and Ford Racing Flywheel. Its is all aftermarket parts but I don't see any areas for adjustment. I will need to investigate further.
Overall I am very happy with the swap and would recommend it to anyone with enough patience and dedication. A welder helps, too. If I can figure out how to post a video, I will do so.
quote:Originally posted by BigBlockFan:
Electric water pump works well so far, although it gets up to temperature very quickly, and the pump turns on like a light switch. It is probably a good idea to let it idle a while in the driveway after starting cold to avoid localized boiling before the pump cycles.
Shouldn't be an issue, the pump's controller is supposed to react on the raising temp, and adjust its speed accordingly.
Did you remove the thermostat?
Kid,
I removed the mechanical thermostat. In its place I have wired the temperature sensor that signals the water pump controller.
Unlike a belt-driven pump, which is driven whenever the engine is turning, the electric pump does not begin cycling until the coolant gets to a preset temperature. At that moment it appears to pulse modulate.
I made the rookie mistake of locating the gauge temp sensor in the swirl tank. Because of this my gauge reads cold until the pump starts modulating, at which point it instantly goes to 190 degrees F. and stays there. I think that I will be relocating the gauge sensor to the front of the intake manifold, adjacent to the pump controller sensor. This should give a more accurate gauge reading.
Also, the Compu-Tronix distributerless ignition was a no-brainer installation and works fantastically. It has a tunable mechanical advance that I have not played with yet.
Another aftermarket item is the hydraulic throwout bearing. Dispite my misgivings, it appears to be working flawlessly. The dual friction clutch has good feel and modulation as well without being too heavy.
I plan to drive the car around this weekend and see if there are any bugs yet to be worked out. I still need to complete wiring of several accessories.
I removed the mechanical thermostat. In its place I have wired the temperature sensor that signals the water pump controller.
Unlike a belt-driven pump, which is driven whenever the engine is turning, the electric pump does not begin cycling until the coolant gets to a preset temperature. At that moment it appears to pulse modulate.
I made the rookie mistake of locating the gauge temp sensor in the swirl tank. Because of this my gauge reads cold until the pump starts modulating, at which point it instantly goes to 190 degrees F. and stays there. I think that I will be relocating the gauge sensor to the front of the intake manifold, adjacent to the pump controller sensor. This should give a more accurate gauge reading.
Also, the Compu-Tronix distributerless ignition was a no-brainer installation and works fantastically. It has a tunable mechanical advance that I have not played with yet.
Another aftermarket item is the hydraulic throwout bearing. Dispite my misgivings, it appears to be working flawlessly. The dual friction clutch has good feel and modulation as well without being too heavy.
I plan to drive the car around this weekend and see if there are any bugs yet to be worked out. I still need to complete wiring of several accessories.