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Topics - Sick88Tbird

1
User Rides / Not a fox...but a hot-rod 2-door panther...exh clip
It's been awhile since I've been here, been working on my '85 2-door Crown Vic and the 351w from my old '88 'bird finally lives again in my nastier form...here's a little exhaust video, the FAST EZ-EFI is still learning the idle, so in the vid it sounds like an old radial engine firing up...lol.
[video=youtube;cnboZ3vbIfM]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cnboZ3vbIfM&feature=plcp[/video]

Nevermind my buddy diggin in his butt...lol.

-Don
2
T-Bird/Cougar Parts & Cars FOR SALE / Budget 351W swap parts and MAF swap stuff...PICS ADDED
I have some stuff laying around from my 351W I won't be re-using and am trying to gauge interest before taking detailed photos and making a huge posting.  Here is a short list:

-Remaned A9P computer $100 shipped
-Stock 55mm MAF $40 shipped
-Later model MAF housing with center-bar removed, measures 73mm with Fox electronics, works beautifully $90 shipped

-Fox intake hoses and MAF bracket $50 shipped

-MAF adjuster(allows changing injector size without changing meter) $110 shipped

-HO intake cut open and ported with 3" of internal runner length removed painted Ford grey, comes with 1 of 1 custom "5.8 HO" beauty plate $230 shipped

-Ported truck/van 5.8 lower intake complete with BC Broncos intake adapter(allows use of HO upper) and fox fuel rails and upper plenum hardware, adjustable regulator NOT included $ 175 shipped



I'll have to go through and look at what else I have and I'm willing to make deals on combinations, i.e.- upper and lower intake together or MAF and hoses/bracket together.  I am, however, firm on my individual prices as they include shipping to the lower 48.

Seperately everything totals $795...for the guy going from SD to 351W, I'll sell it all as a package for $450 shipped...for that price you can use what you need, sell what you don't and get some of your money back.

Located in Aiken, SC 29803

Thanks,
Don
3
T-Bird/Cougar Parts & Cars FOR SALE / Parting my '88 Sport in the weeks to come...PICS ADDED 9/26!!!
Well, I just bought a Crown Vic, so I'm going to be parting out the 'Bird.

No pictures as of yet, will be adding pics in the upcoming weeks.  The car is still completely assembled and running, I'm going to strip it down in the next couple weeks.  Here's a list of some things, feel free to ask about any other items.  EVERYTHING IS ...OR BEST OFFER!

Rebuilt T-5Z(2.95 1st gear) with less than 1,500mi, including BBK adj clutch cable, billet aluminum quadrant, pedal assembly, bell housing, clutch fork, Zoom stage 3 clutch, FRPP billet steel flywheel (28oz), Hurst shifter and your choice of speedo gears(maroon-3.08, black-3.55, or red-3.73), will include crossmember and poly trans mount if needed.
Asking $1,100/OBO just a starting point, make me an offer, I have all warranty info and receipt.

11" front brake conversion with rotors, bearings, spindles, calipers, hoses, newer mustang struts and newer strut mounts...about 60% pad life. 
Asking $200/OBO

15" 10-hole SSP black replica wheels, not perfect but nice.  Has 225/60R16 Fuzion HRi's on them, less than a year old, new they're @11/32", now at 10/32". Less than 2500mi.
Asking $300/OBO

buttstuffog cluster reading 18x,xxx miles
Asking $50/OBO

Dash trim(brushed stainless look) with custom gauge panel that replaces clock/passenger vent register....custom made from fiberglass, mounts two 2 1/16" gauges, black wrinkle finish, uses factory clock mounting location/hardware.
Asking $100, or $40 for just the gauge panel

ChuckW's poly mounts
Asking $50 sale pending
other interior parts available, tail-lights and headlights and Turbo Coupe/Sport rear sway bar.  If you want anything not listed...ask!

I'm also open to trades...I'm looking for 16" police wheels with centercaps, an aftermarket lock-up convertor for an AOD, aluminum CV or GM driveshaft.  Maybe even a SuperCoupe AOD, AODE or aftermarket AOD.

Parts located in Aiken, SC 29803
Thanks,
Don
4
At The Track / Went to the "House of Hook" finally...
I finally got out to the local track for the first time(remember now, I moved to SC this past December).  Carolina Dragway in Jackson, SC.  It was over 95* with the heat index hovering between 110*-115* until about 9pm.  A guy said he looked up the DA before coming to the track and it was *supposedly* 3000ft above sea level.  Everybody was complaining about running so much slower than usual.

Race weight- 3,850lbs with half tank of gas, a load of tools, jumper box and other random ...I did NOT prepare for this outing.

I wasn't spinning too bad on the 1-2 shift and my 4th and best run the tires just barked.

3rd run:......................4th run:
60'- 2.209...................2.090
330'-6.210...................6.064
1/8- 9.517@74.47.........9.371@74.47
1000'- 12.361...............12.213
1/4- 14.764@89.29........14.617@89.29mph

I accidentally slipped the clutch a little more and you can see the 60' dropped.  The car was extremely consistent(as indicated by IDENTICAL MPH for the 1/8 and 1/4).  I yanked the gears @ 4500.

When I want to Atco Raceway last October before I moved, my trap speeds were around 95mph with ET's in the 14.40's and 2.15 short times.

I think that cleaning out my car like I normally do, running with 1/4 tank of gas like usual and some good weather, I should be able to get into bottom 14's.  DR's and a big throttle body would probably put me into the 13's....but that'll have to remain speculation, I'm saving my pennies for a Crown Vic to drop this motor into.

-Don
5
Engine Tech / Drivability issue...LONG post, SOLVED!!!!!
A little over a week ago, I was driving home in severe rain...roads were starting to pond up pretty bad and I hit about 1-2" of water at about 50mph and the car started running rough...

Symtoms:
Rough idle, misfire under a load, runs silky smooth under an extremely light load. 

ONE-TIME fault:
drove the car for about a week like this, then one day while returning to work from lunch, couldn't keep an idle, repeatedly stalling, while decelerating in gear you could hear the motor go flat through the exhaust, hit the gas and it came back to life...I pulled into a gas station and could only keep it running by feathering the throttle rapidly and it was puking black smoke out of the exhaust. MAF voltage was all over the place.  Disconnected MAF air adjuster and plugged MAF back in and it's been running consistently py, but drivable since.

SPECS:
5.8 with 24lb/hr injectors, CV 73mm MAF with center bar removed and fox mustang electronics, MAF air adjuster(modifies maf signal to adjust for changes in injector size), mass air ecm for '89 GT AOD.

pulled codes and got the "normal" 81, 82, 94, 44 (air mgt. 1 ckt failure, air mgt. 2 ckt failure, thermactor sys. inoperative #1-4, thermactor sys inoperative #5-8), I have no air pump on the car and when re-pinning the harness, I did not pin the TAB and TAD back in as they were useless anyway, I also got a code 33 for egr not opening, which is new a new one by me.

I checked for vac leaks by smoke testing the intake and vac lines, all good
Spark plugs are good (none cracked), plug wires are good(none breaking down), ignition coil is good (swapped with a new one, no change), MAF is good (swapped with known good, no change), fuel pressure is good(according to my rail mounted gauge), replaced TFI module with no change.

Pulled apart "salt & pepper" connectors, maf connector, tfi connector, O2 harness and coil connector to check for moisture, all looked good.  I pulled all the plugs and they all look identical, none wet, indicating to me a random misfire under load.  It's also not a "dead-miss" at idle, as pulling one plug wire off at a time @ idle resulted in a significant change in idle quality on every cylinder.  My air/fuel ratio gauge goes bat-shiznit crazy when it misfires under a load.  I still have some pretty erratic MAF voltages also.

If I think of anything else, I'll post it up...I won't post up my suspicion just yet, because I don't want to lead anyone down the wrong diagnostic road.

PLEASE HELP!!!

Thanks in advance,

Don
6
T-Bird/Cougar Parts & Cars WANTED / Wanted 87-88 A/C compressor...
I'm actually looking for the fittings that the lines screw onto at the top of the compressor...the threads literally fell apart during the 351 swap...if you have a complete, known good compressor with clutch that would be even better...as I have no idea if mine is even functional.

Located in Aiken, SC 29803.

PS- driving when heat indices are over 115* with only one functional window and no A/C sucks.

Thanks,
Don
7
Engine Tech / Factory Ford 73mm MAF...
Titled as such to grab your attention...I picked up a MAF housing a few months ago from the junkyard from a 4.6 Crown Vic/Grand Marquis(found the intake duct and housing in the trunk of another car).  These meters actually measure almost right on 73mm instead of the 70mm that everybody refers to them as.  After reading some threads, I had found that cutting the center bar out destroys the calibration and the whole thing is trash.  Also, many people claimed that the stock 55mm mustang MAF would become a restriction before it pegged.

Well folks, those people are WRONG on both accounts.  I took down a little casting flash in the MAF housing and cut out the center bar.  Then I installed one of my F1ZF sensors into the housing and decided to give it a shot being as I had a MAF adjuster laying around.  I fired it up, expecting it to immediately stall, but it didn't.  At warm idle, the modified MAF read .88v...my OE 55mm unit read between .90v-.94v at warm idle.  Watching my A/F gauge indicated that the car was running slightly leaner at idle.

I took it for a test drive and it ran only a hair richer at full throttle and it was just slightly lazier (going from lean to rich) during tip in.  The car woke up big time.  My 351w never really wanted to run past 4k rpm and I had always assumed it was my 5.0 HO upper plenum that was restricting it(which it still is restricting power), but it was pulling great, A/F ratio was good and when I looked at the tach...sure enough, it read 4400 and still going strong.

When cutting out the center bar on these housings, the trick is NOT to use the F2VF sensor that typically come in them...you HAVE to use the Fox-mustang sensor.

I guess I'll see what happens when I get my hogged out, reduced runner length, HO upper plenum welded back together and drop in the 24lb injectors.  Hopefully I can get around to it within the next two weeks.

Happy modifying,
Don
8
Body Repair/Metal Work/Painting / Factory power sunroof repair...
Just wondering if anybody has any experience with the '87-'88 factory power sunroof.  Mine is fubar, but I found 2 '88 Mark VII's hidden away at one of my local yards with what may appear to be functional sunroofs.

If anybody has any exploded view diagrams of the sunroofs for the '88 Bird and/or '88 Mark VII, I'd greatly appreciate it.

Thanks,
Don
9
General Fox T-Bird/Cougar Discussion / Hard in the driveway, easy at the shop...
Well, I decided to swap in my 3.73 8.8" before hitting the track this weekend.  From the time I pulled the car into the shop, until the time the rear was out of the car...35 minutes, no cutting, no destruction.  SO EASY!  The 8.8 is going in tomorrow morning.

Now, I remember when I did this swap years ago on another car in my driveway....without a proper set of jack stands or a proper jack...just a screw jack and some blocks of wood under the rear LCA's.  Took me about 5hrs on a Saturday night and about another 4hrs on that Sunday morning (that includes running around for brake hardware and new drums).  All I had was a few wrenches.  What a PITA it was back then.

If you guys have any stories about stuff that you've done crudely in the driveway or laying in the dirt, contrasting stuff you may have done in a shop, I'd love to hear it!

-Don
10
T-Bird/Cougar Parts & Cars FOR SALE / E-fan, engine stand, and a bunch of other stuff.
Tryin to unload some stuff to help raise funds for my move to SC.  All parts located in Sicklerville, NJ 08081

Flex-A-Lite E-fan- $100/obo

'88 Sport front sway bar- $30/obo will not ship

750lb engine stand- $40/obo will not ship

factory HO headers- $40/obo

possible ported lower intake- PM for details/price

19lb injectors- $20/obo

Mark VII HO ECU- SOLD!

If I come across anything else, I'll add it on...any questions, feel free to PM me.

Thanks,
Don

Still have ProForm 1.7 roller rockers for sale(from another thread), $50+ shipping
11
T-Bird/Cougar Parts & Cars WANTED / HO upper plenum...
Looking for another HO upper plenum I can hog out...preferably something for next to nothing and close to me (zip: 08081).

I plan on cutting it open and basically turning it into a short runner box-style intake, all while maintaining a fairly stock appearance on the outside.

BTW, I have some stuff for trade too, before I post it all up for sale...lmk.

thanks,
Don
12
Engine Swapping / *PICS* Just finished 351W swap...PICS ADDED!!!!
Spent Saturday night pulling the old engine, only took about 3 1/2 hours from start to finish.  We got the 351W in on Sunday, and after wrestling the T-5 back into place around 5:30-6pm I was spent...that and the front sump of the pan washiznitting the front sway bar...bad.  Monday morning, I unbolted the sway bar brackets and let it hang.  I was then able lift the T-5 high enough to put the crossmember back under.

It's actually a pretty straight forward swap, especially if keeping EFI.  My 351 has a Crane Cam, Powermax 2030 grind, part # 444232.  It's got .448/.464" lift and 268*/276* duration.  I'm running ported GT-40 irons(milled down to 59.2cc), BBK shorty 351W headers, a truck/van lower intake which has been heavily ported, a BC Broncos intake adapter(ported also), and a stock HO upper plenum...I'm running 19lb injectors and a DA1 ECM. 

The car runs amazingly nice, absolutely zero drivability issues...a slight lope through the exhaust and a little rich when initially toe'ing into the throttle.  I haven't hammered on it yet, but did make a short full throttle run in 2nd gear from 20-45mph...even with the 2.73 rear gears, it happened QUICK.  The thing pulls like a freight train at lower RPM...I'm sure that's all thanks to a super restricted intake and exhaust...unfortunately, that's what'll keep this set-up from reaching it's full potential past 3500. 

I don't NEED a tune, but it's probably not a good idea to try runnning past 3500 full throttle without it...I have a set of 24lb injectors on the way and I'd like to save up to get a good safe tune on it. 

Oh, and the stock hood fits fine with the addition of washers between the hinges and hood, all wiring fit nicely, hoses fit pretty well, but the heater core hoses took a good bit of tpuppies to get right...I'll have to try and get some pics together.

-Don :burnout:
13
Lounge / Fun times at work today...not really
So my buddy, at work, brings in one of his 24" wheels and 61" tires for his wheelin' truck...we were slow and figured we'd mount it up.  Mounting it wasn't the problem...3 guys, 4 bars and PLENTY of lube and it went on fairly easily.  Now the problem is...how the hell are we going to bead it up?  NO inner-tube...hmmm....tried the starting fluid trick a few times...no go...the gaps between the bead of the tire and the rim was just too big...

So, we lifted up one of our lifts(in ground type) rolled the tire under the arms, standing up and let the lift down to try and force the beads of the tire closer to the rim...keep in mind, it's a GIANT 8-ply 61" V-bar tire...easily weighs 350lbs+.  We tried starting fluid again, but still no go...can was  near empty...

As I was getting our "bead blaster" tank all air'ed up, this friggin' guy decides to get a fresh can of starting fluid and try again...he's spraying it good and I'm minding my own business about 8 ft away, not paying attention to him...then I hear starting fluid burn, then the loudest BANG...and then I couldn't hear anything...took about a minute before I could hear again...rattled peoples framed ASE certs off the wall in the front office (about 35ft away), scared waiting customers right out of the waiting room and even managed to shake some mortar joints loose!....

The tire was destroyed...junk...seated the outter bead so hard, it tore the steel cords in the bead of the tire(which is a little over an inch thick) and went right past the rim lip...after further inspection, it also tried to shoot this 180lb rim out of the back of the tire...luckily it only hit one of the posts for the lift and dented the hell out of this wheel.....my buddy was 3-5ft away when he lit it off and was missing hair from his left arm...like, his whole arm....takes a lot to freak this guy out....but that was enough...lol.

All I could do is look at him and say, "I don't want to play this game anymore"...lmao...at least we're not screwing around with split rims or anything...that was the original plan, with 54" military spec Michelin's....then he got a deal on these 61" monsters...looks like he's got to go find another.

Just a quick look into my hazardous day...

-Don
14
T-Bird/Cougar Parts & Cars FOR SALE / 351W E7's, stock or as modified as you want'em
I have a set of E7's from a 60k mile '91 351W.  Looking to get them out of my way...

As they sit- $0, absolutely free, come and get'em.
Pressure tested- $90
Pressure tested & milled(chambers cc'd also) up to .030"- $190

All of the above+ bowl blending, exhaust fully ported & intake port matched and cleaned up- $400

Cheapest set of "lets go fast" heads you'll get...I can also do upgraded springs and new valve guide seals if you want a ready-to-bolt-on head.

Location: Sicklerville, NJ 08081

Thanks,
Don
15
T-Bird/Cougar Parts & Cars FOR SALE / ARP head-bolts, Crane springs, 1.7rr's...NEW economy busting deals!
Well, I'm going 351 and selling off some stuff to try and finish this thing.  All parts located in Sicklerville, NJ 08081

intake is SOLD

Proform 1.7 roller rockers for 5.0/5.8 pedestal mount, includes everything needed, recommend buying shims to get the lifter pre-load correct.  asking $125 OBO now only $75

ARP head bolts for 5.0...had'em on old car for 8 months before gutting it...no use for 'em now.  asking $30 OBO reduced- $15

Crane valve springs, part # 44308-1.  Good for .560" lift and 6500rpm @ 1.950" installed height.  Closed-118lbs@1.950", Open-375lbs@1.380"...includes springs and retainers only, no locks...locks can be purchased from Crane, part #'s 99094-1 & 99097-1 
asking $75 OBO only $30!


I have a flat tappet cam in the 351, otherwise I would've reused the springs...8 months and about 4k miles.

Thanks,
Don