BLKMGK

Scottie, how can you tell? Where does the exhaust exit those heads - is it such that headers could go straigh down along the block or will it be right in the way of the steering? Too bad that car looks like it's go so far to go...

Part number comes up as a "special order" item on the JEG's site. I'd say it's probably still available but might take awhile. Love their WEB site, wish it gave availability of items like Summit's does

My site has pics of the spring that needs to be changed out. Needless to say it looks just like a damned valve spring - it's pretty beefy! It's mounted in a housing bolted to the top of th etrans on the driver's side near th eshifter. Unbolt that, unscrew the brass looking pasrt, remove a snapring, and there's the spring. However be careful you don't put in too WEAK a spring like I did A weak spring in there is at least as bad as too strong a one since hitting reverse becomes so easy. Once you unbolt that piece off the trans it becomes pretty obvious how it all works. If you run into problems lemme' know and I can snap some more shots of my spare lockout etc. I really need to redo mine...

Ross, where was this installed at? Is there an easy place to crack open the line to the rear for this? Anyone have ideas on the booster? It's pretty disconcerting Would the line lock go in much the same way as the prop valve - wadapters like those listed above? I'll admit I've not yet looked under the hood but I'm hoping to avoid bending lines

Just a heads up - my driver's side REAR tire was rubbing the fender for some reason, the passenger side never rubbed. I tried rolling it a bit with limited success. As a result I've tried pulling the 1/4inch spacer from that side. To my surprise it does NOT rub! I've yet to try doing this on the other side but I may try it just to get things even. Good news that the Mustang offset wheels work with no spacer in the rear - this is WITH coilovers. Also, I may bump up the spring rate back there. This sucker squats real fast and while I've not bumped the wheelwell yet I'm worried aboout it - I've yet to try a standing launch. Current rate is 225 in back and it's not really sitting down on the wheels right now. Drives pretty nice

What year car? I'm only familier with the 240's and those I can assure you are NOT sealed. I had mine apart a few times fixing things inside. Do you have higher than stock wattage headlights installed? Did it ever work? New switches are available, you can often fix the old ones too. IF you've installed higher wattage bulbs or have a really badly abused harness then relays are in order. Relays make even stock lights noticably brighter since the juice no longer has to travel through the switch and harness before getting to th ebulbs

I bought a 3inch mandrel bent U from Jegs or Summit. Wasn't cheap but in the end I actually ended up not using it. I DID use the Flowmaster Y pipe for the 2 2.5inch pipes into a 3. Be aware that in the back you have to be careful that the muffler isn't too long or you end up with an extreme bnd. Mine was mild enough to allow a gentle bend. My system has no mandrel bends in it but worked out well. Pics on my site. The pipes from the collectors are Flowtech "toobes" purchased from Jegs. If you can find a good shop I don't think there are so many bends in the system that a mandrel bend is really required (shrug).

The isue of retrofitting isn't so much to prevent the bottom of the car from cathing fire but from the interior from catching fire due to the intense heat. I've spoken to more than one person who's had that happen and I've had one of my cats get so hot that the interior undercarpeting began to smoke - and that was with heat shields! Older cars that never had cats are even worse, they don't have shields and the interior is more liekly to catch fire. It was for these reasons that I understood that retrofitting wasn't being required. If you retrofit a cat make sure it's got an air gap around it and a shield with an air gap on either side of it too. Be sure the car doesn't run too rich which will really heat it up and make sure the interior doesn't get too hot. In my case I had to douse the cat wiht water in order to cool it and the car off (dead O2 caused full rich on one bank). Runnin a block older than the car - not sure of the rules on that in CA. Thankfully I don't live out there However my state has patterned some of it's rules on California I think they've tested roadside stuff once or twice already, I'm not sure though. Hopefully it won't come to that...

Yes. It's not really extensive information, more like common sense stuff (IMO) but it is guidance on how to do it. You would still want to check with a referee station etc. but it can apparently be done if you follow the rules. One thing I'm curious about and wold liek to know form anyone out there that's researched it - is California requiring the retrofit of catalytics into cars that didn't originally have them when doing a swap? I believe the answer is NO due to fire concerns but I've heard differeing opinions. Would love ot hear somehting definative - say from someone that's done it... I seem to recall that atleast one person here has gone through the referee process, yes?

Okay, jumped on the gas for a friend and ended up having to really hit the brakes afterwards. It's now QUITE apparent that I need a prop valve pretty badly. (ahem) How hard is this to install? I did it once on my Mustang but the stock lines had fittings that worked fine. I ASSume the Datsun uses metric fittings? Can this be easily adapted? I figure the firewall up front is as good a place as any to install it and if i can I'd liek to keep cutting and flaring to a BARE minimum as I've not got the proper tools on hand. Any tips would be welcome - as much as I'd like ot put it in the tunnel like Pete I don't think it's going to happen Booster question. Sometimes the pedal seems to go lower than others, much lower it seems like once in awhile. I don't recall this ever occuring with the old brakes but everything is new including the master except for the booster. A second stab at the brakes provides much more pressure on the rare occasion that this occurs. Am I looking at needing a new booster? I THINK I might have one spare but I don't want to swap it unless this truly is the right fix. IF I must swap is there a bolt-in part that provides any advantage? I think the 2+2 booster is too big with the clutch master in there on a 72, yes? Last question - since I'll be cracking into the brakes again anyway.. how hard is a line lock to install? I've actually got one spare in the garage but again I think it's fittings are likely to be English and not Metric. Is there a "best" spot to install this? My unit was made by Hurst. Thanks!!!!!

Okay, I've got a set of CVs out of a ZXT. Is there anything I should do in order to inspect them? I ASSume they cannot be greased or anything, yes? Am now hunting stubs and flanges with two possible local sources when it comes time to remove what I've got should I simply not worry about where the stock stuff is pinned and zip it off? I know it'll trash the threads but is it very hard to unpin? I've only looked at it briefly. Are bearings easy to swap for the rear stubs? I figure while it's apart I might as well. Jumped on the gas for a friend who had given me the CVs and about wet my pants. The drag radials had NO hope of hooking and I had to feather it to keep it under control. Never got past 3/4 throttle either - I'm gonna' need a rev limiter BAD! Glad the U's held up

Super - tell me more about the turbo tube stuff please. Price and where to source it. I grabbed a set of the Edelbrocks after MUCH pondering over the Spintech's. Price and size (width) is what led me to the Edelbrock's and they were STILL too wide (for MY app). Also note that the Edelbrock mufflers are stainless, the Spintechs are NOT unless you pay still more. I've had the older Flow's and they rusted like mad - given a choice I want stainless. Unfortunatly the bullet's I'm considering now aren't stainless but with as tall a tire as I've got ground clearance isn't an issue right now.

Anyone know what hatch glass runs? My defrog is toast and while I could mask off and "paint" new lines with the repair stuff a new piece would be smartest (and straight!). Does it cost much or is it "cheap" like the windshield? Quarter glass is a dime a dozen if you watch E-Bay for long, I've even got a spare set or two

There's a hotted up version of th eWRX coming. The Subaru sales guys were telling me about all of the neato' sports parts coming too. Already there's a "test tube" to replace the primary catalyst that resides between exhaust port and turbo I'd love to own a WRX but not until the tranny is stronger at least and I'd prefer it with the new beefier motor too. It's coming...

I've used the rearmost header stud twice but you might want to consider using a known good new bolt rather than trust a rused one.

Evan, check with the local glass shops. My local shop got me a new windshield for about that amount no problem. I was quite shocked to be honest

You'd probably have to do some surgery elsewhere too. As it stands right now my 245s are hitting slightly on ONE side and they're about as close to the strut as I can reasonably get. I'd need to move th estrut at least an inch or two in order to fit a 275 and then I'm not sure how the rest of the wheelhouse would handle it without flares. Flares would probably be as easy as moving the strut, probably more so....

Look at some of the AWD Bugs being done. Not sure hwo's drivetrain they're swapping in but they certainly do seem to run pretty good. Requires a bit of surgery to get them to fit too it seems A real shame VW doesn't offer that here themsevles - I'd be interested!

I've got 2X2.5 into a 3 into a Sebring 14 inch muffler. I think SCCA is using an even longer Sebring muffler on his. Anyway, on a trip tonight it darn near droned us out of th ecar. I'll be having a pair of Dynomax bullets installed in addition to the Sebring. I think the Sebring LOOKS awesome and it IS knocking sound down but not quite enough and it can't stop the resonating on my motor. I had planned on using Edelbrock mufflers under there with it but the muffler guy said no way - too big (grr). 80mph in 6th is just a bit over 2KRPM. Car pulls GREAT at this speed in that gear but anything lower in the RPM band starts a drone. Not as bad as a Mustang with 2chamber Flow's but bad enough. The woman had cotton in her ears and it still hurt her. I've got full Dynomat and heat insulation installed (no heat from floorboards!) but it's just not enough. Rolling down the window makes it much worse too! Jamie, how did it sound when I passed you? I wasn't getting on it but it was droning as we went by. Letting off at a high RPM makes it crackle like glasspacks too - ick! Honestly guys, if you lose a few HP but get a quiet car it's worth it! No hassles from the cops and folks don't know what's under the hood. Right now I can't sneak up on anyone As ligth as these cars are a few HP shouldn't lose you any races and it's worth saving your hearing. My ears are ringing righ tnow just a bit - not cool...

Heh, print it out and then call a few of those places, maybe see if there's a Mustang shop in your area too. Get their opinions, ponder them, post them here for everyone to take potshots at, hold your nose, take the plunge

Did a little research this morning for ya'... The motor you're looking at is the Ford SVT motor. Shoping around you MIGHT beat the Summit $3495 price. That's basiclly a stock Mustang motor with a B303 SVT cam installed and GT-40 aluminum heads. It's got a warranty I believe. Some things to note - it will have Hyperuetectic pistons which means take it easy on NOS or a blower. It may NOt have roler rockers, I'm not sure. Some other options - Central Coast Mustang www.centralcoastmustang.com has their own line of engines built on stock Ford shortblocks. One of those has Ford X305 aluminum heads which are BETTER than the GT-40s and a wilder cam. Price is $2895. Note that they sell a high compression 302 with iron heads that have a better design than the GT-40 - it's rated at 340HP. This makes the 345 rating of the SVT motor sound a bit optimistic. Do NOT get a motor with the GT-40P heads from Dennis or anyone else unless you want to tinker with header selection. The P heads are a production unit from the Explorer and ahve the spark plug location moved from previous designes making header selection more difficult. Look at some of the motors D.S.S. offers too. www.dssracing.com Their ads have mostly shortblocks but they do full engines as well. For a motor intended for a light Z to just cruise and have fun with you will NOT need fancy rods or forged pistons. Go forged pistons if you're going to put NOS on it or a blower though. I wouldn't sweat "girdles" or other main cap supports with what you're considering doing. Most ANY of the later heads, including production items, will probably beat an older style head. A roller cam would be a good option since they're everywhere and rev quickly. Roller rockers are cheap so if you can get them installed I'd go for it. 1.6 ratio is fine. The weak point in a current Ford motor is the cranbk ripping out of the mains. At about 450HP or so this becomes a danger and it usually is the guy running NOS or a big blower that grenades one. Stock blocks can take 6500RPM or more but I wouldn't want to zing one up past that very often I've seen a couple of late model 302s make well over 100K miles with oil consumption due to the low tension rings being the biggest "issue". They're strong motors! Hrm, the motor you linked? Realize it requires a core motor in exchange. It has many stock parts in it and some nice aluminum heads. Not a bad motor but it's over $4K if you don't have a core to exchange. Hope this has helped even if I've managed to ramble some. Realize too that I'm giving you opinions and that most everyone else is liable to have one too. In the end you'll probably want to learn a little bit about these motors on your own - overall I don't think you can go wrong if you've choosen a decent shop to assemble it. Worse comes to worse drop in a motor out of a wrecked Mustang and built it up slowly as you feel the need for speed - lot's of parts out there!

Heh, a crate motor should get you into the 11s IMO or darned close (can someone run the numbers?). However there's much more out there than box stock 302s to choose from these days. Folks have taken the old 302 and come up with TONS of options. Lot's of folks are building "crate" motors of all sorts of sizes and power ranges. Pick up a copy of Fast Fords, Muscle Mustangs and review some of the ads. If in the end you choose to stick to a crate GT-40 (Ford sells them too - with warranty!) you will NOT be disapointed. If you convert it over to a carb though you will have to be aware of a few things like the distributor and it's gear since it'll have a roller cam. Buying a distributor from an '85 Mustang 302 will fix that though How much power, realisticly, are you looking for? What trans do you wish to run? If you want a T5 don't go nuts on power, go with a mostly stock crate motor, and be happy. If you want more than something like 240HP or so then consider some of the strokers out there. If you want to save some money then just get a 302HO motor out of a wrecked late model Mustang - 87 through about 91 - and drop it in. For that matter some of the guys have put in the motor EFI and all with few problems. (shrug) As for "qualified"... I've been fooling with Mustangs since about 86 or so. The 88 I've owned since new has a 351W (EFI) and an ATI blower. Prior to that it had a Paxton on the stock 302 and then a pair of turbos. I've not yet got it on the road with the ATI blower since I got distracted with the Datsun but I did a great deal of the work swapping it myself. I have been researching Ford stuff forever and if I need an answer a good froiend of mine owns a Mustang performance shop He did work on my car too including the blower install - he does almost exclusively Fords. If I don't think I know the answer to a question I'll tell you so. Trust me - the Ford world has grown up in a really big way since about 1985 when I first got interested in Mustangs. Lot's of options and more heads for the small block than you can believe! I'd have done a Ford motor in my car but the SBC was much better documented (shrug). Enjoy the ride

Yes, those are the bolts. In my case I hit them with an impact with the diff out of th ecar. In your case you won't be able to if it's installed - you'll have to use hand wrenches to turn the bolt heads up top. Before you do check to see if there's a gap between the mount and the diff or between the bolt head and the top of the diff. In my case with the car supposrted by the diff I could feel a gap up top, had I used a washer or tightened it further I would've been fine. Bit of work and it was snug, no more play or clunking. Check the strut mounts too - one of mine was loose. Also check the gland nut on top of the strut - if it's loose it'll rattle and clunk.

I'll second that - '88 Ford T5 lasted more than a year behind a TT 302 and a blower before that. HP was about 450, torque was pretty high. Given a choice I'd go with a stronger trans but the T5 DOES shift nice and smooth. I expect you'll break it but it if you're careful and treat it as you've described it'll last awhile...

They offer 331 motors too. Make sure that if you get a 347 that the ring package isn't pushed down into the pin. When this is done they have to use a goofy spacer to support the rings and this leads to greater leakage past the rings and burning of oil. There ARE some setups that get you around this problem not to worry. Rod ratio is a little high on a 347 supposedly so bear that in mind. You've got lot's of options and even junkyard 302HOs can be darned strong...