MikeJTR

This is yet another shameless plug for JTR. If you need a hose splicer that goes from one size to another, see this link: http://www.jagsthatrun.com/Pages/Parts_Cooling_TransHoseSplicers.html We make these parts inhouse. If you need a special size, let us know, we can usually make these within a week. If you splice hoses together, with a straight piece of pipe or tubing, and the ends are not beaded, the hose can slip off. For safety reasons, you should use hose splicers with beaded ends.

I think the temperature fluctuations you are seeing are somewhat normal, but there is a way to reduce it. You engine has an outlet sensing thermostat. What this means is that the coolant gets heated up in the engine, and eventually, the coolant gets to the thermostat, at which point it opens. In your case, the engine in the coolant (where your temperature sensor is located) gets to 220 before the coolant to the thermostat gets to 180. After the thermostat opens, cold coolant from the radiator circulates through the engine, and when it gets to the thermostat, the thermostat closes. This cycle will continue for a few cycles, but it typically stabilizes after a few minutes, and you will see a steady temperature. More modern engines, such as the LT1 and the LSx engines use an inlet sensing thermostat that mixes coolant from the engine and the radiator. The inlet sensing thermostats prevent the spikes in temperature that you are seeing on your car. On your car, drilling a couple of small holes in the thermostat will allow a small amount of coolant to constantly flow through the thermostat, and this will prevent the temperture spikes that you are seeing. If the holes are small enough, you will barely notice an increase in the time it takes for the thermostat to open. Another solution is to run a bypass hose from the thermostat to the lower radiator hose. One more note, I have seen this problem when more than 50 percent anti-freeze is used, so if it continues, check the percentage of antifreeze in the coolant. A measuring tool for this is usually available at auto parts stores for about $15.

Hi, I'm working with Sanderson Headers on a shorty LS1 header that is similar to the small-block header used in the ZX -- it will require rack and pinion steering, and will not work with the cars using a steering box. The real reason for producing the header is for installing an LSx engine into the BMW E36. This header should be ready in a few weeks. Hopefully, BRAAP will be interested in this header for his BMW LSx swap.

We sell speedometer gears for the Chevrolet T5 -- don't have any experience with the Ford T5. The factory sleeve (or bullet as you call it) has a seal designed to accomodate different driven gears. We buy the parts from GM. When you buy the sleeve from GM, there are instructions that explain that the seal must be pressed in in some applications. If the Ford is similar, then it is possible the seal has not been pressed in. Another problem may be the Ford sleeve. With the Chevrolet T5, we use a metal sleeve. Some applications use a plastic sleeve that will not accomodate the external gear box so well.

Hi, These are new parts, and they are not yet on the website. The price is $15. including shipping. You can purchase them by calling 925-462-3619, or you can email greg@jagsthatrun.com

The tee with the sight glass will probably be around $50, depending on whether or not you want an air bleed fitting. The sight glass uses 1/2 npt fittings and is a steel/fused-glass style which is rated for 500 degree F, at over 1000 psi. See this link for information on the sight glass: http://www.mcmaster.com/#sight-plugs/=3xh40d We haven't decided on whether to use the sight glass with the reflector or without the reflector. I prefer the reflector, but it costs more, and some people may prefer the sight glass without the reflector. The sight glass is oreinted on the side, and the bleed screw goes on top. If the sight glass is oriented to be on the top, there will always be a bubble of air. If you don't want the air bleed screw, we can provide the tee without it. The tee uses 1/8 npt fittings for the steam vent tube, but we haven't decided on the orientation for the steam tube fitting. Some people may want it on the bottom, and some may want it on the side. If you want 1/4" npt or 3/8" npt, we can do that. We have made a batch of these for 1-5/16 hoses, as well as transitional, which go from 1-5/16 to 1-9/16, and from 1-5/16 to 1-3/4. If you have a suggestion for the orientation of the hose fittings, or want different sizes, we can make them. We recently purchased a new Haas cnc mill, so we can make these parts in house with very little lead time. Also, we made a batch transitional hose splicers that go from 1-3/8" to 1-1/2." Perhaps BRAAP can post a picture of the sight glass/tee I sent to him for his LSx project.

Hi, This is a shameless plug for JTR. We recently purchased a cnc lathe and make transitional hose splicers. We have 1-1/4" to 1-1/2" splicers, 1-1/4" to 1-3/4", 1-5/16" to 1-9/16", 1-5/16 to 1-3/4." Cost is about $15, including shipping. We can make the 1-3/8" to 1-1/2" splicer if we think there is a demand for it. We also have a new splicer/Tee with a sight glass to help determine if the cooling system is purged of air, or having foaming problems. These parts are not yet on the website, but BRAAP is suppose to be testing the sight glass. Since I don't know how to post photographs, maybe BRAAP can help.

Hi, the tranmission crossmember shown is not the mount JTR sells, but it is a crossmember made from the drawing in the book. We do offer two different transmission mounts. One for the T5, 700-R4, T350, and one for the T56. The T56 mount is about 1 lower in the center. We now make the crossmembers in house, and use slotted holes to allow for front-to-back and side-to-side adjustability.

Read the last page of this pdf file on the JTR website: http://www.jagsthatrun.com/V8-chapters/V8-tpi-Speed-Sensors.pdf We have speedometer gears and sleeves in stock.

JTR now has transitional hose splicers which can be used to connect a large hose to a smaller hose. These are not on the website yet, but we do make splicers that go from 1-3/4" to 1-5/16, and from 1-9/16 to 1-5/16 that may be the correct size for your application. We recently purchased a cnc lathe, and make these inhouse.

The opti spark fails for a number of reasons. One of the reasons the opti-spark can fail is because of improper venting. The earliest LT1 Corvettes were recalled because a vent hole was mistakenly sealed. Later LT1's ran a hose from the crankcase ventilation system to suck air through the opti-spark. If you don't have the hoses hooked up, this can cause problems.

Oops. My mistake. You are correct.

The steam vent tube goes into the upper radiator hose. The hose from the oil cooler goes into the lower radiator hose. If you put it in the upper radiator hose, the coolant will bypass the radiator, and the engine may overheat. The thermostat housing in the LT1 is an inlet-sensing design, with full flow through the engine when the thermostat is closed. The coolant going to the oil cooler does not flow until the engine warms up. An older small block has a small bypass hole that allows a limited amount of coolant to flow through the engine when the thermostat is closed. While many people think the reverse flow cooling is the most important aspect of the LT1, it is the inlet-sensing thermostat, and full-flow cooling (when the thermostat is closed) that makes the LT1 cooling system a modern design.

[quote= QUOTE] Hi, Your swap is looking good. As a word of caution, mounting the fan directly to the radiator will cause the radiator to fail. You should attach the fan to the aluminum flat bars that connects the upper and lower radiator brackets. If you need some more flat bar, it is 1/4 x 3/4, and can often be purchased at hardware stores, or you can purchase some more flat bar that has been drilled and tapped from JTR. Also, if you have cooling problems, make sure you bleed all of the air from the cooling system, and when first filling the cooling system, it helps to disconnect the upper hose at the splicer/tee, and pour coolant into the upper radiator hose that so that it goes directly into the engine, until the coolant flows out of the upper radiator outlet. If you still have cooling problems, install a more powerful, shrouded fan.