• Hello there guest and Welcome to The #1 Classic Mustang forum!
    To gain full access you must Register. Registration is free and it takes only a few moments to complete.
    Already a member? Login here then!

Chasers 66 408 Restomod / ProTouring Coupe

Pretty sure I found the leaks in the clutch lines this morning thanks to the most invaluable troubleshooting tool I have...the GoPro.

Looks like BOTH the primary (right hand) and bleeder (left hand) lines have a crack in them in the center. My suspicion is that they got too bent, either in transit or install, and ruptured. I have the video on youtube for the time being to aid in troubleshooting / communication with MDL and I'll post it here to show you all. However, I will likely be taking it down after I get it all sorted out since there's no context to it.

VIDEO DELETED
 
Last edited:
I would say you found it! I thought those lines were tougher than that. I would expect MDL to step up to the plate, they seem to be decent folks.
 
Yeah i'm pretty confident. I've been in contact with them today. They're going to let me know what I need to do to get them fixed.

The ruptures could be my doing to be honest. Braided hose doesnt like to be aggressively bent and who knows, I might have bent them a little much on installs or something. Either way, MDL is great to work with.
 
I believe I've got it sorted out with MDL. Great folks over there. They're going to ship new lines out. Sadly, I have to pull the trans to do the job but, eh, such is life.
 
The past couple of days have been productive but not without their setbacks. Friday I fit the Dynomax Super Turbos and made tailpipes. The mufflers are still 3", although the ST's are actually 2.5 on the inside. Since the car was WAY too loud, I decided to neck the tails down to 2.5" to try and quiet it down some as well as make it easier to snake under the Watts and safely exit out the GT valance.
To do it, I bought the Flowmaster prebent tails in 2.5" that I cut accordingly. I welded them to some cut adapters for the 3" exits on the ST's. I then took 4 90 degree pipes cut REALLY short so that I could use just the bends and looped it under the Watts and tucked back up next to the tank and are pointed towards the GT openings. Hindsight being what it is I probably could / should have gotten 2 'U' pipes. I'm waiting on the appropriate sized tips to finish that project. I will have to open the trunk floor a little to clear the path for the pipes. I'm not sure if I'll take a big hammer to it or try to open it with the plasma cutter, wheel, or saw. I'll figure that out later this week.

I then dropped the exhaust and pulled the trans to swap out the bad lines on the Tilton. That was surprisingly easy. I think it was a little over an hour. IMO, WAY easier than pulling a C4. While it's out, I'm going to double check the Tilton measurements.

While I'm waiting on parts, I decided to play around with the trunk divider / hider board for the sub. I cut a couple of 3.5" square plates out of some #4 brushed stainless. The idea was to 'frame' the rear fluid catch can with the plates...and I achieved my goal.
......but I TOTALLY forgot the board sits flush against the subwoofer so there's no way to route the cables. Thus, I'm going to have to start over learning from my mistakes. Instead of the 2 plates, I'm going to run a single plate on the left hand side of the 4ch (left hand) amp. There's plenty of room on that side and the RCA feed cables come through there anyway. I'll run the power, speaker, and feed cables out, down, and under the amps. If I can't find any better wire fasteners, i'll use some grommet'd clamps and probably wrap the wires in some of the left over tech flex to class it up a little.
I also discovered one of the RCA's has a channel cut so I'll have to run a new one...that was a bummer.
Here was the end result of the divider so you all can get an idea of what I'm going for...that I cant use :-(

20190420-175905.jpg



I'm not real sure when I'll get to all that though. Between the trans lines, re-doing the vent line for the tank, exhaust, and a myriad of other little things; I'm not sure how much time I'll get to do more of the fine details. I'm still prioritizing getting it on the road.
 
This evening was VERY exciting! So first, I inadvertently tested my fusible link on the main power when I accidentally lost control of a hot line with the key on. Replaced it and got back to it. My fuel gauge and AF werent working. Some troubleshooting found a minor ground miss. Fixed and they're working.

I then replaced the messed up Watts bar followed by installing the Newton TPV6 in the trunk area. The remaining fittings for the diff lines will be here in a few days and I can wrap that up.
I was also looking at the trunk divider. After careful consideration, I'm going to put a couple 3/4" spacer blocks in between the divider and sub. I noticed i have plenty of space between the trunk hinges and the divider, even when closed. Fingers crossed that works. The replacement RCA cable and additional grommets will be here in a few days so I can put a bow on the sound system.

I then moved the ignition control module to a more convenient location in the glove box area. It will no longer be dangling from the dash. I also re-soldered both the power and ground on it.

Lastly, and the most exciting adventure this evening was working with the EPAS. I previously could not get it working so I dove in. It appears that the jumper connection from toggle switch to the box is really loose. I'm going to solder a wire directly on it but, in the meantime, playing around with it i got it to work with direct power.
From there, I decided to add a fuse panel that's triggered off a relay from accessory power. I figure, eventually, I may end up adding more accessory driven things so I might as well create a junction box for them. I then wired an outlet from the fuse panel to a toggle. Then from the toggle to the EPAS box.

I can't tell you how exciting it was to kick the key to accessory, flip the switch, heard the box click and roughly 10 seconds later BOOM POWER ASSISTED STEERING! Granted, the nose is in the air so I dont know how much assist I have but I definitely have help! That was incredibly exciting!

Tomorrow I hope to get the steering play adjusted as it's a little notchy. Solder the wire on the EPAS box. Put the cork gasket in the fuel filler between the taillight panel. Then tidy up the cabin as I've got tools and other stuff spread around everywhere and it's bugging me. Depending on how things go, I might re-make the console as well.
 
I'm starting to understand why your signature has the line it does! :p Slow down a notch or two, think things through a bit more and you'd end up saving time and money. Almost all your issues seem to be self-induced. Those electrical snafus could have been very costly. You're almost there don't blow it up now! lol
 
I respectfully disagree and have no intention to 'slow down'.
In this entire build process, looking back through my plan, execution, and the metrics I've taken along the way, less than 2% of the entire thing is a result of mess up's or accidents. Some things are a result of the evolution of a 3 year project. As for potential wasted money on changing parts out due to scope shift, i have another 66 mustang that will get those parts so there is no waste. The clutch lines (i think) are the only things I've had to replace without reuse.
I will concede to have rushed a few things due to excitement (like the first drive :-D). Outside of that, what you do not see and is not conveyed here, are the countless hours I spend thinking, scheming, and planning.

I'm incredibly happy with how the project has progressed along with the changes and improvements. I've learned a lot along the way and happy for the input I've gotten even if some of it i dont agree with and discard. The car is going to continue to evolve over the years as well. After-all, this is version 1 of the car ;-)
 
I busting your chops. You're last few posts have you telling on yourself repeatedly. I was laughing with you not at you.

And please, I have no room to talk, I'm like the king of changing my mind and buying one thing only to change to something different. Dude, I built multiple engines for it before I even drove my car for the first time! The comment about wasting money was about breaking stuff by accident or risking burning up electrical components because of whoopsie moments that usually happen in haste...like letting live wires make ground. Suggesting one pace themselves to keep focused isn't a bad thing.
 
It's all good dude. Giving it back to you some as well :-D Take it all in jest. Plus, you've given me some pretty good ideas.

I have done a pretty fair amount of laughing at my blunders as of late. This is the 7th car I've built (probably the last) and some of the mistakes I've made, at least electrical, were things that I did on the first or second car when I had 0 idea what I was doing.
I chalk a lot of that up to the excitement of seeing the finish line.

Plus, I have a pretty small window of time to get it done which is building pressure. We're due to have our first kid early July. With that, I really would like this version of the car to be pretty well wrapped up by early June.
 
Got the transmission lines replaced. That really wasnt that bad of a job. Getting a manual out is a lot easier (imo) than an auto. I had the trans out in about an hour and just as quickly had it back in. Replacing the lines amounted to spreading a c-clip, pull line out, new c-clip (installed rolled edge out), install lines, done. I rechecked the measurements on the Tilton. They were well within spec but I did thread it in .01 to be perfect.
I could not get it bled following their instruction or with a vacuum bleeder so I did it the old fashioned way. 10 minutes later and I have a clutch again...no leaks (so far). I also wrapped a couple touchpoints in fuel hose, zip tied together, and fastened them away from any and all moving or hot parts.

Outside of that, I've been chipping away at a bunch of little / un-interesting things that add up to big things.

I couldnt sleep this morning so I got up stupid early and sorted out the trunk area as well as got amps, sub, and speakers hooked up. I did a quick test...sounds FANTASTIC!

20190503-085735.jpg


I still have a couple radio things to hook up. I think the extension for the antenna came apart since I have 0 reception. No big deal and easy to sort out. I also need to hook up the GPS sensor as well as find a suitable location for the BT mic. Little piddly things.

If it ever stops raining, i'm hoping to take it for another drive and determine if we're ready to be legal.
Btw...i LOVE having power steering.
 
Well...after a rough initial 10 miles sorting various issues I have this sucker dialed in and running GREAT! I've put a little over 35 miles on it making sure everything is good to go. Hoping to get it in for the safety inspection and legal this week.

I have the camber set at -1.5, caster +3.5, and toe at -1/16". It handles corners incredibly well. I have't gotten really ambitious since i'm still getting used to it but it's so stable it's scary. I might end up taking some camber out but I'm going to run this for awhile.
I'm starting to figure out how to 'drive' this engine as well. It's pretty docile until about 3k RPM and then it turns into a banshee. Wheel spin becomes a real problem. I ran a 'rip' run where I started at 40mph, punched it, and lit the tires through 4th and 5th. I've never been able to do because of wheel hop or it getting squirly. The SoT 3link keeps this thing planted and straight. It is MAGICAL!
Its so straight that, I leaned into it a little, broke the tires loose, and didnt really know it...thought the clutch was slipping until i smelled tire smoke.
I wont be making a habit of burning the tires but, after 3 years of hard work, i feel i'm entitled to some stupid fun.

The EPAS courtesy of a Prius is also great. It takes no effort to steer it. I've taken to shutting it off unless i'm parking though. Lastly...i love having a backup camera :-D
 
Congratulations! Maybe we'll see you at a show/C&C in the near future?

chaser012001 said:
It's pretty docile until about 3k RPM and then it turns into a banshee....
Click to expand...

Is that the cam or is that due to the progressive linkage for the sniper?

Great feedback on the SoT 3-link. I'm also going for the lower-longer mount point and really hope mine handles as well as yours seems to, it's very encouraging. How's the interior noise/vibration from the 3-link floor mount, do you notice that at all?
 
Last edited:
I haven't been getting updates through my email! Gee, I'm so jealous! You're on the road with a magnificent incredible machine!! You need to post a picture/s of you creation! I forgot what it looks like;)
 
jcs67stang said:
Congratulations! Maybe we'll see you at a show/C&C in the near future?

Is that the cam or is that due to the progressive linkage for the sniper?
Click to expand...

I think it's the cam with the victor jr intake although I didnt think about the linkage. I might have to put the old one in or shorten the throw and test it. I have my safety inspection scheduled for Wednesday though and I dont want to mess with anything until after that. If it clears and I can register it, i'm probably going to take it to the Sonic drive in Friday in kirkwood. Otherwise, might try to grab a show over the weekend. I just want to drive it!!
I dont feel any vibration at all. It's very smooth...hard to tell that it's 50+ years old. Right now, without the tailpipes, it's still pretty loud in the cabin so i cant tell much in the way of suspension noise. I'll have a better idea in a week or so when I have the tails bent.
@jcs67stang -- if we meet up at a show, we can go for a spin.

@Dne' I'll get pictures after it's legal. I'm incredibly superstitious and it's been such a jack ass over the last month, I dont want to give it a reason to prevent my legalizing it.

Btw, I was a little trepidatious about the Tremec since a lot of folks say it's notchy. I think this thing is one of the smoother transmissions I've run.
 
Actually, I wonder if the data logs will show me anything profound about that throttle linkage...If i map the rpm to the tps, I should see a correlation in the spike. The back flaps open at 37% throttle. That might be the 3k correlation.
 
Lets start with the bad news...many moons ago (2012), the drivers door was hit. I replaced it pulling the data tag off. Back then I was not nearly as careful and meticulous as I am now and managed to misplace the data plate. I knew i needed to get a new one ordered but kept putting it off to the point where it slipped my mind until yesterday when my mechanic mentioned that he needed it for the inspection. I tried to steer him to the stamps on the fender but he insisted he needs the tag. So, tail tucked between my legs it's back home and I've got one ordered with Marti. Their website says it's a 3-4 week lead time which is a HUGE bummer. I'm debating calling today and seeing if they have a better estimate or if there's a way i can get a push on it...although I'm doubtful.

The good news though, since I'm no longer afraid of pissing the car off, I messed with the secondary linkage. The rpm / tps was 3600 @ the 37% which is a little higher than where the car takes off. Either way, i adjusted the linkage to where it now starts to open the secondary flaps at ~10%. I figured that would be enough to get the car moving without constantly squeaking the tires.
It did change the characteristics some. Now it feels like the car starts hitting hard at around 2600 or so.

I was so frustrated at the whole inspection thing that I decided to drive it around anyway (not much though...dont want to push my luck). It's SO much fun to drive!

Lastly, the serpentine bits for the AC compressor come tomorrow so I suppose I'll play with that. I also might put in the forward facing camera under the grill. My wife has terrible perception of where the nose of these old cars are. I figured I'd help her out with a camera because, well, why not...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top