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Does it ever F'n end?!?!?

68EFIvert

68EFIvert

Well-Known Member
I spent the full summer with my car down due to a faulty lifter. I finally got it running a over the long holiday weekend. It seems to run pretty well but will need to go back to the tuner for a touch up on the driveability portion. It wants to die if you go from in gear and then just put in the clutch to come to a stop light. happen when I am going about 3k rpm or higher. Not a big deal, I can deal with that.

Where I am frustrated is on two other items. I have an oil leak on my new engine that looks like it may be coming from the front cover or oil pan area on the passenger front. It is bad enough that is is getting oil on my mounting point for the lower control arm, steering rack and even starter. Which leads me to the next problem. My new starter.

I drove the car to my Mustang meeting tonight and it ran well. As I drove in the driveway and into the garage I pushed in the clutch and the car died. I went to start it up and the starter just spins and does not seem to engage. It is a new high torque unit from DB Electrical supple. I am not sure if heat could cause it (did not get over 185 on the temp gauge) or if it just went tits up. I kind of think it was the latter since all my luck with this F'n car seems to go that way.

To top it off we are going to move into our new house in about a month and really don't want to start taking the car apart again fearing it will lead to extended delays. :rant Sorry for the rant. I have had just about enough of this car. I spend good money on nice parts and the only reason I purchased the starter was because I was still using the original starter from my donor EFI engine. Maybe I should have purchased a name brand starter this time and have avoided the problem? Anyone want to buy a Convertible, I have had enough and am about ready to push the thing off a cliff.
 
Sorry man. But since you asked, it wouldn't hurt my feelings for that car to be in Hickory. I'm having the same problem with my starter but it's OEM. I carry a hammer with me. Take some time away from the car and focus on the house. Good luck.
 
I think I'd be a hell of a lot madder about the leak than the starter. Did you put it together or is there a shop to blame?
 
I'll trade you a hardtop (coupe) for it!
I understand your frustration. I hope it all works out for you.
 
I feel your pain. I spent the better part of a year finishing my wife's Mustang and now my 68 Daily driver is falling apart. It needs suspension, electrical and carburetor work.
 
"68EFIvert" said:
It is a new high torque unit from DB Electrical supple. I am not sure if heat could cause it (did not get over 185 on the temp gauge) or if it just went tits up. I kind of think it was the latter since all my luck with this F'n car seems to go that way.

Maybe I should have purchased a name brand starter this time and have avoided the problem?
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Sorry to hear about the continued issues, I'll buy the car if you throw in your real-life avatar. :roll

I've been using a DB mini high-torque starter for approx 5 years now w/o any problems and I have long-tube headers, not ceramic coated, so it does get hot around there. I've never had a problem with the starter.
 
The starter is just the hair that broke the camel's back last night. That really isn't a big deal but the oil leak is what has me a bit frustrated. I know if is not boost related since I have only had the car in boost once where it triggered the water methanol pump to kick in. The worst part is to get to the front cover I have to pull the radiator out of the car. I just can't get to the bolts on the crank pulley with it in the car. That increased the level of work significantly. I guess the next call will be to my engine guy and see if he can come over and help me out.

Now that I think about it I will check one more thing before making that call. I will check to make sure the dipstick is seated and sealed properly in the hole. I had to drill it out so I am sure the fit is not a tight as a factory drilled hole. I just can't see how that much oil would come out of the hole though.
 
Hopefully the leak is something easy like the dipstick you mentioned. I have put 3 Ford engines together and they all seemed to have a small seap somewhere or other at one point. Embarrasing to pull in to a friend that has Cheby hotrods and go to leave and he is pointing at a small oil leak or antifreeze leak and laughing his ass off :shrug Once I decided to do a nice burn out and blew the top radiator cover loose and it was steaming and leaking all the way home. Put a nice aluminum radiator on the next week. Beautiful car you have, just don't take the bfh to it...
 
"68EFIvert" said:
I drove the car to my Mustang meeting tonight and it ran well. As I drove in the driveway and into the garage I pushed in the clutch and the car died. I went to start it up and the starter just spins and does not seem to engage. It is a new high torque unit from DB Electrical supple. I am not sure if heat could cause it (did not get over 185 on the temp gauge) or if it just went tits up. I kind of think it was the latter since all my luck with this F'n car seems to go that way.
Click to expand...

How did you end up wiring that starter in? I wonder if you just jumped the starter mounted solenoid to the starter that maybe you are not getting the solenoid to kick in?
 
"kb3" said:
How did you end up wiring that starter in? I wonder if you just jumped the starter mounted solenoid to the starter that maybe you are not getting the solenoid to kick in?
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I started out with the jumper method that ran both the large cable and solenoid to the same post. That worked but for some reason the started stayed engaged for a 1/2 second or so after the key was turned off of start. I then wired it the way it was designed and worked fine for about 5 times. Last night the starter turned but did not engage with the flywheel. I tried it tonight and it started right up. I am starting to think I have a gremlin that lives in my car and just wants to mess with me. Perhaps it is heat related or the fact that the started is covered in oil from the damn oil leak.

I checked around the dipstick and it looks good. I'll call the engine guy and have him come over to look it over for something simple. I may try to go out there tonight and tighten the oil pan bolts and the bolts on the front cover (those I can get to with the blower in place).
 
I feel your pain Darreld. I've been fighting an oil leak all year. I'm using the Fel-Pro 1-piece oil pan gasket for the older motors and the parts that are curved over the front cover and rear main seems to be a tad too long. I thought the old one was just stretched, so I went and bought a new one only to find out it is the same. So now I have two spots of drips constantly and I've had the oil pan off 5 times with no luck of fixing it.
 
I wonder if I would have more luck with an old 4 piece oil pan gasket. I have only used 1 piece gaskets thinking they are the only way to go. I am starting to question that now.

I still havene't called the engine guy about the leaks. I just don't even want to look at the car at this point. Too much stuff going on. Maybe I'll look at it in October or November.
 
I've had the best luck using the technique the OEMs are using now - no gasket, just a good bead of Permatex Ultra Red. No leaks on anything I've done that way.
 
I am using a 1 piece gasket. I had a chance to talk with the engine guy today and did a little diagnostics on the car. I took off the oil fill cap and placed a piece of paper over it while idling. I hoped it would have a little suction and pull the paper flat on the oil fill tube but it did not. I has just enough pressure it pushed it off. There is enough crannkcase pressure /blowby you can feel it with your hand.

I installed a electric vacuum pump last year with a Hobbs switch so that the pump would turn odd with 2 lbs of boost. I can't even get it to the point where the pump turn on before the oil is leaking. The engine guys says it looks like the rings still haven't seated properly. I hope this problem gets better. The only other thing I can think of right now is to add a belt driven vacuum pump, like a GZ, to pull vacuum all the time.

I called the engine tuner after speaking with the engine builder and he said they simply add breathers and catch cans to the cars and live with small oil leaks. That would be a much simplier solution and much cheaper but I have heard there were problems with computer controlled cars when you add breathers. That would allow unmetered air to enter the engine. What do you guys think?
 
I've owned 3 EFI turbo charged cars - every one of them ran a oil separator / breather combo, but it was vented into the turbo inlet (and there for pulled some small vac at speed). All of them vented it after the MAF, so I'd say it compensated for the unmetered air.
 
I just bit the bullet and purchased a GZ zacuum pump that will mount in the original smop pump location in my blower bracket. I will be able to run it with my serpantine bracket. I will also be able to reuse most of my fittings, catch can and hose from my existing vacuum pump setup. The tricky part is going to get the pump spaced correctly so the belt runs smoothly. I just hope I can fix this before the leaks become permanent, if they haven't already done so.
 
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