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    Page 19 of 27 FirstFirst ... 9 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 ... LastLast
    Results 361 to 380 of 527
    1. #361
      Join Date
      Oct 2018
      Location
      Phoenix, AZ
      Posts
      584
      Country Flag: United States
      This week hasn't provided the fast progress I was expecting, but things are getting done and problems solved as they come up.

      I left you guys with needing to assemble the front spindles with hubs and brakes. If you recall, I'm running the 2pc Wilwood spec37 rotors so I had to torque all 24 bolts with locktite, at minimum. As we all know by now, I'm no minimum guy. The bolts included are drilled for safety wire and the instructions list it as an "optional" step. My brakes staying attached isn't really optional so I took it as mandatory.

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      Believe it or not, this is my first real safety wire job. It's not bad...hell almost therapeutic. I didn't take any other photos after this since my hands where in latex gloves packing my front wheel bearings. Just know that it's all bolted up tight now and ready for action.

      Then I decided to tackle some plumbing since I want to do as much as I can with the cab off and drive train out. This way I'm not crawling under cussing how much room I don't have once those items are installed. We've all been there.

      First up was fuel hard lines. I also grabbed a GM flex fuel sensor and 10 micron fuel filter. I thought these would make a great anchor point for the transition from flex lines off the fuel cell to hard lines on the frame. I won't waste typing it out, but know that these fought me hard on mounting properly. Glad that's over!

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      This also gave me justification to bust out my flaring tool I bought way back at SEMA 2018. Yeah...this project has taken a bit longer than planned.

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      GAME. CHANGER. Sure this is overkill for 1 project, but I like tools and they made me a great show offer. You can bust out flared lines in a couple minutes with ease. So if you ever need lines flared in Phoenix, come find me...I've got you. haha

      Then after some fiddling around with the hard lines I nailed down the routing and installed everything finger tight. I will go back and blow out all the lines again before I seal the system up for good.

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      Sure it's not the most picturesque job, but I'm happy with it and it stays far away from the exhaust or any other dangers. The only thing I wish I had done was order bulkhead fittings for the front of the lines, but with the clamps on nothing moves without a solid push to bend the lines.

      Tonight is brake hard lines from the T's to the flex line fittings. Then fuel cell, driveshaft (easier to do now than with the transmission in), and make the fuel lines for the fuel cell to hard lines. Not gonna lie...I actually like doing this AN line plumbing.
      '95 F-150 track ready street beast
      Want more projects/photos? Check my Instagram

    2. #362
      Join Date
      Oct 2018
      Location
      Phoenix, AZ
      Posts
      584
      Country Flag: United States
      I'll start off by saying that AN plumbing isn't that fun after you stab your fingers with the braid a few times, OUCH!

      Turns out that I really enjoy running brake hard lines. It's super easy with this NiCop tube. Once again, it's not the most perfect job, but I like it and nothing is in harms way.

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      As you can see I got the driveshaft installed, fuel cell in and the lines run down. At that point I decided to set it on the ground in preparation of installing the engine. I don't trust my engine crane to lift this dressed engine and transmission so I roll the frame under my gantry crane and drop it in that way.

      The plan was to have the engine and transmission fully installed by last night, but I have no photo because it didn't happen. When I was installing the clutch I discovered a missing part so I have to get that before I can continue. Hopefully I can share that install in the next couple days. Then it's all about prepping the cab for install.

      Getting close to wiring!
      '95 F-150 track ready street beast
      Want more projects/photos? Check my Instagram

    3. #363
      Join Date
      Oct 2018
      Location
      Phoenix, AZ
      Posts
      584
      Country Flag: United States
      Big night last night. Also a late one, but don't tell my boss. haha

      Turns out I'm an idiot and I wasn't missing a single part for the clutch. That's a story I'll be keeping to myself. So lightweight aluminum flywheel is on with a Mcleod RST twin disk clutch and all held together with good ARP hardware.

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      Then I had the fun of setting my hydraulic throwout bearing depth. I got a Tilton 6000 series and it's a really nice piece, but you have to set the depth and tolerance. I never like doing this job because it gives me anxiety. I've fixed these for other people when they set it up wrong (happens a little too often) so I'm confident that I do know what to do.

      And with all that done I stabbed the transmission in and set it all down in the truck for the final time!

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      I'll take time to fill fluids and route some hoses and wiring while the access is this easy. But the big focus now is on prepping the bottom of the cab.

      One other thing to note, when I bought my transmission it came with the mid shift kit installed with their own brand of shifter. It's a really nice part and works perfectly, but I have a 14" shift lever so the throw has always been longer than I wanted. I recently discovered that Tremec makes a short shift version for their own mid shift kit aimed at trucks. You unfortunately do have to buy the entire conversion kit, but I LOVE a nice tight shift pattern and a shorter shift lever just won't do. So away more money goes. haha

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      You can see how much taller the new shifter is and that's the whole point. I did a quick test last night and it definitely did exactly what I wanted. I'll put the other shfiter and all the conversion components for mid shift up for sale on here later. It would feel perfect in a car with a shorter lever.
      '95 F-150 track ready street beast
      Want more projects/photos? Check my Instagram

    4. #364
      Join Date
      May 2013
      Location
      SE Michigan
      Posts
      149
      Country Flag: United States
      Looks great! And I thought my long tube headers were long...

    5. #365
      Join Date
      Oct 2018
      Location
      Phoenix, AZ
      Posts
      584
      Country Flag: United States
      Quote Originally Posted by neongreen View Post
      Looks great! And I thought my long tube headers were long...
      Yeah these are pretty obnoxious. I honestly regret not making my own because these have fought me every step of the way and were very expensive to end up cutting on anyway. They better make some good power. My biggest concern is that the starter clearance is TIGHT. Let's hope we can find out soon...very soon.
      '95 F-150 track ready street beast
      Want more projects/photos? Check my Instagram

    6. #366
      Join Date
      Nov 2018
      Location
      Oregon
      Posts
      230
      Looking good! I just bought that same clutch for my Camaro last week.

    7. #367
      Join Date
      Oct 2018
      Location
      Phoenix, AZ
      Posts
      584
      Country Flag: United States
      Not much to show in photos from the last few days of work, but I spent the entire weekend trying to get ready for the cab to go back on the frame for good. I'm wore out!

      I got the transmission filled with fluid already. Engine is still dry and I want to change the diff fluid, but that stuff is easy to do later. I also started laying out some wiring that came pre-terminated from Holley. I will say that I'm not super impressed with the quality of their harnesses now that I've had to peel back some of the sleeves to rearrange the layout around the intake sensors. When I called to ask them if I got the wrong harness for a Hi-Ram the tech just said even they have to modify the layout and lengths of things on their wiring. Umm...shouldn't the manufacturer of an intake know where the sensors generally go? But I digress...

      So I laid out everything I have for wiring this truck. Oh boy I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed, but I am convinced it won't be that bad. I think we all hate wiring more than we should. I'm determined to do a good job and learn to do it right.

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      Then with more space to work I jumped on some dash work and prepped the cab for it's coating. I'm not focused on the exterior paint until I get the truck running and mostly sorted. I do want the interior done so nothing needs to be removed later to paint again. I figured if I started early Saturday I could be spraying after a couple hours of cleaning. NOPE. Took most of the day to get everything prepped.

      I'm doing Lizard Skin sound and heat coatings on this cab. I don't feel like doing the mat stuff and as much as I'd love to shave any weight off this truck, I live where it gets 110+ for 3-4 months a year. So some additional insulation goes a long way toward keeping me driving all year. In the end, I believe I added about 15lbs back with both coatings. I can live with that.

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      Couple things can be seen there. Top of the dash is in aside from the defrost vent cutouts. Mainly you can see the sound deadening sprayed on. It looks patchy because it was half dry at this point. It dries totally uniform. Personally, I like the texture it gives too. My opinion of the Lizard Skin products is that it does work well(played around testing both a bit after it dried) but is MESSY to work with. Granted I'm a totally novice painter so maybe someone more experienced could do a cleaner job. Yes there is patches around the seat mounts that aren't coated. I'm painting over all of this so it will be a uniform black color. I didn't want to waste this stuff in non-critical areas since it is pretty expensive. The entire floor and firewall is covered on the outside/underside.

      While that dried (I seriously hate waiting for things to dry) I jumped back onto the dash and started playing with the layout of everything. It's amazing how fast you run out of room when you have a steering wheel in the way. My idea here was to make the MPH and RPM gauges viewable through the steering wheel. I tested this idea before dismantling the cab. I know the Holley screen can do this for me, but I just like a traditional style gauge for RPM. These all run off of the CAN so it's 1 little wire to hook it all up. Gotta love technology!

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      I did finish spraying all the Lizard Skin down and it has completed drying. I only need to top coat everything and drill a couple small holes for some lines to run before I drop it onto the frame. Soooo close now!
      '95 F-150 track ready street beast
      Want more projects/photos? Check my Instagram

    8. #368
      Join Date
      Mar 2014
      Location
      Yuma, AZ
      Posts
      635
      Country Flag: United States
      Good progress as usual!

      That Lizard Skin stuff flat out works. We have it in both our Chevelle and Torino. The Torino was driving before we put the Lizard Skin in, so we got to have a before & after comparison on it. It made a world of difference in both the noise and temp department, but the temp was what we noticed more because the car is so loud. No more heat comes through the floor from the exhaust. Our Chevelle has the LS with some other insulation on top of it, it almost sounds like a new car inside. We're very impressed with the stuff.
      Nelson
      1969 Chevelle "Cone Smasher" Family Project
      https://www.pro-touring.com/threads/...uot?highlight=

      1984 "Rustang" GT, 5.0, 5 Speed Project
      https://www.pro-touring.com/threads/...T-(Slow-Build)

    9. #369
      Join Date
      Oct 2018
      Location
      Phoenix, AZ
      Posts
      584
      Country Flag: United States
      Your positive feedback about it was one of a few reasons I went this route. I was struggling to decide what to do up until recently.

      I will also admit that I accidentally tested the heat resistance last night. I was doing a couple small welds on plates under the cab and didn't even think about the coating. When I finally realized what I was doing I got worried about damaging the coating on the floor of the cab and quickly checked it. No joke, the coating was completely unharmed and I could lay my hand on that part of the floor within about a minute of finishing that weld. I was flat out amazed. It was only warm to the touch.

      If anyone has more questions about this I am happy to talk more about it if you shoot me a message.
      '95 F-150 track ready street beast
      Want more projects/photos? Check my Instagram

    10. #370
      Join Date
      May 2013
      Location
      SE Michigan
      Posts
      149
      Country Flag: United States
      Good luck with the wiring. I actually enjoy it, it's kinda cathartic for me, and I really appreciate a well made wiring harness.

    11. #371
      Join Date
      Oct 2018
      Location
      Phoenix, AZ
      Posts
      584
      Country Flag: United States
      Quote Originally Posted by neongreen View Post
      Good luck with the wiring. I actually enjoy it, it's kinda cathartic for me, and I really appreciate a well made wiring harness.
      Thanks. Yeah once I get going I don't mind it at all. Get some music on and make everyone leave me to it, and I just sort of zone out to the world. Even better is that wiring is a pretty clean task so I was able to work inside in the warmth the last couple days while I modified my Holley main harness. It won't be a quick process to do it right, but at least I know it will work.
      '95 F-150 track ready street beast
      Want more projects/photos? Check my Instagram

    12. #372
      Join Date
      Nov 2010
      Location
      Ma.
      Posts
      583
      Country Flag: United States
      Great Job, nice attention to detail.

    13. #373
      Join Date
      Oct 2018
      Location
      Phoenix, AZ
      Posts
      584
      Country Flag: United States
      Wow what a weekend! I didn't take many photos due to just being lazer focused on finishing the truck enough to move it from my backyard to the garage. I'm kinda sore, but it was all worth it.

      First up was prepping the main wiring harness to install now since doing it with the cab on is a nightmare. I noticed in the past when I first installed it that half the sensor wire terminations are in really strange spots...especially for the SBF. So I made notes on where to move wires and any additional lengths I should add and pulled the harness off to start cutting on a $370 bundle of wires.

      Somehow I didn't think to snap photos of the process, but the end result was exactly what I wanted.

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      For the record: I am not using a single solder connection on this truck. I am ONLY using proper automotive crimps with the correct crimpers and then covering everything in a combo of Techflex, Raychem DR25, and/or dual wall adhesive heat shrink. So prepping to do wiring was an expensive endeavor, but I am totally determined to do this myself.

      I also bought a special labeler that I can get the heat shrink labels for. That was super cool to get! This is a perfect example of how I'm doing all the leads. I've been covering this more in-depth on my Instagram stories and everyone seems to love it.

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      I also had to come up with a clever way to make an oil return line fexible, but only go 4.5 inches away. BIG thanks to Jesse at Level7 Motorsports for the tip on this hose. It worked perfectly.

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      Then one last check and admiring look at Duffee's port matching work (he also worked over the ports on the heads some) before I bolted the Hi Ram lid on for good.

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      After all that was ready I lifted the cab with my crane and set it down for the last time. What I didn't get pics of was the dimple gussets and dash mounts I made. Like I said...I was head down and grinding hard this weekend to make it happen. I did it. For the first time since I backed the truck into my backyard 16 ish months ago, I rolled and steered it into my garage. The photo makes it seem like no big deal, but to me this is HUGE.

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      That wall behind the truck is 98% full of wiring tools and supplies. The task ahead of me is no joke, but I really feel like the hard part is done. Now it's simply connecting the dots with wires and making it all route intelligently. I honestly believe that in the next 2 weeks I'll be able to hit the starter for the first time and see what this angry little stroker sounds like. I can't F-ing wait!
      '95 F-150 track ready street beast
      Want more projects/photos? Check my Instagram

    14. #374
      Join Date
      Oct 2018
      Location
      Phoenix, AZ
      Posts
      584
      Country Flag: United States
      Lots of little things going on to prep for the first fire. It's not very photogenic, but exciting for me.

      One thing all of my neighbors have commented on is how clean the interior is. I do like a simple and sanitary looking interior and that lizard skin came out superb. Plus there is no wires crowding everything...yet.

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      But of course it must get worse before it gets better. So right after that photo I started mounting all the different electrical components so I knew where to connect everything. As I'm diving into wiring I want to make this as clean and easy to work on later as is possible. So I hunted hard to find a label maker that was affordable and would do heat shrink tube labels. So here you go, you can do it too. I can't find tube bigger than 1/2" for this one, but that's ok with me.

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      From there is has been lots of laying out wiring and hoses. You can see the power steering line I made that just clears the oil lines. It's kinda crazy looking, but it works together so I'm happy to see that. Got all the vacuum lines I'm aware of needing installed and every sensor is hooked up.

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      Those front support tubes are not fully welded or pained yet. I've noticed they like to move around a bit when welding so these will be welded in place then removed for painting. They come on and off really easily and won't affect any hoses.

      Once I had the starter and alternator cables run I grabbed the core support to install all the coolers. I didn't take time to snap photos of the process, but the radiator went from a 10 degree layback (factory) to a 2 degree lean forward. Sure more would really help with ducting air out of the hood, but this made mounting everything almost like stock and easy to access. It is already a big improvement and potential gains from the hours of work to take it further wouldn't really be realized with all the other aero shortcomings of a truck.

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      Those gaps on the sides of the radiator will be closed later with real aluminum ducting. For now I need to get everything functional and verify that nothing is being relocated.

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      So that's a 4 row aluminum radiator, the largest A/C condenser Vintage Air offers, and the two smaller coolers are oil (bigger) and power steering (smaller). It just barely fit behind the stock plastic grill support there. Now I can run the last 4 AN hoses and the radiator hoses are on the way. I'll wrap up all the main systems wiring and program the two computers over the next couple evenings. I expect to hit the start button for the first time Thursday or Friday. I'm not bothering with headlight/taillight wire terminations until I am ready to go further than down my street. A/C plumbing will happen after it is back on the road since I have a couple more months of good weather and other systems to focus on first.

      After about 16.5 months of work we are double the original budget and time I planned for, but I did wayyyy more than I was supposed to. It's so close now that I can taste it and I'm looking good to make All American Sunday at Good Guys Scottsdale in 1 month for the first event. Fingers crossed for no issues over the next couple weeks.
      '95 F-150 track ready street beast
      Want more projects/photos? Check my Instagram

    15. #375
      Join Date
      Aug 2012
      Location
      Peoria, AZ
      Posts
      1,758
      Country Flag: United States
      Great progress!!
      Lance
      1985 Monte Carlo SS Street Car

    16. #376
      Join Date
      Oct 2018
      Location
      Phoenix, AZ
      Posts
      584
      Country Flag: United States
      Quote Originally Posted by SSLance View Post
      Great progress!!
      Thanks Lance! I think half the neighborhood is cheering me on for the first start now. Basically every guy on my street has stopped by to take a look at this insanity. They are all baffled and amazed that this was built in my backyard so that's been fun.



      I can't wait to rattle their windows.
      '95 F-150 track ready street beast
      Want more projects/photos? Check my Instagram


    17. #377
      Join Date
      Mar 2014
      Location
      Yuma, AZ
      Posts
      635
      Country Flag: United States
      Good work as usual! It starts to get fun once it looks like a complete vehicle again. Even better once it makes noise!
      Nelson
      1969 Chevelle "Cone Smasher" Family Project
      https://www.pro-touring.com/threads/...uot?highlight=

      1984 "Rustang" GT, 5.0, 5 Speed Project
      https://www.pro-touring.com/threads/...T-(Slow-Build)

    18. #378
      Join Date
      Oct 2018
      Location
      Phoenix, AZ
      Posts
      584
      Country Flag: United States
      Speaking of making noise....it finally happened!

      I jumped all over this thing Friday after work and I barely slept at all because I was so determined to make it run this weekend.

      Everything started off smooth. I was running wires, making hoses, and prepping the dash. By the time I went to bed Friday I had the dash setup sitting there waiting for connections.

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      While I realize the digital dash could handle the RPM and speedo duties, I just really like analog style gauges for those two. The big bummer here is that I discovered the digital dash can't integrate the fuel gauge without an adapter harness (big surprise there) which is more expensive than adding a matching fuel gauge. So it looks like I need another hole in the dash.

      From there I started getting into the programming of the Racepak Smartwire and the Dominator. That's where things went sideways and slowed way down. I found out that the built-in configuration for my Smartwire was never loaded before they shipped it to me. So then I expected to find everything I needed to know online....nope! 4 hours of fumbling through the Datalink program resulted in finally starting to figure out how to configure the system myself. I'll say that the product itself is awesome, but they have a very long way to go on documentation and tech support.

      The Dominator was so easy to program as we all know. Building a base map went really smooth and was headache free. I had to set the dual sync distributor which ended up being not bad at all.

      Finally on Sunday afternoon I said screw it and hit the starter button. A few pops and stutters, but no vroom....hmmm. After looking at everything and finding a couple leaks I got convinced that I set the timing 180 degrees out. So instead of pulling the intake apart again I just rotated the wires on the cap. Hit the button and boom...we have a running SBF!

      I did make a video, but it's not on YouTube so you'll have to click the link to Instagram below and check that out. I promise real videos will come soon and I will share them here.

      Now I'm buttoning up wiring and plumbing so I can get ready for the first drive later this week. The biggest focus for me now is getting some help with initial tuning as I break-in this motor.
      '95 F-150 track ready street beast
      Want more projects/photos? Check my Instagram

    19. #379
      Join Date
      Oct 2018
      Location
      Phoenix, AZ
      Posts
      584
      Country Flag: United States
      True to my word I drove it around the block last night! It was dark and I don't have lights yet, but after I got the brakes and clutch bled down I couldn't help it. 17 months of hard work later it moves on it's own again!

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      Sure, I still have to wire in all the lights, add a couple sensors, and finalize the wiring under the dash, but that's easy by comparison. I'm working on registration this weekend since my hope is the have lights and a plate on it within about a week. The tune is TERRIBLE, but the Dominator is doing a decent job of keeping everything reasonably safe. I'll need help on that pretty quick.

      Funny story about the first drive...when trying to get back into the driveway I was going super slow over the little curb thing to channel drainage, since I don't know all the clearances yet, and the truck is so stiff now between the frame mods and sway bars that it teetered on opposing wheels. It made me really happy actually since these frames are a wet noodle in stock form.

      Also, my buddy came by to see it alive for himself and had me fire it up. He ended up noticing the brake booster causing a vacuum leak which we quickly noticed was causing the idle to be high and causing me fits when trying to dial in the IAC %. I'll get a fresh booster hopefully this weekend.

      Another thing was at the time I ordered this Hi Ram intake, I got severe sticker shock and opted for their 92mm throttle body. But I'm an optimizer and these plenums are designed for a 105mm TB which is $$$. So I found a crazy deal on a 102mm and threw that on. Funny how 10mm makes such a visual difference (that's what she said). I don't care about any additional HP, but the throttle response is definitely sharper and I like that it better matches the rest of the system.

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      Part of me actually wants to convert to a DBW setup. I don't like how the cable feels in this truck and I think it's because Everything else I drive doesn't have a cable anymore. I know the Dominator has the ability, but I'm not very enthusiastic about the cost with everything else that I actually need. Opinions are welcome.

      More soon!
      '95 F-150 track ready street beast
      Want more projects/photos? Check my Instagram

    20. #380
      Join Date
      Aug 2012
      Location
      Peoria, AZ
      Posts
      1,758
      Country Flag: United States
      Right on!! Love that first drive around the block feeling!!!
      Lance
      1985 Monte Carlo SS Street Car

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