My backyard build (56K warning)

[dude772]

ok, so today all i got done was situating the engine into a position that i liked... About a half inch from the firewall on the drivers side, and about an inch and a half from the firewall on the passengers side(measurements taken from the top of the head on the outter most edge).

Tomorrow im going to check the front brackets and pulleys clearance.

 

[dude772]

k, this weekend i got the engine mounted in the truck 100% the way i want it. I did end up bashing in the firewall above the drivers side cylider head for valve cover clearance. The 1969- 1986 f-150 mounts were PERFECT. They were nice low profile type mounts. The engine sat as far down as far as possible, any lower and i would need to do some major pan modifications.

heres a picture of the mount

and i also made a header for the passengers side... obviously its not built to perform, just built to get the exhaust from the engine to the back of the truck.

Obviously its only tacked together and needs to be completed and more little bits added to it, expecially on number 1

and on the drivers side ive got a header designed for a mustangII with the 302.

 

[dude772]

im bored so im gonna post up pics of what i did today and yesterday. I worked on the dana 44.

So much for those in the summer that thought that my 44 had cast ends...

 

[dude772]

My good engine is now in the truck. Had to put a spacer on the drivers side between the mount and the block some clearance for the header and the steering shaft. Other than that, no problems at all.

Now im thinking that the best idea for the transmissino will be to get the AOD adapter from advance adapters to use the RBV transfercase since i already have an AOD transmission thats 2wheel drive. The conversion would save me $300 from buying the 4wheel drive transmission and i would save more money by using the RBV transfercase, since i could pull that out of the explorer when im ready to drive the ranger then wait till i find one at a decent price.

 

[red85]

That thing is looking great! You're going to have to come down to Kitchener to check out some of the Rangers here. Tons of ideas for you...

 

[dude772]

That thing is looking great! You're going to have to come down to Kitchener to check out some of the Rangers here. Tons of ideas for you...

I was actually in that area on the 1st. I went to Cambridge to True Gear to drop off the passengers side axle shaft for the dana 44 for them to cut and spline. I called them today actually and didn't like the news i got. By the sounds of things they havn't even touched it since i dropped it off. So its going to be a week before i get that back.

Tomorrow im going to mess about with the wire harnesses. Hope to get this thing finished sometime soonish. haha

 

[dude772]

I've been having fun with lots of wires lately. I finally gave up listening to other people, and printed off the pin outs for the 4.0L computer and the T-Bird 5.0L computer, the diagram for the fuel pump and relay for each.

Once I started relying only on my print outs and other literature ive got and the wire harnesses infront of me, and a little help from looking at the harness thats in the explorer to see how they routed it from factory, i was good to go. So far ive got the harness for the TFI extended to mount on the rad support under the battery. The main relay power, ground, and keep alive power for the computer. the fuel pump wired up, with the inertia switch. Basically next ive got the gauges to do and the WOT a/c cut out relay and the other stuff to go along with that.

The major problem with the T-bird is that nothings located in the right places, all the power wires go to the wrong side. the MAF sensors on the wrong side, the tfi goes to the wrong side(for easy mounting at least).

anyway heres a pic of all the wires laied out mostly the way its going to be. and the paper on the engines the diagram i re-worked to help me wire up the engine. I did it on paper first with all the wire colours and stuff. easier too see it on paper then imagine it in your head.

 

[dude772]

And 2 weeks after i started tearing into the wire harnesses its done!

Engines all wired up. Since that pic, ive installed the flywheel, torque converter, transmission, starter, battery cables, routed and hooked up new fuel line, installed some scrounged spark plugs and scrounged plug wires. Next ive got to get a new cap cause i cracked the old one while i was transporting all the parts in the back of the explorer.

Once i finish up with the plug wires and ground wires from engine to body and frame and dump some oil in it, im going to toss on a coil and hook up the dash to try and start it up!

WISH ME LUCK!

I tossed around the idea of cutting the engine cross member out completely and building custom brackets and a skid plate since im also doing a SAS. Any thoughts on that?

 

[red85]

Take a look at DT Starr's build. He cut his x member out too and it seems to work really well. He's pretty close to where you are. You may be able to get a look at what he's done and take a few measurements.

 

[dude772]

F*** haha. I went to try and see if the sucker would crank over after hooking up ground wires to the body and frame. All i get is the main relay clicking!!! what a bastard! Now i get to spend all damn day figuring out what it was that i did wrong tomorrow!

Cranks over jumping the starter relay, so that tells me the ground to the engines good, that the power wire to the starter is good and the switch wire to the starter is good.

Have I mentioned anywhere that i really hate wires!

 

[dude772]

ITS ALIVE!!!!

I finally got some gas into it, and found out that the cam that was in the HO wasn't actually an HO cam so it was misfiring caus the plug wires were set up for the HO firing order.

Once i switched em around she fired right up! then i taped the MAF sensor onto the intake so that it was sealed up nice and tight. Turn the key(or screwdriver in this case) and VA VA VA VAROOM!

I took a video on my phone, and will post it when i get home tonight. I'm just excited that i got it runing without a huge headache.

 

[dude772]

Heres the video! Im excited!

 

[zainyD]]

That's a big step, congrats!

 

[dude772]

That's a big step, congrats!

If that was a big step, the wiring must have been an entire flight of stairs haha.

 

[dude772]

Got bored and decided to paint the dash. I kind of gave up trying to glue vynal to the dash around the passengers side near the middle. I can make it work everywhere but the big dip in the passengers side. So i pulled the dash from a parts explorer i bought cleaned it up really good and painted it today.

Before painting After cleaning

After painting

I wanted the paint to last as long as possible, so I used 2 spray cans of vynal paint on it and the glove box and the ashtray, i havn't gotten to the trim for the drivers side or the side vents yet.