Gearhead Thread

[PhillyPhreak54]

1. The description of feeling the sound is the best. A good exhaust sound goes a long way. I love the way american muscle sounds. Especially when you don't have catalytic converters holding up the flow. A mustang with an off-road h-pipe  and two chamber flowmasters is chub inducing.

2. When doing big jobs like that, there is always something that doesn't fit as it used to. You can get OEM replacement shtein and you'll still have one stubborn thing that refuses to fit right. That's usually when I lose my patience and tools go flying.

3. Is this a brand new motor? If so it might be wise to chill on the burnouts, or any high RPMs at all, until the engine is put through the break-in period. Usually a couple hundred miles of normal driving to let everything settle in.

[Sgt PSN]

So after two days of work...success!!   The car runs like a champ.  It sounds like a beast...you feel the sound in your chest more than in your ears.  farging awesome. 

That was by far the biggest job I've ever done and it went off almost without a hitch. The power steering bracket didn't fit the new engine for reasons we don't yet understand, but we got it to work for the time being.  Otherwise, it's a monster. 

Burnouts have however been delayed because it's way past dark and we don't need to piss off the neighbors.  Also, we'd like to adjust a few things and let it run steady on the street for a day or two before we smoke 'em.  I've got the first ride ticket as reward for donating two days of my time, and that combined with what I learned is fair square.

I haven't been this happy in a long time.  When it worked, holy farg we were happy.

So instead of holding down a regular job and working for $$ you're performing labor in exchange for a free ride?  Pretty soon you'll be blowing truckers as you travel to and fro across the country.  

[Diomedes]

Yeah, I'm familiar with the need to break in engines.  This one is fresh, but not new.  Has about 10k on it.  We should be good, but we're being cautious.  My buddy put a lot of money into it and we've just dumped two long days into it, so we aren't pushing it yet.

There are small things to work out as well.  The idle is good in neutral, but when we drop it into drive, it falls to the point of stalling.  This has something to do with some part I don't know...torque something or other (converter? limiter?) that requires pulling the transmission to upgrade...and so we've got to decide how to make up for it, because were aren't pulling it anytime soon.  For now, the neutral idle is good, and when it's stopped in gear, we just work the throttle manually to maintain a decent idle.  It may also be running a little rich.  So there are some small adjustmentst to make before the gaudy fun.

For now, the fun of having made the switch is satisfaction enough.  And that sound...I'll be dreaming about it tonight I"m sure.  Just farging awesome.

[Diomedes]

So instead of holding down a regular job and working for $$ you're performing labor in exchange for a free ride?  Pretty soon you'll be blowing truckers as you travel to and fro across the country.  

You want some help changing a flat, give me a ring.

[PhillyPhreak54]

Yeah, I'm familiar with the need to break in engines.  This one is fresh, but not new.  Has about 10k on it.  We should be good, but we're being cautious.  My buddy put a lot of money into it and we've just dumped two long days into it, so we aren't pushing it yet.

There are small things to work out as well.  The idle is good in neutral, but when we drop it into drive, it falls to the point of stalling.  This has something to do with some part I don't know...torque something or other (converter? limiter?) that requires pulling the transmission to upgrade...and so we've got to decide how to make up for it, because were aren't pulling it anytime soon.  For now, the neutral idle is good, and when it's stopped in gear, we just work the throttle manually to maintain a decent idle.  It may also be running a little rich.  So there are some small adjustmentst to make before the gaudy fun.

For now, the fun of having made the switch is satisfaction enough.  And that sound...I'll be dreaming about it tonight I"m sure.  Just farging awesome.

Yeah, if it has 10K on it then romp on that bitch - it's more than ready to have someone get all over it. And the idle problem is probably the torque converter. Did y'all put an adjustable fuel pressure regulator on it? Those are solid investments to have because it helps to be able to adjust the FP with a twist of a wrench.

[Diomedes]

Torque converter sounds like the thing.  I'll talk to my buddy again tomorrow and get him to explain (again).  I are smurt.

No, we did not put an adjustable fuel pressure regulator in.  I'll also talk to him about that.

I'm going to sleep with a smile on my face tonight.  It may seem chump to people, but I"m impressed as hell at what we accomplished.  The car is going to JUMP.  and it sounds bad bad bad ass.

[PhillyPhreak54]

No doubt. Thats why a weekend spent in the driveway wrenching and drinking beers is so fun. The end result is a badass car and usually a badass buzz to go along with it.

[Sgt PSN]

So instead of holding down a regular job and working for $$ you're performing labor in exchange for a free ride?  Pretty soon you'll be blowing truckers as you travel to and fro across the country.  

You want some help changing a flat, give me a ring.

I'm pretty car stupid myself, but I ain't that dumb.  Give me a little credit. 

[Diomedes]

No doubt. Thats why a weekend spent in the driveway wrenching and drinking beers is so fun. The end result is a badass car and usually a badass buzz to go along with it.

Truly a great time.  We kept the beers in check tho...not too smart to be throwing 'em back when you're doing a big job for the first time.  Did I mention neither of us had ever done this job, nor had the third guy who helped some?  Yeha.  So we laid off the beers, figuring that can come later.

[Diomedes]

I'm pretty car stupid myself, but I ain't that dumb.  Give me a little credit.

Alright, alright.  When you finally screw up the balls to change your own oil but you need someone to check your work, lemme know.

[Susquehanna Birder]

1. The description of feeling the sound is the best. A good exhaust sound goes a long way. I love the way american muscle sounds. Especially when you don't have catalytic converters holding up the flow. A mustang with an off-road h-pipe  and two chamber flowmasters is chub inducing.

You might not like mine. I went with the Bassani high-flow catted X and mufflers (all stainless, BTW). At low RPM, it has a nice growl, not too loud. It's interesting when I get on it, too, because it has a distinctive trumpety tone at righer revs. Almost a european sound, for lack of a better description.

I'm still wondering how I'm going to get the damned gears in. The place I was going to take it went under, and the one dealership near my office was "absorbed" by Ford. I know it's too big of a job for me, and I don't want to trust it to just anyone.

[Wingspan]

I went with the Bassani high-flow catted

I read that as high-flow cattle

[PhillyPhreak54]

1. The description of feeling the sound is the best. A good exhaust sound goes a long way. I love the way american muscle sounds. Especially when you don't have catalytic converters holding up the flow. A mustang with an off-road h-pipe  and two chamber flowmasters is chub inducing.

You might not like mine. I went with the Bassani high-flow catted X and mufflers (all stainless, BTW). At low RPM, it has a nice growl, not too loud. It's interesting when I get on it, too, because it has a distinctive trumpety tone at righer revs. Almost a european sound, for lack of a better description.

I'm still wondering how I'm going to get the damned gears in. The place I was going to take it went under, and the one dealership near my office was "absorbed" by Ford. I know it's too big of a job for me, and I don't want to trust it to just anyone.

Yeah, I have heard them. I actually saw a Cobra on YouTube that had them and it sounded good; even at WOT. I still prefer Flows, but Bassani makes good stuff. I really dig their h and x-pipes.


This one sounds pretty good Although I have never heard of Street Comp.


Is this about what yours sounds like?


And of course, the best sounding Mustang I have ever heard - the 10 second 2003 Cobra

Gears are, as you know, a tricky bitch. I didn't do mine, my roomate did. He could have a set in and ready to drive in an hour. He made a killing off that shtein because in Killeen every Mustang dude just about came to him and he'd charge $100 a pop. But up in this area it is hard to find people who do them well and without raping ya on the prices. I had 4:10's in my '94 and I loved them. Not too good for highway but excellent in the city and on the track. 3:73's are the best "bang for buck" gears out there. I've had 3:55's, 73's and 4:10's and when I get my Cobra, the 410s will be in there without a doubt.

[Susquehanna Birder]

I went with 3.73s, just to save a few revs on highway driving. I know I'm going to need new tires. The current ones are somewhat slippy. It's fun drifting into a turn, but I really need grip. For sure after the gears.

[PhillyPhanInDC]

Gears actually aren't that bad a job. It is messy as shtein and smells awful, but not too bad. Two invaluable tools for the job: clay and a micrometer with a magnet base. Any Haynes manual can walk you through the whole job in about an hour or two (after you pull the rear, which I would suggest)