Lots of progress on the SC since the last update….
Thursday night…..
I got the accessory brackets cleaned up, and touched up, installed..along with the accessories. I got the SS AN power steering hose (and look-alike for the return line) routed and cut to length. I have a power steering cooler that I plan to install near the horn location, but I have looped the line for now. Late Thursday night, I decided I did not want to install the VAPS / EVO on the PS pump, since I’m removed that system anyway. So, I was a little frustrated when I found I’d need another fitting to adapt to the metric-to-AN adapter.
Looks like a junkyard run is in order…which I didn’t have time for…save it for tomorrow and rethink it…
My awesome wife made a stencil for me too....so the valve cover got the first application.
The rest of Thursday and bits of time on Friday were spent addressing multiple places where I wanted to “clean things up a bit” – whether it was a plug I don’t use anymore, harness that looked ratty, something that looked a little ugly, etc. I hope the overall engine bay reflects my love for the car after this.
Friday…
First thing I wanted to tackle was the power steering connection deal. It struck me as I woke up that most Ford cars don’t use the EVO, but they use a very similar (or the same?) PS pump….maybe I can just grab the adapter off another Ford…like one of the cars in my dad’s personal junkyard….90’s Ford Ranger and an 84 LTD out back both had the adapter! I swiped it off the Ranger and installed new seals included with the rebuilt PS pump….seals seemed a little loose though.
Near the end of the day, after fitting everything together, I wanted to test the PS system for low / no pressure leaks.
turned out the adapter leaks
I’ll put it off again….hung a funnel and oil bottle underneath to catch the leaking power steering fluid….I’ll deal with it later.
Filled the new motor with break-in oil (15W40 Shell Rotella) and primed it with a cordless drill….scratch that….started smoking….a corded drill….whoops…started smoking too. Lol
They’ll both be okay.
I would have got the cam sensor stalk installed, but I can find my homemade piston stop. Stopped a little early and went swimming with the kids.
Saturday night…
After thinking about the power steering leak some more, I figured I’d try the old seals off the Ranger – which I saved for this exact reason….FIXED IT! didn’t need to buy any new parts or run into the junkyard AND realy cleaned up the PS pump area of the engine bay!
Got the injector harness cleaned up and wrapped, supercharger and inlet piping mounted, everything connected and fitted before 4am bedtime.
With the radiator sitting in place.....
Sunday….
First thing was to get the intercooler mounted….took a lot longer than it should have. Dad helped me out by welding up a couple of joints on the exhaust and hanging out with my little buddy Nathaniel. Set up Jacob’s chop saw with a more appropriate cutting wheel and made my first couple of cuts on the IC piping. Shame to cut something so pretty….lol.
I can’t remember what all I worked on Sunday morning…but Sunday evening, Jacob stopped by to help fit-up the IC pipes. (THANKS JACOB!!) We got about 2/3 finish….after some head scratching and chatting with Jacob, my plans changed just a little bit to hopefully make the pipes look very neat in the end. It did require cutting a big chunk of core support out of the lower radiator mount area….I had thought about cutting it out anyway. We got all the lower piping fitted up and tack-welded with the flux-core SS wire that I bought. It welded pretty good, but the flux makes it hard to tell. We were working in poor light / in the dark by that time, so we didn’t even try to chip the flux off the welds and see what they looked like. I’ll get my hammer and do that when it’s time to finish the welds I guess. Anyway….couldn’t have gotten near as far without Jacob’s help!
I had hoped to be done yesterday, but there’s still time. I’ll fit in car work whenever I have an hour here and there….next large chunk of time will be Thursday night….Then I have all day Friday. If it’s not ready to start-up after Friday, I might need to face the music. I’ve spent too much time and money on the car this year to rush it to the Shootout. Hmm…..might haul it there anyway though….lol. We’ll be representin’ either way though…Danielle is planning to race. It’ll be the first time I’ll be in the pits full time, if so!