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This is how the stock and modified arms should look..the idea here is to completely remove the ability of the upper arm to do anything, except exert force in only 1 direction..you can now also adjust pinion angle..although you will have to remove the through bolt on the swivel end of the heim to do it.

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With regards to the bushing end that goes into the differential, I scored some swivel type machined bushings for that,

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Installed on the diff end

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So this is the redneck 3 link in it's finished form.again, that particular Heim is going to be changed out for an Aurora end..

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So we install our lower control (trailing) arms with the weight jackers..

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and with the installation of the panhard bar, we have now effectively destroyed any semblance of what the original Ford engineers had in mind....but we do have a rear suspension completely free of bind and that can be adjusted.

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Done found me a wang...had the struts ripped out of it and needs some rehabbing..what do you think instead of kamm spoiler?
Need somebody to water jet some mounts..cheap
Cause the 4x4 ain't gonna cut it

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OK so time for assembly, installed the diff with some scrounged up Tokico shocks..these are actually off of a Cobra..so I'm hoping the valving will be a little lighter than a standard Mustang, they are also about 3/4 inch longer so they may bottom out, we'll see.
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The next item was to dummy up the PHB and center the diff..
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The mounts on the frame needed to be notched on one side since the frame actually curves a bit, this will keep the brackets aligned.
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This is the unit installed but not totally leveled, the space between holes on the frame bracket are approximately twice the distance than those on the diff. The diff bracket gave me hell with welding, I don't know if some funk got on it or if it was just the wind messing with the gas shielding, but I'm going to have to carve that off and reweld it. It's plenty good enough to hold it, but looks atrocious so it has to go.
Anyway, this is your basic redneck 3 link for a foxbody.
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OK, after gutting the back half of the car, I needed to find a lightweight fuel tank, the requirements for an autocross car are not the same for a track car, all my track cars have had fuel cells, the insurance requirements and track specifications for autocross, allow a top speed of only around 70mph, with no obstructions for approximately 75 ft around the track. Therefore, a cell is not required and weight is the important factor.
After an aluminum tank was sourced from good old E-Bay, I built a cradle to house the tank.
DazzkoPl.jpg

The tank will be mounted offset in order to counter driver weight, it should..should..is the operative term allow for fuel pumps and a battery. The fact is, I already hosed this up once and cut the cradle out and redesigned it.
The outlets (and sump) will actually be pointed inward for space requirements, since it's not a drag race style car, where a rear facing sump would make more sense.
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Since I didn't trust the welded tabs to completely contain the tank and fuel weight, I made some steel straps to further support the tank and contents.
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I now have to mount the cradle in the car, in the lowest, and rearmost position possible.
 
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So today, scored a HO 5.0 engine..running, with a trillion miles on it, along with a T5 and bellhousing for $300 bucks. Also a set of BBK equal length shorties for $150... Looks like the engine will make a good core, it was maintained very well.

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The factory shorty headers were glued in place, the bolts were also rounded..so I simply cut the rusty tubes off and pounded an metric near equivalent over the SAE bolts and they all came out...I guess you know the headers have been there awhile when it takes a Sawz All to remove them..

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Engine picked up, decosntructed and parts in the cleaner..enough work for 1 day..

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I'm ripping this little gem apart..the good news..remarkably, it seems the engine is not in need for an overbore..I will check on that further before I declare it law however.. Let me show you guys a few things if you ever get into this..
So I ran the piston assembly through the bead blaster.. that works well, but you will have to clean the assembly REALLY FREAKING THOROUGHLY if you plan to run it later. During the process you'll need to clean the ring grooves, there is a tool for that, there is also broken rings..which can be used as a tool for that and is already the correct size, just use the "square " end, not the jagged end.
Yes, that's blood, rings are sharp...
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A little wheel cleaner goes a long way in cleaning the funk from the places you can't get..plus it cleans the wound from the ring cuts.
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As the skank bubbles to the surface..
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Clean it with carb cleaner, Simple Green and soapy water and POOF a clean piston and rod assembly, spray some lube on it at this time to preserve it, because it will start to rust/corrode right away. BTW, if used, this will get cleaned at least 3 more times.
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So let's say you want to find out the condition of the cylinders, here's the way to do it without the hi zoot tools..
Drop the piston in the bore and slide some feeler gauges into the bore, check it at different spots..
iMOEVXPl.jpg

This is the part that really counts, you need to measure the piton to wall clearance on the thrust side, in other words, the barrel of the piston, below the rings
eAvBM22l.jpg

FWIW I also checked the piston at the bottom of the bore, remember the very bottom of the bore will not have as much wear, and the rings don't go all the way to the top, avoid both of those places if you want a legit measurement.



So the piston to bore is within spec, but..t o make sure, I'm going to check the ring gap, that will add further evidence to the condition of the engine..
Stuff the ring into the bore and square it with a piston.
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Then measure that gap and check the specs..
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Remarkably, that was also within spec (different specs for top and second rings, so make sure oyu check the right one)
Then...it all went awry...

see the crack?''

VBMxz5ul.jpg

Fortunately the pistons were forged so the piece broke off and just hung around without further fracturing and scoring the bore..

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So now we're looking at a set of pistons. At this point, it's hard to say whether I should pull the trigger on a line bore, cylinder bore and all that stuff.. I'm kind if an either go all in or, just repair what's there, there is no real middle ground, sacrificial 5.0s are everywhere, so I'll have to think about it since I'm on a budget.
The other issue is that there a re NO machine shops around where I live, the closest is over an hour away.
To be continued
 
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A set of pistons for not much more than a full set of gaskets.......oh yea.
Will the wrist pins work with your rods?

Yep they will, that's one good thing about running an engine, who's pistons have been the same since 1965. (the 302 and 289 use the same piston).
 
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Cool. I thought the stockers were press fit and new slugs looked like a floating pin with snap rings. Could just be the pictures.

These you can use with stock rods, or bushed rods, the difference is the bushing which lets them "float", otherwise you press them in. I called them to be sure.
FWIW I always preferred the pressed pins in street motors, I've seen the circlips fail from vibration and destroy the cylinder wall. Most race stuff is better maintained and also uses forged parts, this is a low buck beater.
 
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OK the pistons came in and I splurged on a set of rebuilt rods with FP bolts, so now I need to assemble them. The really trick way to do this, since they are press fit, is to heat the rod end and run the pin into them. I'm not that trick and only have 2 hands and I don't own a rod "heater" I had to do it old school.
First I located a suitable piece of round tubing from a drop rack, I notched it out to miss the rings lands.
Lxic31bl.jpg

Then, in order to try and keep it all straight, I found a base plate and placed it all in a press so it wouldn't move under welding. This meant I had to tack one side, then the other side, and gradually work my way around the press to try and prevent warpage.
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I then located some solid stock and machined it down to fit the pin.
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and now I have a fixture to press in the piston pins
sOPOZNnl.jpg
 
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