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Captdistraction's ST2/GTR build thread Build Thread

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ArizonaBOSS

Because racecar.
Moderator
8,730
2,734
Arizona, USA
captdistraction said:
Nice stuff guys. Can someone take a picture of the restraint module? Also, just to be clear, its not the module pictured here?

http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/MTIwMFgxNjAw/z/R~4AAOSw7aBVIz3b/$_57.JPG[/ig]

I believe that module to be the body control module, but I'll admit to not studying wiring diagrams yet.
[/quote]

That thing that is pictured is some BS you don't need.
 

captdistraction

GrumpyRacer
1,954
1,698
Phoenix, Az
Well not a great day in the build, Mmr finally got back to me, they want $2900 to refresh my motor and the customer service leading up to that quote (or lack thereof) left a really bad taste in my mouth. I'm not sure what I'm going to do yet but I'm not sure how I feel about throwing another $3k at a $8k motor that was "supposed" to be trouble free and has been nothing but. I'm going to cool off for 24 hours before I make up my mind there.

I did spend some time over the weekend stripping harnesses, and started stripping the interior.



4f247756c05c21da1e5e910c0aa2be9d.jpg
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1,281
3
Tulsa, OK
You are much more brave than I am! I have no intentions of touching any of the wiring in my car, just taping up connections that aren't used lol. Looking good.
 

captdistraction

GrumpyRacer
1,954
1,698
Phoenix, Az
I leave severing harnesses to one FWP!, he's quite adept at it

I pulled the audio/nav/hvac/seat/srs stuff out of the harnesses very, very carefully. Lots of joint grounds so I made very sure I didn't kill anything that another component relied upon. We'll see how I did once I have some sort of powertrain in the car.


On that note, here's the deal with MMR (minus whale air it out and get opinions).

30 sec review: I blew up my ford motor at a road course in vegas (thanks BBR, much timing, such boom, wow). I reached out to Ford Racing and MMR for rebuild options. Ford Racing's phone stooge left me with more questions than answers, so I went MMR. Built a 11.5:1 "Boss" motor (manley pistons and manley H beams instead of their mahle counterparts). Boss heads, cams, etc. (see invoice below, can see why the money was attractive). However, during install/breakin, it spun #5 rod bearing and roasted the rod, also scored cams due to loss of oil pressure from the rod bearing. They took it back, fixed it (install new crank, new rod bearing, new rod, I have to assume they balanced nothing or did any additional work outside the bare minimum to make it run). I get it back, get 8 sessions on two road course dates and 25k-ish street miles and it just consumes oil, makes piss poor oil pressure at idle when hot, etc. I want to refresh it, so I get in touch with them about the issues. I don't necessarily expect them to warranty a motor two years later (really 3 since the first build), but after sending my motor and calling for weeks to be told too busy to get my call or missed promises to get a return call I get this:

Hey Chris, as you suspected and mentioned the cam journals are worn and would account for some oil pressure loss. In regards to the engine a freshen up should be all that is required, the engine cleaned up just fine the last time at .010 over so we do not expect any issues there that a simple light hone and re-ring will not take care of. In regards to the new heads, we are happy to install them but we provide no warranty at all on them, as we discussed they are ford rejects that we also had the opportunity to purchase, the majority had defects in the castings such as porous deck surfaces etc. We can install them but again we cannot provide any warranty for them.

As a courtesy we will do the teardown for no charge, the following will be the cost to rebuild /freshen it up:

Hone cylinders $250
Replace all bearings $300
Replace Rings $289
Boss head gaskets $139
Assemble customer heads using supplied plug and dowel kit and other supplied parts $375
Valve job/face old valves to new heads $350
Assemble complete shortblock and longblock $1200

For a total of $2903

If we find anything else that concerns us we will let you know. Let me know if we can proceed when you have a moment.

Modular Mustang Racing

It was followed up almost immediately by another email asking me for permission to proceed, and I just left it there. I've spoken to another person there who told me the motor is still assembled and hasn't been torn down for inspection, so I know they haven't yet seen the scoring in 6,7,8 (Which I think the original 0.01 overbore and hone didn't fully clean or occured during its use with the aforementioned low operating oil pressure over a couple of years). I was so put off by the quick response, I know I can be a bit needy about information and getting answers before spending cash, but for me this is a matter of trusting a build that's so far let me down twice, to the tune of $8,500+ and I guess I'm supposed to believe another $2,903 is going to make it all right (while assuming that has no balancing work, no serious measurement of the block bores, no indepth cleanup or measurements, and certainly no spin or breakaway tests).

So I'm considering the following:

1) $#*& it all. Get my gear back, and sell all of it to the community at fair rates to recoup as much cash as I can, go buy a ford shortblock or longblock or crate.
2) $#*& it all. Get my gear back, and sell all of it to the community at fair rates to recoup as much cash as I can, go buy AZBoss's shortblock and have a local reputable builder finish it (needs a sleeve + standard freshen)
3) Get my gear back, and have a local reputable builder finish it (needs the quoted above + standard freshen, possibly further overbore/new pistons FML)
4) Proceed as advised by MMR. Continue rolling dice (which seem oddly weighted).


Thoughts?


I'm not bashing them (at least trying not to put too much a spin); from their side this is a motor they sold in 2012. It broke once, and they've already paid out once in a warranty (and I think their perception even today is that I ran it low on oil, which I did not), and here I am again 2.5 years later, 1.5 years outside offered warranty period, thus there's going to be costs.

Original Motor build below:
awwyeah.jpg
For $7256 before all the extra costs/parts/shipping.
 
1,281
3
Tulsa, OK
Major suckage

I would choose option 1 of some variant. I like the idea of building a badass custom motor as much as the next guy, but the whole idea of not having any kind of warranty on the very expensive heart of the car wouldn't sit well with me. Especially in a car that will see regular track time such as yours.
 

captdistraction

GrumpyRacer
1,954
1,698
Phoenix, Az
There's also this: http://parts.autonationfordwhitebearlake.com/ford/mustang/cr3z6009a/2012-year/boss-302-trim/5-0l-v8-gas-engine/engine-cat/engine-scat/?part_name=short-block

On the heads, I'm not sure if a full valve job needs to be done or if just lapping the valves will work. I could always find someone local to handle that however.
 

ArizonaBOSS

Because racecar.
Moderator
8,730
2,734
Arizona, USA
captdistraction said:
There's also this: http://parts.autonationfordwhitebearlake.com/ford/mustang/cr3z6009a/2012-year/boss-302-trim/5-0l-v8-gas-engine/engine-cat/engine-scat/?part_name=short-block

On the heads, I'm not sure if a full valve job needs to be done or if just lapping the valves will work. I could always find someone local to handle that however.

That's probably going to be the best option, IMO. I'd go for the Aluminator but that's going to cost you another $1300. :( Hopefully that short block is actually in-stock.
 

steveespo

Lord knows I'm a Voodoo Child
Moderator
4,015
1,959
Exp. Type
W2W Racing
Exp. Level
10-20 Years
Cookeville TN
I am on a parallel path with captainD on this one. I too bought the ebay castings and the valves, springs, retainers and plugs to complete them but discovered some flaws on the cam journal of one head and decided to step back and go another direction. I also bought up as many Boss specific valves that I could get at a decent price, I have 32 intake and 32 exhaust valves NOS in the boxes, sort of a potential retirement fund. If any one needs these for a build let me know, can't buy them from Ford anymore.

Anyway I got smart and bought a new set of assembled Ford Racing Boss heads for $2300 pr so I have them. My plan is to either buy an Aluminator short block and piece together all of the small items and accessories to complete it, or spend the money on a Complete Aluminator NA and just do a head swap and not have to deal with all the small items such as lifters, rockers, phasers, cam chains, guides, tensioners, water pump, front cover etc that complete the build. Yes you can reuse many of your take off motor parts but with the history of Chris' engine wear I wouldn't chance it. I expect that my current lump will last the season but will be doing the change ahead of 2016 season. Darren will have another 550 whp Mustang to deal with next year. Of course I still won't be able to steer it worth a damn.
Steve
 

captdistraction

GrumpyRacer
1,954
1,698
Phoenix, Az
This is what I found on one journal:4e146472d7fabb1b50e5153faace441f.jpg


However it feels smooth enough that I'm confident about cleaning and running it. The other head had porosity in one exhaust port but not bad at all.

The cbm guys still play it off like they aren't blems.

I filed/paid taxes and can at least work with a bit more budget but I need some sort of positive break soon to get this project back on track
 

steveespo

Lord knows I'm a Voodoo Child
Moderator
4,015
1,959
Exp. Type
W2W Racing
Exp. Level
10-20 Years
Cookeville TN
I had similar tooling marks on the mega cap journal on my right head. I smoothed and polished out and checked it with a bore micrometer, about .004 over spec but just for the first third like your picture. In the end I worried about it and decided on new heads from Ford Racing. It is a big cost I know but do it right and you will be much happier in the end. Sad that MMR engine didn't give you the service that the build sheet would lead you to expect. Keep the faith.
Steve
 
Fyi. There's a "mythical" ford timing kit that includes the boss high strength tensioner that coyote motors lack and all the other timing goodies . the ship date has been pushed back for months but it's like $400 cheaper than the individual parts which are increasingly hard to get. It may ship soon so get on the wait list.
 

captdistraction

GrumpyRacer
1,954
1,698
Phoenix, Az
So Tousley has shortblocks on standby. Both instock for boss and aluminator.

Going to call MMR about getting my stuff sent back. I'll either part out my motor or see who wants to mess with it on the usual forums. I already have people climbing over each other for the scored heads. Its like some people either just have the capacity/patience/ability to make diamonds out of horseshit, or just like taking on projects that are in the class of "hopeless".
 

ArizonaBOSS

Because racecar.
Moderator
8,730
2,734
Arizona, USA
captdistraction said:
Its like some people either just have the capacity/patience/ability to make diamonds out of horseshit, or just like taking on projects that are in the class of "hopeless".

lol
 

captdistraction

GrumpyRacer
1,954
1,698
Phoenix, Az
So another update:

summary:
-Gutted doors
-reinstalled a suspension to move the car around
-sold a bunch of stuff
-bought ArizonaBOSS's trackpack coilovers and another set of 18x10 SVE's
-no f!@#ing update on the motor drama
-dropped the car off at the cage builder

The cage build should be pretty awesome. The builder is a friend of mine and is doing the following:

full NASA spec 1.75x.120 cage, rear down bars will have two additional diagonal supports that continue and "cross" over to the front "halo" and brace at the corners (which will provide lots of head clearance around the driver's seat vs the standard single diagonal bar. A pillars will be connected to the cage, and it will continue into the shock towers (as from best I can tell, Nasa Super Touring 2 allows this, checking other groups). Nascar-style door bars on both sides, with attachment into the floor for 3 points each. The goal is a light cage with lots of attachment points that exceeds the recommended standards while providing as much stiffening enhancement as possible. He's also building radiator blockoffs to replace the factory ones, installing a front/rear tow hook, driver's side foot well plate with 1" standoffs and dead pedal (that is all heat shielded), notching the strut towers and building jacking points. I might get some other work done as well, but that sums it up.

Also, he offered to completely finish stripping the sound deadening and sealer for $300. I jumped all over that, to hell with that work.

I wish I had pictures of the cage design to share, but does anyone have opinions on what works on these cages and what doesn't?


On the motor side, I'm at least letting MMR tear down my motor as the labor cost was less than livernois on the SOLE agreement, that they would pack my hardware and let me get it should I (which is the only true option) opt to get it all back. So today I'll at least hear the result of that and plan the next move. As long as I can get all that gear back I can turn a lot of it around on ebay sales.
 

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