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Double0fox's Mild Build Thread 2012 Mustang GT Build Thread Profile - S197 Mustangs

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Now here is where I would have the rest of the install pics, but I had ordered this stuff right before the Covid-19 stuff started shutting things down. So now with all 4 track days I had signed up for canceled, I decided to just go all in on the rest of the mods I had planned for engine longevity. I was going to do a Setrab oil cooler, larger radiator, oil pump/timing gears later this year, but with nothing happening for a while I decided to just do them now. I wouldn't have before, and after data for the oil, and coolant temps, but I was going to add those items anyways at some point. And since I currently had the K-member out it made the job a "little" easier. Also in the name of trying to help the engine last I ordered a Moroso steel road race pan......along with a bunch of other stuff.

BMR rod end lower control arms
BMR K-member to radiator support
BMR A-Arm Support
HANS device( I already have a SA2015 helmet that I use for Karting that is set up to use the HANS device.
Improved Racing Lines for the oil cooler
@06mach1 Setrab Bracket
934 Setrab Oil Cooler
Mishimoto Radiator
Mishimoto Thermostatic Sandwich Plate
Boundry Oil Pump Gears
Boundry Timing Chain Gear
Ford Oil Pump Changing Kit
G&G harmonic Balancer Puller
Moroso Steel Road Race Oil Pan
Airlift Vacuum Kit

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So I took quite a bit of pics through this, so some may not have a description to them. I had a few plans that wasn't "installing parts" as well when I started this round of mods. Along the way I wanted to remove some weight. Nothing that couldn't ever be replaced if I felt like it, so no roll cage as of yet...but never say never. Everything I removed can be added back at any point. I made sure not to damage anything along the way. Really though I don't know why. I really should just gut everything, but haven't yet.

Getting the bumper off.
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Getting the intake, and associated stuff out of the way.
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Fan out.
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How could I not make a joke about the car having a pee.
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Draining the rest of the radiator.
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Then started on removing the coolant hoses, and accessories drive.
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I removed some other stuff along the way. like I said, nothing I couldn't put back on at any time(not likely though). I took a lot of pics along the way, and I am trying to not add too many. Nothing here is hard at all. I just like having lots of pics for reference along the way. In case I run into a instance where I can't remember where a bolt with a standoff stud was at. Easy insurance.
 
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Contunued: Was having problems linking pics from Imgur:
So continuing on I was on the fence about removing the A/C. I don't daily the car. At most it might make it to a Cars&Coffee maybe once in a year. So with one of my main concerns was to not have to worry about cooling on track, I decided it was going to some out. Well everything in the engine bay. I made sure to not damage anything on the way out, and bagged/tagged every fastener as well in the super rare case of me ever putting it back in.

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Scale showed 24lbs. Thought it would be more, but never the less.
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Also removed some stuff that was not needed.
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Also pulled the washer res. This actually gave me more room for the brake ducts, so win win!
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So here is a quick timing tear down, and replacement. I just thew some pics up, cause alot of you guys have done this, or more. So no need for a "how to". One thing I found kinda odd, was that the factory timing marks on the chain were no where near the cam marks. Not that it's a big deal. Ford must have their own way of assembling the engine timing. If you look close you will see my orange paint pen marks I marked on them as I removed them. I actually used the factory timing chain marked links to re-assemble, so if you see some orange marks way off, no worries. I still need to finish up posting this rounds of mods, but I have already started her, and taken it on a short drive. Everything A ok.

Bare
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Valve covers coming off.
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Front cover removed.
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Cams in their timed at 12'O clock position.
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Timing gear, and oil pump removed.
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All timed back up.
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All new gaskets on everything removed.
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I did have to take about .200" off the pickup tube stand off to put me in the right range for pan to pickup clearance. I read that some people dropped it right on, but I measured, and grabbed some clay to double check.
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Grant 302

basic and well known psychic
One thing I found kinda odd, was that the factory timing marks on the chain were no where near the cam marks. Not that it's a big deal. Ford must have their own way of assembling the engine timing.
The timing marks don’t stay in the same ‘place’ relative to the sprockets once the engine rotates or runs. Perfectly normal.
 
So I need to update this. Not that I am a big poster on here, but alot has happened since my last update in...May! (o_O where did the time go). I have the Mustang all buttoned up. I was going to get some data logging done, and finish the tune, but we had a wrench thrown into the works. Long story short my wife found out her father has had Parkinson's for the past 2 years, and wanted to move back to Eastern Oregon to be closer to her parents again. We were living in Tacoma, WA, and it feels like overnight we packed up, put the house up for sale, and made the move. One of the things that sucked about the move was in Tacoma I was 20 min from Pacific Raceways, 50 min from The Ridge (and the new Circuit of the Northwest when it was finished), and 2 hours from Portland International Raceway. Now the closest track is Oregon raceway park 4,1/2 hours away. Miller, and Portland are about 6 hour drives. Really I shouldn't be complaining that much cause I am sure a lot of you travel farther to get to tracks. It just kind of sucks that I had quite a few close to me. But the move brought some big pluses my way. Right before we closed on a house here I was driving by the local lot, and saw a 2016 White/Blue stripe GT350 sitting outside, and thought " I wonder if that is a track pack car?". I almost bought a white/blue GT350 before I bought my 2012 GT. Turns out it was a track pack car. With just 17,000 miles on it, I hit up a Viper buddy that has access to Oasis, and had him do a check for me. No problems, so I went and picked it up the day after we closed on the house.

Dealer Pic:
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Home:
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The other big plus is in Tacoma, I only had a 2 car garage, and absolutely no room to build a shop, or even add on to the garage if I wanted to. Well My wife, and I found a place that has a 2 car garage, and a 50'x30' shop!!!!! Really I was sold on this place the minute I saw the shop. The shop does need some work. It is un-insulated, and had 4 light bulbs to light the place. So after ALOT of cleaning on the inside, I have added LED shop lighting, and I just finished framing the interior walls for insulation yesterday. I have a split heat pump on the way, so I can be out in the shop 24/7/365. As soon as all the walls are up I will be ordering a 2 post lift as well (no more jack stands for me!).

Sellers photo from the listing (sellers belongings)
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You cannot tell how much dirt was inside this thing before I cleaned it in preparation for the framing. Holy hell. But here are some build(ish) pics:

Led Lights in, beginning framing.
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So where does that leave the 2012 GT you ask, well I might as well turn it into a complete trackday toy now. I had removed the AC right before we moved, so over the winter I might go a step, or two, or 10 further with it.

I still need to update this thread to where the 2012 GT is currently at. To be 100% honest I am not going to mod the GT350 that much ( I mean it this time). It has been nice so far to take my wife, and daughter out, and be able to take one of my fun cars for once. And also the GT350 does everything REALLY well. No track test yet, but for factory street tires amazing front grip, and turn in. I just hate the clutch. I already put in a steeda spring, and I still don't like it. I also ordered some Steeda full length jacking rails(actually showed up while I was writing this post), a Ford passenger side air/oil separator, a few oil filters, and a bunch of 5-50 (thanks guys for posting in the NAPA oil sale thread!), some vinyl badge stuff, a new no-oil air filter (they had a K&N oil one on it, and it is caked in oil....someone went WAY overboard with the K&N oil). Caliperfixation studs, and maybe a resonator delete are in the cards soon as well. LOVE the Recaro seats. Even my wife liked them, and that's saying something. Anyways enough rambling.
 
Not exactly Mustang build related, but I bought insulation to get the ceiling insulated.

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Oy vey, doing insulation by yourself suckkkkkkksssssssssssssssssss. This was just the ceiling, but the wall insualtion should be ALOT easier to tackle. Not pictured, I rented a scissor lift, but it was still really time(and patience) consuming. Glad that is at least done. I am waiting on a electrician to come out, and install a new box. The shop has it's own meter, and 200 amp power, but the box is older, and uses bolt in breakers that are a pain to find what I need. So once that is done, I will run new circuits, and then finish insulating the walls.

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And a lift pic. They are super dirty, but what the hell.

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So I am trying to bring the thread up to where the car currently is at. Before I moved away from Tacoma I had the car buttoned up, and running. Finishing up the front timing I installed the Setrab, and all the supporting mods like the thermostatic plate, and guages. Here are some pics of the rest of those mods.

K-Member going back in:

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Setrab, and @06mach1 Setrab Bracket

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Mishimoto radiator in:

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Airlift is awesome, wish I would have known about them earlier:

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Thermostatic plate, oil lines, sensors:

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Priming the oil system with the sprayer method:

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Primed till oil came out the tensioner (between the links)

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All buttoned up in the engine bay:

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Don't mind the wiring at this time, was programming the gauges while I was waiting on one of the gauge pods still.

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After a short break in drive:

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So just a small update. I am loosing it with cabin fever now that I have moved back to Eastern, OR. One of the only good things about Western, WA was that winters were really mild. The kart tracks were pretty much open to practice year around. Hell we even raced while it was snowing in the winter series.
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Here everything(Karting) is closed, and I believe has openings in March. ☹ . I do hope to get in touch with some of the members on here who run down in Utah, as well as Oregon Raceway Park for trackdays. Utah Motorsports Campus is now on the list of tracks that are close enough for me (6 hours). Oregon Raceway Park(4-1/2 hours), Portland International(6 hours), The Ridge(7-1/2 hours) are still on my lists of "local" places. Long term bucket track is of course Laguna Seca. I have begun looking at trailers to trailer the car. Nothing amazing, just a 16-18' flatbed car hauler to get me there, and back. Also I was able to knock the Diff venting out right before me moved as well. Since we moved I haven't changed anything. My upcoming "plans" for the car besides the #1 plan of just getting on track are:

Ford Racing Steering wheel, with quick disconnect (I have to fold myself into the seat at the moment)
Fire Extinguisher, and mount (already have them, just need to install)
Brake Temp stickers (already have them, just need to install)
Fix some seatbelt harness issues
Remove airbags (insert we die like men bumper sticker here)
Maybe work on boxing in the radiator?

Oh and some TMO sticker (this will be the very first stickers I have added btw)

I started with a Allstar Performance breather can. Figured out what the axle vent tube threads were on mine (they seem to have changed the threads through the years it seems). Added silicon tubing, and a little heat shielding as well. One thing that blew me away is I took the breather vent off to match the threads, and there was air pressure inside the axle! Obviously the "vent" was clogged. Mind you the car had been sitting for a few months, and it still had built up air pressure. While I was ordering parts for the breather I put the factory breather back in, and went for a really short 1-2 mile drive, and a few days later when I went to install all the new breather stuff it had built up air pressure again, just in that really short drive! After we were all moved to Eastern, OR I have had it out a little, and mind you I wasn't on track with the temps that will come with track driving, but I didn't notice any gear oil smells so far.

Allstar Catch can:
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I don't have any really good pics of the axle attachment right now, but here are how I have the lines ran to accommodate axle movement.

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Added heat shielding since it was pretty close to the mufflers. not sure if needed, but would rather not worry about it:
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Easy to service. Looking back from the front seats into the trunk:
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TymeSlayer

Tramps like us, Baby we were born to run...
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Brighton, Colorado
Ditto what Johnson said. I smell rubber and some sweat but never gear oil in my Boss with the same breather set-up as Double0Fox though mines mounted on the interior side panel on the passenger side of the trunk.
 

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