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Topic: Chuck's '83 TBird (Read 70631 times) previous topic - next topic

Re: Chuck's '83 TBird

Reply #300
Nice work, Chuck. I had to do some clearancing as well when I raised my pipes and put the tips in the notched bumper cover. I always love seeing your progress.
'88 Sport--T-5,MGW shifter,Trick Flow R intake,Ed Curtis cam,Trick Flow heads,Scorpion rockers,75mm Accufab t-body,3G,mini starter,Taurus fan,BBK long tube headers,O/R H-Pipe, Flowamaster Super 44's, deep and deeper Cobra R wheels, Mass Air and 24's,8.8 with 3.73's,140 mph speedo,Mach 1 chin spoiler,SN-95 springs,CHE control arms,aluminum drive shaft and a lot more..

Re: Chuck's '83 TBird

Reply #301
Thanks, Vin.

Wish I was making faster progress, but things are starting to wrap up here and there.
Long live the 4-eyes!  - '83 Tbird Turbo

Re: Chuck's '83 TBird

Reply #302
Exhaust is all welded up.

Long live the 4-eyes!  - '83 Tbird Turbo

 

Re: Chuck's '83 TBird

Reply #303
Well, while the exhaust is off getting coated, I have a couple other things I can wrap up while I wait.

Got the rear brakes all closed up and bled today and mucked around more with the WBO2 wiring.

Nothing really pic worthy, though. Just more things crossed off the list.
Long live the 4-eyes!  - '83 Tbird Turbo

Re: Chuck's '83 TBird

Reply #304
Picking this up on Tues!
Long live the 4-eyes!  - '83 Tbird Turbo

Re: Chuck's '83 TBird

Reply #305
Picked this up earlier in the week and got it installed. (Hard to get good lighting under the car...)






Now to get all of the rear suspension tightened up.
Long live the 4-eyes!  - '83 Tbird Turbo

Re: Chuck's '83 TBird

Reply #306
Looks good! I'm going to have to so some witchcraft under the passenger side of mine to get the tail pipe around the PHB mount and gas tank. DS wont be bad at all cause there's tons of room

Re: Chuck's '83 TBird

Reply #307
It's a shame that the driveshaft is the ugliest thing under the car now. Time for an aluminum one.
It's Gumby's fault.

Re: Chuck's '83 TBird

Reply #308
It's a shame that the driveshaft is the ugliest thing under the car now. Time for an aluminum one.
It's a possibility, but right now getting the car back together to be able to drive it is the main priority. Besides, there's lots of other ugly under the car to keep the DS company. ;)

Just a handful of things to do now, and most of it just involves the time to get it done.
Long live the 4-eyes!  - '83 Tbird Turbo

Re: Chuck's '83 TBird

Reply #309
So, I was able to get a few things done this week.

I've got the WBO2 all wired up.

While I was messing around with wiring for that, I swapped out a newer head unit from the older Alpine I had in there. Not much change, aside from having actual AUX and USB inputs (The old one had the cable AUX adapter from the backside of the unit).


With the WBO2 all installed, I'm basically at the point where I could fire up the engine. However, I don't want to do that until I get the fuel filter situation sorted.
I want to ditch the tedious Aeromotive one I have on there for a stock-type replacement (Not necc Ford stock-type), that isn't a huge messy hassle to regularly replace. Having to unscrew things to replace an element is just too much of a hassle.

I've got AL fuel lines under the car currently and am going to make remove a section where I currently have fittings and install some nylon sections and a new filter/bracket.

Will be MUCH easier and more conducive to me regularly replacing the filters. Just waiting on a couple of fittings to arrive.

I've got the rear suspension *mostly* installed/tightened up. I need to deal with the mounting on the DS of the panhard chassis bracket and get the pinion angle all set.
This is where I ran into a couple problems.
As I was checking the driveline angles,I remembered that I was going to replace the motor mount isolators. I didn't want to set that all up, only to have new bushings mess things up (raise the engine)
Good thing I stopped to check


This is why I stopped using that secondary supplier for the bushings and went back to the Energy Suspension ones. This was one of the dual-durometer lowers. The soft grey stuff just collapses and the stiffer black material just disintegrates...
Going to swap those out before I set the pinion angle. I'll need to adjust it a bit, as it is pretty close now with the engine sitting a little low.

I did run into an "oops" when I was attempting to fit the panhard bar in place.
Evidently I didn't put enough bend in the chassis brace, and it hits the panhard bar...


Examining a couple options.
I might be able to slide the DS of the bracket rearward a bit (with a couple adjustments) and adjusting the pinion may change the orientation of things slightly, that the PS mount on the axle will move forward a bit. That may get me some of the clearance I need.

I could put a bend in the bar, which isn't a big deal, aside from losing the ability to easily adjust the bar length and center things up by just turning the bar.
To get around that, I could add a jackscrew into the PS section of the bar, to make things adjustable again.
I'm not concerned about the bar having a bend, the Phard bar on my Volvo 240 has a bend in it (stock), and I added a jackscrew in it to make it adjustable without issue.


Just would like to try to avoid cutting up the bar, if at all possible.

Just one of those things I thought I verified, but evidently not well enough. :shakehead:




Long live the 4-eyes!  - '83 Tbird Turbo

Re: Chuck's '83 TBird

Reply #310
My 2 cents on the last option that no one asked for:  I don't see a picture of it but you are using rod end bearings on the end of the panhard bar?  If so I would suggest using both right hand threads to save some money and then drill and pin the threads so they don't unscrew while adjusting.  In my head I would put the jackscrew on the end easiest accessible end of the panhard bar closest to the rod end.  Perhaps you could have the rod end thread into the one side of the jackscrew?
1988 Thunderbird TC, 5spd
Stinger 3" single exhaust, Cone Filter, Adjustable Cam Pulley, Schneider roller cam, Walbro 255 lph, AEM Wideband O2
'93 Mustang Cobra replica wheels on 235/50R17

'21 F150 Powerboost
'17 Husqvarna TX300

Re: Chuck's '83 TBird

Reply #311
The current bar is LH/RH threaded on the ends. If I need to mod things, I'll probably put the jackscrew on the PS and have one end into the bar, and the other into a female rod end.

Going to see how things wind up after getting everything in the proper orientation and get the pinion angle set right before I start cutting things apart.
Long live the 4-eyes!  - '83 Tbird Turbo

Re: Chuck's '83 TBird

Reply #312
Sorry, what is the PS acronym?  My brain keeps going Power Steering.  LOL
1988 Thunderbird TC, 5spd
Stinger 3" single exhaust, Cone Filter, Adjustable Cam Pulley, Schneider roller cam, Walbro 255 lph, AEM Wideband O2
'93 Mustang Cobra replica wheels on 235/50R17

'21 F150 Powerboost
'17 Husqvarna TX300


Re: Chuck's '83 TBird

Reply #314
Had a few moments to get the PS bushing out after work.

 :nonchalance:

(Hint: There is supposed to be about a 1/2" of black material between that grey stuff and the upper bracket)





Junk.
Long live the 4-eyes!  - '83 Tbird Turbo