I'm in the process of the HO swap, putting a 92 Mustang 5.0 into my 88 XR-7. My mechanic thinks we can use the stock computer to check for any codes before installing the A9P ecu and mass air sensor and adapter. Can this be done in a two stage process like he wants? I've told him that my resources (you guys and CoolCats) say no..
I saw thunderjet302's comment before yours. I would definitely be willing to try one, and I would expect there to be a market for these, even if not a large one.
I'd be willing to be your test dummy if you want to try to make one or more. Since I know how to work around the failure of this part, it wouldn't be a tragedy if it didn't last. They're somewhat flexible, I don't know how rigid the 3D printed piece would be, so that would be another thing to consider in addition to the strength question. Keep us posted!
My '88 XR-7 floor shifter gradually stopped moving from park to N/D/R due to the loss of function in the release button on the side of the shifter. I had to fight with it at the end before it finally quit working. I disassembled the shifter and found that the part that transmits the pressure on the button to the latch release in the base of the shifter (through the shifter stalk) had worn out and broken. This piece is basically a solid plastic tube with a bunch of round nubs along the length of it. Does anybody know what I'm talking about? Is there a replacement for this piece? For now, I've removed the latch and spring at the shifter lock, but now the vehicle can be put into gear or neutral without the key and by accidentally bumping the shift lever. Any input/help would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.
Here are pics of the two mounting styles. The driver's side is inserted into the window opening, and the area with the tape is hidden under the door frame. Passenger side is surface mounted. The mount inside the door is much cleaner, and doesn't have to deal with the little nub that you can see on the driver's side. That is going to cause leaks for sure. The only other surface mount option would be up on the little raised molding strip, but at the corner there is a gap. Assuming i can get the tape to stick to the foam inside the window, what do you people think?http://s1101.photobucket.com/user/WeBeNinjammin/library/cougar%20pics
Hi, I had to do a bit of searching, found G.T.S. wind deflectors to install over the door windows. Unfortunately, when I opened the box, they were set up to glue on from the outside, instead of inside the window opening. I wouldn't really mind this, but there is no clean fit that uses all of the double sided tape that came with them, and the end down by the mirror ends up just hanging out in space. Pretty sure the wind will tear it off over time. If I tuck them up into the window frame, though, they fit PERFECTLY and look great. My concern is this: I am pretty sure that I can remove the factory tape from the inside and add my own to the outside of the guards, but the surface I want to attach to appears to be a porous, foamy material that may not hold the guard if I attach it with tape. Has anybody else installed these on their 87/88 Cougar? Is it possible to apply some sort of sealant to the foam (nail polish came to mind) to create a smooth surface that tape will stick to ? Any other suggestions? Thanks!
I would agree about the wiring adapter...there are two or more options for Ford/premium sound, so you may not get the right one the first time. I believe the one I used was made by Metra, but it's been a while. I got mine at Best Buy, it was in stock in the car installation area.
The component speakers would be the way to go for the best sound, but may require an amplifier for maximum benefit. 6 1/2" speakers will fit in the doors, but depth can be an issue for window clearance. Tweeters in the dash locations will work, but you'll need to fabricate a bracket to fit. You can also abandon the dash speakers completely and do a custom tweeter install in the little triangular plastic covers at the front corners of the windows. This will eliminate refraction/reflection from the dash grills and windshield,. Some tpuppies of metal behind the covers may be needed. Installing amplifier(s), signal (rca) and power wiring will be a good excuse to replace the stock speaker wiring with something like Monster XP or better. A custom subwoofer box with 10 or 12" woofers can be tucked under the rear deck as long as you remember to keep clear of the trunk tension rods. 6X9's in the rear deck will fit but need a spacer and may also have clearance issues with the rods. If keeping the stock dash speakers, some newer head units have built-in crossovers which would eliminate the need for the caps. I did the separates in the door/triangle cover with an amp and subwoofers in my first cougar, and it looked great and sounded better. I have MB Quart 6 1/2" components that I will be installing with the tweeters in the aforementioned door cover plates. I will post pics when it's done.
The HO intake was a direct swap for me, with no modification at all except replacing one hose on the HO intake with a plug that was on the SO intake. My HO intake sat for a few years before I installed it, and the EGR spacer gasket dried up and blew out shortly after the swap, flooding coolant into the intake. Cleaning the mating surface of the lower intake was the worst part of the swap. The whole job took about an hour the first time, and I had it down to about 45 minutes after swapping the old intake back in and then back out. With the HO intake AND headers/H-pipe/cat-back exhaust, I noticed a quicker/snappy response when stepping on the accelerator. With the stock setup, it took a while to kind of wind up and go. It definitely feels better to drive, and not just taking off from a stop. I would say that the hour or so needed to do the swap is worth it, even without the other possible mods.
According to my manual, the dome light is supposed to activate the locks, but there is no mention of the autolock feature at all. I searched the web fairly extensively, and found a couple of possible solutions, but they didn't work. I did see a post about somebody taking their car to the Ford dealership and hooking up to a computer to deactivate the autolock. SO, if anybody knows the procedure, spit it out!
The dash caps are a good match, and you can order it already painted to match original, if you know the color. There is a fair amount of tpuppies needed for a perfect fit, so if you can install it while the dash is out it will help. In particular, the tpuppies will be around the speaker grills, defrost vents and the rectangular opening in the center for the light sensor cover. I trimmed a little too much around that light sensor and it cracked at the thinnest point. Otherwise, it's almost impossible to tell it's not stock (unless you know what you are looking for).
