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Topic: Back in a fox. 1988 Turbo Coupe. The life journal. (Read 30603 times) previous topic - next topic

Re: Back in a fox. 1988 Turbo Coupe. The life journal.

Reply #165
You really ran with the whole "windshield washers are for the weak" what with driving it to work and having it rain, lol.  Nothing but rain on the eastern seaboard for 3 weeks now....

Exactly what some weak ass would say.

This from the guy who messaged me bitching about the rain  :toothless:


I also told you that if you want one of those NIB Borlas I have sitting here, it's yours.  ;)
-- 05 Mustang GT-Whipplecharged !!
--87 5.0 Trick Flow Heads & Intake - Custom Cam - Many other goodies...3100Lbs...Low12's!

Re: Back in a fox. 1988 Turbo Coupe. The life journal.

Reply #166
Believe it or not, my Rock Auto orders came fast as hell. My Rock Auto orders arrived before my downpipe from Stinger has even made it to the post office. It's no big deal either way as I have more stuff to acquire, but I like having what I purchased in my possession.

Pretty much my goal is to set a bunch of tasks and have the car ready to take up to Carlisle. While I couldn't care less about a car show in itself, it gives me a reason to get the car together and have it solid for a nearly 2 hour drive each way. It keeps my goals reasonable and reels back my ambition.

This from the guy who messaged me bitching about the rain  :toothless:


I also told you that if you want one of those NIB Borlas I have sitting here, it's yours.  ;)

That was more or less a "figures that I finally put the car back together and it decides to rain." Similar to how every time you actually want to work on your car, it either rains or snows or your old ass gets injured.

I do appreciate the offer on the Borla. I ended up ordering some Amazon special lers. They probably cost about the same amount shipped as it would cost to ship the Borla, especially with shipping companies hiking up their rates.


Ironically enough, I looked at the Walbro page, but something inside of me thought that it wasn't actually Walbros page.

I've actually hit a minor crossroad and have been thinking about an Aeromotive 340 pump. I've been seeing nothing but rave reviews. Many years back, I ran into a bunch of issues with a batch of Walbro pumps. Dropping the tank 4 times in one summer was not fun. I would still buy a Walbro, but it does make the Aeromotive look like a nice option.

I also intend on running my own wiring and relay to the pump. I started looking into that and learned that the cost of wire has gone up a good bit in the past 10-12 years.
It's Gumby's fault.

Re: Back in a fox. 1988 Turbo Coupe. The life journal.

Reply #167
The Aeromotive pumps are awesome!

83 351W TKO'd T-Bird on the bottle


93 331 Mustang Coupe - 368 rwhp

Re: Back in a fox. 1988 Turbo Coupe. The life journal.

Reply #168
Obviously, I've been terrible with updates. I spent a bunch of time driving and beating the hell out of it.

The brakes are awful. Around the town, they aren't bad. I had gotten a little too comfortable on the highway, and wasn't paying too much attention. Traffic was stopped in front of me. I've never used so much brake pressure while heel-toe downshifting. I got it stopped, but I had a chunk of blue velour in my cornhole after that. I have something in the works for brakes.

I did manage to complete one mod. Probably one of my favorite mods to do to any car.





I was browsing eBay, and found that Steeda sells blemished shifters. It was cheaper than the Summit branded shifter, which Steeda makes. Well worth every penny.

I had a plan. I ordered an alternator, a starter, a power steering pump pulley, belts and a bunch of misc stuff. The plan was to do the 92-94 Ranger alternator, PMGR starter, swap on a larger diameter pulley, do a fuel pump and a ton of little stuff. I pulled the car in the garage and started the alternator swap. I found that the suggested alternator, which was a 5.0 Explorer alternator, doesn't remotely fit the bracket. At this point, I started yanking more apart.

Fun story. When I was driving the car frequently, I noticed that the car would build boost fast, but not pull as hard as normal. I also noticed that it didn't really run smooth. I didn't put much thought into it since I had been planning on doing an assload of work. I figured, if it was a vacuum leak, weak fuel pump, or anything like that, it was going to be addressed over the winter. For fun, I pulled the timing belt cover off. The belt had an insane amount of slop. I could slide the belt off of the cam gears by hand. I could spin the timing belt tensioner by hand, with very little resistance. It's the first time I've seen one that bad.

With everything I took off, I found more that the car needs and more that I want to do while I'm at this point. A few things added to the list

-PCV delete. Delete the oil separators, have large fittings welded to the valve cover for the crankcase breather and catch can.
-Radiator, fan, shroud and coolant reservoir.
-Upgraded water pump.
-Oil cooler delete.
-Ranger roller regrind, valve springs, new HLA's.
-Adjustable cam gear, lightweight auxiliary shaft gear and crank gear. Round tooth.
-Remove coolant from the lower intake and relocate the ECT sensor.
-Cut the power steering pump bypass valve spring.

There is plenty more that I intend on getting to. That's a large chunk of what I need to get done before Carlisle.



That is the current state of the under hood. It will get more removed before long.

I know most people on this forum are on Facebook, or follow me on Instagram, but here is a parting shot I just wd across a few groups.

It's Gumby's fault.

Re: Back in a fox. 1988 Turbo Coupe. The life journal.

Reply #169
It's time for update part two.

I have been keeping this project fairly quiet. I have a few people who I didn't really want knowing what I'm doing. The good...and bad thing about this forum is that there isn't much traffic.









This is my first project that I designed from start to finish, and my first real attempt at any real 3D modelling. I designed these around Autometer gauges since I had two sitting around. I will do a redesign when I get the VDO gauges for my car.

As of right now, they are made of PLA, which really isn't suitable for automotive applications. I did make a dead pedal for Katys Fiesta and it's holding up fairly well. I just don't trust it to be too durable in the summer heat. Hopefully I can figure out PETG and do more testing.

Once I am confident in my design and durability, I will likely start a website and do a little online store.

I do ask of those 4 of you that do frequent the forum to keep these off of Facebook for the time being. I would appreciate it.
It's Gumby's fault.

Re: Back in a fox. 1988 Turbo Coupe. The life journal.

Reply #170
I do ask of those 4 of you that do frequent the forum to keep these off of Facebook for the time being. I would appreciate it.
:laughing:

That looks like a pretty sweet setup man!

Re: Back in a fox. 1988 Turbo Coupe. The life journal.

Reply #171
I do ask of those 4 of you that do frequent the forum to keep these off of Facebook for the time being. I would appreciate it.
That looks really good.  One part of caution with 3d printed parts is there are not a lot of UV rated materials.  I have a FDM printer at work that I made a guide for the throttle cable on my bike with.  I simply painted it to keep the sun from evaporating the material.  3 years so far it has held up.

I can only fit a 5x5x5 in my FDM printer.  If it fits and you want me to print one and ship it to you to try out let me know.  I don't have any interest in one for myself....yet.
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: Back in a fox. 1988 Turbo Coupe. The life journal.

Reply #172
That looks really good.  One part of caution with 3d printed parts is there are not a lot of UV rated materials.  I have a FDM printer at work that I made a guide for the throttle cable on my bike with.  I simply painted it to keep the sun from evaporating the material.  3 years so far it has held up.

I can only fit a 5x5x5 in my FDM printer.  If it fits and you want me to print one and ship it to you to try out let me know.  I don't have any interest in one for myself....yet.

Paint will help with the UV issues, but I'm concerned about the heat warping the PLA. It has a fairly low glass transition temp. I printed some spool clips so the filament won't uncoil itself when I'm not using it. As precaution, I toss my filament in a dehydrator before storing it to help remove any moisture it may have pulled from the air. The filament clips ended up relaxing from the heat and came close to falling off.

I started to work with PETG, but I had a time crunch with a few things I needed to get printed, so I didn't make much headway figuring it out. I had bed adhesion and layer adhesion issues. Once I take the time to get it figured out, I shouldn't have to worry about radiant temperature. The glass transition temperature is a good bit higher than PLA and it's almost as strong as ABS.

I'm using a Crealty CR10, with a 300x300x400 print bed. I'm hoping that once I get some issues with the printer ironed out, that I can print three of these things at once. Each one takes about 8.5 hours.
It's Gumby's fault.

 

Re: Back in a fox. 1988 Turbo Coupe. The life journal.

Reply #173
I'm using a Crealty CR10, with a 300x300x400 print bed. I'm hoping that once I get some issues with the printer ironed out, that I can print three of these things at once. Each one takes about 8.5 hours.
Looks like they have a nice sale going on that model right now.

We have a Stratasys Mojo sitting on my work desk.  I have not made the personal investment to have at home although I have been playing with the idea to teach my children on the in's & out's currently.  I think it may be invaluable in the future for the if they go into manufacturing.

a broken part from the Mojo: 
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: Back in a fox. 1988 Turbo Coupe. The life journal.

Reply #174
Pla warps pretty bad in a car interior in the summer.

The thicker you make the part the stronger, obviously. We've been making parts out of Pla dor model airplanes for a few years and they warp bad. Particullarly the wing mounts we've designed to be held on with rubber bands. Without the rubber bands they hold up okay if its not in sunlight.

Abs is slightly lighter bit not quite as rigid for the same part. Adhesion between layers is hard to get right though.
Quote from: jcassity
I honestly dont think you could exceed the cost of a new car buy installing new *stock* parts everywhere in your coug our tbird. Its just plain impossible. You could revamp the entire drivetrain/engine/suspenstion and still come out ahead.
Hooligans! 
1988 Crown Vic wagon. 120K California car. Wifes grocery getter. (junked)
1987 Ford Thunderbird LX. 5.0. s.o., sn-95 t-5 and an f-150 clutch. Driven daily and going strong.
1986 cougar.
lilsammywasapunkrocker@yahoo.com

Re: Back in a fox. 1988 Turbo Coupe. The life journal.

Reply #175
It looks pretty good for a prototype.

I haven't messed with 3D printers regularly in about 4 years but I remember all sorts of problems with heat warping PLA even when we painted stuff. ABS or something like it will be more stable when exposed to heat, but I'm curious how even that will hold up in a closed car, in the sun, in mid July. I'm not too familiar with how much better hobby level machines have gotten in the past 4 years but I'd hope that layer adhesion has improved.
88 Thunderbird LX: 306, Edelbrock Performer heads, Comp 266HR cam, Edelbrock Performer RPM intake, bunch of other stuff.

Re: Back in a fox. 1988 Turbo Coupe. The life journal.

Reply #176
Looks like they have a nice sale going on that model right now.

We have a Stratasys Mojo sitting on my work desk.  I have not made the personal investment to have at home although I have been playing with the idea to teach my children on the in's & out's currently.  I think it may be invaluable in the future for the if they go into manufacturing.

a broken part from the Mojo: 

My particular printer is the cheapest model of the CR10 they sell. The higher end models, like the CR10S and V2 do offer a lot more for the money, but I really don't have many complaints. They're easily upgraded and still very capable. The 3d printer community is very helpful too.

I just looked up the Mojo. Holy hell that thing is pricey. Certainly out of the league of what I'm working on!

That print looked like it was under extruded, or extruded a little too cold. Does the mojo use proprietary software?

Pla warps pretty bad in a car interior in the summer.

The thicker you make the part the stronger, obviously. We've been making parts out of Pla dor model airplanes for a few years and they warp bad. Particullarly the wing mounts we've designed to be held on with rubber bands. Without the rubber bands they hold up okay if its not in sunlight.

Abs is slightly lighter bit not quite as rigid for the same part. Adhesion between layers is hard to get right though.

I've had good luck with the one part I've printed for a car. It's just a little dead pedal for the girlfriends car. Her car is black, and sits out in the sun, in a parking lot all day. It's held up pretty well for about a year so far. I know I can't trust it, but it's done well for her car so far.

ABS is a pain to work with. You need a printer that's enclosed and the enclosure has to be temperature controlled. The ABS shrinks when it cools, and if some layers cool faster than others, it warps and pulls apart. I have some things in the works to enclose my printer, but that's going to wait for a little while.

ABS isn't as rigid, but it does have a bit more tensile strength. I want to eventually use it for some under hood parts.

It looks pretty good for a prototype.

I haven't messed with 3D printers regularly in about 4 years but I remember all sorts of problems with heat warping PLA even when we painted stuff. ABS or something like it will be more stable when exposed to heat, but I'm curious how even that will hold up in a closed car, in the sun, in mid July. I'm not too familiar with how much better hobby level machines have gotten in the past 4 years but I'd hope that layer adhesion has improved.

Most of the time, layer adhesion has more to do with your temps and your Z-axis offset. Takes a decent bit of trial and error. When I get a failed print, I initially want to be all pissed off at the machine, or the filament. Half of the time, I didn't level the print bed, or I messed the settings up or overlooked something. I've had prints fail about 3 hours in because I forgot to uncheck a box in the slicer.
It's Gumby's fault.

Re: Back in a fox. 1988 Turbo Coupe. The life journal.

Reply #177
Quote
I just looked up the Mojo. Holy hell that thing is pricey. Certainly out of the league of what I'm working on!

That print looked like it was under extruded, or extruded a little too cold. Does the mojo use proprietary software?

The Mojo is for work and is pretty much plug and play for the filaments.  It has a heated chamber.  The software is proprietary so no manipulating it to fine tune.

I print stuff to check designs and also fixturing for assembly.  I have noticed on larger printed parts like the one pictured there is some separation as seen on the side of the cylinder.  It does have solid print or honeycomb center to save material.  I wonder if the print head is getting clogged or off temperature causing these imperfections. 

Okay, I think I have derailed your thread enough.

Upgrade water pump or OEM replacement?  I have not experienced over heating, actually mine runs too cold, so wondering why the upgrade or is this with conjunction to deleting the oil cooler?

Why cut the power steering pump bypass valve spring?
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: Back in a fox. 1988 Turbo Coupe. The life journal.

Reply #178
Okay, I think I have derailed your thread enough.

I don't mind the derailment at all. I would rather there be off topic discussion rather than no discussion at all.

Upgrade water pump or OEM replacement?  I have not experienced over heating, actually mine runs too cold, so wondering why the upgrade or is this with conjunction to deleting the oil cooler?

The pump I'm looking at is made by Race Engineering. The impeller has a back plate to reduce cavitation. Also has better bearings for sustained RPM use. One of my outlandish hopes is to one day partite in a road rally. There are quite a few that run through being as I don't live far off of I-95. To run with some of the more modern performance cars, I would need to be able to sustain triple digit speeds, and in a 2.3 car, that's a lot of RPM. I'll probably never be able to hang with legit sports cars, but it sounds fun. It may never happen, but those high hopes help keep me motivated.

Why cut the power steering pump bypass valve spring?

Basically, it will reduce output pressure which reduces the steering assist. I really don't like how little steering effort is required to get the car change direction. I'm hoping to get it to feel more like my Mustang, or ideally, more like my previous FRS.
It's Gumby's fault.

Re: Back in a fox. 1988 Turbo Coupe. The life journal.

Reply #179
The Race Engineering pump sounds interesting.  I have an interest in doing track days so going to make a note of this.

Your picture here of the rear center brake line.  I have a friend on the west coast that makes brake lines that I will be taking the original off to send to him.  Wondering if I should have him make several and sell the others off?  Not sure if there is a real want for them?

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