Work in progress, TONS of pics.

[awdrocks]

Well I have been working on my X for the last couple of weeks. I originally started because I wanted to change my meth/water nozzle from my intake before the TB to my intake plenum after the supercharger. When I took off the plenum cover I discovered my manifold was covered in oil that has been sucked through my valve covers. So I decided to take off my SC to clean it up. And now I decided to just do a clean sweep on the entire engine bay and also rewiring my entire accessory electrical system.

Here are some pics of what I what I have done so far. Sorry for the large pics, I have no photo editing program right now.

When I first discovered the oil:

On an SC application under boost the oil gets sucked in from the valve cover

After cleaning the entire SC.

Getting ready to clean the mating surfaces and ports:

I carefully stuffed a shop towel down the ports, and scrubbed with a tooth brush with carb cleaner. The shop towels soaked up all the cleaner and oil. Changed the shop towel in each port about 5 times.

Then bought an inline air filter that I was going to install between the valve cover and the motor to catch some of the unwanted oil that makes it to the motor.

The thing is though that it can't catch it all. Some will make it by to the motor. I was planning on adding two or three filters until I pretty much eliminated all the oil. But then I decided to go this route:


Bought this oil catcher from Summit Racing. I will run both valve cover hoses to this catcher and eliminate oil into the motor 100%.

It will end up like this setup. My buddy bought this Mustang from Hardcore from one of the other mod sites.

Then I took off my valve covers:

I started by painting the nasty valve covers. I have changed color THREE times!!! Pain in the arse. First I painted everything red (that was before the clear coat and rubbing compound):

I then painted everything Ford blue. I painted EVERYTHING like the blue on the right. Then I discovered the darker Old Ford blue. So im in the process of changing everything again. I am sticking with the darker blue on the left:


I sanded everything with 800 grit first. Then under the sink wet sanded it all with 1,000, 1,500. Then did 4 base coats, then two clear coats. Then wet sanded the clear coat with 1,500 and got all imperfections out. Finished it off with a rubbing compound. Went over it twice with the rubbing compound.

Found this complete set of cam cover gaskets and rubber gourmets (sp) at NAPA for just $52.

Torqued down my heads to 75#'s. Then I decided to change my passenger side lash adjusters because that side was making a little valve train noise. I used the flathead screw driver technique to remove the followers (rockers) and then just took off the adjusters. Aways make sure the lobe on the cam is on its face or flatter part. Then you carefully crimp the adjusters on a vise or with some pliers so they have enough clearance to be popped back on, AFTER you have oiled them. SUPER simple. No need to use a spring compressor, waste of time and money. Do some research or drop me a line if anyone decides to do this before attempting it. Here is a pic of some adjusters off, new adjusters being soaked:

Now for the fun part. I'm doing MAJOR cleaning a organizing. I have literally taken everything off. I have taken off ALL the electrical tape around the loom from factory and replaced every inch of electrical tape. I'm on roll number 5. I have hand scrubbed
with a tooth brush and Dawn under a sink all the parts that come off. Rewired parts, put new connectors, loom, heat shields, wires ect where ever needed. My EX mechanic installed EVERYTHING totally sloppy. I can't believe my X lasted this long. Lucky I had a fire extinguisher under my feet.

BEFORE: Notice the trash bag under the meth reservoir to keep it from falling to one side. The pump is facing the firewall so I don't even have access to the pressure screw adjuster. It's under the reservoir.

AFTER: Took everything off. Turned the pump. Made brackets for the reservoir. Added the floater and changed the outlet position:

Tapped the intake plenum with its new meth/water nozzles from Snow Performance. I'll be injecting the meth after the SC now, directly into the stream of air going through the internal intercooler brick into the runners.

Then I moved on to the center section of the motor. Here I finished the injector and coil pack harness.

BEFORE:

AFTER:

Now for the fun part. I did this last night. I yanked ALL my electrical accessories and im starting from scratch. It was such a mess. They had actually wired TEN accessories to one single like 16 gauge wire to a single fuse position in my OEM fuse box. Well that fuse was blown, and the geniuses decided to wrap a wire around the fuse to close the circuit. The dam fuse was melted. I was so pissed when I saw that.

BEFORE:

AFTER:

BEFORE:

AFTER:

The only reason those relays are there is because I added them a couple weeks back when I did my electric water pump and aux motor fan.

BEFORE:

AFTER:

 

[410Fortune]

wow nice clean up of the wiring for sure

Doesnt everyone have boxes labeled for all of their weed sorting needs?

Hows it run?

 

[awdrocks]

wow nice clean up of the wiring for sure

Doesnt everyone have boxes labeled for all of their weed sorting needs?

Hows it run?

Yeah really.

She runs awesome. Will run much better when its done. I'm about to add my 60lbs injectors, 2400MAF, 8.5'' dampener, 3,000 torque converter and tune the crud out of it for meth/water.

 

[410Fortune]

OOOOH TORQUE CONVERTER that should be a nice mod on top of all this

 

[awdrocks]

OOOOH TORQUE CONVERTER that should be a nice mod on top of all this

And all these mods are just my building blocks for my very near future 2.3L Whipple

 

[gluvsave35]

awesome job!!! love the valve covers nice job on everything

keep them pics commin

 

[bigapple]

this, in my opinion, is the best performing street explorer on this site... i love this thing and cant get enough of it... nice job awdrocks

 

[Turdle]

Hi Alex-I knew you must have been busy--

 

[awdrocks]

this, in my opinion, is the best performing street explorer on this site... i love this thing and cant get enough of it... nice job awdrocks

Thank you all for the kind words.

GOT BOOST?

8 rib 8.5'' dampener.

Out with the old....

 

[awdrocks]

And I could not resist painting. Everything looked so clean but the charger. Plus I figured since im spraying meth the little extra heat from the paint should not effect me. Completely disassembled.

Here I heated the blower pulley to 350* for 15 minutes and iced the SC shaft for 30 minutes. I was then able to get the press pulley on with my two hands. Also wrapped the pulley with a clamp for better grip and the pulley turned right in. You can see the paint on the rag from the paint from the pulley, thats how hot it was. Must be very careful.

 

[Texplorer]

Geez, it looks like I need to be asking you for help with my little re-wiring project. Compared to yours mine looks like childsplay.

 

[awdrocks]

Geez, it looks like I need to be asking you for help with my little re-wiring project. Compared to yours mine looks like childsplay.

Yeah im getting ready to move onto the electrical... the fun part

Here are a few more pics:

Here are a few more pics:

BEFORE:

AFTER:

Putting the new oil in the SC:

 

[Turdle]

Hey, a matching funnel--

That looks 100% better. Very bling--

 

[awdrocks]

Hey, a matching funnel--

Yeah I drove all around town looking for that funnel.... jk

 

[rocket 5979]

Alex, you are not running those 60's already are you? Do not bother to run those until you get the Whipple 2300. Unless you are doing your own tuning now it will be a waste of money to modify your tune for those injectors and then modify it again when you install the Whipple.



BTW, the engine bay looks very sexxy. I do not have the patience for that super pretty stuff anymore.

 

[Jakee]

that looks very good. Nice job.

can you put an "L" fitting on that hose to help with the bend over the IAC?

 

[awdrocks]

Alex, you are not running those 60's already are you? Do not bother to run those until you get the Whipple 2300. Unless you are doing your own tuning now it will be a waste of money to modify your tune for those injectors and then modify it again when you install the Whipple.



BTW, the engine bay looks very sexxy. I do not have the patience for that super pretty stuff anymore.

Hey Rob,

Yes I will be running the 60's now. I ran out of fuel with the 30's... Lonnie at Blue Oval Chips is going to do my street tuning with me. I need a new tune anyways because of my more boost, meth, TC and 2400MAF.

Well I didnt do it originally because I wanted it to look nice. I first took off the SC to clean up all the oil it had sucked up, and then my truck almost caught on fire because of the stupid wiring my ex mechanics had done on my electrical system.

I found like three hoses had HAD to have had leaks... and a rear plug on the intake was torn up and dry.... So I know I was losing boost. I needed to re-torque my heads, change my passenger side adjusters....

My motor and electrical system REALLY needed this. And it looking pretty just got caught in the cross fire

How did you manage to get a nice tight belt on with the 8.5'' dampener? Theres only about at most 1'' of play between the tensioner pulley and dampener.

 

[awdrocks]

that looks very good. Nice job.

can you put an "L" fitting on that hose to help with the bend over the IAC?

The bottom pic doest have the hose down yet. The middle one does. Once I added the elbow you see on the middle pic for my water temp sender it rolled over the IAC much nicer. But I think I can bring up a little the hose on the other side that connects to the heater control.... but yeah I caught that also... Thats a brand new hose also.

 

[bigapple]

looks rediculously good.. i just repainted my calipers and thought that was hard enough work... i cant even imagine how long it took u to tape off the ALLEN letters and paint that up... nice work and i cant wait to see some videos of some action

 

[rocket 5979]

Hey Rob,

Yes I will be running the 60's now. I ran out of fuel with the 30's... Lonnie at BOV is going to do my street tuning with me. I need a new tune anyways because of my more boost, meth, TC and 2400MAF.

Well I didnt do it originally because I wanted it to look nice. I first took off the SC to clean up all the oil it had sucked up, and then my truck almost caught on fire because of the stupid wiring my ex mechanics had done on my electrical system.

I found like three hoses had HAD to have had leaks... and a rear plug on the intake was torn up and dry.... So I know I was losing boost. I needed to re-torque my heads, change my passenger side adjusters....

My motor and electrical system REALLY needed this. And it looking pretty just got caught in the cross fire

How did you manage to get a nice tight belt on with the 8.5'' dampener? Theres only about at most 1'' of play between the tensioner pulley and dampener.

Oh, ok I didn't realize you still have 30's in there. Ok, now I see your reasoning for having to move to bigger squirters. In that case it is best that you move straight to the 60's for future growth. They 60's aren't hard to tune in a daily driver and that way you don't have to mess with as much when upgrading the blower, so good thinking.

Alex, you got to remember that I am running a different supercharger which places my drive snout higher than yours. I just went to my local Gates dealer and bought 3 belts around the measurement that I took with a flexible tape measure. I fitted each one of them till one fit and then went from there. I also have adjustable idler pullies so if I have a slightly loose or tight belt I can relocate those a little and get the correct tension I need. Just get the right size and you will not have a problem getting it tight enough without coming close to the 8.5" damper.