Initial Maintenance - Sway Bar Bushings and End Links

I expect that I'll ultimately replace the front sway bar but I don't know when I'll find that to be the most reasonable next upgrade.  Until that time, I want to continue the maintenance to make the car run and drive as close to its original ability.  With that in mind, I'm going to swap out the sway bar bushings and the end links.  

The end links I decided to use are made by Energy Suspension (Part# 9.8167G) which have two different size bushings allowing it to be set at a few different lengths from 6 3/8" to 5 7/8".  They are polyurethane and made in the USA which is nice.  The nut on the existing sway bar end link looked as if it has been removed before so I'm not sure if what was on the car was stock.  However, measuring from the center of the end links was 6.5".  Since the car is slightly lowered, I removed the end links, put the car on the ground, and measured with the sway bar end parallel to the ground and found I need the new ones set to their lowest length of 5 7/8".  

The stock end links are in the middle of the picture below.  The new end link on the left is set to the 5 7/8" length.  On the far right, you can see the configuration that makes it the longer 6 3/8" size.  I ultimately set them both to match the one on the far left.  

The bushings I'm using for the way bar are 1 1/4" in diameter and are also made by Energy Suspension (Part# 1.51408G).  These are also polyurethane but there isn't anything on the packaging to state if these were made in the USA.  The bushings I removed were still quite flexible and looked fine except for the inner surface that touched the sway bar.  That inner surface had worn off the sway bar coating, caused some rust, and the inside seemed like it was coming apart a little.  

It wasn't my original intention but with everything removed, I decided to clean up and paint the sway bar.  I cleaned it with some super clean, sanded down all the spots were the existing finish (which seemed to be powder coating) had chipped or was rusty.  I then sanded the whole sway bar with 220 grit, then used a red Scotch-Brite pad on the whole bar, painted the ends with Rust-oleum Rusty Metal Primer (as they were a little rusty to start with and it seemed like good insurance), and then coated the sway bar with VHTs Roll Bar & Chassis paint (#SP671 - Satin Black).  The paint takes 48 hours to dry so there was a bit of waiting involved to reinstall the sway bar.

I was going to work through cleaning the original sway bar mounting brackets but after soaking them in Evap-O-Rust overnight, I decided it would just be better to buy a new set.  The originals are rusty and it will take quite some time to get them to look reasonably good.  I also need new hardware which comes with the new bracket.  Since I'd already be waiting two days for the sway bar paint to dry, I ordered a new set of sway bar brackets (LMR branded LRS5486A).  They come with a nice, solid mounting block to use in place of nuts which made what was a challenging installation by yourself a little better.  

I debated cleaning the mounting points on the car but decided to wait.  There is much more to clean and taking forever on these little mounting spots would do little good right now.  As is normally the case, I scratched up the bar a little getting it into the car.  However, I touched it up so that it isn't visible but I'm sure plenty of rock chips will show up soon enough.  

I drove it around the block a little not expecting much of a difference but the responsiveness when turning is much improved.  It feels quite solid so this was worth the time.

Clutch Cable, Quadrant, & Firewall Adjuster

The clutch pedal feel has been rather inconsistent with the Mustang.  I expected the clutch cable was worn and stretched which was contributing to the problem.  The Mustang also retained the original plastic clutch quadrant which also wasn't helping the situation.  Today, I handled both by replacing the clutch cable (Ford Performance #M-7553-C302), clutch quadrant (Maximum Motorsport #MMCL-6), and added in a firewall clutch adjuster (Maximum Motorsport #MMCL-3).

I started at the transmission and worked my way up to the clutch quadrant.  I was surprised to find the clutch fork cover was in horrible condition and had rust holes through it completely along the bottom.  With it removed, it was rather easy to remove the entire clutch cable including the connection just above the gas pedal.  There wasn't anything visually which made me believe the cable was bad or excessively worn.

Removing the original clutch quadrant is a little challenging... even with the front seat removed.  This is mostly due to a spring designed to hold the adjuster into place on the pedal.  What was then more challenging was the installation of the new clutch quadrant.  The mounting hole was slightly too small.  After considering options and trying a few different things, I ultimately put some 320 sandpaper on a 3/8 extension and it slide into the mounting hole which allowed me to just slightly expand the opening, so it fit perfectly.

With the quadrant installed, I worked on the firewall adjuster.  I'd considered using the LMR adjuster that came with the firewall brace I purchased but prefer the black anodized one from Maximum Motorsports (see below). I was going to install the LMR firewall brace but found that it doesn't really match the contour of the firewall and leaves a gap between it and the firewall.  I decided I'd just install the Maximum Motorsport part without the firewall brace and return the LMR kit.

The firewall adjuster requires almost nothing to get it into place.  The original stock cable retaining screw is removed, That same screw is used in one of the two mounting holes with the new adjuster.  You then drill another hole for mounting the other side.  I'm typically opposed to drilling any holes in a car but did it anyway and mounted it with some #8 - 3/4" black screws.  

I ran the cable from the transmission, mounted it to the driver side frame rail area using the integrated bracket, and then ran it through the adjuster.  There is a unique spacer you need to install on the cable according to Maximum Motorsport so I took care of that job.  The cable then easily slid onto the quadrant.  I've mostly adjusted the clutch just using the stop nuts at the transmission end leaving all the adjustment at the firewall for later use.  

I then a Maximum Motorsports document on how to setup the firewall adjuster.  They suggest you spin it all the way in, leave the frame rail mount off, fasten the clutch cable at both ends, and pull on the cable towards the front of the car.  As you do so, the transmission side of the clutch cable sleeve is mounted so it stays in place.  You will find a gap form at the firewall adjuster, and you need to adjust it out to fill that space.  I did that and adjusted a little at the transmission and now the pedal starts to engage at 2 or 3" off the floor.

While I was at it, I the speedometer cable was leaking at the transmission.  I checked and found that I still had an O-ring for the transmission in my '67 Mustang parts.  I cleaned up the area a bit tonight and swapped out the O-ring.  The leak wasn't bad but I expect it was the O-ring as it was a little on the hard side and seemed to have shrunk slightly compared to the new O-ring.  

I drove the car for a day or two and all seems reasonably well.  That also gave me time to get a new clutch fork cover as mine was in horrible shape and actually had small rust holes.  I picked up a E6ZZ-7513 which is made by Daniel Carpenter.  These never fit great as I used two on my '67 and they generally need some metal forming on the front to fit into the bellhousing.  On the positive side, it included the screw which normally isn't included (LRS-55981S2-1).  With it now in place, this project is wrapped up and the clutch works a bit better now.  

The car now has 81,927 miles on it which is 301 miles more than when I purchased it.

Initial Maintenance - Belt Tensioner Pulley

While installing the air conditioning components, I spun the pulley on the belt tensioner and noticed it made a bit of noise when spinning.  I was focused on the task at hand so I didn't take any action with it.  Later, when setting the timing on the car, I noticed a noise coming from that area that sounded the bearing was in bad shape.  Rather than wait for it to completely fail, I thought I'd look into a new one.

As with everything when repairing cars, finding a quality replacement part is many times as time consuming as installing it.  This instance was no different as many replacements looked like appearance was a complete after thought.  The Gates and AC Delco seemed to most closely resemble the stock part and while not rated poorly had several people complaining of how they failed within a few months.  

To retain the stock look, I decided I'd just find a way to replace the bearing in the stock pulley.  I tried to remove the pulley, not thinking it was a reverse thread bolt, and could not get it removed.  When I went to YouTube to find a video on it, I found a guy who used a nice looking black billet pulley he found on Amazon.  The construction looked good, it worked well for him, and the cost was only $32.  With that in mind, I put in an order and it arrived this morning.  The new part is actually quite nice (original on left, billet on right, original washer at bottom).

I spun the old pulley just on my finger and could hear trash in the pulley.  That said, it spun a big more freely, likely due to wear, than the new one I ordered.  It does look like you could press out and replace the bearing in the stock pulley.  The part number on it is 6203LH and the manufacturer (NTN) is on the other side.  The 6203 identifies the size of the bearing and the LH on it means there is only one side with a rubber seal.  I could probably find one but it doesn't seem the most common of the 6203 style bearings.  

 

The pulley installed super easy but doesn't use the original washer.  It spins quite easy It is slightly larger but it doesn't pose any issue getting the belt back into position.  

I'm sure the listing for the pulley will change but it is presently available through the following link:

Amazon.com: AUTOVIC Billet Belt Tensioner Pulley For 1986-1993 Mustang 5.0 GT : Automotive

Initial Maintenance - Steering Limiters

It didn't take long after purchasing the Mustang to realize the front rims themselves would drag on the control arms when at the extremes of turning.  If it were the tires making contact, that isn't as bad but this is actually the edge of the wheel itself.  It isn't destroying the wheel but sounds absolutely horrible when it is occurring which has me uncertain of how much I can turn in parking lots.  

After researching this a bit, I found you can add steering limiters to the rack that stop the rack from allowing the wheel to turn so much that it makes contact.  They were available from LMR for $10 (#LRS-3504HDW).  I ordered a set and have actually waited longer than I expected to get these installed.

Watching the LMR video, it showed some easy to remove clamps which hold the steering rack boot in place.  Unfortunately, my steering rack has the clamped boot retainers which I had to loosen with a flat blade screw driver.  The LMR video also indicated you would likely have some limiters already installed but my rack didn't have a single one.  I installed one on each side and then left the boots loose so that I can drive it around see if this adequately solves the problem.

With one limiter installed on each side, it didn't seem like there was any chance of control arm contact when turning left but I expected it would be really close when turning right based on some quick testing in the garage.  I put it back together and drove around to test it out.  I quickly found that the wheel still made contact when turning either direction.

These little spacers are 6.65mm so I looked for some that are a little wider but couldn't find any.  It seems that it isn't uncommon to use two on each side but it does cut down your turning radius.  I went ahead and installed two and then put the boots back into place.  When testing it afterwards, the wheels don't make contact when turning lock to lock.  That makes me feel a little better but I'm afraid I'm giving up a bit of turning radius that I don't need to.  I'll drive it for a while and see if it is a problem.  If so, I'll come up with a better solution.

Initial Maintenance - Transmission Fluid Change

I started work on changing the transmission fluid in the Mustang yesterday and finished up the job this evening.  The hardest part of the job was removing both the drain and fill plugs.  The most frustrating is the normal struggle to fill the transmission with any form of pump as it is never a clean job.

The drain and fill plugs were exceptionally tight.  I used a 15" breaker bar and couldn't get them loose.  I soaked them overnight with PB Blaster but that didn't help.  I used a small map gas torch which didn't seem to help much either.  The combination of all of those items, a 15" breaker bar, and hitting the breaker bar with a deadblow hammer was the ultimate answer.  When the drain bolt came out, it looked like it had never been out before and still had that factory orange sealant on the plug.

I was careful to track how much was in the transmission as I suspected it might have never been changed and might be low.  By my measurements, I removed about 2.3 quarts and put about 2.6 quarts back in.  I'm rather surprised the output seal is still working great.  In the past, I've drained transmissions, found them low, filled them back up, and the realized the rear seal leaks out back to the level it was before starting the job.  I don't think that will be the case here.  

I thought they might have changed the transmission fluid when the former owner took it in to have the clutch replaced.  That doesn't seem to be the case as the fluid certainly didn't look new.  It didn't have an overly burned smell but was certainly brown relative to new fluid.  The new Valvoline MaxLife Full Synthetic ATF is to the right in the picture below with what was removed on the lower left.  

There was some pieces of something in the bottom of the drain pan.  It wasn't metal and I suspect it might have been some of the sealant from around the drain bolt.  It was certainly hard but you could use your fingernail to break it in half.  I took a picture of it in case I want to review it later.  I really didn't see any metal in the fluid which is a good sign.

I'd planned to remove the transmission crossmember to replace the transmission mount and crossmember bushings but it seems I will need to remove the exhaust to have enough space.  I wasn't ready to tackle that right now as the next few weeks will be busy so I put it back together so the car is ready to drive when I am.

The current mileage on the car is 81,914.  I purchased it with 81,626 miles so I'm nearing 300 miles since purchase.  

Update: I didn't get to drive the car for a few days after the transmission fluid change.  I've heard a bit of a whine from the transmission under load and thought the fluid change might fix it.  While it has likely improved the situation in some way, I can still hear the whine so I suspect the transmission needs a little work due to wear.  However, it has been serviced and isn't going to simply stop working any time soon.

Unexpected Repairs - New AGM Battery

I drove the Mustang to get lunch with my daughter on Friday, returned to finish up some work on the car, and then tried to start it on Sunday and found the battery was completely dead.  The battery was so completely dead it would not light up a test light.  I put it on the Battery Tender but when removed, the voltage would immediately begin dropping rather rapidly.

I spent more time that I want to admit trying to determine what battery I'd buy.  I wanted an AGM battery and nothing that was attracted attention under the hood.  My preference was a Duralast battery as it had a 4 year warranty.  However, trying to get one at two stores and then by ordering online simply resulted in completely the wrong size battery being delivered.  I should have simply gone to NAPA all along and ultimately realized that and picked up a AGM there.

The original size battery for the Mustang was a group 58.  They do not make group 58 batteries in an AGM so the closest approximation is a group 34.  What I didn't realize is that the mounting approach for an AGM is different than a conventional battery.  The small tabs at the lower edge of each side of the battery are smaller and the original retaining clamp in the car would not secure the battery.  

In order to drive the car without the battery moving around, I made a little retaining block out of a spare piece of red oak.  This worked surprisingly well but wasn't the longer term plan.  I just needed some time to find something else that would work.

What I ultimately found after scouring Amazon was a bracket used on later model Chevy vehicles.  However, some of the listings included a really clear image with dimensions and it seemed worth the risk for $5.  In the end it paid off as the part holds the battery down perfectly and looks like it is a stock replacement piece.  

This took far longer to work out, purchase, and finish that I expected but the end product is what I was looking for so I'll call it a win.

Initial Cleaning and Interior Projects - Part 7

When I repainted the dash vents, I painted over the white marketings in the middle of the vent adjusters which are used to indicate if the vent is closed or open.  I ordered a paint pen from Amazon this week and planned to use it to paint the little white stripes back into place.  

This was a little harder than I expected.  I thought I could just paint the lines with the paint pen.  However, that was a little hard to control even when just trying to use many small dots.  I ended up using the paint pen on a piece of paper and then using a tiny paint brush to brush the paint on the part.  It didn't go on super smooth but seemed to smooth slightly as it dried.  I'll probably never look at these this close again but they turned out reasonably well.