rwcstang

Highly recommend FPA headers, they can custom make your headers per specifications, however they are pricey but worth it, I had their 1 5/8 to 3/4 long tube headers when I had a 408w stroker with 205 heads. http://www.fordpowertrain.com/fpaindex/headers2.htm of course, there are other cheaper options, i.e shorties but I prefer long tubes for better power output. Headman headers is another option which I have used and had no complaints, Im sure those will clear the Mustang II suspension no problem. 1 5/8 headers should work but I highly recommend going 1 3/4 since you have 205 heads.

Hi @Stevewr54, Im curious, can you provide data to back that? After my Install, I have not seen any issues with airflow restriction/higher temps. my temps are steady depending on how hot it is (I live in the Bay area, ca), my temps will be around 190-200, which is normal for any engine temp and Im running a contour dual fan and at 190-195 degrees the single fan is on and turns off at 185, the second one turns around around 200 degrees and it only has done it twice, but that was because I was doing some spirited driving. Assuming here, if you really get a very fine closed mesh screen then maybe it will cause issues but I highly doubt that. restriction of airflow can be anything from bad Timing/carb Tune, small radiator, not enough fins on the mech fan to pull enough air, bad fan clutch or no shroud or even you have too many coolers/accessories in the front blocking the main radiator or you have a terrible e-fan thats not pulling enough CFM too many variables imo. but I have had no issues with this mod.

is this new? used? from where? I didn't know speedmasater made blocks, however its odd it doesn't say where these blocks are made at, so I think these are made over seas (taiwan or china) and they are machined here. looks like a DART SHP copy cat block, thats a huge risk to invest in, since Speedmaster always had QA issues with their intakes, and most of their stuff is made overseas. Best to go with something you have locally or invest in Dart or World Products where QA actually means something there. I have the World Products Man-o-war block stroked to a 427w from prestige motorsports, best investment I made.

Wondering if there are any DIY ideas or pre-made radiator screens for our classics to protect it from rocks/bugs. I noticed my radiator is has some battle damage from driving, fortunately no leaks as of yet. been thinking of doing my own, but wanted to see if anyone out there has done it and what pro's and cons (if any).

Since the site is back up I figured it was time for a final review and update of the SOT 3-link and help those who are possibly thinking of going this route. I still had issues after setting the ride height/pinion angle, the car still was too either stiff when the car ride height was high causing the car jump around and not abosrb the road well or sat too low causing the axle and center section to bottom out. I couldn't find a medium after trying to tune it, eventually, I decided to take it to my trusted shop and have them work with them, as they have installed these kits before in other cars and have them recheck my work. The shop confirmed my issues and relayed it to SOT but received no calls. Now one of the reasons I took it to my shop is Shaun quit responding to my emails/calls for a month, only way for him to notice and respond is I had to post a major update on the VMF thread. Im pretty sure he didn't like what I said to say about his 3link and probably thought I was bat shit crazy or dumb not able to get it right the first time. But I felt SOT wasn't helping, I was at the point of ripping it out all and going back to my leaf spring setup. Eventually, he responded got in contact with the shop and contacted me that he was going to make it right. In the end, the Shock End Rod End that mounts to the axle was a 1/2 and SOT sent me a 1" rod end (heim joint) to get more droop and adjustability, this worked out and resolved my issues. I could finally drive this thing and really test the car out. The Pros: the car handles very well, especially on a rough street, it doesn't bottom out or wheel hop, the watts link is a nice touch and helps out alot with lateral axle movement. The Cons: the install manual was the most infuriating thing ever, it was NOT straight forward and heavily out dated with small pics. - Shaun agreed that it was outdated and he was going to update it asap.... Tuning the suspension, its not fun and NOT easy. you have to raise the car and drop the rear axle to access the 3rd-link, this wastes a ton of time and its not fun laying on your back doing this by your self. I think with a friend it makes it easier but still not fun. I think this is where the 4-link is much better option and easier to access/tune. Shocks/axle mount needs more adjustability for proper height adjustment, like TCP and other 4links kits out there, the shock mount has different positions to raise or lower the car. however, with SOT shock mount it is fixed and only way to adjust ride height is through the coilover sleeve and creates limitations, this is where the new longer rod end joint comes into play. In the end, is it worth the hype? Im 50/50 but not 100%, ride quality is good, but I felt there wasn't a difference with cars that have 4links or cars with HD leafs with Panhards or watts link, i think these kits are more of the Flex or WOW factor, but in the end I bit the bullet and wanted to find out for myself. Now Im not saying dont' go with their 3rd link or brand, I still think their Front CoilOvers are one of the best conversions I did and really love that kit, but the 3link is okay, but not great, this manual and kit still needs a few tweaks before it becomes user friendly. if I were to do this all over again, I'd would have gone the cheaper route, I would have upgraded to HD Leafs, added a Panhard and add Shelby HD TBs or caltracs to eliminate the wheel hop. hell, if the trans-am mustangs had no issue with it back then Im sure they are still the best budget option. Ill keep driving this thing and maybe it will grow on me, if I have a change of heart I have no issue going back to leafs, stock axle and just go with a panhard kit as I decided not to sell my old rear end suspension. now the only issue Im having now is with Strange Engineering's TT rear end, it whines like crazy.. even with the 3:50 gears they installed. luckily I have a 1yr and will ship it back to get the gears inspected.

its the liskey diagram I believe. not sure of the history/origin of it, but this is widely used. I haven't done this myself to confirm measurements on my 69, but I'm sure others can chime in here and tell you if its accurate or not as some are in the process of full restoration. Best,

can you post the link of the qtr panel and picture of those qtr panels you purchased? most likely the 70 qtr panel has the stamped tooling of the 69 minus the side grille option. this can be fix by either cutting a slit in the middle of the line (above the marker light) and flattening it, then reweld it to match the original 70 qtr extensions. An cheaper/easy option would be to flatten completely with out cutting or just use bondo to "hide" that line. this may be the chart you are referring to:

Ridge, would you happen to know the dimensions of this?

not sure what valving you need, Street or sport, I have the sport ones, part number on my Shocks are 55-r056, seems there are modified to fit classics. only info I can find is it says RCD Classics - Bilsteins: http://racecardynamics.com/463-domestic#s[4][]:411&s[5][]:452&s[6][]:688&s[3][]:891&ash[3][]:891&old_selected_criterion:YTo0OntpOjQ7YToxOntpOjA7aTo0MTE7fWk6NTthOjE6e2k6MDtpOjQ1Mjt9aTo2O2E6MTp7aTowO2k6Njg4O31pOjM7YToxOntpOjA7aTo4OTE7fX0:&rg:&sid:1&h:leftColumn&k:1&ics:463&as4_base_selection:YToxOntpOjA7aTo4OTE7fQ:: https://mikemaierinc.com/products/64-73-mustang/rear-suspension/64-70-mustang-rear-bilstein-shock/ but you can buy them on certain sites: https://streetortrack.com/suspension/rear-suspension/shock-absorbers-467/bilstein-rear-shock-for-65-73-mustang-60-65-falcon-67-70-cougar-62-65-fairlane.html

took some time today. first right height, roughly under 25" new height is above 25"

Your Shocks are most likely failing... When I had my old mid-eye leaf springs, I had the same issue, come to find out it was my old Shocks (KYB) were failing and the leaf spring bushings were also worn out. I upgraded to Bilstein shocks and went with a de-a-lum bushing and shackle kit with greaseable fittings, the problem went away. I would also check the leaf springs for any damage, warpage, or cracks.

try using firefox or different browser, for some reason on chrome it requires to sign-in or it won't show. its on my gdrive and that link is for public view (go figure) lol. The fluid was more powder like, like a metallic flake paint, I hovered a magnet over the stream would move slightly. in regards to the rebound shock part, I let shaun know and he responded back: I haven't had a need to modify the shocks. There won't be an enormous amount of droop travel, it isn't really required unless you are picking up inside rear wheel in turns (won't happen) or are off roading it (not going to happen hopefully). again, I'm not going modify anything with out his Shaun's guidance/approval, but it was just a concern from the shop Tech as I wanted transparency on the install. As for the rear end gear whine Shaun followed up with me yesterday and spoke with his Strange Engineering rep: PRF130 WITH TRUTRAC DID HE DO THE BREAK IN PROCEDURE ? SEE THE NOTES IN THE PDF ATTACHED THEY ARE TIGHT AND WILL MAKE NOISE FOLLOW THE BREAK IN PROCEDURE USE 85-140 NON SYNTHETIC OIL IF STILL ISSUES HE WILL HAVE TO SEND IT IN FOR INSPECTION PLEASE ADVISE I've already responded back with answers and follow up questions: 200 miles in breakin procedure, but stopped due to the gear whine and didn't want to void warranty. First used Master Pro 85w-140 conventional gear oil changed fluids to Lucas 85w-140 Conventional gear oil What Brand Gear am I using? Some Brands tend to have gear whine (Im running on 3:50's) In regards to a "tight fit" (which will make noise), is there a way to know what the tolerances are for this type of setup? i.e backlash set up..etc. Ill take pics of the stance on where it sits now haven't had the time due to work.

Alright update 2: Original thread: https://www.vintage-mustang.com/threads/sot-3-link-watts-install.1209996/ After checking pinion angles, I finally was able to get the right angles I needed. Thanks to you all and Shaun from SOT. I took the car for a drive but car kept bottoming out and had a loud thump (pinion yoke hit the 3rd link heim joint) after readjusting the coilovers (more height) and resetting pinion angles car was much better and wasn't bottoming out. Finally, I took the car to an alignment speed shop here in mountain view to redo the front alignment and check the rear suspension if there was any issues. tech said everything was good with front alignment so no major big change, other than my idler arm was failing (was on my list to do anyways), so we swapped it to open trackers roller idler arm. as for the rear suspension, shock compression was good, but rebound of the shock was a concern, he showed me by lifting the car on the lift it would not fully extend would move have 1/4 an inch, but suggested if I want full rebound (better ride quality) possibly a 1/2 - 1" coil over spacer may work but overall due to the limitation shock mount, its leaves little to no major re-adjustment like the TCP Quadra link or other kits out there, only real adjustment you have is to adjust the coil over spring. now, during the break-in process of the strange rearend, I have been getting this gear whine since first install, noted I understand some kits like mine will make noise as the 3rd link or 4 links brackets are welded on to the rearend housing which causes the noise. however, I spoke with others that have this kit and seen their videos, none provide this gear whine. let me know what you think. https://drive.google.com/file/d/10eIgOuF0ek8i8K0XVhzRjR6q1tqahJiZ/view emailed SOT, said that is normal i need to add sound deadener to limit the vibration sounds, however in the main cabin has some sound deadener but not the trunk. I still think it's the gears making this noise. per strange engineering break in procedure I need to use non synthetic 85w-140, I used Motion Pro (Oreilly brand) first, then after 200 miles, I decided to change fluids I did see metal shavings, assuming this is normal during breakin. I changed fluids again but I used lucas 85w-140, however, no real change and the whine is loud above 40mph SOT hasn't responded, Im sure he's probably busy so ill wait and email again. but if no action is taken, Im going to remove the rear and send it back to strange for inspection. Ugh, just when you think you can enjoy the car you go back to square 1.

not familiar with Versailles type rear ends, assuming its a ford 8/9 type axle, Measure your axle flange. you'll need to make sure which bracket you will need from mustang steve he has both large and small bearing.

+1 I had 03/04 Cobra brake front and rear and they were one of the best kits I had before upgrading. servicing them is easy as they are off the shelf parts, I also recommend Mustang Steve brackets aswell as they retain the oe track width.

as the others have stated, I installed mine with no eng/trans no issues.

RPM could it be the transmission housing wasn't indexed?

yep, I have this in my TKO600 aswell. np, happy to share the info! aint no way Im paying $40 dollars more, plus ship/tax for a shifter that's being resold. no offense to MDL, but the price gouging is insane.

Started looking around for an offset shifter and prep for the TKX swap later in the year, I liked the MDL Qwik Shifter however, knowing from past experience, MDL tends to sell at a higher price so I started some googling and found the company that makes them: https://redrobertsinc.com/?page_id=178 I went to their site and emailed them and got an immediate response. I got quoted for a TKX Shifter with 1" back for $304 + Tax/ship in stock, compared to MDLs price $340 + Tax/Ship. just posting if anyone was interested in purchasing the correct offset shifter for a better price. Contact Number: 714-651-0829

Looking good so far @lalojamesliz Those Contour fans are a great mod, especially with the DD Controller, its so helpful that you can set the control temps via phone.

Im Slightly confused here, so they did or did they not Internally balanced the motor? you're previous posts mentions it was externally balanced and now you're saying here, its internally balanced, which is it? if internally balanced both Harmonic Balancer and Flexplate should be 0, not 28oz. I have a 427w that is internally balanced, and both balancer and fly wheel are neutral, no weights needed. If your engine is really internally balanced, replace the balancer/flywheel with neutral balance, summitracing sells the replacement parts and no weights attached. no need to tear the motor apart unless the crank shaft is out of wack now since you installed the 28oz and that is the source of your vibration. I would re-verify with your engine builder and have him show you documentation on what they exactly did with your engine. Engine builders should have and share all documentation about your motor. at this point, it could be that crankshaft is too twisted no matter what you do to try to resolve it and the vibration will not go away with just replacing parts.

@bigmal Im sorting something similar with my SOT 3 link, but I have a TKO. I have yet to try it, but since I dont have a garage, the rain is keeping me at bay. but to piggy back of of Det, and Im sure you have done this, put the car on an even surface with jacks, so it can mimic the car is on full weight on tires, measure the transmission tailend with an inclinometer or app on your phone, measure how many degrees the transmission tail is, measure the drive shaft angle and finally pinion angle. at least for my set up, SOT recommended my car to be around, 3-4 degrees Transmission down and 3-4 degrees pinion up. of course have the transmission and pinion be centered at 0 degrees should cause no vibration.

Note: Located in the Bay Area, CA (San Francisco) - Local Pickup Only Selling my used Ford 9" 28 spline TruTrac w/ 3:50 gears + Axle housing, Bilstein sport shocks and Axle Mounts and Grab-a-track 4.5 mideye leafs springs. this was in my 69 mustang coupe. (note: Axles, brakes and brake lines are not included), was built by Mustang Fever in Santa Clara. I was putting down 460rwhp and 475rwtq, truetrac is the next big thing, not like the clutch type/LSD out there. No issues at all, the reason for selling is I went with a SOT 3 link/31 spline for autocross, has 30k miles. Most new complete rear kits cost 3K+ recommend a new axle/gasket seals, plum or reuse your 3/16 brake lines and you can reuse your existing ford 8/9 inch 28 spline axles. This is a great affordable swap for someone wanting to upgrade and drive on the street. this will fit any 67-70 Mustang | Cougar, trying to sell as a swap/kit, Local pick up only, asking for 2200 Firm, local pick up only. if you are serious, please message me.

@TexasEd too bad you are not in SF, California, Im selling my old mustang 67-70 rear end with ford 9 28 spline, truetrac since I converted to a 3link and upgraded to Strange's ford 9 31 TT spline. Good luck with your search!