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Thread: Al C's MK4 Coyote Build

  1. #1
    On a roll Al_C's Avatar
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    Al C's MK4 Coyote Build

    So here we are. Arrival is imminent; it’s time to start the “official” build log. Many of you have heard all or parts of this before, in person or on this forum, but for the sake of having a complete record, allow me to start at the beginning.

    My wife and I started thinking about what we’re going to do when we retire. It didn’t take a lot of exploring to come to the FFR conclusion. Well, for me anyway. Not sure this was ever on her radar screen. A little encouragement from a few friends and with spousal approval the die was cast. Then the ultimate question came to mind: why wait another couple of years? Why not start now? The planning started mid-2014. I started lurking on the forum in July and joined in August, 2014. The planning went into high gear in the early fall. By the spring, I had a pretty good idea what I wanted. All it took was a trip to Huntington Beach in April, 2015 and the project was set!

    Here’s the plan, and the thinking behind each component. (If you aren’t interested in my thought process, you’re welcome to skip this part…)

    Roadster. I mean, really, was there ever any question? I want new parts, so the complete kit made the most sense. Acquiring and dismantling a Mustang was never part of the plan. It’s easier this way.

    Powder coated frame. Little debate here. Seems like a no-brainer.

    Cutouts. I’ve heard different perspectives on this one, too. I decided to roll with it. If the hole’s in the wrong place we can always glass over it. Maybe “glass” isn’t the correct term here, but you know what I mean…

    Ford Coyote. I debated the engine choice endlessly. I had a number of people promoting the small block concept. However, I wanted new technology, and the “cool” factor the Coyote offers. Tony from the FFR tech team helped to convince me, reporting that new sheet metal offers significant improvements in the footbox. I sat in a few, and it’s all good. We’re looking at an engine that will be somewhere around 412 – 420 HP. That fits in my sweet spot. I need to sell some more software before I pull the trigger on this component, but that shouldn’t take too much longer. Realistically, I’m not going to be ready to install an engine before the fall, so there isn’t that much of a hurry anyway.

    Tremec TKO-600. Choosing the Coyote pushed me (in my mind) beyond the limits of a T-5. Might as well put in a transmission that can handle the torque. Coming out of the Volvo community, I have seen way too many people modify and tune their engines to the point where the transmissions and Haldex systems couldn’t handle the power - and then whine when they would break parts. Angle gears were a common complaint. C’mon people – think about it!

    IRS. Independent rear suspension just makes so much more sense to me. What more is there to say? Actually, what is to say is that I need to order the pumpkin and a few other parts pretty soon.

    17” wheels. I like big brakes. Big brakes and 15 inch wheels aren’t always compatible. I know, the car only weighs 2400 lbs., and has brakes designed for a much heavier vehicle, but I like big brakes. The Volvo has Brembos on it and they work really well. It’s a little easier to find tires to fit 17 inch wheels than it is to fit 15 inchers, too. If I was going to go for a period look, I would need to go with 15 inch, but since I chose a 21st century powerplant I might as well go with different wheels. I really like the 18” idea, but the cost tradeoff wasn’t worth it. So, we have 17X9 in the front, and 17X10.5 in the rear. Should be fun.

    Tires. I rely on my buddy Ken for recommendations, so I’ve basically outsourced the task of choosing the best option here. Likely will be 245/45 – R17 up front; 315/35 – R17 in the rear.

    Dual roll bars. No, this isn’t traditional. It’s the logical answer to the question, “what? I don’t get my own roll bar?” (see Spousal approval above)

    Wilwood brake upgrade. There was a fair amount of debate on brakes – other than the fact that I like big ones. I have seen a few cars where anti-lock brakes were installed. I was thinking in those terms. I even posted a question about it that got way more attention than I expected. The result: probably not necessary, but if I do decide at some point to install them, at least I know that the Wilwood’s will support ABS. See commentary on wheels above. One last sane remark on ABS. Why do I like them? They’re really good on slippery surfaces. Am I going to drive the roadster in rainy, snowy or icy conditions? No. So tell me again why I need ABS?

    Big and tall seats. I am not a small person. These seats work. End of discussion.

    Wind wings. Seemed like a good idea. With the 50% off sale going on, it only made sense to pull the trigger now.

    Visors. See wind wings. I can always take them off if they don’t look good. Btw – I drive east to go to work, and west to go home. The sun is always in my eyes. Unless it’s still raining.

    Wipers. One of these days, it might stop raining in Illinois. Until that happens, wipers are a good idea. Besides, I’m not sure I can register the car without wipers in this state. Try as I will, I can guarantee you that at some point we will get caught in the rain. At that moment, we will look at each other and ask “why didn’t we get wipers for the inside, too?”

    Heater. I debated this item. The presence of the heater pretty much precludes having any useful glove box, but the absence of the heater limits the season. Seat heaters are nice, but they don’t do much for your feet. We both like warm feet. Heater got included.

    Over-riders. Originally, I was thinking of just the quick jacks. Then, after looking at a lot of cars, I decided I like the over-riders only look rather than the full bumper look. Not that those bumpers would offer much protection anyway.

    Stainless side pipes. In my mind, they look better. At least with the probable color scheme, they look better. And, they’ll match the chromed roll bars. I seriously considered heat shields, but decided against those. Even with the shields, I think you can still get burned. It’s an easy fix to learn the right way to get in and out of the car…

    Power steering. Another item that resulted in spirited input from forum members. The “yes” votes won. I’m thinking the 3.0 turns lock-to-lock set up.

    Cold air vents for the footboxes. Chris, Lee, and Kevin sold me on that idea. I’m sure there will be other customizations. Why plan them all now when it makes sense? It’s much more fun to try to do something last minute when you have to undo stuff to make something else fit!

    Color? I’ve gone back and forth on this topic. It will be fun to look back on this writing after the project is completed and painted. The candidates? Burgundy with white or cream stripes, Green with undetermined stripe, or navy blue with white or gold stripes. I prefer the darker shades (burgundy vs. red; navy vs. guardian blue). Still need to figure out who’s doing the painting and who’s doing the body work (me or the painter…).

    I registered for Build School, and will be there in August. I’m looking forward to that weekend.

    Thanks to the 20th anniversary 50/50 sale, I dove in on May 8, 2015. My “ready for pickup” date was June 27. Nevertheless, the waiting isn’t over. Depending on Stewart, it should be delivered in the next week or so. It was supposed to arrive this week, but apparently the truck had an accident on the way to the factory. It is definitely time to get the garage in order. Tasks to be completed prior to arrival:
    1. Clean the garage. Seems pretty straightforward, right? You’d be amazed at how much miscellaneous stuff accumulates. As of July 3: done.
    2. Fix the floor. I painted the floor last fall in anticipation of this project. That effort was a little less than successful. In hindsight, I should have applied two coats of epoxy instead of one. The good news is that the folks at Rust-Oleum provided me with a patch kit that fixed up the spots that wore out or bubbled. As it turns out, research shows that the consumer DIY kits result in a 3 mil epoxy surface. Not much on a garage floor. Even when you follow the preparation instructions, you stand a pretty good chance that something will go wrong if you only apply one coat. Tell me again why I didn’t know this before? I’ll leave it as patched until the roadster is completed, then re-do it so the completed car has a nice clean floor to sit on. As of July 1: done.
    3. Assemble the engine lift. My wife knew I was committed when she saw the lift delivered to our driveway. It’s been sitting in a corner of the garage patiently waiting assembly for a number of months. Most of the assembly is done, but it takes up less space in its current form. It’s time will be here soon enough!
    4. Modify the body buck. I’m the beneficiary of Chris Russell’s body buck. He has lots of space in his hangar; I don’t. I need to modify the buck so it goes over the frame. I am doing my build in half of the two-car garage. Part of the deal was that Nancy gets to keep her car inside. It looks like I’ll only need a few 2X4’s and some bigger casters. More on this later.
    5. Get some more lighting installed. I need to put in another fluorescent fixture. It will be easier to install that without the car in the way. Planned: July 11.

    Here’s another interesting aspect of this project: a lot of people are interested. Fascinated, even. People who are not even connected to the FFR community. It’s like the arrival of a new child – there’s a rather long list of people I have to notify when “the baby” arrives! Ted, Matt, Ken, Joe, Patt, Joe S., Mark, John, Ben, and others. And that doesn’t count the forum! Next update? When I hear from Stewart.

  2. #2
    Senior Member edwardb's Avatar
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    Welcome! And congratulations on your imminent kit delivery. You're about to start an amazing journey. I was pretty much where you're at now in 2009. It's been a blast. I'm about to start my third build. I love the driving, and we have a great local club that we enjoy very much. But I also truly enjoy the planning and building part. Your build plan is very thorough and obviously well thought out. You should get a great final product. Just a couple of minor thoughts/observations (even though I know you didn't ask...).

    Going with a complete kit is a great idea, and one that I regularly recommend for first time builders. But just a point of clarification, a base kit doesn't automatically mean a Mustang donor. Many non-donor builds are done from base kits. Guys just like to pick their own completion parts.

    The FF body cutouts get a lot of dialogue on the forum, which you've obviously seen. Let me encourage you. Most are purposely undersized and require some adjustment to fit your specific build. But it's not hard to do, and I would be very surprised if you have to actually get out the resin/cloth and patch anything.

    Many, myself included, go up to 255/40ZR17 tires for the front. They match well with the 315/35ZR17 tires you indicate for the rear, and easily fit the 9 inch front wheels. 245's are OK, but 255's are very popular for good reasons. Just something for you to consider.

    I understand and appreciate your decision about a heater, and agree it's pretty much a trade-off between either a heater or a glovebox. There are some very shallow glovebox varieties that will fit with a heater. But they are mainly for appearance IMO and don't really have much practical value. It's also possible to move everything forward (firewall, heater, etc.) and make room behind for a glovebox. But this starts getting a little complicated and maybe for a first time builder not a good idea. Especially since the Coyote is a pretty tight fit anyway. But just let me tell you (and our weather over here in SE Michigan is about a carbon copy of your weather in Wheaton, just a day later) your face, ears, hands, etc. will get cold a long time before your feet do. And a heater doesn't help too much up there. Not saying it doesn't make things more comfortable, I'm honestly just not sure that a heater really extends the driving season as you suggest. When it's cold it's just cold to drive no matter what and it's really not much fun. Just trying to set expectations. Now if a top is in your future, then the story completely changes. With a top and a heater (and defroster) your driving season definitely will be longer in the fall and start earlier in the spring. Even with a heater, I would still recommend at least considering the seat heaters. I like them, and my wife loves them. If it's even a bit cool, she has hers on. An easy add while you're building.

    Again, congratulations and good luck! We're here to help and as you've already found out aren't lacking in opinions.
    Last edited by edwardb; 07-09-2015 at 06:55 AM.
    Build 1: Mk3 Roadster #5125. Sold 11/08/2014. Build 2: Mk4 Roadster #7750. Sold 04/10/2017. Build Thread
    Build 3: Mk4 Roadster 20th Anniversary #8674. Sold 09/07/2020. Build Thread and Video. Build 4: Gen 3 Type 65 Coupe #59. Gen 3 Coyote. Legal 03/04/2020. Build Thread and Video
    Build 5: 35 Hot Rod Truck #138. LS3 and 4L65E auto. Rcvd 01/05/2021. Legal 04/20/2023. Build Thread. Sold 11/9/2023.

  3. #3
    Senior Member CraigS's Avatar
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    Welcome. You have a ton of fun ahead of you. I agree w/ Edwardb on the 255s, a top in the future,etc. One thing to do a lot of talking and researching on is gear ratios specific to your engine. The TKO 600 has two 5th ratios and (I believe) two 1st ratios available. Then there is diff ratio. W/ the power to weight of the car nearly anything will work but some combinations will be more pleasing than others.
    FFR MkII, 408W, Tremec TKO 500, 2015 IRS, DA QA1s, Forte front bar, APE hardtop.

  4. #4
    2bking's Avatar
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    Congratulations on your coming kit. I too like the look of the Coyote and its been fun building around it. The Stainless Headers are a work of art and fit very well; I recommend them. Some have said FFR redesigned the sheet metal for this engine and others didn't think it was changed much at all. When you get your kit, check out the clearances for the engine and pedal room in the foot box. If you think there can be improvement, there are some other options.

    Quote Originally Posted by Al_C View Post
    I know that the Wilwood’s will support ABS. One last sane remark on ABS. Why do I like them? They’re really good on slippery surfaces. Am I going to drive the roadster in rainy, snowy or icy conditions? No. So tell me again why I need ABS?
    The sun is always in my eyes. Unless it’s still raining.
    Wipers. One of these days, it might stop raining in Illinois. Until that happens, wipers are a good idea. Besides, I’m not sure I can register the car without wipers in this state. Try as I will, I can guarantee you that at some point we will get caught in the rain.
    "So tell me again why I need ABS?" ..... I think you answered your own question.
    King
    Roadster #8127, ordered 7/12/13, received 9/11/13
    http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/showt...4-Coyote-Build

  5. #5
    Senior Member DaleG's Avatar
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    Welcome Al, you are in for a lot of fun, a little frustration, and lots of available help from the forums. Upfront advice....use King's footbox mod for the Coyote; use 3/8" spacers at the engine mounts, and opt for the Stainless (now offered by a spin-off organization, I believe) headers.

    Cheers, Dale
    SOLD 03/2013: MK II #5004: 5.0 EFI: 8.8, 3.55, E303, TW heads, GT40 intake, 24#, 70mm MAF

    Ordered MK IV Coyote Complete Kit.

  6. #6
    Senior Member BEAR-AvHistory's Avatar
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    Happy to hear its underway, best of luck. Agree with the others on 255's up front. Very good match to the 315's out back. Maybe think a bit more on the heat shields for the pipes. I have only been stung once, StingRay hooker side pipes, around 1968 & have been careful ever since. That said I have the shields for anyone who might ride in or get to close looking at it.
    Kevin
    MKIV #8234
    Coyote '14/TKO-600/3-Link 3:55 Rear
    I love the smell of 100 octane in the morning.
    NITTO NT01 275X40X17ZR - 315X35ZRX17
    Delivered 2/7/14 - Plate "COYOTE NC1965" 3/25/15

  7. #7
    Out Drivin' Gumball's Avatar
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    Al - Congratulations... let me know when delivery day is and I'll drop by with mine so you can have a "before-and-after" display. Lately I've been looking for destinations and reasons just to go for a ride... not that either are necessary when you have one of these.
    Later,
    Chris

    "There are no more monsters to fear, and so, we have to build our own."
    Mk3.1 #7074

  8. #8
    On a roll Al_C's Avatar
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    The phone rang at 10:43 AM. Steve, my Stewart Transport driver, had just crossed into Illinois. We had talked the evening before and he told me he'd give me a heads-up when he was getting close. The weather was good, but it was probably the hottest day of the year so far. He showed up about 11:30.

    stewart.jpg
    Pretty subtle, right?

    open truck.jpg
    Steve had a full load – 12 kits. Mine’s on the top.
    boxes.jpg
    Steve was pretty efficient. It didn’t take all that long to unload everything.
    driveway.jpg
    She's headed into the garage. My neighbors showed up at the perfect time. We got all the boxes organized and staged, moving the higher numbered ones to the basement. Our street is normally pretty quiet, but this morning was a bit busier. I can’t imagine why… There was a continual stream of on-lookers going by, pointing and smiling. So much for maintaining a low profile.
    About 90 minutes after Steve left, the skies opened up. We got about 2 inches of rain in less than 20 minutes. I think his timing was perfect! I went into the basement an hour or two later to check on something and noticed that water was coming up through the concrete seams (which are sealed). It turns out that my sump pump switch died and the sump filled to over-flowing. Enough water pressure built up under and around the foundation that water was coming up through the floor. Fortunately, I caught it in time, but I ended up having to replace the sump pump. Wasn’t exactly in the plans. The boxes in the basement – they’re all off the floor now.
    Next up – finish the inventory and get the body buck ready. It looks like some parts I need early in the process are backordered, which isn't really a problem because I'm not planning to do much until I get back from build school in August.

  9. #9
    Senior Member DaleG's Avatar
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    Woohoo!!!
    SOLD 03/2013: MK II #5004: 5.0 EFI: 8.8, 3.55, E303, TW heads, GT40 intake, 24#, 70mm MAF

    Ordered MK IV Coyote Complete Kit.

  10. #10
    Senior Member 6t8dart's Avatar
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    Congrats! Mine will be here tomorrow after noon.

  11. #11
    On a roll Al_C's Avatar
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    Clearly (judging from the dates), it’s been a while since anything got added to this log. Lots of reasons, some reasonable, some not so much. Whatever. Nevertheless, we’re getting caught up. Again, not that it really matters, but I feel better about it!

    You may have seen posts where I whined about photos being sideways or upside down. As it turns out, there is an attribute “EXIF” that is part of every photo file. It tracks what is “up” relative to the original camera angle. So, if you do most of your photos on an iPhone (like me), “up” is always the end where the speaker is on the phone, whether you are shooting the photo vertically, or horizontally. How to fix? Photo editing software (I use Gimp2) will fix that. Just another problem that needed to be solved.
    Let’s get caught up!

    Reality sets in. August 10, 2015
    It’s almost a month since the kit’s been delivered. In that time I have passed it in the garage daily, gone on several business trips, taken a vacation, and did our annual stint volunteering at Little Sable Lighthouse. I managed to spend two afternoons doing inventory, and have gotten through almost half of the boxes. I want to get moving here, but life, work and everything else seems to be getting in the way. The plan: get the buck modified and assembled this weekend, remove the body and get it on the buck. Before I do that, I need to get a few more 2x4’s, bigger casters, and figure out the measurements because Chris’ buck is not the same size as in the plans. It will still work.


    Can we go for a ride yet?

    The buck stops here. August 16, 2015.
    Finally. I get to work on the car – indirectly. It’s hotter than hell. 91 is the forecast high, but it’s a day I can actually do something, so I have to seize the moment! I got all the 2x4s that I need, I got the bigger (4”) casters and I’m good to go.



    Chris’ buck was made to have the body at waist level, not eye level. Consequently, the frame is on the inside and the OSB board didn’t have to be as wide. I need to carry the body above the frame so I can wheel it in and out of the garage as needed. I put two 2x4s across the OSB board and fastened them with 5/16 bolts. The existing frame and casters were set aside. I’m sure they’ll get used for something.

    Here’s a piece all assembled and ready to go. Now for the fun part – building the side supports and legs. According to the plans I found on FFCARS – the “old” forum, I wanted the support pieces to be 6’5” wide. The side supports should be full 2x4x8s. I bought four of them. I also had four 2x4x92s. the problem was I cut the long boards down to 77” and was left with only 3 full size side pieces! Looks like another trip to Home Depot. The issue isn’t the cost in this case (2x4x8 cost $2.37) – it’s time.


    Here’s one side’s worth of supports. The casters are 5” tall, the leg (vertical supports) are 6’. So we’re 77 wide and 77 tall. That should do it. The mid- support is 44 inches off the ground. That should provide an extra 2 inches for the frame. I needed at least 42 inches for that. Next problem: how much above the side support do I fasten the end pieces? We’ll find out this coming week. Two more problems: a) I ran out of screws, which was just as well because I b) ran out of gas. Time to call it quits.

    August 23, 2015. Build School

    I spent the weekend in Howell, Michigan at Build School. Along with 11 other guys, we built a roadster in three days. A few interesting facts: of all those there, I was the only one who already had a kit. Three of the attendees are building a GTM; the rest are still on the fence. I decided early that I was going to make certain I was in the thick of things, and I was. Hopefully, I wasn’t obnoxious about it. I told David, one of the other attendees to tell me if I was pushing my way in too much, and he never said anything, so I guess I was OK. My goal was to confront a lot of systems within the car where I had no experience – which, frankly, was most of it.
    Friday resulted in a rolling chassis.
    Saturday was an interesting day. The goal of the day was to get a running vehicle – that is, effectively have a mechanically complete – or go kart – car. I was surprised how easily the engine went in. Of course, the fact that these guys have built and torn down this particular car about a bazillion times certainly helped. After watching the clutch connection, it was clear to me that a cable clutch is pretty easy, so why spend extra to install a hydraulic clutch. The other item that made the class-build easy was that they had pre-installed the brake and fuel lines. Nevertheless, we got it started by the end of the day.

    Sunday was a little tougher. Fatigue started to set in. We had to get the body on, fix the windshield in place and more. Lots of detail work that isn’t as much fun as the mechanical stuff, but equally necessary. Finally, after what seemed an eternity, the car was complete, the wheels were securely bolted on and Jim took the car out to the parking lot. It was fun. It was also a long ride home!

    August 30, 2015: finally got the body off.
    There’s a lot going on in our lives. Vacations to go on, weddings to attend, work, you name it. I finally got a day to work on the car, and Matt Shiles came over to see it. I enlisted his help while he was here, and we got the body off. Of course, it’s never that easy. First, I had to assemble the buck that’s been patiently waiting – in pieces – in the garage. Between the two of us, we got it assembled. Adding to the madness, we’ve been trying to get our driveway re-paved since May. The paving guys finally showed up today to rip out the old asphalt and level the gravel. Between them, Matt and me, we got the body off the frame and onto the buck. Finally! I can get to work on the frame!

    I decided that I want to get all of the aluminum panels you can see powder coated. In order to get an estimate on how much that will cost, I have to get the pieces all together and photograph them. I have a bunch of pieces in “box 6” and “box 23”, but many of them are on the frame. I couldn’t photograph them until I got the body off. Now I can start the dis-assembly of panels off the frame. But wait! They need to be marked so we know which way they go back on! There really isn’t a deadline on this project, is there? Other than I can’t wait to drive it…

    An important note here. In case you haven’t figured this out yet, I’m no expert. If you get something interesting out of this build log, great. But don’t expect anything. I’m going for entertainment value, nothing more!
    Mk IV Roadster - #8650 - delivered 7-17-2015 - first start 7-28-2018 - first go-kart 10-13-2018 - licensed and on the road 9-9-19: body/paint completed 3-17-2020.
    Complete kit / 2015 Coyote / TKO600 / IRS / Wilwood brakes / Mid-Shift mod / Power Steering / Heater and Seat Heaters / RT turn signal / Breeze radiator shroud and mount

  12. #12
    On a roll Al_C's Avatar
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    September 12, 2015. Back to work on aluminum.
    We had a great trip to Lake Powell. I brought my manual with me and tried to plan ahead. Back in the garage, I started marking parts in earnest. In addition to putting tape markers on each panel, I noted in my notebook which parts went on top of others and more or less the sequence in which I’d need to put them back on. Hopefully, this will be of benefit later. I got all the panels labeled, off, and photographed. I even got my front suspension parts out so I know what’s next. Well sort of – I need to find the upper and lower control arms and ensure that I have all my ball joints. I also need to rent the tools I need for that – a ball joint socket and a 250 lb. torque wrench.

    Chris Russell stopped by on Sunday with his Mark 3.1. He took both Nancy and me for a ride. Yes, his car is fast. It was great. Chris did a fantastic job building his and offered a lot of insights. One suggestion he made was to support the rear of the body. Yes, this thing will be sitting on the buck for an extended time, so it probably makes sense to provide some support for it so it doesn’t develop a sag on the rear end. If the composite body sits in one position long enough, it might take that shape. So, off to the basement to see what I have on hand to fabricate some wood braces. I decided on diagonals from the base of the rear body support panel and held them in place with wires. It certainly isn’t pretty, but it is effective. I keep thinking about Bill Haas who wrote an article on FFCARS.com on how to build one: his comment was something to the effect of building a “buck” and not a “doe”. He also said “So, it better look good. AND, you don’t want your friends laughing about the drunken Giraffe you built and ask you if the Roadster will turn out any better!” I may be approaching the Giraffe with my brace, but it is effective…


    September 19, 2015: started on the front suspension.
    I had a couple of housekeeping items to attend to: I had to get the panels from the boxes in the basement and photograph them for powder coating. I needed to locate the balance of the front suspension parts – upper and lower control arms, and I had to rent the tools I need for the IFS. Nothing is quick. I was finally able to start attempting to mount the lower control arms on Sunday afternoon. The trick is that you get four washers – spacers – in the kit. You should only need two – one each for the rear arm of the LCA. But, there’s a lot of space on the driver side rear. Enough, by the looks of it, to install two. But should I? I posted a question to that effect, and Jeff Kleiner responded saying “you only need one”. I decided to call FFR on Monday. (I did and they said go ahead and use two…). By now, it was 4:30 and the kids showed up. Time to go cook.

    September 26, 2015: Ball joints.
    I thought things were supposed to slow down in the fall. Why haven’t they? Work is busy (which is good), travel is picking up (not so good, but necessary), and FFR is holding a Fall sale because things have supposedly slowed down and people have time to build cars. Yeah? Who? I’m lucky if I have time to work on the weekends. Forget about weekday evenings, at least for now. OK, enough griping, back to the topic at hand. Next on the agenda are the upper control arms and ball joints. Yet another item where I have no prior experience. At build school, the instructors suggested that one can get a socket for the ball joints. So I headed over to my (new) friends at Autozone to rent a ball joint socket and a 250lb torque wrench. If all goes well, I should be able to get the whole front suspension done this weekend.
    They didn’t have a socket. They had a ball joint press kit, which the guy promised included a socket. It didn’t. We did find a socket on the shelf that’s made for a FWD hub, but I’m not sure that was the right tool. But, we’ll give it a whirl.

    So the ball joints have threads, but not on the entire body. The UCA has threads the whole way. So, what to do? Just line up the threads on the ball joint with the UCA or tighten it all the way down, beyond the threads? I posted a question to that effect on the forum, and got some interesting replies. Some factual, others editorial. Essentially, the message was “follow the freaking instructions, dummy!” The truth is, I was hoping someone would validate my logic of lining up the threads, because I had already put thread locker on the ball joint. No one did. I was amazed at the responses that post received. Ball joints seem to be a bone of contention for the group. There are a lot of opinions on these and a good number of builders have clearly opted for “alternate” products rather than the ones in the kit.

    OK, I need to do it over. Kevin in Raleigh reminded me of my priorities: you don’t screw around with brakes or suspension. You need to get them right. I might need a heat gun to loosen the thread locker. Maybe not, but I’ll save myself a trip if I just get it now. Out of time for this weekend, so I’ll have to sweat the whole thread locker thing until my next opportunity.


    October 9, 2015. Pumpkin arrives.
    The Fed Ex guy delivered the differential and driveshaft today. I think I have everything now, excepting the engine. That can wait – I don’t have room to store it. It’s bad enough I’m going to need to re-arrange so I can get firewood in the garage. The pumpkin looks good. 72 lbs. 3.55 gears. That should work well.

    October 11, 2015. Progress at last.
    I’ve been thinking about my problem for two weeks now. Didn’t get to work on the car last weekend, but did get to go deer hunting. I kept thinking about front suspension parts as we bounced over the ruts in the fields and the woods as we slogged to the tree stands in southern Illinois. But now I’m ready to go. My ball joint/UCA is looking the same as two weeks ago. I popped it into the vise, and voila! It came apart! Hmmm, that was easier than expected. Maybe I (fortunately) didn’t put enough thread locker on it. Maybe this stuff just doesn’t hold that well anyway. Doesn’t matter – it came off and there’s no damage to either part. I cleaned the parts, loaded the ball joint with thread locker and put it on again, nice and tight all the way down to the cap this time. Piece of cake.
    Time to get the UCA on the frame. The biggest challenge here, it turns out, was getting it torqued to specs. It’s only a couple of months until I get the shoulder repaired, and hopefully that will make a positive difference in the spring.
    I got the PS spindle on, and lined everything up for the DS spindle. Out of time for this weekend – time to clean up the work area and see the grand kids.

    October 19, 2015: Orange paint.
    Every time I go in the garage, I see the IRS center section there, sitting on a dolly, waiting for something – anything – to happen. It looks pretty good in its primer state, but I should really paint it. I want it to stand out. You won’t see it unless you’re quite a way behind the car, but it will get your attention. What color could be better than orange to get your attention? (It is called a pumpkin, after all…) Orange goes with blue. It goes with red. It goes (more or less) with green, so whatever color I finally choose, it should work out well. I got the monster into the basement, set up some cardboard and newspapers to catch the overspray and went at it. Two coats later, it looks pretty good. Time to install it.
    Mk IV Roadster - #8650 - delivered 7-17-2015 - first start 7-28-2018 - first go-kart 10-13-2018 - licensed and on the road 9-9-19: body/paint completed 3-17-2020.
    Complete kit / 2015 Coyote / TKO600 / IRS / Wilwood brakes / Mid-Shift mod / Power Steering / Heater and Seat Heaters / RT turn signal / Breeze radiator shroud and mount

  13. #13
    On a roll Al_C's Avatar
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    November 1, 2015. A productive day.
    I finally had time to work on the car again today. I asked Matt if he could help out today because my goal was to install the IRS center section and I knew that’s a two man job. Before he arrived, I got most of the IRS components out and ready so we’d be able to hit it right away.

    The pumpkin went in with relative ease. I believe this is due to the variances found in manufacturing clearances. Either that, or variances in differential dimensions. Whatever the reason, my combination worked. I’ve read about so many builders who had problems getting this thing in place – we got it the second try. Very little paint damage to the pumpkin, and none to the frame. I did have the presence of mind to put some tape on the frame beforehand. Thank God for Matt! He volunteered to get under the frame and muscle it into place. Yours truly manned the jack. Boy, what a big help I was…

    Looks pretty good, doesn’t it.


    Next up was to get the IRS in place. We got the upper and lower control arms in place for the IRS and started thinking about drive shafts and knuckles.
    We also got the front spindles in place. I thought I had everything I needed to finish that particular task, but alas, once again I was mistaken! The hub nut is 36mm. Do I have a 36mm socket? Well, no. Does Matt? Yes, but did I ask him to bring one? Of course not. So much for torqueing that into place.



    Speaking of spindles, I wanted to get the IRS knuckles/spindles in place, too. The idea was to get all the heavy torque jobs done and return the rental 250 lbs. wrench before the rental period expired. The challenge there was that the spindles weren’t pressed into the knuckles. Time to call it a day. All in all, pretty productive. Hey – you have to celebrate these little victories because I don’t have that much time to work on the car right now!

    November 8, 2015 – IFS and bolts.
    Today’s goal was to finish up the suspension pieces. Sure. Best laid plans and all that. With the help of the 250 lb torque wrench and a cheater pipe, I got the front spindles to spec. That was a relief. On to the rear. But wait! Where are the bolts to mount the knuckles to the control arms? Not here – that’s for certain. After looking through the inventory list and a few other places, I determined that they didn’t exist in my garage. I need to make a few calls on Monday.
    November 15, 2015 – decent progress on the IRS.

    The bolts showed up mid-week. After calling tech support, I gave Mike Forte a call and ordered what I needed. They fit perfectly. Except, there were no spacers included. Check the manual – no spacers indicated. Check the forum and the Smith book – no reference to spacers I can find. But look – the gap is pretty big:
    [IMG]http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=47906&d=1448306887[/IMG


    A hardened washer from Ace Hardware fit perfectly. Problem solved. (I’m sure someone will have some kind of comment on that, but it seemed logical) With relative ease, the knuckles went on:

    I needed to torque the hub nuts to 180+ lbs. and wanted to return the wrench, so that was next. The thing I didn’t think about was that the axle would turn. Everything worked fine until it started to get tight and then everything started turning on me. Hmmm. I need to come up with some approach to keep the axle stationary. I grabbed a couple of 2x4s, drilled a couple of holes into one that would line up with the studs and had a workable solution. I’ll probably get laughed off the forum for this one, but it worked…

    Looks pretty good. Just need to get the shocks on now. Out of time – I’ll deal with that next weekend. I may hit the goal of rolling chassis before winter still!
    Mk IV Roadster - #8650 - delivered 7-17-2015 - first start 7-28-2018 - first go-kart 10-13-2018 - licensed and on the road 9-9-19: body/paint completed 3-17-2020.
    Complete kit / 2015 Coyote / TKO600 / IRS / Wilwood brakes / Mid-Shift mod / Power Steering / Heater and Seat Heaters / RT turn signal / Breeze radiator shroud and mount

  14. #14
    On a roll Al_C's Avatar
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    November 21, 2015.
    Oops. I got the rear brakes sorted out and went to put them on the car. Wait – the caliper connections are on the front. Is that correct? Check the manual again. No clear direction there. Check the Smith book. Yup – they’re on backwards. So much for feeling good about last week. Time to take it all apart and start over.

    I got the breaker bar and a cheater pipe out, set up my 2x4 stud holder and… the wood cracked. Hmmm, this isn’t going to work out so well. I need a better solution. But, what can I use to hold the axle in place without wrecking the wheel studs?

    I called Chris Russell for his advice on holding the axle still. He never did answer the question – he just said, “I’ve got the tool that will take it off – I’ll be over this afternoon.” He showed up with his 1100lb. battery powered impact wrench and had the nuts off in about 30 seconds. It’s always easier with the right tools. OK, back to reality tomorrow and we’ll see if we can put this thing back together correctly – and get the brakes on.

    December 3, 2015: Ground down the burrs. I attempted to get the caliper bracket on the knuckle, but it won’t fit. The shape of the casting prevents it from fitting properly. No problem. We can grind that down. Ted the airplane builder dropped by for moral support and the grinding was uneventful.

    December 5, 2015: Wrap up for the winter. This has been a busy time. I need to wrap up everything now for the winter, as I’m getting my new shoulder on the 17th and need to have everything “locked down”. It will be 3 or 4 months before I’m able to work on the car again.
    February 15, 2016: I’m done debating what I’m doing about the aluminum panels. The ones you can see – I’ll get powder coated. The others, basically nothing. I located a reputable shop about 45 minutes away and dropped off the panels.


    February 23, 2016: A little off topic, but I was in Las Vegas (again) for another conference. Tough life, right? This one was not really fun. More prospecting than working with customers and the show hours were pretty long. But… I got one of the marketing guys to come with me and we made a pilgrimage to the Carrol Shelby museum! Well worth the trip. It was fun to see all the variants of the roadster as well as the original car. I brought home a “Cobra” sign to hang in the garage. Not much or a souvenir, but it’s too much trouble to lug a lot of stuff home on an airplane.

    March 6, 2016: I’m back. Sort of. Shoulder feels great; PT twice a week. Except I somehow managed to injure a nerve in the other arm. My right hand is not cooperating with what my brain is telling it. I need to get this sorted out soon.
    March 13, 2016: The shocks are done. Finally. I torqued the rear spindles, and started working on the front rotors. My buddy Don, who’s restoring a C3 Corvette on the east coast, talks about his project being a “tool magnet”. You bet! I’m acquiring all kinds of interesting stuff.

    March 16, 2016: Got my tires mounted. I looked at a number of tire options, but frankly, in the 17 inch size, there weren’t that many options where I could match the front and rears in different sizes. My “tire advisor” Ken recommended I go with the Nitto NT05s. I know they are basically worthless on wet pavement, but then again how often am I going to drive this thing in the rain? I think I can deal with that.

    I needed to take the S60 in for service (yes, I am building a car, but no, I do not work on my daily driver. I need to ensure it’s ready to go every day. I’m not going to take the chance that I can’t finish a given maintenance task in the allotted time and not have my car ready to go to work…) so I told the service advisor I wanted to get some tires mounted on rims. He took one look at them and said “these aren’t going to fit on the Volvo”. Duh… “Yes, I know that. These are for the Cobra”, I replied. An hour later he called me and reported that the wheels were too big – they wouldn’t fit on their mounting machine. Oh, well. So, this time, before I loaded them up, I called the local Firestone store. “Yup”, they replied, “they’ll fit on our machine.” Off I went. The best part is when I picked them up: the technician said “these are the biggest tires I’ve ever seen!” Really? Ever work on trucks? My old 4x4 had bigger tires than these… No matter.

    March 19, 2016: Lots of brake action this weekend. I finished up the front rotors, got the rear brakes on, and mounted tires. I was a little apprehensive about doing the safety wire, but it was pretty straightforward. One thing that made it much easier was a pair of safety wire pliers. Well worth the 30 bucks. A big reason why I’ve spent so much time on front and rear brakes: I’ve never worked on brakes before. Ever. I got my buddy the Honda technician to inspect them. He gave me the thumbs up. Phew!



    After I had everything in place – i.e. rear brake calipers, front rotors and calipers, I popped the tires on. Another small victory. It always helps to look like I’m making progress even if it’s going really, really slowly.
    Mk IV Roadster - #8650 - delivered 7-17-2015 - first start 7-28-2018 - first go-kart 10-13-2018 - licensed and on the road 9-9-19: body/paint completed 3-17-2020.
    Complete kit / 2015 Coyote / TKO600 / IRS / Wilwood brakes / Mid-Shift mod / Power Steering / Heater and Seat Heaters / RT turn signal / Breeze radiator shroud and mount

  15. #15
    On a roll Al_C's Avatar
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    April 3, 2016: More fun with the rear brakes. You already read this, but I went the Wilwood brake route. Out of the box, the e-brake brackets are positioned such that you can’t connect the cable if the wheel is on. But, as you can see from the photos, there are lots of adjustment holes so you can rotate the brackets.



    This might be a problem for a “brake novice”, but not for me, Mr. Confidence! This is going to be a piece of cake.

    April 17, 2016: Well, I was wrong. It wasn’t a piece of cake. I got everything back together with the brackets in the correct general direction, but the calipers won’t go on! WTF? The pistons got extended and now they’re too close together to go over the rotor. Mr. Confidence just learned yet another lesson: the piston rear calipers need to be compressed. And guess what! Remember what I said about tool magnet? I get to acquire a new compression tool! It took a little tweaking as far as getting the tool to fit the caliper, but the effort was successful. I got the pistons back where they belong and the fit perfectly over the rotors. Another new skill!
    Mk IV Roadster - #8650 - delivered 7-17-2015 - first start 7-28-2018 - first go-kart 10-13-2018 - licensed and on the road 9-9-19: body/paint completed 3-17-2020.
    Complete kit / 2015 Coyote / TKO600 / IRS / Wilwood brakes / Mid-Shift mod / Power Steering / Heater and Seat Heaters / RT turn signal / Breeze radiator shroud and mount

  16. #16
    On a roll Al_C's Avatar
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    April 30, 2016: firewall prep for heater. You’ll (maybe, because this thing is too damn long) remember that I’m going to put a heater in place. I may regret that when it’s time to do wiring and find a place for engine computers and the like, but the die is cast! In a moment of lucidity, I realized I should get the heater core and blower in place now, before I put the firewall in place. I got out my instructions, taped the template onto the firewall aluminum (powder coated) and stopped. “I should probably check to ensure that the template is the same as the actual part.” It wasn’t. Good catch. More tweaking and we should be good. I got out the dremel and cut away.







    This is a good time to get going on pedals, too. I did a trial fit of the pedal box and temporarily mounted the the DS footbox front. Looks pretty good so far.
    OK, time to put everything away for a while – surgery on my right elbow (to fix the nerve problem) on Monday. See you soon!

    June 12, 2016: Back again. Hopefully, I can stop consuming so much health care. You’ve seen this before – other builders have commented that our group tends to skew a little older. This “approaching retirement age” is not all it’s cracked up to be. Enough editorializing. Let’s get going.



    First – the firewall. Got the firewall mounted and then attached the heater core. This was easy. I like easy. Got going on the pedals in earnest, too. Everything is starting to come together. Also, I want to get my gas tank installed, but I think it makes sense to put fluid in the pumpkin before I do that. No problem. Let’s take out the plug and fill ‘er up!

    Well, that went well. First, tried a breaker bar. No go. Next, impact wrench. Nope. Posted a thread on the topic here: http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/showt...y-for-learning
    Mk IV Roadster - #8650 - delivered 7-17-2015 - first start 7-28-2018 - first go-kart 10-13-2018 - licensed and on the road 9-9-19: body/paint completed 3-17-2020.
    Complete kit / 2015 Coyote / TKO600 / IRS / Wilwood brakes / Mid-Shift mod / Power Steering / Heater and Seat Heaters / RT turn signal / Breeze radiator shroud and mount

  17. #17
    On a roll Al_C's Avatar
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    June 30, 2016: The Coyote arrives!

    I bought my engine from Mike Forte. I know others have commented on this forum vendor in the past, but I’ll say it again – I’m a fan. He installed the clutch and bell housing along with a few other items. It made things a lot easier at this end. It was the driver’s last delivery for the day, and it was clear he was running out of energy.





    The fun part was that the pallet was all the way in the front of the box and the pallet jack he had was the wrong size (un-adjustable) for the engine pallet. Boy that was fun. Between three of us, we finally got the pallet onto the lift gate. At the bottom, we managed to get it on to a dolly and roll it into the garage. It may be aluminum and not that heavy, but this thing is huge! A thing of beauty. My buddy Matt and I disagree so far: I look at the engine wiring harness and am intimidated. He looks at it and says “no problem. It’s plug and play!” Of course, he’s the guy that put an LSX in his ‘69 Malibu.

    July 2, 2016: Let’s move on.
    I went back and forth on this for a while, but finally gave in on the power steering approach. The FFR rack arrived and we got that installed. It was tight, but it fit.



    July 3, 2016: Based on the advice I received here, heat should be the solution to getting the plug out of the pumpkin.



    I shot the general area around the plug for about 5 minutes with the torch and the only thing I accomplished was burning the 500 degree Rust-o-leum paint. Matt said he’d take a look at it next time he comes by.
    Mk IV Roadster - #8650 - delivered 7-17-2015 - first start 7-28-2018 - first go-kart 10-13-2018 - licensed and on the road 9-9-19: body/paint completed 3-17-2020.
    Complete kit / 2015 Coyote / TKO600 / IRS / Wilwood brakes / Mid-Shift mod / Power Steering / Heater and Seat Heaters / RT turn signal / Breeze radiator shroud and mount

  18. #18
    On a roll Al_C's Avatar
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    July 10, 2016: Next decision.
    Do I cut the frame or notch the pedal? In a post over the winter, I contributed my thoughts and said I’d notch the pedal. Somehow, I forgot that opinion and bought some bar steel to take the EdwardB approach. More internal debate and finally I elected to go with the pedal notch approach. I think this was the right choice. I took my time and cut it out with the Dremel and painted the bare parts. You have to look carefully at the clutch to see what I did. I’m happy with this.





    Once I had the pedal box fixed in position and was happy with the modification, I slipped the clutch cable into place. Hmmm. The end of the cable misses the opening on the pedal box.


    Check the manual. It looks like I assembled everything correctly, but it doesn’t fit. But, if I rearrange the pieces on the clutch pedal, I can move the cable over the necessary ½ inch and all will be good. I took apart the clutch pedal and repainted all the pieces.

    July 17, 2016: I got the clutch back together and everything lines up for the cable. Put that in the complete column! BTW- the kit celebrated its first anniversary in my garage.

    I decided a few months ago that I wanted to go with a wood dash. Clearly, the best solution to that is to use a veneer. After doing some research on the topic, I found Rockler. They’re a national woodworking chain with a couple of stores in the Chicago area. I spent some quality time with the guys there and they helped me pick out veneer, stain and top coat. I ordered a piece of cherry veneer, went with a warm cherry stain and a glossy top coat. Everything is here and ready to go. I was going to put the veneer on the dashboard, so I asked here on this thread: http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/showt...rd-measurement
    Bottom line: I need to fit the dashboard on the frame – at least get the bends close – before I apply the veneer.

    Remember the fill plug for the pumpkin? It finally got resolved when Matt came over with his “big ratchet”. He claims I loosened it for him, but it doesn’t matter. He had it off in about a minute. Tell me again why a 325 ft/lb impact wrench couldn’t get that off and a ratchet could?



    August 28: I finally was able to fill the differential and get the new plug in place. If these, the simplest of tasks are going to go this slowly, it may take me longer than Gumball! (Just kidding, Chris…)

    August 29: I started work assembling the gas tank today. Pretty easy except for the filter that goes on the end of the in-tank fuel pump. I was afraid to screw up either the filter or the pump itself, so it was extra caution here. It went on pretty tightly, as others have commented, but it’s on to stay.

    Mk IV Roadster - #8650 - delivered 7-17-2015 - first start 7-28-2018 - first go-kart 10-13-2018 - licensed and on the road 9-9-19: body/paint completed 3-17-2020.
    Complete kit / 2015 Coyote / TKO600 / IRS / Wilwood brakes / Mid-Shift mod / Power Steering / Heater and Seat Heaters / RT turn signal / Breeze radiator shroud and mount

  19. #19
    On a roll Al_C's Avatar
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    September 4: Labor Day weekend brought a three day “car” weekend. I’ve been looking forward to this for a while! Goals for this weekend - accelerator, engine lift brackets, and try out the footbox sheetmetal. Let’s start with the accelerator.

    The Coyote instructions are quite detailed on this topic. EdwardB also has an excellent writeup. So what did I do? A combination of the two. It was actually pretty straightforward, if not time-consuming, but between the Dremel and a hacksaw I was able to make the necessary trims.







    I used the FFR supplied bracket to mount the accelerator as opposed to EdwardB’s, and it worked pretty well. After I got the pedal itself cut to length, I tried it out and my right foot was happy with the result. This will work.



    While I was at it, I popped the inside wall to the DS footbox in place. This is a problem. Now I see why the FFR manual says to trim the brake pedal. With shoes on, I can’t step on either the brake or accelerator without hitting the other.

    OK, I have three options available to me now: a) go the 2bking route and use his modification (I have the engineering drawings), get the new FFR sheet metal, or fabricate my own. I thought I was going to receive the new sheet metal with the kit, but alas, it didn’t start shipping until (probably) 6 months after I ordered my kit. I asked around for fabricator referrals in the local area, but none of my friends had any. After talking with the guys in Wareham, I decided I wasn’t going to be able to fabricate my own solution (or King’s) for less than what the new sheet metal will cost. For now, problem solved.

    I started working on the PS footbox and got most of it drilled out. This turned out to be a pretty productive weekend. I need more of these.

    September 24: more work on the pedals and engine lift brackets. I finished the accelerator pedal, attaching the “kit” pedal to the Coyote module. Everything looks good. As I learned to expect, it took much longer than I planned, but so what? I temporarily mounted the DS footbox inside wall and checked it out with my feet. This will work. OK – here’s an interesting item. When I sat in Gumball’s MK 3.1, I couldn’t get my left foot around the clutch. My car – no problem. I think his outside wall is structured differently. On the MK 4 the outside wall is outside the frame. With the new FFR Coyote footbox sheetmetal, there’s plenty of room for both feet, even with sneakers.



    Next up – finish the engine lift brackets. Of course, this turned out to be more work than expected, thanks to a careless error in metric to SAE conversion. A 14mm bolt will not fit in a half-inch hole. Ask me how I know… the file did a great job and now the bolts all fit. The lift brackets are in place and ready; the chains are connected for the leveler.

    The goal is to get the engine in place before it gets really cold. I think we have a shot at that! Finally, I was able to drill and cleco in place the PS footbox. We’re making progress.



    Mk IV Roadster - #8650 - delivered 7-17-2015 - first start 7-28-2018 - first go-kart 10-13-2018 - licensed and on the road 9-9-19: body/paint completed 3-17-2020.
    Complete kit / 2015 Coyote / TKO600 / IRS / Wilwood brakes / Mid-Shift mod / Power Steering / Heater and Seat Heaters / RT turn signal / Breeze radiator shroud and mount

  20. #20
    On a roll Al_C's Avatar
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    October 2: more work on aluminum.
    Clecos are great. I thought I had way more than I’d ever need. Nope, you can always use more. I need to rivet some of these parts so I can cleco more in place!

    October 12: Once again, I started thinking about a sound system. The thought process went something like this: if I’m putting aluminum in place, now is the time to decide where speakers get mounted and holes get cut. So, I posted a question here: http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/showt...eaker-location
    That turned out to provide some pretty interesting information. End result: I think I’ll skip the sound system.

    October 15: time to go beyond aluminum. I got all the cockpit aluminum in place that I can. I’m just marking and drilling for now. I took some more panels in to get powder coated and I want to get the fuel and brakes lines in place before I rivet these pieces. It’s much easier to work on tubing from above the car than from underneath. So, time to move on to the fuel lines. First up – get the in-line filter in place. The challenge here is that the location recommended in the manual is the same place that the shock absorber lives. Hmmmm – posted another thread on that. You can see it here: http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/showt...ne-fuel-filter

    October 22: The plan was to get the fuel filter in place, AND get the fuel lines in place. Not a chance. I checked a few more build logs and found some good locations. I went with King Burgess’ location, which you can see on my frame here:



    The current challenge is where to mount the brake connections for the rear wheels. I’m concerned about the flexible brake lines hitting either the tire or getting stuck in the coil overs, so I’m being a little paranoid about that. Need to do some more research. I also need to plug in the e-brake cables so I can ensure I don’t have conflict with any of the moving parts there, too. Should be a fun week.

    Phew! All caught up.
    Mk IV Roadster - #8650 - delivered 7-17-2015 - first start 7-28-2018 - first go-kart 10-13-2018 - licensed and on the road 9-9-19: body/paint completed 3-17-2020.
    Complete kit / 2015 Coyote / TKO600 / IRS / Wilwood brakes / Mid-Shift mod / Power Steering / Heater and Seat Heaters / RT turn signal / Breeze radiator shroud and mount

  21. #21
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    Al-

    WOW, when you make an update, you make an update!! You did a lot of work, while still undergoing two surgeries. I am pleased that your work, as well as your surgeries has gone well!

    I also think that you now have a ready answer for whenever anyone asks you "what's up?" The correct answer, as you pointed out in your earliest post today, is the speaker!

    Congratulations on the progress, and thanks for taking the time to post the update.

    Regards,

    Steve

  22. #22
    Senior Member wareaglescott's Avatar
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    Build is looking great. I enjoyed the mega update!
    I found out a little late in the game that running the heater with the coyote requires constant fluid circulation which is a little different that how the valve that comes with the heater works. Requires some extra fabrication. I ended up aborting on the heater in favor of heated seats so I cant give you much more info than that. Just wanted to give you a heads up to look into that in case you are unaware.
    MK4 #8900 - complete kit - Coyote, TKO600, IRS - Delivered 6/28/16 First Start 10/6/16 Go cart - 10/16/16 Build completed - 4/26/17 - 302 days to build my 302 CI Coyote Cobra - Registered and street legal 5/17/17
    Build Thread http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/showt...e-build-thread
    PHIL 4:13 INSTAGRAM - @scottsrides

  23. #23
    On a roll Al_C's Avatar
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    Thanks for the heads up on the heater! What's one more challenge...

    But: I want to mount these reservoirs:



    onto this frame rail:



    I think I know the answer, but would appreciate confirmation. In order for the hood to close properly, will the tops of the reservoirs need to be *below* the rail, or can they be even with it?
    Mk IV Roadster - #8650 - delivered 7-17-2015 - first start 7-28-2018 - first go-kart 10-13-2018 - licensed and on the road 9-9-19: body/paint completed 3-17-2020.
    Complete kit / 2015 Coyote / TKO600 / IRS / Wilwood brakes / Mid-Shift mod / Power Steering / Heater and Seat Heaters / RT turn signal / Breeze radiator shroud and mount

  24. #24
    On a roll Al_C's Avatar
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    Boy, that was fun.

    I was looking forward to today. We scheduled the “first” install of the Coyote into the frame. My friend Matt and his brother-in-law (both experienced in these things) came over to lend a hand. It was more like they were teaching me, which was fine…

    I got the car off the jack stands and moved it to a better spot in the garage. It looked a lot different sitting on its wheels rather than jack stands.

    Actually, it looks like it has a gaping hole here…

    Here we are with the engine up in the air.

    We got the transmission mounted, too. The idea of this exercise was to get the engine and trans installed and see how everything fit and take measurements for all kinds of things. All in all, it was a good idea to do this.

    So far so good.
    Mk IV Roadster - #8650 - delivered 7-17-2015 - first start 7-28-2018 - first go-kart 10-13-2018 - licensed and on the road 9-9-19: body/paint completed 3-17-2020.
    Complete kit / 2015 Coyote / TKO600 / IRS / Wilwood brakes / Mid-Shift mod / Power Steering / Heater and Seat Heaters / RT turn signal / Breeze radiator shroud and mount

  25. #25
    On a roll Al_C's Avatar
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    It’s a pretty tight fit. Starting to see some issues here.

    One of the biggest problems was that the arm on the crane didn’t extend far enough. I’ll fix that for next time.

    This has to go. It’s probably in the manual, but we were too “in the moment” to check at the time.

    It’s in. OK, time for some observations:
    1. The oil sender unit was in the way during the install. Now that the engine is in, we can’t get it in place due to the frame. I think a longer arm on the crane will help here.
    2. The oil cooler has to go. It’s probably in the manual, but did the three of us look there? Of course not.
    3. The crane’s arm is not long enough. Something to consider if you’re going to buy a crane. I can fix this with a 5/8” drill bit…
    4. I copied EdwardB’s lift brackets. Sorry, Paul, they didn’t work. The rear bracket hits the PS footbox. I need to re-work the bracket for next time. Maybe I didn’t copy them exactly. Whatever. I need to shape the bracket differently.
    5. The steering shaft hits the left head! I need to move things around here. Anybody else run in to this?
    6. The headers don’t fit. Maybe they will when I replace the studs with bolts, but with the engine in, it’s not looking good. Need to read the manual again.
    7. Well, it’s in. If only temporarily.
    Mk IV Roadster - #8650 - delivered 7-17-2015 - first start 7-28-2018 - first go-kart 10-13-2018 - licensed and on the road 9-9-19: body/paint completed 3-17-2020.
    Complete kit / 2015 Coyote / TKO600 / IRS / Wilwood brakes / Mid-Shift mod / Power Steering / Heater and Seat Heaters / RT turn signal / Breeze radiator shroud and mount

  26. #26
    Jazzman's Avatar
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    I am fighting the same battle so here is what I know.

    Yes, the oil cooler unit does have to go. It unscrews from the center post running right down center.

    I also made Edwardb's engine lift brackets. They work just fine as is, but I would make them about 2" longer if I were to do it again. The hooks are a bit too close to the engine. You do need to use washers to shim the lift plates away from the engine. I used three on the plate on the DS front of the engine, and five on the one on the PS rear of the engine. The bend in the rear lift plate is critical to keep the hook away from the engine. Extra length on both plates would really help.

    Yes, you must move the steering shaft out of the way to get the engine in. Everybody runs into this. FFR did put this problem in the manual put it into the manual.

    Did you remove the wire retention clip at the very front DS corner of the engine, just above the alternator? This clip will conflict with the steering shaft when you go to reinstall the steering shaft.

    I have not yet fought the headers, but from what I read, it is best to put in the rear bolts before the engine is fully set down on the engine mounts. It also seems to be easier to install the DS headers before the DS engine mount is attached. I hope to have better experience on this in the next week.

    I have 28" of space between the hydraulic ram of the crane and the front of the engine. I think that will be enough to span the front of the car. I have the crane extended to it's 1/2 ton setting.

    Good Luck!!
    Jazzman

    MKIV #8745 "Flip Top" Roadster, Custom Tilt front, Coyote Engine, Tremec TKO600, Custom Interior. Best of Show winner, Huntington Beach Cruise In 2018.

    1967 Ford Mustang Coupe build thread updated 1/22/2021

    Roadster Frame Dolly Plan

  27. #27
    Senior Member edwardb's Avatar
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    Jazzman pretty much covered it re: oil cooler, steering shaft, wire retention clip, shop crane. With the 2-ton HF shop crane, I've found it needs to be at the 1/2 ton setting (which is plenty of capacity) to give good reach from the front. And that's with the radiator removed. Your engine lift brackets on the back of the engine don't look much like the ones I showed. I only used one, and didn't have the right angle bend extending out. Agree those would hit the PS footbox.

    For your earlier question about the reservoirs, the lids can be at the top of the 3/4-inch hood tubes and the will still clear the hood. Actually even a bit higher, but I wouldn't mount them higher unless you have the body and hood in place to confirm. The hood does arch quite a bit so there's more room there than you might expect.
    Build 1: Mk3 Roadster #5125. Sold 11/08/2014. Build 2: Mk4 Roadster #7750. Sold 04/10/2017. Build Thread
    Build 3: Mk4 Roadster 20th Anniversary #8674. Sold 09/07/2020. Build Thread and Video. Build 4: Gen 3 Type 65 Coupe #59. Gen 3 Coyote. Legal 03/04/2020. Build Thread and Video
    Build 5: 35 Hot Rod Truck #138. LS3 and 4L65E auto. Rcvd 01/05/2021. Legal 04/20/2023. Build Thread. Sold 11/9/2023.

  28. #28
    On a roll Al_C's Avatar
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    When we left off last time, along with a few friends, I had dropped the engine in for the first time. That was a planned first time. I knew it would be coming out. Not that I particularly enjoy that activity, but I had an agenda. Of course, the best laid plans always end up changing and I never got around to dealing with some of the items I wanted to with the engine in place. Whatever. I did take some measurements as planned, but not all of them. Learned a lot. More on that later. OK, so what have we accomplished since the middle of November? A lot of little things, really. Let’s get started.
    It seems like I spent an awful lot of time looking for hoses and connectors. I think I have visited just about every auto parts store in the Chicago suburbs looking for hoses that match those that came in the kit. Not sure why it’s so hard to find these things, but it is. Finally, I found a guy at Car Quest who makes hydraulic lines. It’s probably overkill, but at least we’ll get that dealt with.
    I needed to fabricate a bracket to mount my two brake reservoirs. I elected to install that on the upper frame rail just forward of the foot box front. I had a piece of aluminum that I was going to use for the bracket, and asked Gumball if he had a brake to bend the piece. When I brought it over to his shop he suggested I swap that out and use a piece of steel instead. We got that sized correctly and off I went. Here’s the rub: If I merely used rattle can paint (that was my default approach) and spilled brake fluid on it, the paint would come off. The best solution would be to powder coat the piece. The challenge there is that the shop I have used for powder coating is 45 minutes away and takes a minimum of 6 weeks. They do good work, but it comes at a cost in time and money. So… I decided it’s time to learn a new skill! I dove in and bought Eastwood’s powder coat sprayer kit and one of their ovens. More on that later. I also decided that I didn’t need to bend the bracket. Why not just mount it to the vertical part of the rail and use a flat piece of metal? That’s what I did. Fabricating parts like this is probably not a big deal for most of the builders here, but it’s a new skill for me. I’ve never done much work with metal before, for a bunch of reasons, none of them very good. One of these days I’ll learn how to weld, too.


    At the end of November, I still needed to get the rear brakes done once and for all – that means getting the e-brake cables correctly oriented. The Wilwoods have considerable flexibility in adjustment, it just takes a little doing once the caliper is installed. The smallest wheel puller I had wouldn’t fit on the caliper without hitting the shock. I needed something smaller and found that on Amazon. I can find just about anything on Amazon. (My wife keeps commenting on the frequency of Amazon deliveries…) I posted a photo and a question on this topic here: http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/showt...926#post258926
    I ended up following Karlos’ advice and got everything in place.


    December 12: It’s been busy at work (usually a good thing) but between that and looking for hoses and connectors, I managed to get some weekend time in. With the engine and transmission in place, I could see if there was going to be any interference with the mid-shift option. I believe there is. I know some guys just cut the cross-beam out and others relocate it and weld it back in place. I don’t want to eliminate it and I don’t weld (see comment above…). So, the solution will be the same as many use (not me) for the clutch pedal: notch the cross beam and reinforce behind it with a steel bar.


    Mk IV Roadster - #8650 - delivered 7-17-2015 - first start 7-28-2018 - first go-kart 10-13-2018 - licensed and on the road 9-9-19: body/paint completed 3-17-2020.
    Complete kit / 2015 Coyote / TKO600 / IRS / Wilwood brakes / Mid-Shift mod / Power Steering / Heater and Seat Heaters / RT turn signal / Breeze radiator shroud and mount

  29. #29
    On a roll Al_C's Avatar
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    Christmas weekend: Our family alternates holidays. Our kids come one year and go to their in-laws the next. This year, we had Thanksgiving, but not Christmas. Being on our own meant that I had more time in the garage over the three-day weekend. I used it to bend brake lines. Another new skill! The biggest challenge in bending the lines is figuring out where to orient the line in the tubing bending tool. I know that EdwardB commented on that as well! It’s not perfect, but I think they came out pretty well. Not sure why we have the loops, but that’s what they taught us in build school, so that’s what I did. One tip I got at build school was to bend tight curves around a large socket (like 1”). That worked out really well. I even got a compliment from my friend Dan on my brake lines. They probably aren’t “show quality”, but nobody’s really going to see them anyway and I’m satisfied.
    DS front:

    Flaring:

    MC to DS rear:

    DS rear:

    PS front:

    Plenty of clearance:

    The flares look pretty good, too. Everything fits nice and tight. We’ll see when there’s fluid in the system. The engine is still in, so there really isn’t much room to get in with a drill and riveter. I’ll have to wait until it’s out before I can finish this up.
    Mk IV Roadster - #8650 - delivered 7-17-2015 - first start 7-28-2018 - first go-kart 10-13-2018 - licensed and on the road 9-9-19: body/paint completed 3-17-2020.
    Complete kit / 2015 Coyote / TKO600 / IRS / Wilwood brakes / Mid-Shift mod / Power Steering / Heater and Seat Heaters / RT turn signal / Breeze radiator shroud and mount

  30. #30
    On a roll Al_C's Avatar
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    My set up is pretty normal – two reservoirs so I have the front brakes completely separate from the rears. We already reviewed the difficulty in finding hoses, but my guy at Car Quest came through with these:

    Too bad he made them wrong. They don’t line up as originally made. Back I go to get them done over…
    January 12: I had Dan and Ted over today so we could pull the engine. The astute reader will remember me complaining that the arm on the crane is too short. Guess what: it still is. As Wareaglescott would say, “Another rookie mistake”. The two-ton crane reaches a lot further than a one ton crane. Why did I not know this when I bought the one-ton? Excellent question. Anybody want to buy a slightly used one ton crane? The good news is that by orienting the car on an angle in the garage, we could keep the door closed and still had plenty of room to work. Thank God for space heaters. It’s cold in Chicagoland! (Like the hat?) We got the engine out with a minimum of headache, although it did take a lot longer than it would have if the crane had more reach. Dan promised to bring a two-ton over when the Coyote goes in for the final time.



    One of the issues the first time around was that I neglected to install the engine mount spacer on the motor mount the first time around. Based on the picture in the Coyote manual, I looked and looked for a similar part. Couldn’t find it. Finally I realized that this right angle shaped bracket- that I couldn’t figure out what it was – is it!

    Tried it and confirmed it with FFR. Good. It’s powder coated and ready to go now! Back to the crane for a moment: why do we always bring the crane in from the front? Why not come in from the side? If we did, the arm length issue goes away. Anybody ever try it that way? If I came in from the side, I could probably use two jack stands on the front instead of just one in the center, too?
    Mk IV Roadster - #8650 - delivered 7-17-2015 - first start 7-28-2018 - first go-kart 10-13-2018 - licensed and on the road 9-9-19: body/paint completed 3-17-2020.
    Complete kit / 2015 Coyote / TKO600 / IRS / Wilwood brakes / Mid-Shift mod / Power Steering / Heater and Seat Heaters / RT turn signal / Breeze radiator shroud and mount

  31. #31
    On a roll Al_C's Avatar
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    Once the engine was out I started working on the fuel lines, fastening the brake lines and getting the fuel pressure regulator in place. This stuff always seems to take longer than it should, but really, what’s the hurry? (The plan is still to have this to Jeff K when his shop is ready…) Over the weekend of the 28th/29th, I got the fuel lines in place. For all my hemming and hawing, it wasn’t so bad after all. I had originally wanted to go through the transmission tunnel because it would reduce the amount of bends which should lead to an easier install, but a number of folks (forum and otherwise) talked me out of that. I’m glad I chose the frame route. My biggest concern was having the fuel lines too low on the frame rail lest they be in the way of a jack or lift at some point in the future. I believe I got them as high as I can and everything should be OK. Of course, once the 5/16” feed line was in place I discovered that my filter-to-hard line hose is too short. Whatever. That should be an easy fix.
    Vertical fuel hard lines:


    Going into the engine bay:

    Another new skill! I learned how to powder coat over the past few weekends. I bought the spray gun and oven late last year, but never really got around to working with it until now. Actually, I took my first shot at powder coating over New Year’s. I got to the point where I needed to hook up the sprayer to the compressor and I found myself staring at incompatible connections. A fixable, but inconvenient problem. Once I got all the right parts, I found it’s pretty easy. The biggest issue is getting everything set up. The oven lives under the workbench, so I have to clear that off, move the oven, pre-heat it while I’m setting up my make-shift paint booth and getting everything else set. The prep work takes about 3 times longer than it does to actually do the powder coating! I don’t know if it’s because the garage is unheated (still winter, remember?) or if because I spilled some powder on the heating element, but I can’t get the oven up to 450. It will go to 400 and that’s about it. At least according to the oven thermometer… Nevertheless, the items I’ve done so far have come out very nicely. I don’t know if it’s necessary, but I’ve been giving them a little more time than specified in the oven.
    The professional powder coater I used did my aluminum panels in brilliant sparkle silver. I determined (by getting a sample from them) that the specific color is from Tiger Drylac. Since I have other pieces I want to match, I decided I’d just order brilliant sparkle silver from them. Of course, the minimum order from Tiger is 5 lbs. That ought to be enough for a couple of lifetimes for the amount I’m doing. So I call them up to order and the customer service guy says “I’ll have the sales rep give you a call.” “Why can’t I just order from you?”, I asked. Apparently, they have their processes… Never did hear from the guy. My sense is that Tiger is not eager to sell to individuals rather than professional shops. Whatever. I found a sparkle silver from Easton that’s pretty darn close if not exact. Maybe you’ve had a similar experience?
    Over the weekend of Feb 4 and 5 I got the fuel pressure regulator in place. I posted another thread on that here: http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/showt...77-Will-it-fit
    I needed to get that done quickly in my mind, because the longer it takes there, the longer it will take to get the braided lines. I’m getting them from Mike Forte and he needed measurements. That’s a critical path item on the schedule. More photos:


    OK, here’s the schedule of coming attractions. Next up: get the e-brake cables finished to the handle connection point, then work on aluminum and Thermo-Tec. Since most everything is already drilled, I should be able to get the cockpit done in two weekends. I went with the Thermo-Tec based on Wareaglescott and Jazzman’s experience. I liked his fireplace experiment! If all goes according to plan, I can start wiring in March. That should mean I can get the engine back in place sometime in April. At least, that’s the plan for now.
    Mk IV Roadster - #8650 - delivered 7-17-2015 - first start 7-28-2018 - first go-kart 10-13-2018 - licensed and on the road 9-9-19: body/paint completed 3-17-2020.
    Complete kit / 2015 Coyote / TKO600 / IRS / Wilwood brakes / Mid-Shift mod / Power Steering / Heater and Seat Heaters / RT turn signal / Breeze radiator shroud and mount

  32. #32
    Senior Member wareaglescott's Avatar
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    Nice progress Al. I like your big updates all at once!
    In post 30 you show the picture of the engine mount spacer. In late summer last year FFR came out with a set of new engine mount spacers for the coyote. They actually sandwich between the engine mounts and now there is one for both sides. EdwardB has some good pictures in his build thread post 342. You may want to consider those prior to your final install.
    I did not use the spacer you have pictured and used the new ones. They made them after my kit but sent them to me. Other Coyote parts they made after my kit include the clutch position switch mounting brackets and the PCM mount. If you don't have those they are also worthwhile to get in my opinion.
    ... speaking of my rookie mistakes I once again found the importance of having that crane at full extension when I was installing my 4 post last week. Ended up having to set a heavy load down and reposition that thing again! You would think I would have learned the first time to operate at full extension when possible! haha
    MK4 #8900 - complete kit - Coyote, TKO600, IRS - Delivered 6/28/16 First Start 10/6/16 Go cart - 10/16/16 Build completed - 4/26/17 - 302 days to build my 302 CI Coyote Cobra - Registered and street legal 5/17/17
    Build Thread http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/showt...e-build-thread
    PHIL 4:13 INSTAGRAM - @scottsrides

  33. #33
    On a roll Al_C's Avatar
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    Scott, Thanks for the tip on the spacers. Now the manual makes sense. I mentioned that I couldn't find anything matching the picture in the Coyote manual - that's why! The manual shows the "new" style, which I don't have. Checked out Edwardb's post on that. At least I can get them in before the engine is installed...
    Mk IV Roadster - #8650 - delivered 7-17-2015 - first start 7-28-2018 - first go-kart 10-13-2018 - licensed and on the road 9-9-19: body/paint completed 3-17-2020.
    Complete kit / 2015 Coyote / TKO600 / IRS / Wilwood brakes / Mid-Shift mod / Power Steering / Heater and Seat Heaters / RT turn signal / Breeze radiator shroud and mount

  34. #34
    On a roll Al_C's Avatar
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    In our last episode, our hero was hard at work and had some grand plans on timing. For a guy with fixed price project management in his background, he ain’t doin’ so good.
    Believe it or not, the last update was 2 and a half months ago! What the heck you been doing, Al? Can’t blame it on your shoulder anymore. Let’s see: four weekends away with family and friends – I think I’ve had three weekends to spend on the build, not counting the family commitments and holidays. I’m not getting a lot of time to spend on the build, but I really can’t complain. So where are we? Let’s take it by topic:
    Brakes. I wasted more time than I care to think trying to deal with the reservoir lines. Consider that I wanted to separate my front and rear systems. That means that the adaptaflex line provided by the factory is too short. Also consider that adaptaflex has been discontinued, as far as I can determine, so it’s nearly impossible to find, unless I wanted to get a 100 foot roll. I found a guy at Carquest who made two lines for me with pressed hydraulic fittings. Too bad he made them incorrectly – they didn’t line up with the fittings and were too stiff to twist. So he remakes them and they’re too short. $96 later, I realize that this was a lousy idea to begin with. Those lines are hanging in the garage as yet another marker on my educational path. I spent way too much time on that little diversion! Solution: I found an auto parts store run by a couple of old guys (like me) who actually can solve problems or come up with parts that aren’t tied to a specific make and model! What a concept! OK. Next?
    e-brake: I read a fair amount on routing the cables. I decided to go the factory-route, and routed my cables under the four-inch tube. I assembled the handle and did a trial fit. Everything looks good. So far. I think I read something about possible contention with the cables and a safety hoop. Let’s hope that isn’t a problem in the making.
    Dashboard and gauges. I started screwing around with the dash mid-March. You may recall from my earlier rants that I’m doing a veneer and I was concerned about how the gauges would fit. I did another thread on that topic here:
    http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/showt...-Dashboard-fun
    For those who are don’t want to open another page, the issue was that there would be too much slop with the pre-cut dash holes fully opened up. The gauges won’t fit with the smaller openings, but if I open them to the full amount (scored), they’re loose. Typically, they have to be loose, as the vinyl fills in the gap. Well, with a veneer, there is no gap, as nothing is folded over.
    Remember the two old guys in the auto parts store? They came up with the perfect O-ring:

    Obviously, this will get moved; the photo was just a trial fit to ensure the o-ring was close to the right size. Now to figure out where to place the dash. More on that later.
    Wiring. Ugh. Let’s take a break for just a moment here. When I started this journey, I was debating between a small block and a Coyote. Hodgkins and Forte said “small block. No question.” Tony Zullo said “go with the Coyote. There’s no question.” My buddy Ken (the NSX guy) said “whatever you do, at least go with EFI.” The complicating factor is this: as GoDadGo has wisely concluded, things get complicated quickly when you go off the reservation. For him, that was going Chevy. For me, that was going Coyote. If you stick to a SBF, I’m convinced, everything falls into place, you don’t need to order additional parts, and the manual is gospel. Change something (i.e. not a SBF) and all bets are off. Well folks, at least twice a week I say to myself “what the **** were you thinking?!” Most of the time (but not always) I also add that I am privileged to have these problems. Really. How many people get to build a car? How many have the desire, patience and everything else that’s required? (not sure I’m all that patient, but I’m working through it) But who am I trying to kid? I am so far over my head it’s scary! I WILL get this done. OK, enough of the motivational self-talk. Back to the issue at hand. Check it out. There are not one, but two wiring harnesses for your ongoing entertainment. The ever-popular RF harness and the no less than daunting Coyote harness. I thought this would be a two-weekend deal. Wrong again, Mr. Confidence.
    I’m not sure why I continue to set deadlines (different than goals in my mind). Originally, the key date was to be June 1, when I wanted to be at go kart, but that’s out the window. The only way that would be possible would be to blow off work for the next three weeks. Not gonna happen. So as much as the impatient person in me wants this done, it will get done when it gets done. Whatever.
    Back to wiring. Here’s what we’re dealing with.


    Where does everything go?
    One decision made: I got the FFMetal battery box for the trunk. I’m pleased with that decision. It’s still sitting in the cardboard box.
    After staring at all these fun challenges for a while, I decided I had my research topics identified for Huntington Beach. I wrote down all my questions and listed my dependencies (yes, still thinking project management) so I’d be prepared for both David’s BBQ and the HB Cruise-In. Here they are:

    1. Location of coyote fuse box
    2. Harness with grommet goes thru firewall? Center?
    3. Bulk of RF and coyote harness behind firewall?
    4. Metco safety hoop: will I have contention with the e-brake cables?
    5. Location of wiring hole on inside DS footbox
    6. Position of dash side connections: examples?
    7. Transmission spacers on A-frame?
    8. Position of dash vertically?
    9. Mid-shift: cut or reinforce?
    10. Heater and coyote: plumbing for coolant?
    11. Breeze radiator shroud examples
    Dependencies:
    Amount of bend in dash and location - figure this out before doing the veneer and finishing the veneer; then do gauges.
    Size and location of hole in DS footbox for wiring – need this before I can finish the footbox and install thermo-mat.
    Location of coyote fusebox before I can run all the wires
    OK! I’m ready!
    Mk IV Roadster - #8650 - delivered 7-17-2015 - first start 7-28-2018 - first go-kart 10-13-2018 - licensed and on the road 9-9-19: body/paint completed 3-17-2020.
    Complete kit / 2015 Coyote / TKO600 / IRS / Wilwood brakes / Mid-Shift mod / Power Steering / Heater and Seat Heaters / RT turn signal / Breeze radiator shroud and mount

  35. #35
    On a roll Al_C's Avatar
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    April 28. The big weekend arrived. Nancy and I flew out west for the weekend and got to David and Lesa’s BBQ just as they were putting out all the goodies. Perfect timing, Al! Let’s watch the caloric intake, because I need to ensure I’m in good physical condition for hitting the street on Saturday!
    Friday evening was perfect. Nancy and I got into a good conversation with Pete (BigBlocker) and Mike and then Karen Salvaggio came by. They all patiently got to hear my story and Karen said, “I need to introduce you to some people.” Ten seconds later, Frank (Frankeeski) came by and we spent some quality time discussing my build. Frank, you are a saint! We talked through a whole host of issues, one of the biggest being dashboard placement. Nancy really appreciated Karen, too, because they both were teachers. It was a great evening.
    Saturday came along and I couldn’t wait to hit Main Street! Nancy was humoring me, but I HAD A MISSION! So, what did I get out of the cruise-in?
    1. For the dash, figure out where it goes by trial fitting the body. Never thought of that one. In my parochial way of thinking, the next time the body got friendly with the frame would be when it was mounted for the final time. Frank says “I’ll try the body on the frame four times or so in a build…”
    2. Mid-shift interference with the frame: the only time that will be an issue is if you have to drop the tranny. You know what? I think I’ll deal with that when the problem arises. Problem deferred if not solved.
    3. Wiring hole in DS footbox. See photo. This is the Edlebrock Mark IV. Very cool. More on this later.

    4. I saw the dashboard ends on the cut-away car.
    5. I saw the wiring routing through the trans tunnel
    6. Trans mount spacers. I had a great conversation with Mark (CDXXVII). Among other things, we talked about transmission spacers. His main point is that the trans needs to be parallel (plane-wise) with the IRS pumpkin. Not the same plane, but parallel. GoDadGo wrote up something on this not that long ago – I need to reference that again, too. Nevertheless, I need to fabricate my spacers as planned.
    7. Mark also suggested I get shims for the pumpkin from Mike Forte. Need to ask about that.
    8. Mark also suggested I look into the Russ Thompson steering shaft/turn signal switch. Good idea.
    9. I like Mario’s rearview mirror

    10. I wish I could remember the gentleman’s name, but I didn’t write it down. He and his son built a Coyote powered Mark IV and we talked through a bunch of items for 10 minutes or so. Mostly wiring. His point was: use as much of the Coyote harness as you can. Keep the RF harness for just what the Coyote system can’t address.
    11. There was a beautiful yellow GTM at the show. Mike owns it. Don’t ask me his last name or forum name. Didn’t ask him… We talked about his paint (House of Kolors “Ice” finish) and his build for a good 10 or 15 minutes. Then I said to him, “I have never sat in a GTM. May I sit in your car?” He agreed, and showed me how to get in and out. Now it was my turn. Oops. Can’t do it. I can’t believe it! I couldn’t get into his car! C’mon, I’m not that old. I’m still pretty flexible. But I couldn’t get in! Well, I guess I won’t tackle one of those anytime soon…
    12. I had taken a close look at the Edelbrock roadster earlier in the day, but now I saw the hood was down. I went over to Tony and asked if we could open it up again. I explained what my questions were: fuse box and heater plumbing. Tony was great!
    13. Tony recommended I put the coyote fuse box behind the firewall. How will I get to it, then? “Easy” he said. You just mount the dash on the tunnel supports and screw the ends in to the frame. Leave the top loose.” Hmmm – good idea. I like that. I thought I took a photo of that, but alas, I did not!
    14. How will I run the coolant hoses between the engine and the heater? “run one hose from the heater to the front of the driver’s side cylinder and run the other heater hose to the front of the passenger side cylinder.” Hmmm – not bad. It doesn’t look like I need any other valves or hoses specifically for that!
    Here are some other HB photos:


    It was a great weekend. Got to make a bunch of new friends and got a lot of answers! Now I just need to find some time to work on the build… Hopefully the next update will be soon.
    Mk IV Roadster - #8650 - delivered 7-17-2015 - first start 7-28-2018 - first go-kart 10-13-2018 - licensed and on the road 9-9-19: body/paint completed 3-17-2020.
    Complete kit / 2015 Coyote / TKO600 / IRS / Wilwood brakes / Mid-Shift mod / Power Steering / Heater and Seat Heaters / RT turn signal / Breeze radiator shroud and mount

  36. #36
    Senior Member wareaglescott's Avatar
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    Good update Al
    On the Metco loop I initially ran the Ebrake cables under the frame as the manual shows. When I went to install the loop I realized if I did the above frame mod they would clear the loop better. Another option would have been to bias the loop towards the drivers side some but I was more comfortable with the loop being centered. I would caution you to figure it out before you put the transmission in. I didn't decide to move the Ebrake lines until I got to the point of installing the loop. It was absolutely a pain in the rear to get the brake handle unbolted to redo with the transmission in position. Pics of the mod and its clearance to the loop in my thread.

    EdwardB did a great job laying all the coyote electrical components out. I followed his positions and everything worked great. His build thread has some great pics where he located everything.

    Transmission spacers - took 3/4" for me with the coyote/tko/irs. I made three 1/4" spacers and sandwiched them together so I had the ability to modify the width if need be. Ended up with perfect alignment. I copied EdwardB on these. He needed the same 3/4". Didn't use any shims on the IRS pumpkin. Pictures of the spacers in my thread as well.

    You may very well know this about the heater and the coyote but I did not until late in the game so I will mention it. (Assuming you used the FFR heater) With the Coyote setup the fluid has to be continuously circulating through the system. This is different than other engines in which the heater only has fluids running through it during operation. This requires you to install some extra components that don't come with the heater. I didn't figure this out until I had the engine installed and getting something mounted through the firewall at that point was going to be a challenge. I was on the fence on the heater anyways so at that point I decided against, removed what I had already installed and sold my heater. Decided to just go with seat heaters. With that being said I am not very educated on what it actually would have taken to get it plumbed correctly. I just know it was more that I was anticipating. I would suggest you look into that if you aren't aware.

    Glad to see the progress! Hope you get some more time upcoming to work on it!
    Last edited by wareaglescott; 05-02-2017 at 05:28 AM.
    MK4 #8900 - complete kit - Coyote, TKO600, IRS - Delivered 6/28/16 First Start 10/6/16 Go cart - 10/16/16 Build completed - 4/26/17 - 302 days to build my 302 CI Coyote Cobra - Registered and street legal 5/17/17
    Build Thread http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/showt...e-build-thread
    PHIL 4:13 INSTAGRAM - @scottsrides

  37. #37
    Senior Member edwardb's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by wareaglescott View Post
    EdwardB did a great job laying all the coyote electrical components out. I followed his positions and everything worked great. His build thread has some great pics where he located everything.

    Transmission spacers - took 3/4" for me with the coyote/tko/irs. I made three 1/4" spacers and sandwiched them together so I had the ability to modify the width if need be. Ended up with perfect alignment. I copied EdwardB on these. He needed the same 3/4". Didn't use any shims on the IRS pumpkin. Pictures of the spacers in my thread as well.
    Thanks for the shout out Scott. With the PDB on the front of the firewall and the PCM on the DS outside the hood 3/4-inch tubes (about the only place it can go given the lengths of cable off the engine) the Coyote harness pretty much falls into place. I honestly don't think it can go behind the firewall as Tony suggested. Unless maybe with the firewall forward mod, but I doubt this is what he was talking about. I can only guess this advice was maybe considering the previous Coyote version where the PDB is much smaller and putting it behind the dash was the usual practice. Even if you could jam it in there, I don't understand the trade-off of having things removable so it can be accessible. Once the engine and body is installed, the PDB on the firewall is certainly not an appearance issue (at least IMO) and it's open and accessible. The interface between the Coyote harness and the RF harness is also pretty straightforward. I would strongly suggest using the Coyote setup 100% for starting and cooling fan operation. This is a little different than the FF Coyote instructions. Details about this are in my build thread plus a spreadsheet with all the point-to-point wiring. Let me know if you have any questions.

    With the FF engine mount spacers and Energy mounts and TKO trans, a 3/4-inch transmission spacer seems to be about the norm. Of course check yours, but I suspect that will be about right. I don't understand the comments about the IRS spacers. I suspect that's again a throwback to the previous version. The T-Bird based IRS has horizontal mounts on the front that could take spacers. That's not the case with the newer 2015+ Mustang based IRS. There are four bolts for the mounting ears, and they'll only go in one position.

    FWIW, and to maybe help you feel better about your Coyote vs. SBF choice, I've had both. I thought my carb'd SBF's ran great. After they were dialed in which in both cases wasn't a small task. Thought about going to EFI with both at one time or another, but that's not a sure thing either. The Coyote runs perfectly out of the box. Each time I start and drive it I'm amazed. Get through the wiring and I think you'll find you made the right choice.
    Last edited by edwardb; 05-02-2017 at 05:55 AM.
    Build 1: Mk3 Roadster #5125. Sold 11/08/2014. Build 2: Mk4 Roadster #7750. Sold 04/10/2017. Build Thread
    Build 3: Mk4 Roadster 20th Anniversary #8674. Sold 09/07/2020. Build Thread and Video. Build 4: Gen 3 Type 65 Coupe #59. Gen 3 Coyote. Legal 03/04/2020. Build Thread and Video
    Build 5: 35 Hot Rod Truck #138. LS3 and 4L65E auto. Rcvd 01/05/2021. Legal 04/20/2023. Build Thread. Sold 11/9/2023.

  38. #38
    On a roll Al_C's Avatar
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    OK, the interval between updates is not getting any shorter. Last one was May 1. This one is July 11. Hmmm. Nope, no closer. Whatever. You already know about my time constraints. I’ve gotten over that. Let’s move on.

    First order of business: what I did when I got back from HB: I mounted the PCM.



    That was a feeling of accomplishment! There’s part of the wiring in place! FFR made up some new, modified PCM brackets; Dan sent me one and it fits perfectly. Check that off. Next up: the power distribution box. Hmmm. I have to make a pretty big hole in the firewall for this part. No problem. That only involved one trip to the hardware store. (didn’t have a 2” hole saw hanging around…) I toyed with the best way to mount the box to the frame and finally decided to drill all the way through the 2” tube and put bolts all the way through. That worked out pretty well. That box is not going anywhere anytime soon.



    I finally got the brake reservoirs mounted. They were waiting on final placement depending on how I was going to run the lines. Little by little, things are moving along!



    After the reservoirs were in place, I was able to run the front wiring harness. That went in pretty easily.





    The Metco hoop arrived. It’s a nice piece. Well made and easy to install. Doesn’t look like there will be any interference with the e-brake cables. We’ll see, but I feel pretty good about that.



    Mk IV Roadster - #8650 - delivered 7-17-2015 - first start 7-28-2018 - first go-kart 10-13-2018 - licensed and on the road 9-9-19: body/paint completed 3-17-2020.
    Complete kit / 2015 Coyote / TKO600 / IRS / Wilwood brakes / Mid-Shift mod / Power Steering / Heater and Seat Heaters / RT turn signal / Breeze radiator shroud and mount

  39. #39
    On a roll Al_C's Avatar
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    I learned a lot about the Russ Thompson turn signal while I was at HB. Russ and I had a good conversation on the phone and I sent him my steering wheel hub to finish off. We both knew it was going to be a while, but I knew I was going to be unavailable most of June, so it wasn’t an issue.



    Speaking of June, we did a little excursion to Italy. I’ll spare the details here, but these two photos are kind of fun:



    We traveled through Barolo country, just outside Alba in Italy. Alba is in the Piedmonte region. It has nothing to do with cars, other than this photo was taken from one. But, for those of you who enjoy red wine: here they are. Vineyards as far as the eye can see. From first-hand experience, Italian wine is very, very good.
    We also spent some time in Lucca, in the Tuscany region. One day, walking to the train station, I spotted this Citroen. It pretty much demanded that I take a photo. Here it is!



    During these past weeks, I’ve been going through Coyote and wiring documentation. It’s starting to make sense. A lot of my friends keep telling me it’s all “plug and play”. I’m getting closer to believing that, but I’m still not quite there. What I am learning is that I can’t just review the instructions, look at the picture and do it. It takes a little more study than that. The impatient part of me is having a problem with that (see above noted time constraints), but the rational part of me is stressing that I take my time and actually try to do it right! So far, rational Al is winning. Sort of.

    There were two critical path items that have been bugging me since April. Or before. Yes, definitely before. One was the fuel lines going in to the fuel pressure regulator. That Aeromotive part has been patiently waiting for lines to be attached. Why the delay? No sense worrying about that.

    I decided at the outset, or at least when I started way back when I put in the fuel tank, that I was going to go with FFR sized lines. 5/16 for the feed and ¼ for the return. Studies have been done, it’s been published on this forum – a 5/16 feed line will support the needs of the Coyote. So I ran the lines, got all the connections right from the tank to the hard lines and then just needed to connect to the pressure regulator. I ordered my parts last January. Mike Forte made some terrific braided lines for the regulator. Getting the right size hard line to AN connectors was a pain, but finally, everything is connected. Hard line to braided line to fuel pressure regulator. I should probably secure these in some manner, but I’m not sure there’s going to be a lot of vibration on the frame side. (I’m sure someone will have an opinion)
    The second critical path item was cutting the DS footbox so I could get the rear harness installed. There were several items dependent on that task. I had to run the rear harness, I couldn’t finish off the inside wall of the footbox without the hole, I needed to understand how big to make the hole and I needed a grommet that would fit.

    Once the wiring was laid out, I went in search of how to get through the footbox. I knew where I wanted to run it, so I had the option of either cutting in from the edge (which would allow for a smaller hole, or making a hole large enough for the plastic connectors to fit through. I found a second grommet in the Coyote controls pack bag. Actually, that wasn’t an original idea, Straversi did this too! I already had one grommet on the harness itself. Apparently this grommet was for a second hole in the firewall for the power connections. Once I confirmed I didn’t need a second hole, my decision was made. Cut the hole, installed the harness, stuck on the thermo-pak and finished up the footbox. Sounds easy, right? That took most of the afternoon… I know what you’re thinking: way too anal.



    My FFMetal battery box arrived and aged a few weeks in the garage before I even thought about putting it in. Now would probably be a good time. In it went. Bill has a good product there – it fits well out of the box (just minor adjustments) and the instructions are pretty straightforward. Now I know where my rear wires will go.



    Mk IV Roadster - #8650 - delivered 7-17-2015 - first start 7-28-2018 - first go-kart 10-13-2018 - licensed and on the road 9-9-19: body/paint completed 3-17-2020.
    Complete kit / 2015 Coyote / TKO600 / IRS / Wilwood brakes / Mid-Shift mod / Power Steering / Heater and Seat Heaters / RT turn signal / Breeze radiator shroud and mount

  40. #40
    On a roll Al_C's Avatar
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    Almost forgot. Frankeeski told me that the best way to line up the dashboard vertically is to put the gauges in the dash, trial fit the body and see where everything goes. The dash, with gauges, but no switches, is temporarily clamped and ready for a body fit! As a side benefit to having the body on, I’m thinking about trial fitting the in-line fuse. Typically, this box



    would go behind the dash. That’s about a four foot run from the battery. Even the Ford instructions say install it within a foot of the battery. I’m thinking of mounting it on a trunk sidewall, but want to check accessibility. Yup, let’s get the body on. Opinions on this are welcome, too.

    Next up: get the coyote where it belongs. Mr. Impatient wants this done and out of the way. I have to move the engine on the dolly just to get at my tool box. Mr. Rational has been doing his best to delay this little job. I think we’re ready. I’ve taken care of just about everything in the engine bay that will be inaccessible afterwards. I got rid of the small crane and got one that should work (2 ton). The only things I haven’t done in preparation are installing mounts on the block and oil/water senders. The headers, mounts and transmission spacers are good to go. My engine stand is in the way of the header and sender spots, but my buddy Dan and I agree that we can deal with those things when the engine is on the lift. Sunday is the day. I’ll probably have three guys helping. That should be more than enough.

    As I write this, I’m thinking “hey wait, you don’t have much to deal with on Saturday. Why not trial fit the body then?” A good idea, but is it too optimistic? (Yes…) We’ll see. Maybe we’ll get another update next week!
    Mk IV Roadster - #8650 - delivered 7-17-2015 - first start 7-28-2018 - first go-kart 10-13-2018 - licensed and on the road 9-9-19: body/paint completed 3-17-2020.
    Complete kit / 2015 Coyote / TKO600 / IRS / Wilwood brakes / Mid-Shift mod / Power Steering / Heater and Seat Heaters / RT turn signal / Breeze radiator shroud and mount

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