Junbug's Colorado Mk IV Coyote/TKX Build Thread: First Go-Cart!

[Junbug]

Spent the last week tinkering and building my fuel lines. I posted separately a few questions I had but once I got the hang of what to do things went smoothly. Installed the fuel level sending unit, the fuel tank vent and temporarily fit the fuel pump hanger. I also received the first batch of my powder coating back. I dry fitted and cleco'ed everything in place as I finalize a few other details. I was surprised at how everything went back together quite well. Just a bit of bending, pressing and paying attention to the joints so I know what order to assemble things when caulking and riveting. Next steps will be to caulk and rivet the panels in place. I'm really glad I went with the matte black PC, I think it looks great. I'm just trying to decide if I go with the aluminum rivets as a contrasting color or buy black rivets that John suggests above.

[Junbug]

I've been busy with life but got plenty of work done over the last few weeks. Completed my fuel lines and tested them successfully. Received a few more POL/MIK parts from FFR and finally received my certificate of origin and serial number plate.
As of this weekend I was able to caulk and rivet the PS footbox as well as most of the DS footbox (bottom, engine side and front). I'm leaving the top and side off the drivers side to allow access as needed in the future. Additionally I was able to complete the seat heater installation into my seats. I used the DAP Weldwood contact cement and it went well. Just make sure you allow it to sit for a while ~15 mins before you stick things together. I also stacked a few heavy boxes on them once complete to keep everything in place while I worked on other things.

Also finished caulking and riveting the firewall.

This is feeling more like a car again!
Next steps will be to finish the hard rear brake line (I went through the inside of the DS footbox, right behind the Coyote accelerator pedal mount), and mount the fuel lines. Once these are complete I'll close up the cockpit and trans-tunnel sides. Then on to wiring. Not something I'm looking forward to but I started laying things out and it appears pretty straight forward (famous last words!).
I find myself getting caught up in one task then forgetting what other task I actually started. Building my own spreadsheet with as many tasks as I can find, and working to keep myself on track!

[Junbug]

Its been a few weeks of travel for work and family. Finished up adding the fuel pump to the fuel tank as well as mounting the fuel filler pipe. All went in relatively straightforward though the fuel filter on the end of the fuel pump popped off a few times resulting in some fun methods of fishing it out. Please let me know if anything looks awry! I took the pic through the fuel filler hole, which not having it installed/mounted was very helpful.

I also trimmed each of the master cylinders by about 1/2" and remounted them with no problem. Additionally I pulled out my RT turn signal, then marked and drilled for its mounting. No issues there, but I'd appreciate any advice if something seems out of place. I also used the temporary mounting of the steering shaft to measure and mark the holes I need to cut in my CF dash. Might do that tomorrow, but its been snowing and cold again here in CO and I don't really want to cut the CF outside if its windy.

Also looking for some advice regarding mounting of the radiator with the breeze upper, lower and fan shroud. I believe both of the 1"x1" tabs need to be cut off? Can anyone confirm that?

Lastly, I pulled the trigger and got the gear and materials to powder coat small pieces. Special thanks to those that have also done it themselves, Jessie, AKA Blitzboy54, was very helpful. I did a few test pieces and so far I have no complaints. Its pretty straight forward and something easy to have going on in the background while working on other elements of the car.

[460.465USMC]

Hi Bryan. Welcome to powder coating. It's so handy to be able to do the small pieces in your own garage. Looking good.

Yes, those 3/4" brackets need to be removed for the Breeze upper radiator mount.

[Junbug]

Another busy day today alternating between powder coating parts and working on the car. Got around to installing the E-brake cables on the rear wilwoods. Pretty straight forward, and I forgot to take a pic. Otherwise I was busy drilling and tapping holes for the fuel line mounts. I like how they ended up. They aren't fixed and the lines can move but the clamps stay firmly in place. I'm still waiting for my fuel filter from Summit, and it's shipped and should arrive in the next few days. Fuel line routing pics below. Let me know if you see any egregious mistakes.





I have a few more of the hose clamps and will add one to the PS footbox once I mount the pressure regulator on the firewall.

[Blitzboy54]

Great job on the PC! It’s really rewarding. I needed up PC all kinds of stuff that didn’t need it just because it was fun. Like tools and thing laying around the house.


I really like the black panels with the silver rivets. The contrast looks great.

[Junbug]

Got caught up on a lot of small things this week and made some good progress. Started with finalizing the routing for my rear hard brake lines through the DS footbox. Similar route others have taken in the past, no need for more grainy pictures. I did add grommets to each of the 1/2" holes I drilled to both center the brake line as well as keep it away from rubbing the steel and aluminum edges. In addition to finishing the routing, I started riveting in the cushioned mounts to keep the brake line in place. Once i finished that, i started to connect all the brake fittings. Starting at the master cylinders and working to the wheels, I replaced the cleco's holding my cushioned clamps in place with rivets. Once at the wheels I connected the stainless steel flex lines to the wilwood hard/soft adapters and snugged everything up. As others recommended i put just a dab of brake fluid at each of the joints to help the flares seat together. If something looks off, please point it out (aside from my rear springs that have the FFR writing upside down). BTW I didn't connect both the front DS and PS side brake lines as others have mentioned the way I have them bent may interfere when I drop the engine in. So bleeding the brakes may be a bit of a wait.

Next I installed the emergency/parking brake lines. That was pretty straightforward and I got to mount a few of the pieces I powder coated last weekend. As far as the routing of the e-brake cables, are the good to just lay where they are, or do some lift them up and hold them off the rear diff with cushioned clamps? Maybe where I have the yellow arrows pointing? Just a thought but I haven't seen other options...

Now that I've installed both my fuel lines and my rear brake lines, I decided I could complete the cockpit aluminum. I installed both the passenger side as well as the drivers side. Installation was pretty straightforward. I dry fit a few times, made a few minor adjustments then put down my clear silicone, dropped in the aluminum and then cleco'ed in a a few places as I riveted everything in place. I plan to do something others have done with the top of the transmission tunnel, but I haven't' decided yet...

[460.465USMC]

As far as the routing of the e-brake cables, are the good to just lay where they are, or do some lift them up and hold them off the rear diff with cushioned clamps? Maybe where I have the yellow arrows pointing? Just a thought but I haven't seen other options...

Hi Bryan,

I didn't want the e-brake cables loose, so I secured them close to the area you noted above, but down a bit on the diagonal.

[Junbug]

Thanks Chris! I appreciate the feedback and the picture. I didn’t like how they just flop around. A few nice cushioned clamps like you used will be helpful. Thanks again
-Bryan

[Junbug]

So its been a few weeks of work and family travel but I've been making slow and steady progress on my punch list of minor things that needed to be addressed. The first thing was that the coyote accelerator pedal was touching the side of the cockpit aluminum. I pulled the pedal off and as recommended on a few other threads made a small channel and did a bit of sanding that moved the top right hand side of the accelerator pedal away from the cockpit wall by about 1/2".

Next was designing and cutting out all the holes for my gauges. This took the better part of an afternoon, but templates, blue painters tape and a dremmel with a cutoff wheel and a sanding drum made things pretty easy. I just went slow, with plenty of protective gear (respirator, eye protection and long sleeves/pants). I prefer this layout, and regardless of whether i like it in the long run or not, its what I've got!

I also finished powder coating a bunch of other small parts, and was able to mount the hydraulic reservoirs for my brakes. The tops of the reservoirs sit about level with the 3/4" bar, so they should clear the hood no problem.

I also modified the bracket that came with my aeromotive fuel pressure regulator. The bracket is a 90 degree bend and bolts to the bottom of the regulator. I took it off and gently used a hammer and bent the piece flat. Once mounted to the bottom side of the 2"x2" at the base of the upper firewall, it stands off the firewall and leaves a 1.5" gap that allows the coyote engine wiring harness to run over to the PS footbox and on into the PS engine compartment. Many variations of the similar modifications out there. The fuel lines are just hooked up so I know how much slack I have. I won't hook them up completely until the engine is in.

Lastly I realized that FF sent me the accessories for a hydraulic clutch, where I am using a cable. Thus the part to actuate the coyote clutch safety switch wouldn't work, as delivered. I ended up taking what they sent and modifying it to fit my needs. Just a bit of trimming and sanding (wish I had a bench grinder) and I think I solved the problem. Plenty of adjusting still needed on the clutch safety switch's final location but its adjustable and I won't touch it again until the engine and clutch cable is installed. Based on others recommendations I plan to get a genuine Ford clutch cable. I understand its a "must do" for both ease of use and reliability.

Next big steps are wrapping up everything in the trunk area so I can install the drop trunk, trunk aluminum and then the rear cockpit wall. Once done with that, I'll be moving on to lots of prep work to spray the Lizardskin heat and sound insulation. I plan to spray both in the cockpit and only the sound insulation in the interior trunk area.

[Junbug]

So its been about a month but I've been busy and took some vacation time in Europe. While there we took advantage of being able to tour a few car museums, and stopped by Porsche and Mercedes in Stuttgart as well as BMW in Munich. Got a lot of inspiration from some of the colors out there... a few select pics below before I get into the latest project on my Cobra.

One of the first BMW coupes... I like the matte grey color.

A bit more modern BMW... Formula E car. The wheels are surprisingly thin (not very wide adds efficiency)

Outside the Porsche factory... why not put cars on huge piece of artwork!

Porsche 918 Spyder study one of one. I really like this grey color...

Next Gen all electric Porsche race car... That said, Porsche does have a stated mission to save the internal combustion engine!

Pretty sweet toy hauler! Also liking this grey color....

I really like this matte grey color.... not sure how it will look on a cobra, but I haven't seen many Matte Grey's out there...

[Junbug]

And now to the work on the Cobra. Spent a few days prepping for LizardSkin (LS) sound and heat insulation. Lots of tidying things up and about a day of prepping with tape, paper (save the paper that comes from FFR with all your parts!). I'd say I spent probably another half-day prepping the aluminum and exposed powder coated surfaces getting them ready for the LS. I ended up using a combination of my cordless power drill with a wire brush, and a circular disc sander that mounts on to my same cordless power drill. As you can see, I didn't put the drop trunk and lower trunk in yet. I plan to add those later, and I wanted to be able to access the rear harness after I complete the LS spraying. I know I'll have to drop the fuel tank, which you have to regardless, when you're installing the drop trunk. I plan to install those and spray again with the LS sound insulation (no heat insulation needed in the trunk).




You'll probably see some of the Dynaflex Extreme latex I used to fill gaps... No problem with the LS not sticking to it as they're both latex.

[Junbug]

And after pics.... I just sprayed the LS sound insulation. Man is that stuff thick. I ended up having to mix it each time I had to refill the spray cup otherwise it was coming out in large splatters and not smooth.




On to the ceramic insulation tomorrow afternoon, giving the sound insulation 24 hrs to cure/dry per the instructions. Per advice from the others that have also sprayed the LS... In a few places I placed two pieces of tape, that I plan to pull off in between sound and heat insulation. Advice is that with both sprayed on, its too heavy/thick and the tape doesn't come off easy.

[460.465USMC]

Thanks for the cool pictures from your BMW/Porsche tour, Bryan. Looked like a great time.

I bet you'll be happy with your LS choice. Looks like a quality product. Congrats on being almost done with it...lots of work in the prep and application.

[JohnK]

Thanks for the photos from the BMW/Porsche/Mercedes museums. That's pretty cool that you were able to visit them! Definitely on my bucket list.

Nice work on the LS. It turned out great. It's a lot of work to prep and spray but I agree with Chris, you'll be happy with the final outcome. It's a good product.

[Junbug]

Spent the last few weeks working on laying out the wiring/power system as well as catching up on small details here and there. Below is a pic of the latest progress.

Battery/power wiring is 90% done, cuttoff and PDB fuse is in with 4 gauge connections. All the FFR and Coyote harnesses are installed, excluding the engine harness as that is connected to the engine. Going from left to right across the dash: Alternator and Starter harness (part of the main harness behind the dash), Coyote harness (the line running left goes to the main Coyote computer, below that you can see the power cutoff switch (wired like EdwardB and JohnK), next to the cutoff is the main PDB fuse, above that is the Coyote fuse box (PDB), to the right of that is the rear harness, sending unit harness and the 4 gauge lead that will go to my power bus bar in the cockpit.

The other side of the dash looks like this.

Lots still to do! I have the rear harness hooked up, the sending unit installed as is (may add the Coyote provided oil pressures and water temp wires to that harness).
You can see the 4 gauge lead just hanging out until I get my power bus bar installed.
I'm still working on final locations for the Headlight switch, ignition (key) and the inertia switch.
I have a self imposed deadline to get my engine in before my son heads off to school at the end of this month. Next few steps are focused on prepping to accomplish that goal.
1. Get tires installed on wheels, and get them on the car so the car can be mobile (ie. off the dolly)
2. Get wiring completed enough to install engine
3. Install PS system on engine
4. Install starter on engine
5. Install oil temp and water temp senders on engine

I'm hoping those will be all I need to do before dropping the engine in. Then I'll have about 9 weeks before my son is back to continue electrical, install the cooling system, bleed and test the brake system, and hopefully fuel up (only a few gallons) for a first start before the end of October!

[Junbug]

So we made a good amount of progress getting ready to install the engine in the last week.
We installed the KRC PS pump, belt and tank. No issues to report... pretty straight forward and the instructions are spot on. We also pulled all of the header pins to get ready for installing the headers. Many will fit as is, but many location are too tight to use the pins.


Next we worked on installing the oil temp and water temp senders. Also fairly straight forward, but also a bit unnerving tightening brass into brass and brass into the engine. Some of the angles needed for the sensors make "one more" turn to get it oriented at the right angle so they don't interfere with one another had our nerves on edge. In the pic below it looks like they will interfere with one another but its just an odd angle. They clear one another, and the sending cable easily.

We also learned that with Mike Forte's engine stand, there isn't room to install the starter. We added it to the very short list of things to do once the engine is in the air... or once its installed... Any tips/advice would be appreciated. You can see where the legs of the engine stand interfere with where the starter needs to be.

Additionally in the photo above you can see Mike Forte's engine lift brackets. As many have pointed out, they are fine for moving the engine around but will interfere with installing the headers while you're installing the engine. So we ordered coyote engine lift brackets from TD Motion. Below is a pic of them installed with arrows pointing to them.

Also, i finally pulled the trigger on buying tires. Got them installed today! Stacked and ready to mount later this week. I also purchased some wheel dollys to help move the car when installing the engine. Most likely for both the front and back wheels, but I'll likely have the back end higher in the air on jack stands to get the transmission in at the right angle. We'll see how it goes!

They really look good in the sun, unfortunately it wasn't sunny out today but here they are outside.

[460.465USMC]

We also learned that with Mike Forte's engine stand, there isn't room to install the starter. We added it to the very short list of things to do once the engine is in the air... or once its installed... Any tips/advice would be appreciated. You can see where the legs of the engine stand interfere with where the starter needs to be.

Additionally in the photo above you can see Mike Forte's engine lift brackets. As many have pointed out, they are fine for moving the engine around but will interfere with installing the headers while you're installing the engine. So we ordered coyote engine lift brackets from TD Motion. Below is a pic of them installed with arrows pointing to them.

Things are coming together, Bryan. Looking good.

I had the same issue with getting the starter installed with Forte's "engine stand". Inspired by Edwardb, I made this in lieu of an engine stand (I don't have one), so I could install the starter, etc. And, X2 on replacing Forte's engine lift brackets.

[JohnK]

Hey Bryan. Nice progress! JFYI - there's plenty of room to install the starter once the engine is installed. The passenger side of the engine has a plenty of space. It's only the drivers side that's super-cramped.

[Junbug]

And today we mounted the wheels and got her on the ground, well on to wheel dollies so we can move her around!

[Junbug]

Today was engine install day! Everything went relatively smooth and installing the coyote was pretty much as expected. A local Colorado builder lent me a 2T lift and engine leveler. (danmas). And Papa offered his as well, though Dan was a bit closer.

The overall process was pretty straight forward. One key, as shared by mmklaxer, make sure your engine (coyote) is level. Whether you're using chains, an engine leveler, or rubber bands... make sure its level (horizontally from side to side). This becomes key as you're lowering the engine into its final position. If you start tilted to the DS or PS side, it will make it very difficult to get the engine to drop into its final position evenly. Thanks to all others that shared tips, the entire engine install process took my 17 year old son and I about 2.5 hours, including bolting on the headers. The headers themselves took us around 1.5 hrs. We took our time as this was our first time putting any engine in.



Installing the headers wasn't fun, but it wasn't impossible either. We have the FFR coyote headers and I purchased socket head screws based on the advice of others and it went relatively smoothly. Like I said above, it took us about 1.5 hrs to get the gasket and all header bolts installed and torqued. When I say torqued, about 4-5 per side are accessible with a torque wrench/extension combo. The others were torqued via my "calibrated" right arm.
There are likely more details to share, but it went much smoother than I thought, being my first time. Of course our pup needed to get into the pics as she likes to be around us when we're wrenching in the garage, and I stuck a few of Mike Forte's head stickers on her for show...

[Junbug]

Just for fun I took a few pics of the "clearance" on the DS and PS of the engine bay with the coyote installed. As you can see below, the passenger side has a massive 1" of space between the top of the head and the PS footbox. It does get wider as you go down the head/footbox.

And here you can see the gap on the DS. This pic is looking from front to back at the gap between the head and the DS footbox. My ruler is pressed against the front of the DS footbox.

[460.465USMC]

Congrats, Bryan. Great work! As you experienced first hand, it is a tight fit indeed. This first timer looked in disbelief beforehand thinking there's no way it's going to fit. Then looked in disbelief afterward and amazed at the shoehorn fit.

How many young men your son's age can say they installed a motor? Not your average Saturday afternoon. I'm excited for you guys. Thanks for sharing the pics.

[Junbug]

So we got a bit more done this weekend. Started connecting all the vacuum tubes, vents and plugs on the front of the engine. That culminated in a test placement of the air filter, MAF sensor body and throttle body intake. It was a tight fit, and I was surprised at how far you have to push the air filter over the aluminum tube that holds the MAF sensor... I guess it fits with about 2"-3" of the air filter sliding over the aluminum MAF tube.


Also followed the instructions for installing the heater bypass hose/tube along with the flow reducer. Seems pretty straight forward but I may place a hose clamp over the outside of the reducer to make sure it stays in place. My finger is pointing at the location of the reducer in the second pic.


I also finished up my power, at least from my master cutoff to the battery, including the starter and engine ground. Gave me some fits and starts but in the end it worked out fine. I may still move a few of the ground cables around but they all have good solid connections to the frame (with he PC removed and dielectric grease on all contacts).

[Junbug]

Slow and steady progress toward first start. I've been making small steps on both dash and main harness electrical. Largely identifying and marking everything, identifying differences between the manual and the coyote guide and routing everything 3 or 4 times before deciding on a final (for now) location. Assembled the radiator, fan and Breeze fan shroud today. I didn't like how the fan shroud just sat on the radiator, specifically along the vertical edges. I happened to have a few extra feet of 1/4" rubber u-shaped edging that I bought to use on my radiator cover edges. I ended up putting it on the vertical edges of the fan shroud and i'm pretty happy with how it turned out.

I also started working on my coolant expansion tank location. I ironed out most of the routing and spacing for the coolant hoses and ended up in this location. It's been done by many others on the forum so nothing exciting or groundbreaking here.

It was fun fabricating the mounting bracket, which took much longer than I anticipated, but in the end is one of the rewarding things of doing these builds. Its hidden and won't ever be seen by anyone but me, but it was enjoyable to fabricate, shape and finish something. The height also seems to be on par with others. I ended up going with the UPR tank based on Frank's (i.e. 427) recent positive experience with one. It's a very high quality build, comes with a nice radiator cap and is a good amount cheaper than the Moroso tank available. I can't compare the two side by side, but it is high quality and identical in dimensions and connections/outlets.

Here is a pic of both the radiator and the expansion tank mocked up where they'll get mounted for final later (after I finish my power steering lines). Right now its mocked up at 51 degrees off vertical and I plan to use the FFR provided radiator surrounds. I will install the Breeze lower radiator mount tomorrow.

[Junbug]

So today I finished up the expansion tank bracket as well as the support bracket that will be fixed between the radiator fan shroud and the bottom of the expansion tank.
View from the bottom. Secured in place with 4 3/16th rivets... the bracket is made from .090" aluminum that I had on hand. Very sturdy and I didn't see any cracks or fissures where I was bending it.


Here is the small tab I created. 1/8" by 3/4" steel that I elected to spray paint with a rustoleum black. Its drying now for final fitment once I iron out my power steering cable routing.


As you may be able to see, I tapped the two holes with 8/32" threads that will secure to the u-shaped bracket in the bottom of the expansion tank. The four holes on the other end will secure the bracket to the top of the breeze radiator shroud. It fits very securely.
One note. If/as you do this, be aware of how both the bracket holding up the tank fits at the front of the 3/4" cross bar. If you leave it to long, or if you raise the breeze hinge to high, the bracket can stick out and bind the breeze hinge. You just need to drop the hinge a bit, look from the side/back to ensure it can rotate freely. This could cause problems later as you angle your radiator.

[Junbug]

So I had a busy few weeks but I've been able to dedicate a good 1/2 day every weekend to the car. Still have a goal of the first start in mid-October.

For starters, I learned that I don't need this speed sensor connector coming off the rear harness. As I have the Vintage gauges and they're fed by the GPS antenna, I cut the wires, taped them off, put shrink wrap on them and tucked them back into the loom.

I also made some solid progress on the cooling system. In my last post you can see the coolant expansion tank, the two brackets I created and then installed. Next I installed the Breeze upper, lower radiator mounts and the radiator shroud. All pretty straight forward though with many temp installs and adjustments to make sure all the brackets fit well and I could maintain the 51 degree radiator angle. Its starting to look like a car! Or at least has all the pieces visible that together make a car!

Here are a few more detailed photos of the radiator and expansion tank hose connections. I ended up buying the Mishimoto silicone ancillary coolant hose kit. Everything fit perfectly on the expansion tank and to both the engine and the radiator. Kit comes with three hoses: one to connect the bottom of the expansion tank to the engine, one connecting the steam overflow from the engine to the top of the expansion tank, and one connecting the top right (DS) of the radiator to the expansion tank (including the built in reducer). All hoses come with hose clamps as well. Great kit.

For the lower radiator hose, I used the kit provided hose and cut about 1" off the top where it connects to the lower coolant output on the engine. I trimmed just enough to make sure it cleared the steering shaft and my brake line. I searched a lot of threads and asked fellow builders about the best routing for this lower hose, and through trial and error, I ended up finding it fit best, with fewest kinks or twisting of the hose, running it over the X-brace and down the front of the PS rack.


I plan to purchase the Gates power grip hose clamps for the two large hoses, the others I'll use the Mishimoto provided hose clamps. Those should all go on in the next week or so.
For the top hose, I purchased a Motorcraft (KM5114) hose from Amazon. I understand this hose is for a ford F-150, but works perfect for this application. The end connecting to the coyote has a Ford designed wire snap connector designed to mate to the Coyote. One adjustment many others have also made is to cut another small notch in the outer ring, allowing you to rotate the hose and hard plastic upper joint about 15-20 degrees away from the PS belt. Very simple to do and the hose locks in place perfectly. Disregard my PS pressure lines... they're in place but I"m still fabricating a bracket to hold them in place away from the fan shroud and the radiator hoses.

Below is a top down pic of all the hoses connected, but no clamps tightened.

[Junbug]

I also discovered this connector on the Tremec TKX isn't needed/necessary. Not sure what its intended for, but others have recommended to just leave it along for the ride...

Additionally I spent some time daisy chaining my dash gauges together and getting a successful test done! Unfortunately, neither FFR or Speedhut send the daisy chain connecting wires that the instructions say to use. I took some liberties with figuring out the best way to wire the gauges, but it works for now!
The gauge dash wiring isn't finished, or secured but the Molex Mini-Fit connectors were great for getting this done. There is a learning curve to getting the wires and pins connected. I do recommend getting (or borrowing) a Molex connector crimping tool. They are very pricey but its even better when a neighbor has one they're willing to loan out!

Disregard the blue painters tape that makes the gauges look purple... I'm trying to keep the chrome bezels from getting scratched as I work on the dash and gauges

[Jryasko]

Nice work. Couple of suggestions, that lower rad hose connected to the engine will swell when you run it and it gets hot and be up against that steering shaft, might have to trim off more where it connects to the engine. Not sure why all the washers on bellhousing bolts, you may want to get correct length bolts to install. Turn that MAF adapter tube so the sensor faces the front of the car. Just a couple things I have run into on my build.

[Junbug]

Nice work. Couple of suggestions, that lower rad hose connected to the engine will swell when you run it and it gets hot and be up against that steering shaft, might have to trim off more where it connects to the engine. Not sure why all the washers on bellhousing bolts, you may want to get correct length bolts to install. Turn that MAF adapter tube so the sensor faces the front of the car. Just a couple things I have run into on my build.

Thanks for the tips! The bellhousing bolts came like that from Mike Forte. I trust he did it for a reason, and now its buried inside the car... I"ll leave it for now. I'll take a bit more off the lower radiator hose... it clears the steering shaft by a finger but I'll trust your experience regarding the swelling. The MAF adapter tube should be facing the right directions, per the build manual and others... I've often been confused as to what way the sensor should face.
Thanks!

[JohnK]

The MAF adapter tube should be facing the right directions, per the build manual and others... I've often been confused as to what way the sensor should face.
Thanks!

One reason that MAF orientation can be confusing is because it is different for the Gen 2 vs Gen 3 coyote. For the Gen 2 engine the MAF should be pointed away from the engine whereas on the Gen3 it should be pointed toward the engine like you have it.

[edwardb]

One reason that MAF orientation can be confusing is because it is different for the Gen 2 vs Gen 3 coyote. For the Gen 2 engine the MAF should be pointed away from the engine whereas on the Gen3 it should be pointed toward the engine like you have it.

Sure about that? I've done both Gen 2 and Gen 3 Coyote builds and in my experience they're both the same. In both cases (no reason for them to be different) the sensor responds to the amount of air flowing through the intake tube and into the throttle body. The open end of the sensor (the part that is in the airflow) must be pointed toward the air cleaner. The engine will typically start but almost immediately shut back off if the MAF is backwards and the PCM doesn't get the proper MAF signal.

[JohnK]

I'm only as sure as the FFR instructions, which to say, not very sure. However, the FFR Gen 2 coyote install instructions state on page 56:

"Adjust the Mass air meter so that the mass air plug is on the far side as the Ford Performance instructions recommend."

Whereas the FFR Gen 3 coyote install instructions state on page 71:

"Adjust the Mass air meter so that the mass air plug is on the side close to the engine as the Ford Performance instructions recommend."

All that said, I agree with you that the important thing is for the opening of the MAF to be pointed toward the air cleaner. I'm not sure why or if clocking of the MAF relative to the engine makes any difference at all, but I figured someone went to the trouble to write this so probably better to follow it. The fact that it's different between Gen 2 to Gen 3 does make it all seem a bit more suspect, but back to Bryan's point it does also add quite a bit of confusion on the proper way to install it.

[edwardb]

I'm only as sure as the FFR instructions, which to say, not very sure. However, the FFR Gen 2 coyote install instructions state on page 56:

"Adjust the Mass air meter so that the mass air plug is on the far side as the Ford Performance instructions recommend."

Whereas the FFR Gen 3 coyote install instructions state on page 71:

"Adjust the Mass air meter so that the mass air plug is on the side close to the engine as the Ford Performance instructions recommend."

All that said, I agree with you that the important thing is for the opening of the MAF to be pointed toward the air cleaner. I'm not sure why or if clocking of the MAF relative to the engine makes any difference at all, but I figured someone went to the trouble to write this so probably better to follow it. The fact that it's different between Gen 2 to Gen 3 does make it all seem a bit more suspect, but back to Bryan's point it does also add quite a bit of confusion on the proper way to install it.

I think what those instructions are referring to is it's generally considered best practice to have the MAF sensor on the outside curve of the air tube going into the throttle body. Not the actual direction of the MAF sensor in the MAF tube. It will only work one way as previously described.

[Blitzboy54]

I also discovered this connector on the Tremec TKX isn't needed/necessary. Not sure what its intended for, but others have recommended to just leave it along for the ride...

I believe that is your reverse switch. If you are using backup lights you would run it through that switch so the lights turned on when the transmission was in reverse. I have a T5 and mine is a little different but its the same 2 pin round connector.

[Junbug]

I think what those instructions are referring to is it's generally considered best practice to have the MAF sensor on the outside curve of the air tube going into the throttle body. Not the actual direction of the MAF sensor in the MAF tube. It will only work one way as previously described.

Paul, John,
I appreciate the discussion and confirms that there is not clarity in the instructions. Both of your inputs are helpful and hopefully help future builders. Mine is installed with the sensor facing the air intake, pointing away from the engine...
-Bryan

[Junbug]

So I've been working on a bunch of small details at this point prepping for my first start in the next few weeks. Finished installing the fan, and completed the wiring using a weatherpack connector in the event I need to remove or pull the fan in the future. I still need to secure the wiring properly but I did create a ground pigtail to the frame as the Coyote Fan blunt cut wire didn't have one. Pretty easy location to find a solid spot.


Also installed the horns. Pretty straight forward, and I need to add the second screw to hold them in place. Wiring was also pretty straightforward.


I also attached the Lokar clevis to the stainless steel bolt I'm using for my E-Brake. Additionally I trimmed down the brake cables so they would fit through the Lokar piece. May need to adjust things a bit more later but the e-brake keeps the wheels from turning. No movement at all once I pull the handle, which only goes one or two clicks up (I do depress the button on the end since I hear the teeth can get worn out if you just pull the handle).

[Junbug]

Next big steps are fluids. Fill the engine with oil, radiator with coolant, power steering fluid, transmission fluid, and brake fluid. Also install a battery! Then once my son is back from school for a few weeks we'll test all the systems, bleed the brakes and go for our first start!
I have a growing list of things to do after first start and before go-cart but focus now is getting things ready for first start!

[Junbug]

Some additional incremental progress. Finished up the cooling system. Installed the upper and lower radiator hoses with the Gates Power Grip clamps (sold as AllStar Performance at Summit). I also trimmed about 3/4" off the engine side of the lower radiator hose connection to the engine as recommended by Jryasko since the coolant tubes can swell a bit.





I also have figured out almost all the dash wiring. I'm only completing the connections required for first start. Then I'll finish drilling holes for the remaining switches and levers on the dash. No need to complicate first start... It does look like a mess, but I took this pic in the midst of organizing my wiring...



Aiming for fluid fills this weekend on the Trans, Engine oil, coolant and brakes. Brakes will be the last to fill/test, only because they shouldn't be needed for the first start and can be done later if I run into a time crunch.

[Junbug]

Latest updates to the dash... got the dash pieced together enough for the first start.


Behind the dash is still a mess, but I plan to keep everything relatively loose in the event I need to troubleshoot. Once the rest of my switches and indicators are in place i'll tighten up the wiring harness and snug everything up.


Lastly is a pic of my power bus. The arrows point to specific lines.
Blue Arrow points at the main power coming off my cutoff switch.
Red Arrow points to the line going direct to my alternator.
Yellow Arrow points to the line that powers the main FFR fuse box via the provided harness.


Let me know if you have any observations? Have all fluids on hand so I'll be filling things this weekend. PS reservior, Radiator/overflow, engine oil, transmission. Plan to leave the brake system until after first start.
-Bryan