I've been working on a few details one of which was the O2 wiring that was left hanging since the go-cart event. The right cable was very close to not being long enough even after reworking the harness to lengthen it per the Ford Racing instructions. I found a path where I could utilize the mounting features on the harness connector and a screw on the Infinity power Module for a cable clamp. I made a simple bracket and drilled out a couple of foot box rivets to reuse the holes to mount it. The right side is shown here. 2015-06-17 15.16.41d.jpg2015-06-17 15.21.33d.jpg
Love your attention to detail. You will have a stunning car when it's complete.
Thanks, John
One more thing on my list of wants is the trunk lid gas springs. I know, there are kits available to do this but I like making it the way I want. I purchased the springs, mounts, and ball studs from McMaster Carr and modified the mounts by slotting the holes to add some adjustability. I did a little bit of kinematics analysis to determine the gas spring force I needed which turned out to be about 30# each. I have the cubby hole and I wanted as small of hole in the bulkhead as possible where the springs pass through. It complicated the layout some because the spring needed to be horizontal and the ideal location for the fixed end was in line with the path of the inside shoulder harness where it crossed the 3/4" sq. tube as it exited to the cockpit. I made some brackets out of 3/4" sq. tubing with the slotted clearance needed for the belts and put in nutserts to attach the gas spring mounts. I punched the holes in the bulkhead using a step drill and finished making the slot with a Dremel tool. I powdered the parts black and installed the brackets using nutserts in the frame. 2015-06-23 14.26.01d.jpg2015-06-23 15.19.48d.jpg2015-06-23 15.39.10d.jpg
The 30# springs seemed to be about perfect. They wouldn't lift the trunk lid until it was about a fourth of the way open and then took over to raise it the remaining distance.
Nice! I was going to do something similar, minus the bulkhead. Which strut (part#) did you use?
Last edited by chrisarella; 06-24-2015 at 12:53 PM.
Chris
Mark IV Roadster #7679
Coyote 5.0, T56, Hydraulic Clutch, IRS, Torsen Diff, Wilwoods, Hydraboost, ABS Power Brakes, Power Steering, & tons more extras.
Chris
Mark IV Roadster #7679
Coyote 5.0, T56, Hydraulic Clutch, IRS, Torsen Diff, Wilwoods, Hydraboost, ABS Power Brakes, Power Steering, & tons more extras.
Nice! I was going to do something similar, minus the bulkhead. Which strut (part#) did you use?
The struts are McMaster Carr Part no. 9416K18. The are identical to the ones for the hood except they have 30# force; the hood gas springs have 20# force. I did see the thread you referred to several months ago and got a lot of ideas from it. I think the 30# struts may minimize the issue mentioned about the trunk lid fit but I really don't know what struts come in the kits. The parts lists for DIY shows 50# force struts.
The struts are McMaster Carr Part no. 9416K18. The are identical to the ones for the hood except they have 30# force; the hood gas springs have 20# force. I did see the thread you referred to several months ago and got a lot of ideas from it. I think the 30# struts may minimize the issue mentioned about the trunk lid fit but I really don't know what struts come in the kits. The parts lists for DIY shows 50# force struts.
I made my own setup similar to what King has done and used 40# struts. I thought they were a bit of overkill when I mocked them up but they are just right now that the trunk is painted and the license plate/frame/light assembly are mounted. All of these added a little weight. Does not open the lid for you but holds it open fine.
Kevin
MKIV, IRS/TruTrack/3.55s, Coyote, TKO600, Wilwoods
Delivered: 1/6/2012
First Start: 1/19/2014
First Go-Kart: 2/1/2014
Graduation: 1/4/2015 Graduation Thread
Did you put any thing on the O2 sensor wiring to protect it from the heat of the header?
Looking great!
Mk 4 Roadster
October 25, 2012 - Kit Arrives
April 8, 2013 - Build Starts
August 23, 2015 - Rolling Chassis/Engine & Transmission Installed
March 26, 2016 - Go Cart
The last part is the brake reservoir and I haven't completed it yet. I'll post pictures when I do.
Originally Posted by ClemsonS197
FYI, the ribbing on the top of the computer is to dissipate heat. Not sure if your mount will overheat the computer, just a thought.
Originally Posted by 2bking
I understand and contemplated another design. My quandary was the location is somewhat fixed by the engine harness and it is above the headers. I think it needs a heat shield at least but not an enclosed box so I tried to compromise with an open box thus one side being a heat shield. I'm open to suggestions and experience. I'm thinking there might not be a lot of watts in the box.
I was going back and reading your thread for tips when I got to your post on your ECM/PCM mounting and thought... why not use hex stand-offs to space the ECM/PCM off the bracket? Many OEMs do this to allow air flow around theirs and dissipate heat.
Chris
Mark IV Roadster #7679
Coyote 5.0, T56, Hydraulic Clutch, IRS, Torsen Diff, Wilwoods, Hydraboost, ABS Power Brakes, Power Steering, & tons more extras.
Did you put any thing on the O2 sensor wiring to protect it from the heat of the header?
Looking great!
Thanks. The wiring from the O2 sensor is factory including the connector and has some sort of white covering on the harness. For now I will assume they know it will handle the exhaust heat. I plan to check temperatures on this and several other places to see if any more protection is needed. I have extra silver sleeving and can add heat shields if necessary.
Chris, the PCM got remounted last December but I never posted the pictures because it's all buried around other parts so there isn't much to see. The original placement got in the way of the AC lines and was difficult to make the wire harnesses to look neat. I don't have a picture but this CAD shot shows it better. The PCM now has free air flow all around it. It is one of those places that I need to check temperatures when it gets all buttoned up but the parts below it now serve as heat shields so I don't think there will be a problem. mk4_framee.jpg
The studs are a good idea but there is limited structural places where those alone will be sufficient. My new mount has the PCM mounted only by the front face which is plastic. My side of the mounting surface has full contact top to bottom of the plastic surface to spread the load and it seems adequate. I attempted to duplicate the firewall mounting scheme where it is mounted against a flat surface. Even though the factory may mount it using the studs, I suspect there may be other points of contact to help support it.
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.
Thanks Paul and BTW I like you choice of the Coyote on your upcoming 20th anniversary build. I'm looking forward to the build thread.
A few days ago I had a couple of grandkids at the shop doing some baby sitting for a few hours. They like all the stuff there but get bored easily. The 11 year old asked if she could help with something and I had to think for a few moments. Covering the parking brake handle with leather was one thing on my list so I asked her if she would like to do that. I got a big YES and when I told her it would involve sewing she confesses she didn't know how to sew. I went over some ideas I had for doing it and she quickly figured out the method I had in mind and started cutting out the leather. I showed her how to use the contact cement for folding back the edges and hold the felt in place under the leather. I had to start the first stitch but she took over after that and told me to go do something else. "I got this" she said to me. About 20 minutes later she asked how to finish the seam. I tied off the thread for her and pulled the draw string to fold the leather down around the release button. She proudly screwed the handle back on the leaver. What she did was a keeper and I will remember her every time I place my hand on that handle. I snapped a few pictures for the record. 2015-07-01 09.18.59d.jpg2015-07-01 09.19.39d.jpg2015-07-01 10.21.13d.jpg2015-07-01 11.22.35d.jpg
Very nice ... and having her touch on the car and the memories you all created are the most important part of it all ...
Mk 4 Roadster
October 25, 2012 - Kit Arrives
April 8, 2013 - Build Starts
August 23, 2015 - Rolling Chassis/Engine & Transmission Installed
March 26, 2016 - Go Cart
Getting our family's DNA in our cars makes them 1,000,000,000,000,000x more valuable and special.
Chris
Mark IV Roadster #7679
Coyote 5.0, T56, Hydraulic Clutch, IRS, Torsen Diff, Wilwoods, Hydraboost, ABS Power Brakes, Power Steering, & tons more extras.
The last time I worked on the wiring I left a lot of loose ends, mainly the courtesy lights in the trunk and foot boxes. The Infinity Box Wiring needs an input grounded to turn on a circuit so I needed to get the input for the trunk lights ran from under the dash back to the trunk area and the foot box courtesy power wires from the rear power cell to the dash. The accessory circuit also needed to be included with the wires. Seems simple but it took me a week to run four wires through the tunnel area. It would have been much simplifier if I had done it before the sheet metal was installed but my crystal ball was a bit murky back then and I wanted to leave those options open. I ended up having to put a four pin Weather Pack connector in the back in order to get the wires routed like I wanted. No pictures taken, not much to see, just a harness with tie-wraps every 6"-8".
For the trunk lights I used some LED lights that seem to have plenty of brightness for the application. I mounted one on each side of the trunk where the light would illuminate both the lower and upper parts. 2015-06-23 18.42.45d.jpg
I made a bracket to mount a door switch on one of the gas struts and an actuator flag to mount on the rod. The switch will ground the input from the master cell to turn on the lights with power from the rear power cell. 2015-07-14 10.33.11d.jpg
I mounted the same type lights in the foot boxes and in the cubby hole behind the seats. All three of these come on when a door is opened and can also be turned on with a switch. I have this part of the circuit controlled through a timer so the lights go out after five minutes if not turned off sooner. I made a reflector for the cubby hole light to help spread the illumination and keep it out of direct sight from the front while driving. 2015-07-14 11.10.18d.jpg2015-07-14 11.11.45d.jpg2015-07-14 11.07.46d.jpg
The door switches are located close to the hinges on the 2" X 2" sq. tubes. They are actuated with sheet metal brackets screwed to the hinge parts. 2015-06-23 18.44.38d.jpg2015-06-23 18.44.05d.jpg
All the amazing engineering u have done. I wish you had tackled a hidden folding top, because if there is anyone that could do i I think it would be you.
The last item to be connected was the horns. Since I have the hood hinges on the 3/4" sq. tubes where the horns are most often mounted, I needed to find another location. I selected the area where the upper A arms mount and made a couple of brackets to attach there. They sit just behind the radiator and seem to be out of the way. 2015-07-12 16.11.45d.jpg2015-07-13 15.08.36d.jpg2015-07-13 15.09.44d.jpg
Chris
Mark IV Roadster #7679
Coyote 5.0, T56, Hydraulic Clutch, IRS, Torsen Diff, Wilwoods, Hydraboost, ABS Power Brakes, Power Steering, & tons more extras.
All the amazing engineering u have done. I wish you had tackled a hidden folding top, because if there is anyone that could do i I think it would be you.
Well, thanks for the compliment but I think physics might get in the way. Every time I violate one of those laws I get to remake something. I added AC to the car and it isn't going to work well without some sort of top. I did toy with the idea of procuring an unfinished hard top but decided I wanted to try to finish the build this year. I opted for the FFR premium Soft top. I think I might have had some influence on getting the group buy cancelled or postponed because I had already ordered it and called Vinny to try to get added to the list for some money back. He told me as of that morning, it was not going to happen.
My son gave me some nice magnetic switches and I tried to figure a way to use them. They were "normally open" and needed some more circuitry to be useful. I like the idea of the magnetic switches and they would work very well with the Infinity Box scheme where a circuit is turn on by grounding an input. Perhaps had I found the ones you did I would have done it differently.
I wish I had checked out the NO magnetic switches instead of the mechanical pin switches I used on the doors As King says, with the infinity Box they would be much simpler ...
I still need to wire in the trunk light so there is my chance to check them out.
Mk 4 Roadster
October 25, 2012 - Kit Arrives
April 8, 2013 - Build Starts
August 23, 2015 - Rolling Chassis/Engine & Transmission Installed
March 26, 2016 - Go Cart
Using the FFR license plate light and bracket is impossible without some type of modification. Mounting per the FFR instructions makes the license plate cover the trunk lock. If I'm going to use the plate mounting bracket and light, the options seem to be to trim the license plate (illegal in Texas) or move the plate mounting higher. The plate needed to move higher by 3/4" which doesn't seem like much but impossible to do without some major changes. Either the body was getting the mounting boss moved up or the plate mount was getting hacked on. I chose the plate mount. I did Jeff's mod which moved the internal light and bracket up 1/4" and moved the plate mounting bar up behind the light but I still needed about a 1/4" to make the plate fit. I figure no one will notice an 1/8" trimmed from the top and bottom of the plate but when the plate is pushed into the light housing, it covers the word "Texas" on the plate so it isn't completely readable. I sectioned the light housing to raise the part of the housing coving "Texas" and fiberglassed the inside to hold the parts together. I'm not thinking this is pretty but it doesn't look all that bad a few feet away and I'm not building a first place show car anyway. 2015-07-15 12.29.10d.jpg2015-07-15 12.30.32d.jpg2015-07-15 12.27.32d.jpg2015-07-15 12.28.03d.jpg2015-07-15 12.27.47d.jpg
Carl. I have a set of 2 magnetic switches if you want them. Turns out my digital start system activates the footbox lights when I approach the car; they stay on until the car is started. Another set of footbox lights are controlled by the courtesy light switch.
King. Maybe not a trailer Queen, but it sure deserves a few pages in Popular Mechanics for the innovative solutions you've adapted to the issues we've all come up against.
Last edited by DaleG; 07-22-2015 at 11:25 AM.
SOLD 03/2013: MK II #5004: 5.0 EFI: 8.8, 3.55, E303, TW heads, GT40 intake, 24#, 70mm MAF
One of the things I needed to complete before I tackled the body work was the horn button in the middle of the steering wheel. I've had the design done for a year but was putting it off as long as possible because it required machining the steering wheel parts and could ruin a lot of stuff if it didn't work. I needed to be completely sure I wanted to do it but I didn't have a plan B if it didn't work out except a button on the dash. I gathered all my drawings and did a few dimensional checks for any mistakes and decided to go for it. The Infinity Box wiring requires grounding a control circuit to activate a load wired to a power cell which makes the horn button a little easier because there isn't but a few milliamps in the control circuit. The plan is very similar to the vintage steering columns where a spring loaded contact moves on a brass ring as the steering wheel is turned. The other end of the spring loaded contact is in contact with the horn button spring and the parts are isolated from making a grounding contact except when the horn button is pressed. I purchased the spring and plastic rod from McMaster Carr a year ago so I had all the needed materials in place.
The spring turned out to be a little stiff so I cut 1.5 turns off of it and rebent the end. That made the button press force just about right. I took some of the pictures before the first assembly try and had to remake a couple of parts in order to be able to assemble them and keep the horn spring centered and electrically isolated. Gravity had not been accounted for. It was one of those things that works on paper but not so well in real life. Here are the parts in the Russ Thompson turn signal and the ones I made: 2015-07-21 14.50.55d.jpg
Here are the parts I made and the two modified that mount the steering wheel: 2015-07-21 14.53.04d.jpg
In a previous post I mentioned a timer on the courtesy lights that would turn them off if left on for more than five minutes. I thought I would document what I did with a few pictures. The timer was purchased off the internet for about $5. A little research found it to be used in burglary alarms but I digress. It uses a 12 volt input and the timer is tripped through a trigger circuit. It wasn't quite as easy to use as I first thought but after a little experimenting, I figured out a way. One of the challenging features I wanted was a way to turn off the light before the 5 minutes were up. The timer circuit has one relay on the board and I needed two more to make it work like I wanted. I mounted the timer on the Speed Dial (the speed dial housing has been cut down to minimize its space claim) and the relays among the other relays for various other purposes. I have the relays labeled for future trouble shooting. The relays are behind the enclosure that houses the ventilation controls. There is not much to see here but a bunch of wires. I've tried to keep the wiring neat but it's all those unforeseen changes and additions that mess it up. 2015-07-15 13.56.05d.jpg2015-07-17 12.36.11d.jpg2015-07-17 12.34.46d.jpg2015-07-17 12.37.02d.jpg
I had the body back on today and install the dash just to make sure I could get to all the connectors and there wasn't going to be any surprises later. I very happy with the way it turned out and thought I would show some pictures. The lower panel with the AC controls is going to get some leather and burl also. 2015-07-22 14.02.50d.jpg2015-07-22 14.00.49d.jpg2015-07-22 14.01.52d.jpg2015-07-22 13.55.43d.jpg
In a previous post I mentioned a timer on the courtesy lights that would turn them off if left on for more than five minutes. I thought I would document what I did with a few pictures. The timer was purchased off the internet for about $5. A little research found it to be used in burglary alarms but I digress. It uses a 12 volt input and the timer is tripped through a trigger circuit. It wasn't quite as easy to use as I first thought but after a little experimenting, I figured out a way. One of the challenging features I wanted was a way to turn off the light before the 5 minutes were up. The timer circuit has one relay on the board and I needed two more to make it work like I wanted. I mounted the timer on the Speed Dial (the speed dial housing has been cut down to minimize its space claim) and the relays among the other relays for various other purposes. I have the relays labeled for future trouble shooting. The relays are behind the enclosure that houses the ventilation controls. There is not much to see here but a bunch of wires. I've tried to keep the wiring neat but it's all those unforeseen changes and additions that mess it up. 2015-07-15 13.56.05d.jpg2015-07-17 12.36.11d.jpg2015-07-17 12.34.46d.jpg2015-07-17 12.37.02d.jpg
King, everything is first class as usual.
Is there a reason that you didn't use the Infinity Wiring Module Programming to accomplish this instead of the external relay setup (which is very well thought out). I would have thought that it could have been done through a programming change, but I might not fully understand the capabilities of the logic available.
Is there a reason that you didn't use the Infinity Wiring Module Programming to accomplish this instead of the external relay setup (which is very well thought out). I would have thought that it could have been done through a programming change, but I might not fully understand the capabilities of the logic available.
Larry
You are correct that it could be programed in the Infinity Box but you have to send them the Master Cell or buy a $400 program module for installing the new code that Infinity Box sends you. The user does not have access to the code.
You are correct that it could be programed in the Infinity Box but you have to send them the Master Cell or buy a $400 program module for installing the new code that Infinity Box sends you. The user does not have access to the code.
I invested in the InCode module since the programming changes were included as part of the buy and I knew I would be adding changing such as this as the project went along.
On another note, and I apologise if i missed it in your earlier posts, how do you like your Horns? What type are they are where did you source them. They look nice and compact. Did they have a sound file on their site?
I apologize if i missed it in your earlier posts, how do you like your Horns? What type are they are where did you source them. They look nice and compact. Did they have a sound file on their site?
Thanks again,
Larry
The horns were part of the complete kit so I used them. They make noise with one being a high note and the other a low so they are acceptable but not unique. I may change them later but for now I have plenty to do.
I think I have built the last part on my list until the body goes on to stay but those will be filler pieces for gaps between body and frame. This part is the console on the transmission tunnel and has the 12V cig plug and USB connectors. I will cover it with leather today and add a padded top to the lid. It screws to the frame under the tunnel sheet metal. The drink holder is missing an upper cup support that I haven't installed yet so these are progress pictures. 2015-07-25 17.47.15d.jpg2015-07-28 12.00.13d.jpg2015-07-28 12.00.30d.jpg2015-07-28 12.02.40d.jpg2015-07-28 12.03.30d.jpg
King ... you are knocking it out of the park. I really like the center console idea.
Carl
Mk 4 Roadster
October 25, 2012 - Kit Arrives
April 8, 2013 - Build Starts
August 23, 2015 - Rolling Chassis/Engine & Transmission Installed
March 26, 2016 - Go Cart