Jesse builds another Cobra #11,061 - Merry Christmas to me !!

[Blitzboy54]

I used something like this: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005...e-b295129e7cdf

And it allows a single touch lock/unlock of the parking brake with a simple (on)-off-(on) rocker switch.

I ordered one from Amazon and will test this weekend. Thank you for showing me that. I have some concern if tucked into a tight space behind the dash the wire feedthrough style might have some interference.

I'm pretty sure that E-Stopp also uses a current sensing relay to control cable tension/travel. From their FAQ:

[FONT="]Q: How many inches of travel does the E-Stopp have[/FONT]?​
A: About 2 inches. Most systems only need about 1. The motor stops itself once it reaches 600 pounds of resistance.

That makes sense, thanks. I guess with this arrangement if you wanted you could use a stronger longer throw actuator as long as the relay worked it would matter.

John, how is the car treating you? She is really a beautiful ride. I love the black contrast against the chrome and silver. I'll bet you get a lot of attention.

[Blitzboy54]

Looking good! Do you have a source / part number for that spring? I'm using the same actuator and will be doing the same testing shortly.

Yes sir, I think if I go with a spring I will use a closed loop version of this, but this is the one I used.

https://www.mcmaster.com/5667N404/

[JohnK]

John, how is the car treating you? She is really a beautiful ride. I love the black contrast against the chrome and silver. I'll bet you get a lot of attention.

Thanks Jesse! I appreciate it. Yes, like all of our cars, she draws a lot of attention. I'm loving what you're doing with this build so far.

[460.465USMC]

Finally catching up on Build Deux. First of all, congrats on delivery and all the great progress so far. The C8 orange was one of my top three color choices if I would have painted my Roadster (now sold). I'm a sucker for orange. Love it.

What a bummer on the first two motors. So glad the sellers made it right. Your Gen 2 will give you more than enough power to blow your hair back (IMHO). You will love how it likes to rev high. And the power band...just a blast to experience! My Gen 3 really kicked in at ~4K RPM and higher.

Regarding your earlier IRS torque question (100 lb ft v. 129 lb ft), I torqued both mine (Roadster and Coupe) to 100 lb ft. Back on my Roadster build, I had the same question about the torque discrepancy in the build manual, so I emailed F5. Dan G. wrote back with "100 lb ft is fine". FWIW.

Subscribed and looking forward to following along. Just like our first Roadster builds, I suspect your build will zoom right past me. Enjoy!

[Blitzboy54]

Finally catching up on Build Deux. First of all, congrats on delivery and all the great progress so far. The C8 orange was one of my top three color choices if I would have painted my Roadster (now sold). I'm a sucker for orange. Love it.

What a bummer on the first two motors. So glad the sellers made it right. Your Gen 2 will give you more than enough power to blow your hair back (IMHO). You will love how it likes to rev high. And the power band...just a blast to experience! My Gen 3 really kicked in at ~4K RPM and higher.

Regarding your earlier IRS torque question (100 lb ft v. 129 lb ft), I torqued both mine (Roadster and Coupe) to 100 lb ft. Back on my Roadster build, I had the same question about the torque discrepancy in the build manual, so I emailed F5. Dan G. wrote back with "100 lb ft is fine". FWIW.

Subscribed and looking forward to following along. Just like our first Roadster builds, I suspect your build will zoom right past me. Enjoy!

It’s always great to hear from you Chris. I have been following your Coupe. I really appreciate your input on the center section torque and I’m really excited about the engine. Had I known factory re manufactured engines were a thing I would have started there. I couldn’t t find a Gen 3 and then started looking used.

Also YOU SOLD IT!?!?! Did you get what you were hoping? Interesting strategy to list it pre paint. That could be an asset or a liability.

[Blitzboy54]

A few upgrade parts arrived.

First is the Ford gas tank filler seal. For those that don't know the grommet that comes with the kit that seals the filler neck to the gas tank is not OEM. FFR uses a Dorman part. There is a history of those leaking. I ordered the Ford part at my local dealer and I had it in a day. It was $32. Cheap insurance. Ford PN FZZZ9072DA



Next is the brakes. Wilwood uses what they call BP-10 as their standard brake pad. Regardless if you order from them or FFR this is what will come with them unless you tell them otherwise. I found them to be ok, but just ok. Some may disagree but I want my brakes to stop as aggressively and radically as my car accelerates. I did a lot of motorcycle track days in my 20's and 30's. My best times were all on lightweight bikes with huge brakes vs heavy fire breathers. I upgraded my fronts to BP-20's on my first build in the front. These are the most aggressive "street pad" Wilwood offers (everything else is a race pad). It made a significant difference. This build I want freakish stopping power so I am putting BP-20's on all four corners. They are not cheap but worth it IMO



The real exciting news is I got my panels back from powder coat. They cam out really nice. It's a metallic charcoal. I am going to use black rivets and I think it creates a cool look. The best part is I now have my color scheme worked out and it is all represented in my engine bay. Interesting twist is I was originally going to PC all the engine panels black again. I dropped them off with that as my order. The next morning I changed my mind to the charcoal. I already did the driver footbox. I plan to keep it black for now. I have some design ideas that I think will look really cool, but there is a scenario where I pull it back off and re do it.





Now that my F panels are in I was able to finish the front suspension. This should have been completely drama free but I discovered one of the downsides of having done this before is getting a little too comfortable. I make sure to keep the manual open and reference it. I got to the spindles and stopped reading at "DSS is the drivers side spindle". The rest of that sentence was for the hotrod. The roadster goes the other way. So I installed it on the drivers side before realizing it wasn't right. So I had to take it back out and fix it. I had to use a bearing puller to get it to pop off the lower control arm. Those are tapered. DOH

Any rate they are in and look good.

[Blitzboy54]

My wheels arrived this week as well. This is by far the biggest "risk” for me. I've given it a ton of thought and one of the things that I have always loved about the old school builds is the 15 inch wheels with the big balloon tires. I like the way the tires fill the wheel well and even push passed to stick out. That's where I started. I don't want 15 inch wheels and I am nearly positive those big walled tires don't handle as well as some other options. So how do I make an 18" wheel give me that old school aggressive stance? Well by going wider. I am going with 9.5 in the front and 11 in the back with very aggressive offsets. the car will have a wide stance.

Something like this





I set them up and they clear by plenty and look really sharp. Because the car will be orange I felt that black was a better caliper fit. Truth be told I contacted Wilwood about ordering brakes from them instead but going with orange calipers. They would do it but it would have been close to $3500 upgrade so I felt like it would be better to spend that money elsewhere.









Now the good news is if this really ends up not working I can back out by changing the wheels as long as I keep 9.5's up front I can move the tires over. I am definitely on my way.

[460.465USMC]

I like your wheel choice. Right on! I'm seeing we have similar tastes: C8 orange and the wheels. Nice. I made a note of the BP-20 pad option. (I was a bit underwhelmed with my Roadster braking using Wilwood Dynapro with stock pads. I may eventually do the same, but first want to see how the Coupe stops. I'm running the Wilwood six piston Superlites up front this time around, so a bit more surface area for braking grab).

[GoDadGo]

Bravo Mr. Blitz, Bravo!
..Love Those Wheels!

[UpstateCobraGuy]

Great choice of wheels!

Keep up the progress

[Blitzboy54]

Passenger cockpit aluminum

I was a little smarter this time around in so much as I didn't powder coat everything, There is certainly nothing wrong with doing all of it but if you need to budget a good place to start is only coat the panels that can be seen. So that's what I am doing this time around. I am simply running through the manual in order at this point while I wait for a few parts for my parking break and safety loop.





I trimmed the parking brake bracket where marked and started working on the floor.



After laying down the rest of the floor I created a patch for the brake hole then realized I made a mistake



The upholstery will look goofy with a bulge from the patch. Instead of trying to make the rest of the tunnel thicker to match I reversed the plate. It will be much easier to fill in the gap this way.



I also created a little patch to fill in the hole in the cutout in the front of the frame. There will be a small weep hole in the bottom of the panel for water drainage but I don't like being exposed to the engine bay.



The passenger side aluminum is basically done for now.

[Blitzboy54]

Driver cockpit aluminum

Moved over to the drivers side. I have to say that I forgot how much drilling there is in this stage. When I said I enjoyed building my last car as much as driving it, turns out I didn't mean this part. lol

It's fine but not fun. I also have few spots with marginal fitment issues. I am going to address those as I go. One of the things I learned form last time is if you're going to put an insulation mat in your car you should do the drivers foot box as you go. It has weird angles and a lot of interference. If you do it early it's a lot easier.






This gap in particular. I don't remember anything that big. I test fit the top of the foot box and it fits decently. I plan to make a patch




Fuel Injectors

I pulled the fuel rail and fuel injectors off of the core. They had 70k miles. No reason to believe they won't work (injectors go high 100k miles all the time) but need to be checked. I found some red caps that came with the engine and they happen to fit over the inlet nicely. I drilled a small hole in one cap and fit the straw from the carb cleaner through it.



Connect a 12v power supply and build pressure with the cleaner.



It worked well and had the bonus of cleaned them as well as testing. 8x good to go, but will replace the orings with new.

[Blitzboy54]

Parking brake - first draft

So this turned out pretty cool. I was happy with the spring honestly, it solves a lot of problems and is reliable. The downside is you will still need to adjust the cable over time (not a real big deal) and you have to hold the switch down until the operation is complete (first world problem). Neither of these things bothered me and I like the mechanical solution, the only reason I didn't stop there was the size of the spring. It's almost 1.5" in diameter. I am concerned that once mounted it will bounce around and clank. That would drive me crazy.

Nigel had the idea of using an amp limiting board as a electrical regulator. It turns out "It's Bruce" had already done it in his build. So while I can say with confidence I thought of the generic actuator on my own, the idea itself was not original and all the wiring here has been taken from another builder.


I ordered this controller https://www.aliexpress.us/item/32568...2usa4itemAdapt

The wiring is quite simple



I tested it where it was in the transmission tunnel and worked as expected. So I moved my operation to the back of the car. Little trick I learned is if you want to remove the parking brake cable from the mount using a zip tie worked to get all the tabs compressed. Easy peasy



I needed to replicate the cable mount that is welded to the car. I was not interested in cutting and re welding as everything is powder coated. Also I do not own a welder. lol

I ordered these and it turns out the holes are EXACTLY the right size. This was entirely a happy accident.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B5QZS6WK...fed_asin_title

I routed the drivers side cable inside the rear IRS mount. It rides along the lower mounts and just reaches without being a stretch. The passenger side I made a "service loop"



I ordered this clevis from Amazon. The Lokar block is $30 ish from various stores. I found a complete kit that included the complete clevis for $36. I only needed the clevis but now I have some extra stuff I guess.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C4SX71VQ...fed_asin_title

Had to cut the ends off to make it fit the actuator but this was not an issue.



All mounted up



Then wired up the board to the power supply and started my test.



My switch is a little more that what the system requires. It is wired to reverse the DC polarity from On to ON. Since this only requires a simple On-Off-On I only used 3 legs. I am going to keep it because it's waterproof and labeled in a way that makes sense for what it is.

It went great, it pulls until the limit is reached and is now a singe touch. The issue is (It's Bruce told me this would happen) is it never reaches the current limit the other way when it releases. The internal limit switch is reached but in order to re engage the brake you have to push the switch twice. Once to clear the relay that stays engaged and then to start pulling again.

[Blitzboy54]

Parking brake - Final solution


So what I needed to make this work in both directions is hard stop on release. I took some measurements and ended up replicating my pull solution to fix my push problem.

The brackets I ordered came in a 6 pack so I have spares



This creates a hard stop that allows it to work as designed both directions. If I need to tighten the brake I simply turn the pot counter clockwise and increase the current limit.



I will add a physical or magnetic switch when I get to the wiring that will carry another 12v signal that will light the dash. It will either be NO or NC and send 12v to the dash when the brake is engaged. I do not expect this to be expensive.

So a rough tally of what I have in the mod. Prices to not include tax.

Actuator= $40
Clevis = $36
Over current board = $12 (spring was $15 if you went that route)
L brackets = $20
Switch = $8

The various hardware I had laying around from my last build, but if you didn't have it probably another $10 at the hardware store.

R&D costs are sunk so I am not counting that. That is a functional electronic parking brake for under $120. I expect the switch to cost no more than $20.


Not bad.

[PNWTim]

That's pretty clever. Assuming since you patched the hole you will ditch the hand brake altogether?

[Blitzboy54]

That's pretty clever. Assuming since you patched the hole you will ditch the hand brake altogether?

That is correct. I was never happy with the original location. It was either going to be on top or electronic.

[UpstateCobraGuy]

Looking this over...

I feel like a ham handed hack.

Great work!

[egchewy79]

$3400 for orange calipers? you could likely get then re-PC'd locally for much cheaper. a pop of orange under the black rims would look really sharp w/ your color combo.

[Blitzboy54]

$3400 for orange calipers? you could likely get then re-PC'd locally for much cheaper. a pop of orange under the black rims would look really sharp w/ your color combo.

It was a combination of 2 things. The kits themselves are roughly 25% more expensive if you order directly from them. FFR must get a volume discount and passes that on to us. The other is they wanted $575 per caliper for custom coating (unclear if that includes he parking brake). So add all that up and it was about that much.

I agree the orange would really pop. I could get them done locally but I don't think I could keep the logo. Maybe I shouldn't care but oddly enough I do. I will ask around. It would have to be done before I put fluid in them.

[cv2065]

That's awesome! Great out of the box solution. I'm putting mine on top as well, but manual style. Great job!

[Nigel Allen]

Parking brake - Final solution


So what I needed to make this work in both directions is hard stop on release. I took some measurements and ended up replicating my pull solution to fix my push problem.

The brackets I ordered came in a 6 pack so I have spares



This creates a hard stop that allows it to work as designed both directions. If I need to tighten the brake I simply turn the pot counter clockwise and increase the current limit.



I will add a physical or magnetic switch when I get to the wiring that will carry another 12v signal that will light the dash. It will either be NO or NC and send 12v to the dash when the brake is engaged. I do not expect this to be expensive.

So a rough tally of what I have in the mod. Prices to not include tax.

Actuator= $40
Clevis = $36
Over current board = $12 (spring was $15 if you went that route)
L brackets = $20
Switch = $8

The various hardware I had laying around from my last build, but if you didn't have it probably another $10 at the hardware store.

R&D costs are sunk so I am not counting that. That is a functional electronic parking brake for under $120. I expect the switch to cost no more than $20.


Not bad.

Nice work my friend.

Cheers,

Nige.

[Blitzboy54]

That's awesome! Great out of the box solution. I'm putting mine on top as well, but manual style. Great job!

Nice work my friend.

Cheers,

Nige.

Thanks guys, I appreciate it.


Engine intake and Fuel lines


One of the things I have been kicking around is what intake manifold I want to run. The Boss 302 is by far the best looking option on a budget but doesn't perform as well in a non boosted application. I was pretty close to pulling the trigger on a super charger but ultimately I have decided against it for a few reasons. First and foremost is the cost. I can do it for roughly $5k with a torque storm setup. This isn't bad but I am hilariously over budget already. Second is longevity. I do worry that I would wear the engine down over time and then need to pull it early and replace who knows what.

Having said that I want the best performing arrangement possible so I reached out to Lund. They said hands down the best setup for a Gen 2 Coyote is a Gen 3 intake with the IRMC locked out. So this is what I decided to do. Interestingly there are 2 PN's for this manifold. There is the Ford Performance M9424M50C this sells for just under $500.

Then there is the Genuine Ford JR3Z-9424-B. I cannot find a difference between these parts. I found one site that referenced "improved IRMC performacen" on the new PN but with that locked out I can't imagine it would make a difference. Since the Genuine Ford part sells from the dealership for $200 less I went with it.

I like the black look anyhow. I am going with black valve covers so this should help with the look.



Locked out IRMC




On fuel lines last build I used soft rubber and then changed to stainless steel when I upgraded to an in tank pump. I had some left over and tried to straighten it, this is as far as I got before I tapped out.



I just hate the way it looks so I bit the bullet and ordered two 8' pieces from McMaster Carr. I went with a thicker wall at .035. In my mind money well spent

[Blitzboy54]

First bends

I borrowed Scott's tube bender. It makes a massive difference starting with a nice straight piece of pipe. Started bending and just slowly worked through it. I completed the hard portion of the return line.



Installed it came out clean





Scott gave me some of his leftover fasteners. I used them in some of the more exposed areas. I ran a 6-32 tap into the steel frame and they screw right in for a clean look.

[gbranham]

Hey, I recognize some of those Coyote parts! Glad to see them coming together on your build. Looking great!

Greg

[cv2065]

Lines look great. Well done!

[Blitzboy54]

Hey, I recognize some of those Coyote parts! Glad to see them coming together on your build. Looking great!

Greg

You certainly do! Glad that worked out.

[Blitzboy54]

Supply Line

Got back to bending and measuring and made the supply line.



I got in all in there nice and tight. I was also able to mount my in line fuel filter on the same support I have the parking break pull.

[Blitzboy54]

PTFE

As I am doing this I already wish I had done this a little differently. Engine bay space is such a premium with a coyote. I think I should have put the regulator in the wheel well and run a single line to the engine. It's not like the regulator needs any attention once it's set. Anyway it's done now so upward and onward.

Speaking of regulator mine showed up today so I mounted it. I have A LOT going on over on the passenger side of the engine bay with the heater and wipers so I moved it to the left.



I also started on my PTFE hoses. I like this stuff because A. it's super easy to cut and make fittings and B it's stainless steal wrapped with a layer of nylon over the top of that. Kinda the best of both worlds. I have the back end done (that space is also getting busy with the parking brake). I used a die grinder to cut it and the fittings seem to go together smoothly. Scott gave me some fittings to pressure test my lines. I did and they all seem to hold up fine.





I have a 10 micron filter in line.

[Blitzboy54]

Back to the cockpit

I took a break from the cockpit aluminum as I needed to do some more powder coating. The rear corner panels are essentially the front of your rear wheel well. While leaving them naked is fine (I realize nobody really sees them) I powder coated mine Stone Black last time and did again.



I finished up the corners and back of the trans tunnel per the manual. Also what was holding this up was I have a generic drive shaft safety hoop. I was looking for a way to mount it. Between the coyote and the IRS the drive shaft is like 8 inches. I can't find a way to make it work that isn't ridiculous so I decided to bite the bullet and purchase a Metco unit again. Bummer because the one I have was from Summit and cost $23. First world problem



I also filled in my patch recess. There will be a layer of foam then leather. I will probably pound the rivets flat as well. Another Paul trick that I picked up of one of his build threads.



My car computer showed up. Well technically it's a sound system+ but I am not installing a sound system for me it's a car computer. It will support, Bluetooth car play for navigation, backup camera and a full time dash cam for Jabroni management. I drilled out the steering shaft hole on the dash and dry fit the unit with the trans tunnel cover to see if it will work and I think it does. I will obviously build some sort of mount/surround, but it will live under the dash slightly recessed. One of the things I learned from my last car was how often I used navigation. Car shows, meetups, my own day trips. I think it would be great to have my phone charging in the cubby and be able to fully access it's features. I just don't think I want a sound system. I can't imagine I would use it.

[danmas]

What car computer did you get? I will do much the same but haven’t decided on which one yet…

[Namrups]

Glad to see my tools get a workout! Better than collecting dust on the bench!

[Blitzboy54]

What car computer did you get? I will do much the same but haven’t decided on which one yet…

I am using this. It is not particularly expensive. I really don't think it needs to be but it will be installed in such a way that it will be upgradable later if need be.


https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CN94Z1ZM...sin_title&th=1

[460.465USMC]

Having said that I want the best performing arrangement possible so I reached out to Lund. They said hands down the best setup for a Gen 2 Coyote is a Gen 3 intake with the IRMC locked out. So this is what I decided to do. Interestingly there are 2 PN's for this manifold. There is the Ford Performance M9424M50C this sells for just under $500.

Then there is the Genuine Ford JR3Z-9424-B. I cannot find a difference between these parts. I found one site that referenced "improved IRMC performacen" on the new PN but with that locked out I can't imagine it would make a difference. Since the Genuine Ford part sells from the dealership for $200 less I went with it.

I like the black look anyhow. I am going with black valve covers so this should help with the look.

Great solution, Jesse! Nice. If you can use them, I have a set of new Gen 1 valve covers you are welcome to (free).

It makes a massive difference starting with a nice straight piece of pipe. Started bending and just slowly worked through it. I completed the hard portion of the return line.

Boy, those SS hard lines just look tight. Hard to beat the function and asthetics to boot. Great work, sir!

[Blitzboy54]

Great solution, Jesse! Nice. If you can use them, I have a set of new Gen 1 valve covers you are welcome to (free).

That's really nice Chris, Thank you. I checked it out and they are compatible. Ford makes a Gen1-2 cover thats all black I was planning to use. I assume yours are grey? I could paint them though. Would be pretty easy to do. I will DM you.

Really appreciate it!

[Blitzboy54]

Finishing up the Fuel lines

My fittings came in and I finished the fuel lines (sort of). As you can see I made the rest of the PTFE lines and connected everything.



It was immediately obvious to me this sits too high. Between the heater and the wiring harness I need to make some adjustments. I am now even more annoyed at myself for not running a single fuel line and keeping the regulator in the back. Maybe that is something I can add to the list for the 3rd one

Short and easy fix is the cut down the fuel lines and connect them lower. So I did some math and made the cuts. Rough mock up looks like it will fix everything. There is a small chance I will need to redo the supply line to make it touch longer but not the end of the world if I do. The compression fitting for those of you that don't know are perminent. So I ordered 2 more and will reconnect everything later this week.



So I moved on to the brakes.

First I installed the master cylinders. Because I went with a hydraulic clutch FFR sent a mount. I made one last time. Nice little piece that makes this part easy. Also connected the hoses to the master cylinders. I know most folks go with a 3 reservoir system but I did not. I am comfortable having both brakes on one.





One last thing. This might not be for everyone but there were times when my car was done that I started experimenting with the bias and brake pads. I got frustrated because I couldn't remember which MC went to the front/back. I went back through my photos but it just wasn't clear. I ended up dropping my fuse box and physically tracing it out. I have routed my lines much differently this time so probably not an issue but I did this anyhow.

[Blitzboy54]

Brake routing

For the fronts I did not re invent the wheel. This is essentially how I ran them last time and they worked greats so I kinda did the same thing.

[Blitzboy54]

Brake routing cont

The rears are a different kettle of fish. I had a straight axle last time and didn't love the way I routed it. It was fine but not what I wanted. The manual has you run the rear out of the front of the foot box, while this will work and nobody will see it once the body is one I just don't like it. I wanted to copy Chris and run it down the inside of the foot box however the coyote pedal takes up way to much room and you would need to make some goofy bends. So I did this instead by running in along the front on the inside. That space isn't really used. I will put the carpet behind it before I put the sides in.



I fit a grommet in the hole which is nice. Basically seals it up but not water tight. Perfect drain should the bad thing happen.





One thing that drove me nuts was no matter how many times I riveted these tabs they moved around. It's ok because they are basically static BUT I was worried they would rattle over time. This would drive me crazy so I used machine screws.








I was thinking about laying out the wiring harness as that is next but I have been going a little hard lately and think it's time for a break. Also want to charge and bleed the brakes before I put the harness in. Even with everything open the harness getting in the way of stuff so better to find and repair any leaks first.

[Namrups]

Great documentation Jessie!

[John Ibele]

Wow, Jesse, way to make hay after getting the kit! You're moving right along! And while your first build was something to be proud of, I can see how the game gets upped on a second build. Really nice build going. The 3/8" spaghetti noodle AutoZone line ... yep, I remember that part. Good choice moving away from that. The rear brake lines ... yep, I kept them inside the DS footbox as well, but didn't have the challenge of the Coyote go-pedal. Might seem a bit wonky ... but only to you. Just as functional and reliable, and no one else will see it. Good choice.

Parking brake - great job. Look at that guy stick to a budget (so he can blow it in other places)! Seriously, I'd suggest you do a separate post in the main roadster forum once you've got everything dialed in. Photos, bill of materials, etc. It'll get copied widely, I'll bet.

Looks like you're having a blast. Thanks for sharing in another build thread!

[Fman]

Nice work Jesse, I am really curious how the e-brake location will work. Will that be accessible for adjustment once the body is on?