Billet Belt Drive Bonanza!

Every once in a while an upgrade comes along that's a "must-have" in my book — a great blend of increased performance and nicer appearance — and for a reasonable price. I recently installed a Millerspeed Belt Drive System on the front of the 331, and the "wow" factor is simply off the charts. Millerspeed offers 2 belt widths — 1" and the wild 2". I went with the narrower 1" kit for the street.

The 1" wide kit for small-block Ford. (Millerspeed photo)

...and the 2" kit with alternator fan/bracket
and power steering pump. (Millerspeed photo)

Previously, I had installed a March 1550 aluminum pulley kit on this engine, and it was an upgrade for me at the time, replacing the heavier stock-style steel pulleys. I bought the March 1-groove pulley kit (#1550), and then bought a shorter belt, so soon I had about $225 in that kit. Immediately, I noticed a crank pulley wobble, but couldn't confirm it until much later when I happened to buy a new balancer, and the pulley still wobbled. A digital caliper then showed the holes were drilled very slightly off-center. In addition, my new 3G alternator upgrade required a minimum of a 2-groove alternator pulley to turn the alternator under load, so I definitely needed a new pulley kit.

Here's the March 1550 kit I'm replacing. Belt is not included.

Enter Millerspeed... This kit has been offered for at least the past few years, and has had some positive press, but I hadn't heard of it until I stumbled upon a Millerspeed auction on eBay last month. Here's the 1" kit I bought — the wild 2" kit usually runs about $325.

Here's Millerspeed's small-block Ford kit. Belt is included.

The belt drive system installs as easily as any other pulley kit, and the quality is absolutely top-notch. The 2" kit gives off noticeable belt whine, similar to a supercharger setup, but the 1" kit is quiet.

The Millerspeed kit installed.

...and another angle.

Here's a video of a small-block Ford in a Cobra to give you an idea of the appearance and sound using the wider (and wilder!) 2" kit. I think either kit is just superb.

Shifty Shifter Shifts Again

The Tri-Ax shifter in the Bullitt was noisy after years of hard use. There was a loud buzz or rattle above 4000rpm under hard acceleration. Steeda rebuilds these units at their Georgia facility. I sent it in and a couple days later had it back fully rebuilt, for free. Great customer service.

A shifter gasket kit from AmericanMuscle.com didn't fit,
so I used some grey RTV instead.

I set the Tri-Ax shift "stops" further out than normal,
since the TR3650 apparently has internal shift stops.

I reinstalled the lower shifter boot (Ford #1R3Z-7277-AA for $13.80).

I replaced the torn upper shift boot (Ford #3R3Z-7277_AA for $35.98).

The Tri-Ax handle is lighter than the stock handle,
but the stock handle will work if you prefer the length.

Here's the finished install with the Bullitt knob and boot.

Amazon now has these Triax shifters for, at the time of this writing, $169.99 with free shipping. That's a great price for a great shifter like this. The links are for the TR3650 shifter (Left) and the T5 shifter (Right).



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Good Guys: Southeastern Nationals 2010

I went to the Good Guys show at Charlotte Motor Speedway for a few hours this weekend. The weather was absolutely perfect, and there were plenty of great cars there.

The Good Guys shows always have rows of high-caliber cars so it's fun to stop by and check them out as a spectator when the show is nearby.

>> Check out my photo album (238 pix!)

Spring Cleanup

I had the Quick Fuel Technology carb off the engine recently and decided to add a return spring. It's a pretty impressive looking contraption, and it's a safety measure worth having.

When you install the kit you will need to buy a longer carb stud, or a bolt, which is what I did, to install the holder to the carb base...

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Electrified

With the upgraded alternator I added some time ago, and the recent mini starter, not to mention the electric fan, I needed to clean up the wires. I'm using an Orbital battery, which is similar to the Optima but it's black to blend into a classic car engine bay a bit better. This battery has top posts and side posts.

I added Taylor battery terminal covers #20670 to clean up the top of the battery.

I also added some Monster Cable side terminal bolts. This allowed me to use them to install the starter, alternator, and electric fan wiring to the positive post. And an extra ground cable to the negative post. I had to cut the extra-long bolt a bit. If the item you are installing does not have a big draw this should be Ok. You wouldn't, however, use these side posts to install a winch for example.

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May the PowerForce Be With You

After returning the defective Romac balancer, I was in need of a replacement. I had heard some good reports concerning Professional Products balancers (or dampers) in the forums and had seen their products on some magazine engine builds. This new PowerForce 80006 unit is not SFI-rated for racing, unlike the Romac, but my usage probably won't require this rating. In fact, balancers that can spin that fast are probably calibrated for engine speeds north of 6500rpm anyway, making them less than ideal for street use. It weighs about 9.5# vs. 6.5# for the old 289 style and 10.5# for the Romac 0209.

This unit fits a '68 302 without a spacer, but they are available if needed. One downside is that the paint on the unit comes off pretty easily, particularly with carb cleaner, is not clear-coated, and the timing marks are not etched, just painted. See where I'm going with this? :-) So I bought an MSD timing tape for about $5 to replace the timing marks I wiped off...


The price is great though. The usual mail order places are selling the 80006 for about $100. I paid $76 at Amazon with free shipping a few weeks ago. Sold! (The price has fluctuated though in the meantime...)

I believe I had spun my last balancer by at least 4 degrees, so checking and replacing balancers might be a part of maintaining a custom engine.


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Balancer Blues...

When I realized that the engine block in my car was sourced from a 1968 302 rather than a 1966 289, I decided to replace the lighter 6.5-pound balancer (painted blue in the foreground above) with a heavier duty 10.5-pound unit. I bought a Romac 0209, but unfortunately I didn't have any luck with it.

The Romac arrived with some junk in the clearcoat, which surprised me, but I was willing to deal with that since it wouldn't be noticed much, except by me. But the real problem was the lack of timing marks from 0 through 30... Oops!

Intake Resurrection

While the intake manifold was off the engine I decided to give it a coat of silver engine paint. I also added some stainless bits from Performance Stainless (www.performancesst.com), including a new thermostat housing, and vacuum plug, to add to a 90-degree water fitting I already had. I also added a pair of stainless fittings to the top of the Edelbrock water pump.






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A Tale of Three

Before I replaced the intake manifold gaskets recently, I looked around for a good replacement gasket set. As mentioned in the previous post I went with a Mr. Gasket 5831 ultimately, but I also looked at the Edelbrock 7220 and the Fel-Pro 1250-S3 (shown in that order at left).

For my Edelbrock RPM aluminum heads and RPM Air Gap manifold, I like the Mr. Gasket 5831 best. The water passage does not have the L-shaped protrusion like on the Edelbrock 7220, which is required for other heads/applications. (Edelbrock recommends cutting it off; some recommend leaving it.) The Fel-Pro isn't really the right application for these heads/intake since the water passages in the gaskets are too large. The Mr. Gasket lets less of the gasket hang down at the bottom in the lifter valley too. All three have a Perma-Seal ring around the ports.

The Mr. Gasket is a bit tall, but fits the heads well, and I even ported the RPM Air Gap manifold a bit with my Dremel to make the fit even better.

Here's a close-up of the water passages.

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Shades of Grey

I replaced the intake gaskets recently, due to an external coolant leak in the back of the engine. I looked at a number of different replacement gaskets before deciding on the Mr. Gasket 5831 (more on that later).

I was surprised though when the gaskets were delivered and the pair had two different color gaskets. So I ordered another pair, and they were the same color as each other, but different than the first two. What?!

I called Mr. Gasket to figure it out, and they said they get the gasket material in sheets from different international suppliers. When the gaskets are cut they almost always end up in packages with similar color gaskets, but not this time.

So I matched up two grey ones and sent the others back.

Here they are installed. Notice the coolant passages without that L-shaped protrusion on some other gaskets. Also the bottom of the 5831 does not hang down into the lifter valley where it gets soaked in oil.

 Due to minor corrosion on the aluminum heads around the coolant passages I used a very thin bit of water pump RTV and some Gasgacinch around the intake ports—on the head side of the gasket only. The orange Perma-Seal should seal the manifold side of the gasket... I used the Right Stuff on the ends, rather than Ultra Black.


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The Timing is Right

I've been disassembling the engine on the '66 in my spare time the past few weeks, identifying some various fluid leaks. One area that I hadn't heard about examining is the timing cover, particularly the coolant passages. This makes sense since the water pump is attached to the timing cover, and then the cover is attached to the engine block. The cover holds back coolant under pressure, and oil too.

Covers shown L to R: Stock cover (with corroded coolant passages); California Pony Cars cover with cast pointer;  Edelbrock cover with bolt-on pointer.

It took awhile to figure out the best timing cover for my application.

Here are the backs of the same covers in the above order. I've bought some Edelbrock components previously and have been happy. This time however, the #4250 cover seemed unfinished, like someone gave up grinding down the cast lines when they were half done.

Here's the stock style timing cover I bought from Virginia Classic Mustangs. It's a California Pony Car cover, made in the USA, and the quality seems fantastic. This one has the bolt-on timing pointer (not the cast pointer seen in the image at top from '65-'66 Mustangs.) I went with this style since the engine is a '68 302, and will have a 302 balancer on it, not the smaller '66 balancer that was on there.

I actually spent a couple hours with some extra fine steel wool, buffing the aluminum—hopefully that finish lasts a bit!

Catching Up: Sold the 2006 GT...

I sold the 2006 Mustang GT a few weeks ago, using Craigslist. I didn't drive it much—usually driving the 2001 Bullitt when I needed a ride somewhere. Because I've been working from home the past five years, I don't commute daily so that reduces the need for a car (let alone three!)

Goodbye, friend.

 The good news is that the new owners seemed very excited and appreciative and will take great care of the car from here.

Carolina Classics at the Capital 2010

I attended the "Carolina Classics at the Capital" car show in downtown Raleigh on August 22.

It was difficult to get pix because it was so crowded with people, but I got a few. There were some nice cars there, but only a couple Mustangs.

>> Check out my photo album (66 pix!)

Have a Drink!

I've been messing around with things a bit (as I try to figure out how my intake manifold installation went awry—more on that later), so I delved into the fuel lines that connect the mechanical fuel pump to the QFT carb. I wanted to replace the hard line, various brass fittings, and the -8 carb fuel kit.

Although the old parts worked well enough, they looked a bit cobbled together, and the faded carb fuel kit leaked once in a while probably from being 7 or 8 years old. I think the hard line on the front of the engine seems like a good idea if you have a mechanical fan, or if the fuel line snakes around and through many pulleys and belts. Mine doesn't so I found some Russell and Edelbrock fuel parts featuring matching black anodizing, all in -6 AN sizing.

From the older Carter fuel pump I needed a Russell 660823 Black ProClassic 90 Degree Adapter Fitting (-6 AN and 1/4" NPT) to replace the larger 3/8" NPT fitting or elbow that came with the Edelbrock 81234 ProClassic Fuel Line Kit. You might not need the smaller elbow depending on your fuel pump. Then I needed a Russell 660463 Black ProClassic Straight Adapter Fitting (-6 AN and 3/8" NPT) to attach the line to the new Russell 641093 Dual Inlet Carburetor Kit (-6 AN with 1/8" NPT gauge plug for Holley 4150-style carb). This 641093 is advertised as not having a gauge plug in some stores and having one in others, mine does. I decided to add a fuel pressure gauge Auto Meter 2172 Autogage Mechanical Fuel Pressure Gauge (1/8" NPT).

The lines are a sufficient length, even with a taller-than-stock RPM Air Gap intake manifold. I didn't include an inline fuel filter, also black and from Russell, but maybe I will add it one day.

I used Permatex Thread Sealant 56521 on the NPT threads and spent about $75 on a pair of Aluminum fitting wrenches, and an adjustable one. I might have just taped up a regular wrench to handle tightening the anodized aluminum fittings, but my 2001 Bullitt has a full replacement -AN fuel system so I can use them there too. I think the black ProClassic lines look pretty good, and I might even be able to remove the carb fuel bowls with this style of "soft" carb fuel kit installed.





I should mention that regarding the Edelbrock 81234 ProClassic Fuel Line Kit, there seems to be a design change with the fitting that attaches the coupler to the braided line near the fuel pump. The larger fitting failed on mine when I installed it the second time, so after speaking with Edelbrock's Tech Line I returned it to Amazon. The smaller fitting in the image was sent to me as a replacement and appears to be the newer design and works fine. (Amazon doesn't seem to carry this line anymore, but other places do.)









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Out of this World

I received my JBA 1650 headers from NitroPlate in Nashville with a new Bright Silver ceramic coating. The headers were stainless steel, and had thick 3/8" flanges (requiring 1" header bolts instead of the usual 3/4"). They had been fitted to the car by the previous owner by denting two pipes, although a fresh set of motor mounts would have helped more. Over the past 5 years, the original stainless finish had discolored, as stainless does, so an aerospace-derived ceramic coating made sense to brighten things up permanently.

The finished pipes look great and ran $180, which seems like a good deal. The gaskets are Percy XX Carbon for square-port small block Fords. I've heard they work well, so figured I'd try them out. I'm also reusing the 1" Stage 8 locking header bolts.

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Smithfield BBQ Car Show in Raleigh

I stopped by a local car show behind the Smithfield BBQ in Raleigh today. There were fewer than 100 cars, but there were some nice ones.

>> Check out my photo album (100 pix!)

(My '66 isn't drivable right now, or I would have brought it along. I'm expecting to get the JBA headers back from NitroPlate in Nashville on Monday, although it might be a week before I have time to get the car back together.)

Cover Yourself!

I decided to spruce up the engine bay, since I was digging into the intake manifold anyway. So I ordered a set of Ford Racing polished aluminum valve covers (M-6582-E302P). I got them on eBay from a drop shipper for $127, and will be replacing a set of thin stamped steel covers that are prone to leaking. These new ones have a 3/8" flange to help keep leaks at bay, (screw-in) baffles, and are 3.75" tall to clear most roller rockers.

The polish job was pretty good, but required some more hand polishing around the bolt areas. I also had to thoroughly soak the insides down with a solvent to clean out the grime and aluminum shavings (!) from the manufacturing and polishing processes.

I also bought longer stainless bolts than I used previously. I bought 1" bolts at the local Lowe's, but cut them down with a Dremel to 7/8" for a perfect fit.

Lastly, I went with a Ford valve cover gasket set (M6584A50) bought on Amazon. These things have a steel core and a rubber bead all the way around the perimeter for a good seal. Apparently they can be re-used too if needed.







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Objects in Mirror Are Closer Than They Appear

So the new Talbot Jr's showed up yesterday, after more than a month. There aren't many suppliers of these, and they were made to order, so it took longer than I was expecting. But the good news is they are already installed. They install from below using a u-bolt (after drilling two holes) and need to be assembled on the car. They are fully adjustable and since they are aluminum they weigh just ounces. No directions or drilling template was included, since install is straightforward.

The Real Deal

It's been quite a while now since the '66 has been reassembled after paint, but I never had installed any side mirrors. Frankly, I couldn't find any that I really liked. I felt the stock variations on the market weren't sporty enough for the "Restomod" look, and the sportier ones on the market seemed either cheap or had too much chromed bling...

So I just ordered a pair of Talbot mirrors from Aardvark International. These are the real deal Shelby mirrors from the 60's. I went with the Talbot Junior, which not surprisingly is a bit smaller than the Talbot Senior. I thought the Junior size would fit the coupe better. I ordered a flat lens for the driver's side and convex for the passenger's. Unlike the Talbot in the photo above (supplied by Gunther at Aardvark), I went with a brushed aluminum housing (actually spun on a lathe and then cleared for durability.) I thought this would look pretty good, and should match the Vintage Wheel Works wheel centers. Each mirror ran just under $200 shipped, which might be inexpensive depending on your point of view. :-) They should arrive next week...

Of course this means I need to drill holes in the tops of my side doors to install these mirrors—not looking forward to that part!

Back to the Dyno!

I had a great time getting the Bullitt tuned on the dyno at Fastlane Motorsports last week. So I decided to bring the '66 today. It went well and the car didn't need any tuning at all: the carb and the timing appeared spot on. I was surprised! (I will adjust the valve lash sometime this summer though, since it has been about 2,500 miles since the last adjustment.) The numbers were 349HP/370TQ and the A/F ratio looked good too.

Here's a video of the second pull:

Lap Belts in the Rear

I recently bought a pair of lap belts for the rear seats in the '66. I bought them from Rich Design out of Canada. I had bought custom front lap belts from him a couple years ago, and just decided to install a matching pair in the rear.

These new ones are just a bit shorter than the front belts. All four have a retro aircraft-style look to them, which I like.

Dyno Day!

I visited Fastlane Motorsports in Benson, NC. The Bullitt spent a couple hours on the dyno getting tuned this afternoon, and the second and final tune was good for a stout 494HP/466TQ. This was with an outside temperature of about 80 degrees. (In fact, just the "house tune" for my car's particular combo, which we started off with, was already good for 453HP.) Base timing is at 14 degrees, which is safe for 93 and even 91 octane. I wanted to not have to worry about using 91 octane if needed on a trip or something.

I learned a lot about how the car's onboard computer works, and it's way more advanced than I realized. For instance, the computer can pull timing if the Inlet Air Temp gets too high, so there's a margin for safety there even with a supercharged car (if the probe has been installed in the correct location.)

I've decided I'm bringing in the '66 for a pull or two next week! :-)

Here's a video of the 494 pull:

Steady Sweeper

I have an Auto Meter 3363 Sport-Compact Fuel Pressure Gauge on the Bullitt. Most recently the gauge had been sweeping from 20-100psi for no apparent reason and with no drivability problems, which tells me the sending unit is probably bad. Before that, at idle the gauge was fluctuating between 30-32psi so it seemed like it was on the way out anyway.

Because the gauge is at least 5 years old, the previous sending unit (#4590-0008-22 P158-5190-2) was no longer available. Auto Meter has a new and improved replacement for these 0-100psi electric full-sweep gauges, but it's not obvious when calling the mail order places. It is Auto Meter #2246 Replacement Sender (#4590-0023-12). Besides the subtle differences in the photos, the port on the new replacement is quite a bit larger than the old one. With the new sending unit, idle is rock steady at 30psi and the gauge now sweeps correctly.


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Nothing Like a Little Stainless...

The Vortech supercharger on the Bullitt has a Vortech Aftercooler kit. Over the years, the anodized hardware around the stainless trim ring on top of the plastic tank got really rusty, looked lousy, and dropped crust into the coolant below. Also coolant would weep from around the gasket after using the car.




The hardware was so far gone, it couldn't be tightened. So I bought a gasket from Vortech for about $8, and since they wanted about $60 for the anodized hardware, I bought stainless hardware from the local hardware store. Spent about $14 or so on replacement allen head bolts with two washers and a lock nut for each.





It was definitely a hassle installing these bits with my big hands. I didn't drain the tank, and there are a pair of semi-circle trim rings inside the tank that is held on by the lock-nuts. Took a good hour to fiddle with this stuff. Looks great now though and should look that way for a long time. The stainless does not rest in the coolant, and the trim ring is stainless anyway so I can't see a downside at this time. We'll see!