You Should Be In Movies...

I was on YouTube this evening and found a cool video featuring a red '65 (ok, looks like it's really a '66) and the song "65 Mustang"... Yeah!



And here are the lyrics.

Brand New Repro Parts, Part II: More Adventures in Head-Scratching

Here's an issue that has caused me to waste some time, so maybe this tip will help somebody else. I bought a new fuel tank sending unit for my new 22 gallon fuel tank. (This tank is from a 1970 Mustang and holds more fuel than the stock 16 gallon tank from 1966.) The sending unit was from NPD and is supposed to be a good quality one with a brass float and 3/8" line. I think all of the parts houses will have this same issue, so I don't think NPD could do much about it.



Anyway, the first two floats failed by filling with fuel, causing the gauge to always read "E". The first floast failed within one day, and the second within one month. I finally replaced only the brass float and not the whole repro sending unit. At left is the brass float I ordered from NPD, and it came in a Ford package, which was a nice surprise.



And here are the two floats together. The import is on the left and Ford is on the right. They seem reasonably close to being the same, but notice the soldering (or brazing?), which is more controlled on the Ford one.



And here's the failure point of the import on the left both times (the first time there was a leak on the side too): the solder on the end cap looks like a big porous blob stuck on there. The Ford float has solder that is accurately placed and very smooth for leak-free service.

As a matter of fact, the import sending unit design apparently has another issue that quickly happened to both units I bought: The white plastic sock that is stuck on the intake tube to keep debris from getting sucked into the fuel line actually fell off or melted off and is presumably lost in the fuel tank somewhere. (With a new tank and a fuel filter before the fuel pump I'm not really worried about that right now.) But the parts houses do sell a NOS sending unit filter or sock for about $22. I just bought one and will install it when I have a chance (see photo). [Edit: Just installed it a couple months ago!]



In hindsight, I'd use a NOS brass float ($7) and NOS sending unit filter ($22) that are available in Ford packages from places like NPD and Mustangs Unlimited. Then I'd buy a $25 repro sending unit and hope for the best. I would not use a repro sending unit again without upgrading the sending unit filter and float. Of course if you can score a NOS sending unit assembly for $50 that's the best bet, but these go for over $100 easy when they come up on eBay.

Odds and Ends: Part VI

I'm including the list of fluids in the car, since I learned a few things when selecting these, maybe this will help someone else.

The T5Z transmission is using Mobil 1 Synthetic ATF, as required (not gear oil). The brake system is using Valvoline Synpower full synthetic brake fluid; this exceeds DOT 3 and 4, but is not DOT 5. The 8" rear axle is using Valvoline 80W-90 non-synthetic gear oil, with a small bottle of friction modifier from the Ford parts counter. The non-synthetic oil with a small bottle of friction modifier was required for the Auburn differential back there. The engine oil is Red Line 10W30 Synthetic Oil - 1 Quart, Pack of 12. The engine builder suggested that weight, and Red Line told me that their oil has enough zinc (1200ppm) and phosphorous (1330ppm) for a flat tappet cam like mine. (Here's a great Hot Rod article from a couple years ago that discusses flat tappet cam failure.)

The coolant is the old-style green stuff from Texaco (not pictured). Not sure why I pictured the Stabil, but I use a little of that too in the high-octane gas.


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