BBR's 83GT - 552 BBF version 3.0 (at least)

[BBR]

Re: BBR's 83GT

Nice! Makes me miss my 85, 5.0, 5 spd LX even more. Don't forget to put some sub frame connectors in with those T tops! 3.90's might be a little too low if you use a 3.35 1st gear T5. I'd go no deeper then 3.5's. other wise 1st gear my be useless.

SFC, check
This is getting the C6 out of the Ranger. ;D

Mr4speed --> thanks for the info.

[DanStokes]

Re: BBR's 83GT

To add a bit to this post. First of all, I agree. I have the Max Motorsports lowers on my 'Stang and they work GREAT! They have a Heim joint at one end and urethane (or poly, I forget which) on the other. The Heim gives the movement needed to let the suspension work. I put urethane bushings in both ends of my stock arms before the MM ones and the car rode like a buckboard - essentially, no rear suspension. BW - this seems to be the source of failed boxes. The suspension can't work and it rips the torque boxes out. Anyhow - MM recommends stock uppers and mine work great that way. For the whole deal to function really well you'll also need a Panhard bar or Watt's link, depending on how much magic you want to make. Again, I went with the MM Panhard and the whole deal is pretty amazing for what it is.

Dan

Been thinking about changing the control arms too. Mainly because you can get a complete set of arms with bushings for not much more than a set of urethane bushings cost. Probably will just go non-adjustable at first because they are cheap.

Not a bad idea. I went with new stock bushings from NAPA, I believe I had $80+ in them.

Then had a regular goat-rodeo pressing them in with Blumer. Granted, we are amateurs (motivated amateurs though!), but those stock arms seem to be made of rubber when you are trying to press a bushing shell in or out of them.

Should have left the stock shells in and burnt out the rubber, then inserted urethane.

Live & learn.

The trick to getting those out is to collapse the outer shell with an air hammer to make them smaller after you burn the rubber out. If you heat the shell up a bit with a torch to get the outer part of the rubber hot it will pop right out with a hammer.


Those aftermarket arms with urethane bushings in both ends are bad news. There has to be some give somewhere and a urethane bushing is too stiff. The stock arms can twist but the tubular ones don't want to at all and it ends up putting all that stress on the welds at the ends. I've seen pics of broken ones on Thirdgen.org. A half set of urethane bushings will work, and help. With as much angle as there is between the front and rear bolts on the arms as it rolls there has to be either a squishy bushing or a heim joint on at least one end.

[Woodward_Dreams]

Re: BBR's 83GT

Love the car. I almost wish my car wasn't converted to the 87-93 bumpers and head lights..... almost

[BBR]

Re: BBR's 83GT

Wow, surprisingly, getting straight info on Fox bodies is tough. Maybe it is because there are sooooo many out there.

Quick examples:
-> Some guys say urethane tears stuff up, others say they have 30,000 miles on theirs and very are happy with them.

-> Some guys say sumped factory gas tanks have fuel starvation at less than 1/4 tank, others swear by them.

-> They claim Ranger rotors with work for the early cars with different wheel bearings yet nobody seems to concretely tell you which bearings.

I am slowly working through this project in my head so I can minimize some of the 'issues' once I finally get the blue turd out of my shop.

[STINEY]

Re: BBR's 83GT

Wow, surprisingly, getting straight info on Fox bodies is tough. Maybe it is because there are sooooo many out there.

Yeah, no fooling.

I chalk it up to them being an "entry-level" car. Experience is nill, and BS is plentiful....

The answers are out there though, just requires much patience.

[min301]

Re: BBR's 83GT


-> Some guys say sumped factory gas tanks have fuel starvation at less than 1/4 tank, others swear by them



I sumped a stock tank on two of em.

Never once had an issue, ran two "blue" pumps, into two Fram HP1 fuel filters.

[DanStokes]

Re: BBR's 83GT

I decided to talk to REAL, experienced people, not guys on Mustang forums and the like. The deal is, no one wants to admit that they did (fill in the blank) and it was a disaster. For suspension stuff, call Maximum Motorsports. They are helpful and ask the right questions - like "What are you going to do with the car?" The right suspension mods for a street/strip car like mine are VERY different from a strip car or a road racer - and they will give you the straight dope. They told a friend of mine to leave his suspension stock, given how he planned to use the car. It cost them a sale but was the right advice for that customer.

I called Comp for the cam selection. They recommended an Xtreme Energy grind and it was in line with what I had in mind and has worked great. When I called other cam folks I got similar specs so I figured they were on target.

Len Bertrand at Lentech advised on the trans mods after I tried a B&M kit which sucked. At least at that time they just didn't understand AODs. Len saved me a potful by selling me his valve body and telling me where to get the rebuild stuff from an American supplier so I didn't have to pay import tarriff on a whole trans (basically, we built a Lentch here in the 'States and for cheap).

And on and on. So I say, deal with the pros. It's cheaper in the long run.

Dan

[BBR]

Re: BBR's 83GT

Thanks Dan. I have a couple of trusted sources locally, but was surprised that the forums really run the gamut of opinions.

Just ordered some parts from Summit, subframe connectors (CE bolt in's I will probably weld in), Strange cclip eliminators (because I like my 1/4 panels and I've heard the Mosers are more prone to leak) and a Ratech solid pinion bearing spacer and shims (so I don't have to deal with the crush spacer-thingy)

;D

[DanStokes]

Re: BBR's 83GT

Sounds like you're on the right track. When I rebuilt the OEM rear in the 'Stang I had a terrible time getting the crush sleeve to crush (I got into it to install 3:23 gears in place of the 2:73's). I called some guys I knew at Ford and asked them what the deal was and they said to keep going until it finally gave up and smushed - it took a LOT of force. I did that and it worked - but it continued to have the same whine it had when I got the car. I got lucky and found a Turbo Coupe rear w/3:55 gears and disc brakes so I swapped the whole deal. That one is quiet and works great and is still in the car. It needs C-clip eliminators if I get serious with it.

From my experience you need to weld in the connectors for them to make any noticeable difference. Not hard to do at all.

Dan

[BBR]

Re: BBR's 83GT

I had CE bolt-in's on my old Coronet and was impressed with how well they fit. I never welded them in though. I figured the bolt-in versions would probably have additional locational metal bracketry on them that the weenie looking weld-on ones did not.

I have done diffs before (Mopar 8.75's) but never one that used a crush sleeve, so I felt it best to avoid that issue altogether for the measly $15 the solid spacer and shims cost.

[min301]

Re: BBR's 83GT

I have a recommendation.

Instead of using c-clip eliminators,
Why not have big Ford 9" ends added?

Much stronger, less leakage.

And, the only subframe connectors I've added to Fox cars,
are weld in, along with torque box kits, and a roll bar.

[BBR]

Re: BBR's 83GT

The 9" ends was something I thought about, along with thru floor subframe connectors, but I think I will save that kind of stuff for a later date.

I am enjoying having something that stuff actually bolts onto and does not require 2 days of modification before it will work. lmao

[DanStokes]

Re: BBR's 83GT

One of the reasons I built the 'Stang. It's the most "normal" car I've ever built. It was fun but now I'm on to the 250 in the Camaro and it's a bit more of a challenge, all in all. IIRC, my bolt-ins were Griggs (state of the art at that time) and weren't worth a flip. I'm not familiar with the CEs so maybe they work OK - I just don't have the experience.

In any case - BEST of luck -

Dan

[BBR]

Re: BBR's 83GT

Snagged free double hump trans x-member last night from a buddy!

Me likey free stuff!

[BBR]

Re: BBR's 83GT

Finally found some good info on the 5 lug Ranger rotor swap:


2 - 1983-1988 Ranger front rotors $27 ea. at Autozone
2 - outer wheel bearings 79-86 Mustang A12 (V12) - $8 ea.
2 - inner wheel bearings - A13 (V13)- $6 ea.
2 - inner wheel seals Ranger - $3 ea.

What inner bearing to use had been my hangup. This bearing (A13) is identical to the Mustang inner bearing, but has the right bearing race O.D. to press into the Ranger rotor.

;D

>>>> E D I T <<<<<

I just picked up the rotors at O'Reilly's and they already have the bearing races installed. So I *should* be able to just reuse the Mustang's wheel bearings. I will need to get inner seals though.