back to the basics...

[MPGmustang]

okay I have been thinking about what to do about my car... it is not dependable, especially in the heat of AZ when it get to +110 and 0 humidity.

things I have noticed...
car runs fine without AC on.
electric fan can maintain 195* if AC is off.
oil pressure in summer goes down to 20psi at idle.
front wheel bearings are going again!!!
4.10 rear gear is too much
locker on street car sucks
it pings with heat, even @ 195* water temp
pedal hesitation
alternator bearings are going,

Things I'm thinking will help
sweat in the heat, don't use AC... this sucks but maybe some other things might help
swap my mech fan back on, build custom fan shroud (practice welding some sheetmetal) possibly switch to flex fan as I know they pull more air
external oil cooler with electric fan, controlled by manual switch
new bearings, have a shop warranty them
setup an appointment to swap the 4.10 locker with 3.8 open... $250... just gonna get rid of that locker, then spend little more for 2 rear tires and make them bigger
recurve distributor, FSD I'm not going OBD1 anymore...
smaller carb
new alternator, I heard them since the rad cap sprayed at the speedo test shop... just been in denial...

all this I have to do without missing work... oh and this is my only driver.

what other basic can I do? oh, I'm thinking of swapping the 1.5 rockers back in, it just seemed more smooth with them.

edit:
another symtom... parking brak brings the 'brake pedal' down... meaning the front is not firm enough...
oh and I forgot to mention, the only gauge in the stock 65 mustang cluster that works is my gas gauge... so all other instruments are floating under dash and on steering column

 

[64 200 ranchero]

let me know if you want to sell that locker ill buy it

 

[Xargon321]

if youre using the stock 2 row rad get a aluminum one a 2 row aluminum works like a 3-4 row stock one. you should get the biggest rad you can fit in there if youre going to be useing the car in 100+ heat all the time

 

[MPGmustang]

IDK about locker... the shop may deside to keep it... along with 4.10's, I'm pay'n $100 for third member and $150 for labor to get it swapped over...

the rad is alum 2row, Im sure it's an ebay one... it acts like it in the heat.

 

[64 200 ranchero]

i have a nissan maxima radiator that works great, it is way wider than stock, i just made some mounts and longer hoses, fits great with http://www.ebay.com/itm/DUAL-CORE-HIGH- ... s&vxp=mtrh my 2 electric fans, my car is always on the cool side in the heat

 

[Asa]

What brake/wheel system do you have up front that keeps eating bearings? And how quickly do you go through bearings?

 

[MPGmustang]

that radiator has the hose-lets on the wrong sides... but I like the SIZE!!! very cool

scarebird... disks
the hubs died about 4 months ago, they stepped up and gave me modified stock hubs ready to roll.
I'm seriously thinking extreme... dump scarebird, swap to v8 spindles, someone has a sleeve for tie rods, get a disk brake setup and ask to redrill to 4lug...


the other extreme I'm thinking about, is selling the car...

 

[64 200 ranchero]

yeah its not the same as mine, i found mine in a junk yard

 

[Asa]

I'm not familiar enough with the scarebird setups to know what's going on there.
Regular type install? Inner and Outer bearings? or an actual hub assembly?

edit: How do you know the front are going out? What are the symptoms?

 

[bubba22349]

'm seriously thinking extreme... dump scarebird, swap to v8 spindles, someone has a sleeve for tie rods, get a disk brake setup and ask to redrill to 4lug...

Yeah with only 4 months of use IMOP they are overloaded I think the V8 spindles and hubs would fix that problem. IE bigger wider rims and tires and with maybe more offset it would all be more leverage on the six style bearings.

 

[MPGmustang]

the scarebird uses stock hubs and stock spindle, so stock bearings and hardware/seals
metal roller skate wheel sounds... it sounds like those metal skates from the 50's when I roll. it's just loud... but goes away when I turn right or left hard... I forget which direction...

if it is the rear axle bearings, I have a warranty for those... but there is no clacking like I had before...

 

[bubba22349]

Sounds like you need to pull some advance out of it and or a little too much compression. A Water & Alky injection setup might help. Maybe do a front air scoop down lower ala like the Selby GT350 R's to bring more air flow

 

[MPGmustang]

Just got home... and about the same spot where my tire fell off... my front bearings gave out... grinding the rest of the way home... no spare tire would have helped here... made it but car is down... looks like I'm working on car tonight...

 

[Asa]

I've seen a fair amount of people not install bearings correctly. How are you doing it?
Most common issue is the fact that people don't set the pre-load correctly.

While the wheels can be too big and overload the bearings, if you're still running the 195/70R14s in the link in your sig, I doubt that's the issue

 

[bubba22349]

Maybe set Too tight on preload than! Is there
any signs of heat in the bearings i.e. blued?

 

[Frankenstang]

Hey Richard, Sorry to hear you're having all those issues at once...I'd revert to the mechanical 6 blade fan cause no electric can match them for air flow, and consider a used 3.5-3.7 pumpkin, doing it yourself to find out which you pefer (I believe CobraSix swears by the 3.5 with the bent8 5spd)...they can be had reasonably and think you can get good money out of
EDIT: that low mileage 4.11 [locker] if you decide to sell it.

I've seen a fair amount of people not install bearings correctly. How are you doing it?
Most common issue is the fact that people don't set the pre-load correctly.

x3 Preload is everything...and "less is more"...never tighten with a wrench or socket...slip joints pliers if you must. Preload increases with heat/running, and too much will kill bearings, hubs, and spindles. Meticulous packing...dob(s) of quality grease in your hand, packing the bearing from the large diameter edge...working round and round till it squishes out the seam on the small diameter edge. Tighten bearings by hand, then back off 1-2 castellations. Hubs should spin freely w/o resistance. If the bearings are toast...change the races as well, and opt for Timken sets if at all possible. Good luck

 

[xctasy]

Right this instant, Remap the Ignition, and you now who can help yopu with that.Get a stand in ignition. You saw what happened with the ported vac change, thats the key issue. Igntion first, always.

Second, don't ever down grade the carb size, 350 cfm is too small already, thats a 38 DGES size. Its a nice size, and able to make 245 hp with the right cam or tootle along at 123 hp. The Holley 350 was a standard 2.5 or 3.0 liter Essex V6 38 or 40 mm Weber 2bbl replacement carb on British Fords, and it ran better on a Holley than a Weber.


Third, Get a stock pressed steel fan, and get extra pitch and extra windrush. Alternative is the Maxima and twin themo fan route. My Ford parts manager used the later EL Falcon twin thermo fans and 3 core radiator on his X-flow Falcon XE wagon, so I used the 3 core radiator too...it works well with a stock fan too.

Aftermarket radiators a made for least price, because brass was expensive. With 134a and A/C, an alloy replacement with one therm fan won't cut themustard in 21st century conditions.

Fourth, I could rabbit on for ages on diff ratios, you must not go to higher than 12:1 numerical over all first gear, and not go higher than 8:1 for a 3.3 six cylinder manual. Ideal first gear ratio is 11.2:1 with 10:1 at a pinch if your not towing a boat or trailer. Ford Oz found that a 3 speed 3.3 with 2.95:1 first and 2.92:1 diff was too tall for towing a 15 foot boat up a 10 pecent concrete ramp, so Ford Australia has set a 11:1 first gear as the tallest for the sub 4 liter engines. In 1982 to 1985, boat towing with 5-speed Rover 3500's, Falcon 3.3's and 2.85 and 1.9 liter Commodores and Merkur's/Capris/Sierras with 2.3's and 2.8's worked the envelope of acceptable first gear and top gear five speed combinations. When the Aussies drove American spec Mustangs and Turbo Coupe Thunderbirds, they found the ratios were geared for CAFE and EPA ratings, not for practicallity. The consensus depends on wheel height, but on the smaller 24" tall tire combos, a 3.08:1 works best with a 3.3. On 26" wheels, 3.23 to 3.36:1 works very well. This is based on Ford Australias San Francisco first gear rule, you won't have problems.

Wide ratio 5 speed Mustang/Ranger/S10/Camaro/Fbird T-5s are great for LA traffic jams, but a 4.01 or 3.97:1 first gear needs a 3.08 to 3.36 ratio, with 3.20/3.22/3.23 gears ideal. Generally, World Class V8 spec gearboxes run 2.95:1 first gears, so you don'r want to be running a 2.92:1 diff with that, especially when the wide ratios run a nice shallow drive tops vary from 0.81 to 0.79, but the world class sits on a tall 0.72/0.67.


I ran a 78 hp 138 cube six cylinder car with 6.8:1 compression, 165 cfm carb and close ratio four speed gearbox with 3.45:1 gears with a 3.2:1 first. Overall when it was a 3 speed with its 3.9:1 first was 11.5:1, and it was just slightly too tall on 12% grades hill starts in Dunedin. But a 201 cube version would run a 3.7:1 ratio and 2.6:1 first, for a 9.6:1 first. So there is really no time you'd ever run a numerically higher than 11.5:1 first gear.

That means unless you have a 2.78 first gear wide ratio Toploader 4-speeds, the 4.1 or 3.8:1 ratios won't work.

 

[CobraSix]

I'll throw a few cents in.

4.10s are probably a bit high for a 200 with your mods, even with a V-8 T5. Why not go back down to 3.55 instead of 3.80? Maybe see if they can track down a 3.55 LSD. Lockers are overkill for street use and combined with an engine that is maybe putting 120Hp to the ground, just not enough umph.

Chewing threw front wheel bearings is very bad. I don't believe V-8 spindles will solve the problem if you chewed the 4 lug ones in 4 months. I'm hard on my steering and have never gone through them that fast. I run mildly over stock negative camber. I suspect you have an alignment issue (and not necessarily wheel alignment to one another) that is loading up those bearings incorrectly.

But, while on the topic, why redrill to 4 lug? or is you maverick 8" a 4 lugger?

Alternator bearings going are usually a sign of way too much tension on the belt. If they are going (and if it's relatively new), you'll need to check your water pump bearing as well. Water on the bearings usually isn't going to cause a problem.

Oil pressure. 20 psi at idle seems fine. You need to check it at 2000 RPM. Should be close to 35 psi. Double check the shop manual though. Maybe go to a thicker oil in the summer. I used to do that on my old truck. 20w50 in the summer, 10w30 in the winter.

If its pinging, running to advanced or your dizzy isn't set right. you don't mention what your base timing is set at.

 

[MPGmustang]

3.8 reason...
once I put bigger tires on (to cushin the ride more) it will be equivilant to 3.5's... if I went 3.5's bigger tires will put me back where I started, 3.2's... if anyone is in disagree'ance please let me know ASAP...

The inner part of the outer bearing was 'welded by heat' onto the spindle...

I was able to take a dremel with a grinder and cut it off, without dmg'g the spindle. I did have to debur the spindle but used some sand paper... dremels are amazing.
What I think happened, the locking cap for the nut got destroyed when the nut started spinning, making the bearing loose. this ended in my anger taking it out on the bearing... I replaced the outer race as there was a gouge in it that couldn't be ignored, then had my truck driving cousin preset and set the new bearings. it's much different from what I'm used to... I have been doing it wrong the entire time. the passanger side he looked at and called it good. no play and wheel spins quietly with the caliper removed...

yes the rear is a mav 8inch with 4 lugs... that's why I would redril... and since I have rims, why replace them... just mod the front... but redrilling the rear would be easier...

winter idle the oil pressure is 30psi, hot summer it's 20... I'll change to thicker oil I used to run gtx 20w50 but haven't for a while... good call on oil, i'm in need of a change anyways.

base timing is 9* mech 24* and probably 20* vacuum.

no LSD as I can't afford one.

oh and I forgot to mention, the only gauge in the stock 65 mustang cluster that works is my gas gauge... so all other instruments are floating under dash and on steering column.

 

[rbohm]

8) your detonation issue could be the result of too lean of a fuel mixture rather than too much timing, or you could have a hot spot in the cylinder head. one more thing to try before backing down the timing is to try a set of plugs that are one or two heat ranges colder than the stock plug.

as for your wheel bearing issue, i usually set them up by tightening the bearings until the disc is hard to turn to properly seat the bearings, then backing off until i can feel a slight amount of play when i move the rotor by grasping the top and bottom of the rotor and move them in opposite directions. i then line up the castelations by loosening the nut until they line up with the cotter pin hole. doing this i have never had a wheel bearing issue. i also use the best wheel bearing grease i can buy.