Thursday, December 29, 2011

Mustang and Capri gas tank pin size

I've noticed a lot of requests for the sizes of these pins on various boards. I cleaned mine up today and took  a few pictures to help:


This picture doesn't show it well, but the pins are lined up at the 2" line:



Hope this helps someone searching for the information some day.

Junk yard trip

Today I went to the junk yard (Atlanta Pick-a-part technically) to look for some parts for the Capri. Main thing I was looking for were driver's and passenger's side drip rails for a < 87. Mine are crimped from where a previous owner had put a ski rack on the car.

Unfortunately I could only find chrome ones, and only one good set and one good passenger side. I did also find several of the moldings that go at the base of the windshield where it meets the cowl, since both of my were broken.

I also found an 81 Capri only in the yard a few days. It was in very good condition and should have been saved and restored. No rust anywhere that I could find, even under the floor boards. I picked off one of the front moldings, but the other was glued and screwed on so I gave up. There were a couple of guys taking the doors off when I left.

I also got a coil and bracket and a window slider to replace the rusted one on the car now. Not bad for 2 hours of wandering around.

Saturday, December 10, 2011

Back from the machine shop

After 3 engines, I was finally able to find a block that could be bored out and cleaned up. Sent it to Goza Automotive in Acworth for some work.

Cleaned up block. Bored 0.030 over, new freeze plugs, crank line bored.


Pistons: 0.030 CP pistons from Bo-port by way of Stinger. Shotpeened rods, bushed little end, big end 'cleaned up'.


Crank polished:


Needs a little more clean up on the block before painting:


Since Christmas is right around the corner I'm not going to be able to assemble it for at least a month. I put it on the engine stand today and covered it with a couple of clean towels. Any advice on how to store it for a month or so?

FYI: all 3 heads had significant cracks in them, so none were rebuildable. I took the other two blocks and the three heads to a recycling place today and got $44. Whoo Hoo.

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

0 for 3 with the heads

I picked up the block, pistons, crank etc. from Goza Auto Parts and Machine Shop today. Need to go through them when there is light and I have time, but looks like everything is there and done. Pictures soon.

They cleaned and Magnafluxed the two heads that appeared to be crack-less, but both were shown to have major cracks once cleaned up.

So 0-3 on the heads. Now to figure out where to get rid of them so I get some garage space back!