The Bald Eagle Machine Chronicles

[The_bald_eagle_machine]

I got the front sway bar installed today.... I gotta say this was 10x more difficult than the rear. I think the ATI balancer and supercharger drive pulley is part of what made if so hard. I definitely had to jack the motor up. I read a bunch of reviews saying it could be done without lifting the motor. Yeah, with my setup? No chance. I removed the 2 motor mount bolts and lifted the motor right until the bolts were about to come out of the subframe and it barely fanagled it's way in there. Either way, suspension is done. Now I just need to do the oil change and fix/replace my brake mechanism and the car is back in service. I'm gonna deep clean my wheels and wheel wells while I have the car in the air as well.

[SlowLS1]

Looks good, are those BMR bars? Notice much change?

[The_bald_eagle_machine]

Originally Posted by SlowLS1

Looks good, are those BMR bars? Notice much change?

They are the BMR bars. I just finished installing them late last night and the car is still in the air so I haven't had a chance to put them through the paces.

[CamaroDreams76]

Have you thought about upgrading to the FE4 control arms and maybe a 1LE or 32mm rear bar?

[The_bald_eagle_machine]

Originally Posted by CamaroDreams76

Have you thought about upgrading to the FE4 control arms and maybe a 1LE or 32mm rear bar?

I have invested so much $$$ into the current setup, I have no plans on converting at the moment. I think this setup will be better than stock, which in reality is all that i want.

[hesster]

Like the BMR Bars!
I installed the same on my 2010, and remember it was a real challenge getting the Front installed. I did not have to raise the motor, but did have to massage the PS lines to clear a path to fish it in. I eventually did change the rear to a BMR FE4 with a JPSS Bar, that is a incremental improvement, but expensive (sold the FE3 BMR bar and Links).
Of course, you know that you are never done modding.

[Bee]

Very cool!! I see you have yours set to the center hole...that's also where I set mine from the initial install. I've never adjusted mine since it feels good, but if you happen to change yours at some point please let us know as I would love to hear your thoughts on it.

[Joe.G]

Mine are in the center as well, it handles well but I also haven't gotten to the track yet.

[The_bald_eagle_machine]

Got the e-brake assembly replaced. Gotta say, not a fun job. Disassemble the center console. Easy. Undo the old brake cable from the bracket under the car and install new e brake assembly. Easy. Getting the new brake cable to connect to the rear e brake cable assembly. Impossible. I may have taken the redneck approach and I definitely did... I removed the brake cables from the rear calipers, then I... and I'm not kidding here. Removed the springs from the cables themselves so that I could relieve all of the tension in the cable.... I BARELY got the new cable attached. But I managed. I also did this with the exhaust, driveshaft and everything still on the car. I removed nothing.

It looks like the keyway that "clicks" when you pull the brake, got bent and warped and just fell out. I tried jamming it back in there and twisting the assembly in an attempt to hold it in place... I even contemplated welding it together, but that required removing the assembly so I just put the new junkyard version in.

My takeaway from this experience. If you are a big strong guy like myself, do not use force when pulling on your brake. You will eventually twist and bend your assembly apart. It looks like the gear that is warped and fell out is literally held in with compression. No tack welded, no brackets... just the compression of the parts being smashed together. Not fun... but it's done.

Oil change with fresh mobil1 advanced synthetic 10w-30 and a Mobil1 filter. She is ready to put the new sway bars to the test! I'll be taking her for the first drive today after work.

[Bee]

Glad to hear you got your e-brake all fixed up...that's one job I hope to never have to do.

Thanks for the tip about not being too hard when applying the e-brake! Although I try to treat everything on the car with kid gloves (except the gas and clutch pedals), I sometimes can be a little hard when setting the e-brake.

[The_bald_eagle_machine]

Originally Posted by Bee

Glad to hear you got your e-brake all fixed up...that's one job I hope to never have to do.

Thanks for the tip about not being too hard when applying the e-brake! Although I try to treat everything on the car with kid gloves (except the gas and clutch pedals), I sometimes can be a little hard when setting the e-brake.

After driving for a day or two, I need to open up the rear brakes and adjust the brake master cylinders. The e brake handle is kinda soft and occasionally jumps off the teeth. So far I really like the feel of the BMR sway bars on the middle setting.

[SSE 4 2SS]

Originally Posted by The_bald_eagle_machine

Got the e-brake assembly replaced. Gotta say, not a fun job. Disassemble the center console. Easy. Undo the old brake cable from the bracket under the car and install new e brake assembly. Easy. Getting the new brake cable to connect to the rear e brake cable assembly. Impossible. I may have taken the redneck approach and I definitely did... I removed the brake cables from the rear calipers, then I... and I'm not kidding here. Removed the springs from the cables themselves so that I could relieve all of the tension in the cable.... I BARELY got the new cable attached. But I managed. I also did this with the exhaust, driveshaft and everything still on the car. I removed nothing.

It looks like the keyway that "clicks" when you pull the brake, got bent and warped and just fell out. I tried jamming it back in there and twisting the assembly in an attempt to hold it in place... I even contemplated welding it together, but that required removing the assembly so I just put the new junkyard version in.

My takeaway from this experience. If you are a big strong guy like myself, do not use force when pulling on your brake. You will eventually twist and bend your assembly apart. It looks like the gear that is warped and fell out is literally held in with compression. No tack welded, no brackets... just the compression of the parts being smashed together. Not fun... but it's done.

Oil change with fresh mobil1 advanced synthetic 10w-30 and a Mobil1 filter. She is ready to put the new sway bars to the test! I'll be taking her for the first drive today after work.

So, if I may go off topic for a moment....



Starting in Jr' High, I did a lot of mechanic gear head stuff... Stuffed a 351 Windsor in a 74 mustang II, rebuilt carburetors way too often... my first was a Quadra-Jet. I was 12 at the time.... It was off our family station wagon, dad was gonna toss it or have someone else try to rebuild it. I hopped on my bicycle went to the parts house, bout a kit, a float, and four cans of B-12 Chem Tool to clean it with. I replaced the enclosed filter with an inline. The enclosed filter deteriorate and sent trash as well as allowed dirt into the float bowl. Primary and secondary jets were partially clogged. I figured it out.. Car ran well after I reinstalled it that afternoon when my dad got home.



So, related to your parking brake handle... I was helping a friend with a 60 sumthin Mustang. 302, bad little machine, and he requested me to remove the shifter. It was either a B&M Verti-gate, or a Star Shifter. I dont remember which... So, I pull one bolt out of the housing, passenger side of the shifter body... Progress... I pull a second bolt out, further progress.... I pull a third bolt out and I hear a number of metallic clangs and dinks, as pieces fell out of the shifter and hit the concrete of the driveway... Oh S*^t.... He looked at me, with that look, and said go ahead and remove the body since the guts were already out, and see if I can figure out how to get it all back together.... I managed to get it on the second attempt...



We laughed about it for years afterward...

[The_bald_eagle_machine]

So 2 months ago, when I got below a half a tank of gas... the car started stumbling and missing when I mashed the gas pedal. I chalked it up to, I can't stomp the gas on a 1/4 tank because I assumed the fuel was sloshing around, because when I filled the tank, no more problems. This past week I took a long 350 mile drive. Car was perfect on the way down. I may have even raced a few cars and had fun on the streets. Car was fine. Then I made the 350 mile drive home, about half way home... more then half a tank of gas.. car doesn't want to go over 3000rpm without a hard stumble/misfire. No check engine light. I got home, pulled the spark plugs. These are TR6 copper plugs, 6500 miles on them. They look ok to me. Popped the rocker covers, and everything looks clean and tight. I ordered new spark plugs just because...

I posted a video on my Instagram of the issue. It feels like fuel or ignition cut. But no check engine light. I don't have a scanner so I can't read any codes. Any thoughts? Is my brand new zl1 pump fried? Again, fuel pressure goes from 58psi and dips really hard everytime this issue happens. But it feels like a fuel/ignition cut... no really sure what the vest way to diagnosecthis is outside of throwing parts at it and frankly I don't have the money for that right now.

[The_bald_eagle_machine]

Tuner said its likely a crank position sensor, and its a 50-50 shot that it needs a re-learn or not.