Maiden Voyage after MII Install...

[67coupe351w]

Well I got my brakes bleed and the last few odds and ends put together to make the car "road worthy" since the Heidts MII install.

The manual rack is fine once you are moving but at a stand still and backing out of the drive way it is definately a 2 hand project.

Heidts claims the suspension will settle about an inch or so from where it is currently sitting. I'd like to see it move ALL of that and maybe a little more. Once I can get the front end down I want to maybe lower the back end about an inch as well. I'm not a huge fan of it's stance at the moment..

I do have an engine issue though...Before the swap the engine could idle as low as about 750 RPMS with it in drive without a problem. Now I can't get it to idle at anything below 1000 rpms period. I even had to close down the choke about 50% to allow it to idle at 1K with the load of the car in drive on the engine. Any thoughts? The only mods to the engine at the same time as the MII were diffrent headers, plug wires, and a pertronix Ignitor II ignition (points replacement) drop in.

Thanks in advance for any help!

 

[BB1966]

Cool! I am about to order the Heidts for my 69. You could have a vacume leak ,it would make it idle higher.

 

[BlackGMC]

I even had to close down the choke about 50% to allow it to idle at 1K with the load of the car in drive on the engine. Any thoughts? The only mods to the engine at the same time as the MII were diffrent headers, plug wires, and a pertronix Ignitor II ignition (points replacement) drop in.

Thanks in advance for any help!

Did you check all your vacuum sources? It sounds like you have a vacuum leak. So how does the car handle? What springs did you go with. How about some pics of the install.

 

[67coupe351w]

I don't know off the top of my head what spring rate I ended up with. I told them that it was a 351w with aluminum heads & intake and they (at Heidts) picked what springs to get me. I was initialy not so sure that they were correct becasue of how high the front end is sitting but when I called them they assured me that they were correct and would settle approximately an inch after about 100 cycles. Seems like alot to me.

I didn't do anything too crazy to check it's handling out because of how bad the engine was running. I did take a couple chances to get sideways with it on a few of the corners going around the block. The steering was nice and tight...pretty stiff at a stand still but fine once I was rolling.

I had the brake booster off during the heidts install also. Perhaps this is my source of the vaccum leak...I was pretty sure I had a rather major vaccum leak with how much better it ran choked down some. I didnt lift the engine with the intake so I wouldnt imagine I broke a seal on one of those gaskets...

 

[86T-Top]

What radiator are you using?

Thanks,

Mario

 

[1320stang]

Dang! what did you have to use the hatchet on? LOL!!!

Do the tower covers just bolt in? I thought they were supposed to weld in.

It's my opinion, but I'm still amongst the crowd that thinks the MII without front bars from a full cage is not that great because the front end wasn't designed to hold the weight out there without the tower's support. Think about how towers crack normally and how the front end sags inward when you try to put a Monte Carlo bar in. I'm not baggin on the MII idea, but I think without the front bars, it's inadequately supported. I'm not trying to start a controversy about it, it's been hashed enough, but seeing that you already have a roll bar in there, ever thought about completing it out to a cage?

 

[BlackGMC]

I agree, a G-Brace would really compliment the MII suspension. When I install mine, I am planning on adding a G-Brace and extra firewall bracing.

 

[allcarfan]

looks good, but can you make the pictures a little bigger next time?

 

[67coupe351w]

Haha. Yeah Every person i've ever shown that picture to has to say something about "the hatchet" So the only large hammer I own happens to have a hatchet on the back end of it.

I got the radiator from Summit, it was $179 and was sold as a Summit brand. "Northern" is stamped on the side of the radiator though. I posted a thread about a week ago and there are a few pics of the radiator on it, its:

http://forums.stangnet.com/showthread.php?t=694493

I'm not sure waht to think about the "front bars from a cage" idea. The rear inner fenders are still there and I think they probably provide most of the support to the sub frames. Of course thats not to say bars from a cage wouldnt make it vastly stronger.

Hey allcarfan - Sorry I couldn't make the pics bigger, that's all the larger my digital cam will make them

 

[ratio411]

It's my opinion, but I'm still amongst the crowd that thinks the MII without front bars from a full cage is not that great because the front end wasn't designed to hold the weight out there without the tower's support. Think about how towers crack normally and how the front end sags inward when you try to put a Monte Carlo bar in. I'm not baggin on the MII idea, but I think without the front bars, it's inadequately supported. I'm not trying to start a controversy about it, it's been hashed enough, but seeing that you already have a roll bar in there, ever thought about completing it out to a cage?

Careful there!
I brought that up once in a thread about putting an M2 under a 73...
Caught heck for bringing it up.
I tend to agree that strength is lost.
Especially as the car gets wider and heavier,
Like 65 vs 73, for example.

That said, I am not down on it either.
I just think that serious consideration needs to be given
to extra bracing of some sort.

Car looks great.
Dave

 

[1320stang]

I know, people think that just because a manufacturer makes something, they've done it all correctly.

Hmm, we'll just put hydrogen in the Hindenburg since the US is hoarding helium, besides, it's lighter and has more lift.

 

[allcarfan]

couldnt some bracing be run in the wheel well and a cross brace run in the engine bay?

 

[mustbereel]

MII

I have the R&C MII in my 65 fastback. I have added the front torque boxes and TCP subframe connectors but no other extra bracing. The crossmember on the MII suspension is substantial and offers far more support than the original crossmember. Rather than discuss what extra bracing may or may not improve I'll just share my results.

The car is stiff. I can place a jack under the lower control arm on one side and jack the whole front end up without any visible droop towards the unsupported side. If I place a jack under the subframe connector just foward of the rear wheel the whole side of the car rises, front and rear. Some of this is due to the front end being very light (all aluminum engine, fiberglass fenders and hood, battery in trunk) but overall the car is much more rigid than a stock Mustang.

In my coupe I have added the front torque boxes, subframe connectors, export brace and monte carlo bar. I haven't tried jacking the car up to compare to the fastback yet but I plan too. Of course the coupe has an iron engine and steel body panels but I'm still curious to compare the two.