Nick's "lvndpst" Restoration (and Slight Modification) Thread

[95BlueStallion]

Dyno day is tomorrow. I got to thinking this morning, my car still has 2.73 gears in the rear ended. That’s not going to help anything.

I bought 3.55’s and they’ve been on the shelf for a couple months. I was under the car last week and was reminded that my pinion seal is leaking. Seems like a good time to swap gears.

I call dyno dude who also runs an everyday repair shop, and he has an 8.8 gear install kit on the shelf and an open tech for the job in the morning. So now tomorrow just got a little more expensive, but a little more exciting. My car will be just that much further down the path of being fresh.

One thing I found out though, he has a Mustang dyno. That means modest/honest numbers. So I’m not getting my hopes up for 400/400+ anymore.

 

[CarMichael Angelo]

Dyno day is tomorrow. I got to thinking this morning, my car still has 2.73 gears in the rear ended. That’s not going to help anything.

I bought 3.55’s and they’ve been on the shelf for a couple months. I was under the car last week and was reminded that my pinion seal is leaking. Seems like a good time to swap gears.

I call dyno dude who also runs an everyday repair shop, and he has an 8.8 gear install kit on the shelf and an open tech for the job in the morning. So now tomorrow just got a little more expensive, but a little more exciting. My car will be just that much further down the path of being fresh.

One thing I found out though, he has a Mustang dyno. That means modest/honest numbers. So I’m not getting my hopes up for 400/400+ anymore.

What I wanna know, is why you think adding a 3.55 gear is going to do one single thing to improve your horsepower or torque numbers? Rear end gears only aid in acceleration and dont have dick to do with power.

 

[95BlueStallion]

PS, I took the Mustang center caps off. I dig the similarity in look as the Stern wheels by leaving them silver. I just need to paint them a brighter, more metallic silver.

 

[95BlueStallion]

What I wanna know, is why you think adding a 3.55 gear is going to do one single thing to improve your horsepower or torque numbers? Rear end gears only aid in acceleration and dont have dick to do with power.

I figure it’s like the difference in making a dyno run in 3rd gear vs 5th gear.

 

[CarMichael Angelo]

I figure it’s like the difference in making a dyno run in 3rd gear vs 5th gear.

Except they’ll make the dyno run in 4th regardless. The car will have its pull made in its 1:1 final drive gear.

 

[TOOLOW91]

PS, I took the Mustang center caps off. I dig the similarity in look as the Stern wheels by leaving them silver. I just need to paint them a brighter, more metallic silver.

Love the wheels with no mustang cap. Ive always loved the stern face II as well.

 

[95BlueStallion]

Even after you rain on my parade of thinking it optimizes my results, I’m still excited to get it done. I know I will feel the difference when driving, and no longer be losing gear oil onto the underside of the car.

 

[Mustang5L5]

Looking forward to seeing your numbers.

I'm a couple weeks away from starting my engine build. Just need to go get an inspection sticker this coming weekend and then I can rip the motor out

 

[CarMichael Angelo]

Even after you rain on my parade of thinking it optimizes my results, I’m still excited to get it done. I know I will feel the difference when driving, and no longer be losing gear oil onto the underside of the car.

Nobodies raining on the part of the parade where you’ll have a faster car, and one that doesn’t drip gear oil anymore.

But it’s pouring on the part where you thought that gears made more power...

Better get your rubber boots.

 

[95BlueStallion]

Nobodies raining on the part of the parade where you’ll have a faster car, and one that doesn’t drip gear oil anymore.

But it’s pouring on the part where you thought that gears made more power...

Better get your rubber boots.

At this point of the home renovation game, my brain is about mush. I’m sleeping in the same room as my two year old daughter who yells and/or laughs in her sleep every night. I haven’t watched a single TV episode of anything for 2 months, nor sat on a couch in the same amount of time. In my brain this morning I was thinking that gears make the car accelerate faster, which would spin the rollers faster, thus netting the greater output number.

 

[a91what]

At this point of the home renovation game, my brain is about mush. I’m sleeping in the same room as my two year old daughter who yells and/or laughs in her sleep every night. I haven’t watched a single TV episode of anything for 2 months, nor sat on a couch in the same amount of time. In my brain this morning I was thinking that gears make the car accelerate faster, which would spin the rollers faster, thus netting the greater output number.

That would be correct if using an eddy current dyno [man i hope memory serves and im not wrong] a mustang dyno will give honest numbers.

 

[95BlueStallion]

So that saying that you get what you pay for rings true again. I had bought a set of “used but tested true” rear end gears from one of the common auto recycler sellers on EBay. Shop tells me today that the pinion shaft is tweaked and is going to howl like mad if I decide to run it. Now the gear set was only $30, so I’m not worried about that, but the extra labor cost plus having to buy a new set unexpectedly is kinda frustrating. Like hell I am telling them to put the stock gears back and waste the labor $ on nothing.

So now they are overnighting new gears to finish installing tomorrow, and dyno will follow tomorrow afternoon.

 

[RaggedGT]

Cut your tailpipes off and you won’t hear anything... Ever... Ask me how I know

 

[a91what]

This is why I only stay at a laquinta inn.

 

[Mustang5L5]

Man that sucks.

(Eyes my $20 eBay 3.27 take-offs with suspicious scowl)

 

[95BlueStallion]

New gears were over nighted to get the job done today, however the job didn’t get done. Can’t wait to see if I get charged the over night shipping cost. Supposed to be done tomorrow, and have my time on the dyno. Really hope that’s the case because I’m starting to lose my patience. Was supposed to leave work early Wednesday to be there for dyno time, then today... My boss is cool, but I don’t want to push his flexibility. Fingers crossed tomorrow is the day, and this shop owner doesn’t try being shady on the bill.

 

[CarMichael Angelo]

Is it me, or do you always seem to have the most difficulty with these shop guys? Do you have a sign on your back?

 

[95BlueStallion]

Is it me, or do you always seem to have the most difficulty with these shop guys? Do you have a sign on your back?

I guess I must. I hate having a shop do work. Rarely does it ever go smooth for me.

 

[95BlueStallion]

Finally dynoed the car yesterday afternoon. The tune is far from optimized, my AFR is up and down a bit, and drops to 11.8 from 4800 to 6200. It put down 330.2 hp, 350.7 tq on a Mustang Dyno. Over all it runs well and I’m happy with the numbers (especially the tq). Considering I’m running 170 heads, GT40 tubular intake, and 15 year old tiny BBK shorty headers.

Trust me that while there yesterday the gears were turning about all the improvements I could make, but why? I don’t race the car, it shreds the tires in first and second as is, and still has a T5 transmission after all. It’s fun enough without investing another $6-8k. I’m going to use that money for paint some day.

Graph and video to follow.

 

[95BlueStallion]

Don’t mind how dirty the car is. His lot is gravel, and the car has been sitting outside since moving to the country and having my house’s belongings packed into the garage.


View: https://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=HI78kIKoJ9A