What did you do to your S550 Mustang today?!

[ScubaSteve2020]

Finally did something about the nuts / washers chewing up the powder coat on the tower brace.

The aluminium 350 brace has three out of the four mounting holes oversized and they are large enough to only just get grabbed by the standard nuts.

New stainless washers :

The small diameter grabs more than the standard nut. The larger diameter just sits above and is for aesthetics only - hiding any damage to the powder coat and any slight misalignment from removal / refitting

They look much neater :

WD

Like me, you don't have the spacers that come with the Tower brace for RHD Mustangs. I'm currently trying to source them without having to buy the full 'kit' :
Performance Strut Tower Brace Kit aluminum - Ford Online Accessory Catalogue (ford-accessories.ie)

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[WD Pro]

Like me, you don't have the spacers that come with the Tower brace for RHD Mustangs. I'm currently trying to source them without having to buy the full 'kit' :
Performance Strut Tower Brace Kit aluminum - Ford Online Accessory Catalogue (ford-accessories.ie)

Check you pm on the other forum

WD

 

[WD Pro]

I'm about to place an order for a brace and had the same concern. Are these washers something that can be purchased, or did you machine these? Either way, the hole size and diameter would be good to know...thx.

I don’t have access to a lathe anymore so I have to pass the mechanical work onto someone else, but here’s the sketch I provided them with :

I can share a better quality image or cad file if it’s really needed, just pm me

Hope that helps ?

WD

 

[Bobn57]

I don’t have access to a lathe anymore so I have to pass the mechanical work onto someone else, but here’s the sketch I provided them with :

I can share a better quality image or cad file if it’s really needed, just pm me

Hope that helps ?

WD

i love the smell of cad files in the morning
I started my career as a design drafter in the 80s on a drafting table and converted into integraph, autocad over the years. great tool.

 

[MCS]

Dropped her off at Ford for the Phase 2 install. Two days on foot. Booooo.

 

[WD Pro]

i love the smell of cad files in the morning
I started my career as a design drafter in the 80s on a drafting table and converted into integraph, autocad over the years. great tool.

I was taught table and CAD at college and then started to get paid for it in 93 using AutoCAD R10.

I don't get to use it much now but I try to keep my hand in, its mostly email, excel and powerpoint now ...

I still like to draw up bits for myself and then get them cut in carbon or stainless etc

WD

 

[MAGS1]

Not today but Saturday gave her the first bath and installed Air Design hood vents and air deflectors. Also changed out chrome 5.0 badges for gloss black.

 

[Cobra Jet]

Nothing, because it’s still broken …

But I managed to accumulate some more parts for when it gets fixed

Out with the Steeda supplied 10.9’s, hello 12.9’s with some stainless bush sleeves :

I already had the Steeda cradle support bushes, but after seeing them on a U.K. car and how they hold up against salt / winter, I decided to modify them a little.

I re tapped the 10-32” UNF holes to M5 through holes and cleaned up the sharp edges of the bore holes (top as supplied / bottom modified) :

The thread can now come all the way through making for easier fitment and reducing a dirt collection / corrosion point.

These things appear to be made as a set and then cut, rather than being fully interchangeable :

Prepped for anodising :

No more corrosion traps or bolt heads hidden down the bores and therefore hopefully easier to remove (if required) if the future :

All set for dropping at the anodisers (hopefully next week), but I’m still unsure of colour - either green or red … ?

Crawled under the car without lifting it and managed to get some better photos of what started this work in the first place - look at the movement of the bolt head witness mark :

The M14 bolt in a 17.x mm bore :

And the teeth marks from where the bolt got hungry before finally giving up and shearing :

Yeah thanks Ford, I wonder if they fix that design on the S650 …

WD

WD - what's your profession? You do some killer "mods" and seem to have access to quite a bit of metal working bits....

I like the posts with that tech - your "changes" look great and more suitable for forward thinking...for the "when" and not the "if"...

 

[Cobra Jet]

Installed the pulley i made on my lathe to replace the bad whipple one. My naughty noise is gone.

Wow - nice work there - another M6Ger with mad skills and access to tools that can make better products!

Was the specs/clearance issues to the original pulley too sloppy, allowing wobble under extreme load that would destroy the bearing?

 

[smokescreens]

Wow - nice work there - another M6Ger with mad skills and access to tools that can make better products!

Was the specs/clearance issues to the original pulley too sloppy, allowing wobble under extreme load that would destroy the bearing?

The snap ring on the whipple pulley was about 1/16 inch away from the bearing race so the bearing could walk in and out if it overcame the press fit. In my case it did and the pulley gad both axial play and radial play. With the pulley removed and in hand i could shake it and you heard the bearing flopping around inside. The bearing itself was in perfect shape however.

 

[WD Pro]

WD - what's your profession? You do some killer "mods" and seem to have access to quite a bit of metal working bits....

I like the posts with that tech - your "changes" look great and more suitable for forward thinking...for the "when" and not the "if"...

Thank you

My history / education is mechanical engineering but only up to HND level which in the U.K. is (was ?) one down from a degree. That route also included basic workshop and fabrication skills and I also went to night school (at my cost) to learn to mig weld mild steel and tig weld aluminium.

Work history was product and tool design, up to us shutting our U.K. manufacturing plant about 10 years ago - at which point I jumped into the commercial arm of our operation as product and technical manager.

Truth be told, I just like messing around with bikes and cars etc and whatever job I do on them, I try to think of the best way possible and then do it to the best of my ability. Sometimes I just like the challenge of making something better and / or cheaper than the shop bought equivalent (like my stainless jacking rails etc).

I have to many projects and hobbies though, I’ve still got a long term kit car build in the garage that went on hold due to the arrival of kids … lol

There are some far, far more skilled people on this forum than me, but it still tickles me how I’ve been called out on here for my lack of skills / inability to hold a spanner …

WD

 

[Mach VII]

I was taught table and CAD at college and then started to get paid for it in 93 using AutoCAD R10.

I don't get to use it much now but I try to keep my hand in, its mostly email, excel and powerpoint now ...

I still like to draw up bits for myself and then get them cut in carbon or stainless etc

WD

That's awesome, I love the water bottle/cycle computer piece. Can you post pictures of it installed?

 

[Mach VII]

Drove to northern VT for a mountain bike adventure. Hilly terrain, even on the interstates yet averaged about what you see here in both regards lol

On arrival... 239 miles in 3h 11m

Unfortunately for me, my 3 days here will be dominated by rain. I was left pruned and puckered from todays ride!

 

[WD Pro]

That's awesome, I love the water bottle/cycle computer piece. Can you post pictures of it installed?

I made the rear carrier too :

A can of pot stop fits inside, my tools are underneath and that’s got my light temporarily mounted on the back (on my design custom bracket lol) :

I can run it flat sided with a single bottle on the back if needed

WD

 

[Mach VII]

Wow!
Impressive!

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