Intake Manifold for 2002 Mustang GT

A few days after ordering the intake manifold,

it arrived in a beautiful box.

We opened up the box to make sure it arrived in one piece

and to inspect it closely.

As a side-note:

An all metal intake would have been preferable,

however there was a great difference in cost.

The fun part was next.

Removing the current manifold.

Sounds easy, but there are many other

parts that must be removed too.

In the photo above, the upper intake, alternator, fuel rails,

fuel injectors along with hoses,

vacuum lines and other connections

(that all should be labeled) were removed.

 

The lower intake has been removed,

and now it's extremely evident that labeling

the connections is very important

before removing any part.

This is a close up of the intake ports to show

the grime that has built up over the years,

as well as the old gasket material.

Cleaning all the ports and removing the old

gasket material is the next step.

The shop-vac was also used to remove

anything that might have fallen into the ports.

It looks funny...seeing a vacuum being used

in the engine, but it's effective.

Before I knew it, the new intake was in place.

I had wanted to get a photo of the cleaned up ports,

but my mechanic (husband) was ready to get this

project finished ASAP, and with the Texas heat 

taking its toll, I didn't blame him.

Once everything was in place,

we started the car and let it idle to make

sure that there were no leaks, or odd noises.

A test drive was also done to ensure that

all was well, even under pressure.

So, for the past few days, the

Mustang GT has been driven

and no longer occupies the driveway 24/7,

all thanks to my husband for taking on this project :)

Things Gone Awry...

In case you were wondering if this

was a case of blog-neglect....

wonder no more!

We've had a series of misfortunate events

occur that have kept us busy....

One vehicle is out for the count.

Although the Mustang GT took the brunt of it,

he was able to walk away.

This sad event was followed by another

incident later that SAME day.

Seems that the 2002 Mustang GT wasn't too

thrilled that her SO was getting so much

attention that she threw a gasket!

Quite literally.

A new intake manifold is on the way

to replace the original, which is

manufactured with plastic

parts that tend to crack.

Then of course the 1987 Mustang 5.0

needed to get in on the action....twice.

One morning the car didn't want to start...

not even turn over. 

Turns out it was a simple fix -

the battery cable needed replacing.

Done.

A few days later, the serpentine belt

shredded to teeny-tiny bits

while I was on the highway.

I managed to limp the car home,

let it cool down and 

put the old belt back on.

Luckily, the engine didn't sustain

any damage....

that we know of.

Somewhere in between

all this craziness, the

Suburban was egged

in the middle of the night.

Sigh.

When it rains...it pours - Morton Salt

Black OPS Power Adders

Also at last weekend's car show in New Braunfels,

we got to bear witness to some clever, and decisively

clandestine  tech and power adders/upgrades.

One specific example was a black 2007 Mustang GT, owned by Josh.

He had recently acquired the car from Mississippi

after flying out there and test driving it. At first glance,

Josh's 2007 seems like an everyday, generic Black Mustang,

commonly seen cruisin' the highway during the week.

Nothing unusual about it....or so I thought.

Taking a look inside revealed a Triple gauge A-Pillar pod,
with AIR/FUEL ratio gauge, OIL PRESSURE gauge, and BOOST gauge.

In the photo above, we can see the intercooler for
the turbo tucked neatly behind the front valance.

Josh's GT has a line lock for his beefed up

automatic transmission, which has a manual valve body.

The gauge for the TRANS temp is centered on the

 console beside the E-brake. Although this setup lacks the additional

space for cup holders, in this case it's probably best not have one in the car,

unless you really don't like that shirt that your mom gave you.

The covered safety switches are for the NOX bottle.

Josh has a hidden camera that replaced the lock on the trunk deck lid,

when activated by one of the smaller switches,

it displays on the DVD/AUX/CD player.

This way he can keep track of

 the competition, and record any unworthy

trendsetters getting punished.

This custom enlarged GT badge adorned the inside of the trunk lid,

and concealed the camera wiring. Josh also noted that it adds a little flair

considering that his 2007 was pushing a dynoed 450rwhp off the bottle,

 and almost 700rwhp with the juice.

We were excitedly appreciative that Josh took

the time to go over his GT, and elaborate on the tech he had.

If you've got some stealth tech on board,

send us some pics, and tell us what you've got going on.

Car Show

Even though it was blistering hot outside,

we made it down to the Harley Davidson in Gruene, TX

for the 2nd annual Benefit Car Show,

which the South Texas ’Stangs Club started in order to

raise money to donate to the Iraq Star Foundation.

We met up with other Mustang owners who were

eager to talk about their cars,

and modifications that have

been completed or are in progress.

Walking into an actual Mustang Alley was just awesome.

This was just the first row of Mustangs.

All in all there were about 80+ vehicles there

from all years including some trucks and 'vettes,

which will be seen in the next few posts....

Until then,

Even though there's a mutual respect between competing vehicles,

a friendly reminder doesn't hurt either.

Happy Birthday to the Ford Mustang

Today, April 17, is the 46th anniversary of the Mustang's introduction at the New York Worlds Fair in 1964 to the public. Ford had orders for over 22,000 units by the end of the day and the Ford Mustang was on its way to becoming a legend!
Thanks to MuscularMustangs.com for the reminder and to Ford on twitter for the photo!

Keeping the Mustang on the Highway

We were on our way to Austin, in November 2009, in this photo. We opted to go in one car, since the price of gasoline doesn't seem to decrease.

To keep your car as fuel efficient as it can be do the following on a regular basis :

- Maintain optimal air pressure in the tires Grab a tire gauge and check the air pressure in the tires. You can find the optimal air pressure or PSI on the tire itself.

- Use a fuel additive to clean out fuel lines You can go to the local auto parts store and find fuel additives/cleansers. Typically, we’ll reach for a product called SeaFoam. Read over the directions, since some need to be added with a full tank of gas.

- Clean out the air filter Generally speaking, this is one of the easier tasks that just about anyone can handle. Our Mustangs have K&N filters, which can be cleaned out and used again and again.

It’s crucial that the engine receives oxygen, but if your car can’t breathe, then it tends to sputter and/or use up more fuel. Newer cars can have several O2 sensors to maintain the correct oxygen/fuel mixture the engine receives. If one of the O2 sensors goes bad, the “Check Engine” light will appear. Once the code is checked, the O2 sensor can be located and replaced…but sometimes they’re not easily accessible.

The items on this list will help keep your car running efficiently.

What other tips do you have to keep your car running smoothly?

Mustang in the Mirror

I see you. I always see you. You're in my rearview mirror. Silently sneaking into the side-view mirror. Whether you have a classic Ford Mustang, Saleen, Fox-body, Shelby or Cobra...I see you. Now, you'll drive alongside me and do one of the following things... 1) Look over at my Mustang and then at me to say 'Nice' or something to that effect 2) Look over my Mustang and attempt to engage me in a NASCAR-like race on the highway 3) Attempt to zoom past me, without so much as a wave All the while, I'm most likely going to do one of the following things... 1) Look over at your Mustang and then at you to say 'Nice' or something like that 2) Look over your Mustang and drop mine into neutral, rev up the ponies, just so I know that you know I'm there 3) Continue on my way, without so much as a wave

Either way, I hope that you make it safely to your destination.

Read My Odometer

This happened on December 23, 2009.

I was on my home from work when I noticed the odometer was close to having consecutive numbers. When it happened, I parked at the nearest place available, which was a gas station, took the photo and drove home.

Something's Missing...

Even while undergoing a serious procedure, we still manage to have fun...

My mechanic seems surprised to see me.

Wait...Everything seems good, so far. Yikes! I think something got him! Details at 11.

Pressured

As the weather begins to change, from hot, humid temperatures to cooler, fall temperatures, it would be a good idea to get in the habit of checking the air pressure of your vehicle's tires regularly. Weather changes can have an effect on the air pressure within the tires, leading to improper grip on the road, abnormal wear of the tire tread and a decrease in fuel economy. Cooler weather causes air to contract, which decreases the tire pressure. This is why tires go low, even if the tire isn't leaking from a puncture or faulty air valve stem. It's best to check the tire pressure before that first drive of the day, since driving causes the air in the tires to warm up. Keep an air gauge in the car, either in the glove compartment or the center console. Now, imagine if you've been running on an under-inflated tire... Under-inflation causes drag, since the weight of the car rides on less air and increases the footprint of the tire as it pancakes. This increasing pressure on the tire, requires more power to overcome, thereby decreasing fuel economy, and introducing more strain on the drive train of the vehicle. The tire with low air pressure will have more contact with the road, leading it to wear down faster than the others. And, if the tire is extremely low, it could damage or even break the rim if a curb, railroad track or pothole were driven over. Be safe, not only for yourself and the passengers in your car, but for other drivers as well. Don't let something this easy cause you pain and misery in your wallet later. Check the air pressure in your tires, today.

Big and Small Mustangs

I bought the small Mustang to be used as a cake decoration for my husband's birthday, one year ago. After receiving it in the mail, I promptly took it in for minor modifications...from green paint with yellow stripes to red paint and black stripes to coordinate with the life-size version.

So while big brother gets to cruise in the street, the pint-size Mustang is parked on our computer desk, serving as a reminder that the bigger the toy is, the more expensive the mods are.

2002 Mustang GT vs Insurance Company

It started off to be a good day, after all it was Friday! We were on our usual route to school that morning when another car pulled out from a stop sign, directly in our path. Apparently, having my fog lights on wasn't enough to alert the other driver that I was even there. When I think about it, I can still see the hood of my car lift up and move towards me as the cars made contact and see the airbag deploy in front of my daughter and the feel of the seat belt tightening up. I can still hear the incredible impact sounds that cars made as they collided with one another. After making sure everyone was ok for the moment, I inspected my Mustang GT. From what I saw, it wasn't too bad. No fluids leaking, no smoking. I was able to start it and move it out of traffic. Apparently, the insurance agents saw it a different way. I received a phone call to release the car to them. I questioned them. Why? What are you going to do to it? Where will it be taken? Their response? It's a total loss. WHAT?! A bumper, a headlight, a quarter panel, 2 airbags, a hood and some paint, plus labor fees. Totalled? I think not. NO WAY. I knew that the damage that my Mustang sustained was completely repairable. For about a week, I was being pressured by my former insurance company to release the car to them... but I wanted the other driver's insurance company to repair my car, since I was not at fault for this incident. The other driver's insurance company flip-flopped. We ran through some numbers. Cost of repairs. Value of car. Cost of an equivalent car. First they agreed to repair it. Then they totalled it, citing airbags were costly to replace. SO?! It's not like I can make the airbags deploy on command. They deployed for a reason for which I was not to be blamed. I wanted my car repaired. I wanted my car repaired at their expense. Heck, I didn't even get a rental car at any time during which this was taking place. After weeks of being hassled to relenquish the car and being told that storage fees were being racked up, they relented. It took about 3 months and many, many headaches and phone calls. About 3 weeks after the repairs were initiated, we were back. Back in Black...and Red. Do you have any insurance horror stories? Want to share them? Let's swap stories. Email Me. Today.

Rear Axle Wisdom

Our 2000 Mustang GT has been making that washing machine sound, so I thought it would be wise to check the fluid in the rear differential, since it's over the 120,000 mile mark. It's usually good to check the fluid in the rear axle every 20-30K miles, since failure to do so can lead to a very expensive repair, and alot of frustration.

After checking the fluid and deciding that it was time to flush it out and replace it, we got the car on jackstands, removing the two rear tires for better clearance.

Removing the rear differential cover wasn't too hard, which then exposed the gears that happen to look like a large meat grinder. (Comforting thought, huh?) Funding doesn't allow for upgrades only maintenance, so the stock gears remain in the car. One day, though, these will be upgraded.

While the fluid and gunk was draining out into the drip pan below, I set out to clean up the cover with aluminum wool after scraping the old sealant off. Both inside and out, the cover cleaned up nicely...nothing beats a little elbow grease!

It was time to seal and bolt it back onto the car. After waiting about 10 minutes for the sealant to cure, store brand 80 W 90 was poured in until the oil seeped out of the filler plug, telling me it was FULL. Overall it took almost 2 qts. of oil, but in the event yours is different, get 3 qts. just to be safe.

The tires were put back on and it was time for a test drive down the road.

Total Investment: $28.00 for 3 qts. 80 W 90 Rear Differential Fluid, and $6.00 for Hi Temp. Sealant.

American Icon

It's an American icon...The Ford Mustang. From its beginnings in the mid 1960's to today, it has not lost its curb appeal. As such, this blog is for all Mustang enthusiasts, that have classics to grocery-getters, works in progress to fully restored, who would like to share their photos and/or stories, information on car shows, swap meets or even parts and repairs.