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

Rear View

This is the view that most people see when we're on the move.

If you're not in a Mustang, just move over and get out of my way.

One view that some people don't see too often is under the car.

Last time a clutch was replaced, it was on the 2002,

this time it's the 2000 Mustang GT.
So, prior to putting the transmission back
on the car, I crawled beneath the car and snapped a few photos.

In the photo above, the pressure plate and the teeth from the fly-wheel can be seen,

 along with the bell-housing.

Really, it was pure coincidence that the clutch was the same
color as the Mustang.

The output shaft of the transmission and the splines
for the driveshaft can be seen in this photo above.

Installing a clutch isn't a walk in the park.
You gotta have the right equipment - tools and parts -
but most of all you'll need time and some assistance wouldn't hurt.
Lucky for us, all the above were available to complete this project.

What's your next project?

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?