Boom's Boosted Bullitt

[Boom]

I know waiting for parts sometimes takes awhile, that's why I usually wait to begin until I have everything in hand. Mainly frustrating because they said that it'd be delivered on Saturday and when I called after it wasn't they just shrugged it off and said they'd have to wait til the warehouse opened on Monday.m to know anything. Idk, just seems like less then amazing customer service.

I got the rear brakes bled. I managed to flip a bracket on the e brakes around and that directs the cable off the tires.



I went ahead and mounted the tires back on to verify fitment. Only items left on the rear is to hook up the new abs sensors and confirm rideheight on the coilovers.

I got the front end up and started getting things ready to pull out the front suspension.



I hope to get a chance to remove the struts and camber caster plates tomorrow.

Hoping to have the k member dropped soon too.

 

[Boom]

Got the front pretty well torn down today.

The spring compressor I rented didn't work at all. Some new style with a spoon. The spring is pretty short and not alot of room around to access it. I figured the rear had lowering springs and once the axle was lowered gently, the springs just kind of floated there and I pulled them out.

Didn't want to be a complete moron and have this thing going flying out, I did loop a chain around the bottom of the spring to the control arm.



I slowly left the jack down to release the tension and once the arm was at full droop I just needed to wiggle the springs out.

These appear to be stock springs, but I'm pretty sure they was torched to break the bottom coil to lower the car. Kinda of odd that both coils are broke at the same spot and have the powdercoating all messed when the rest of the spring is fine (just really dirty)




I got the abs sensors and calipers tucked up so I can get ready to drop the k member tomorrow hopefully.

 

[Boom]

Got the steering rack pulled loose and sitting on some jackstands out of the way.

The lower control arm ball joint bushings are trashed. After searching everywhere and comparing I decided to roll the dice on a set of open box BMR arms. Well see how they are lol. The arms I want aren't available currently. I called every vendor that carries them and even had the manufacturer go see of they had any blems left on the floor.

Pulled the old H pipe down. Here's a nice side by side with the new setup



Here's the fancy engine holder brace. I'm a bit skeptical, it should work. I pick and choose sometimes when I worry about safety. I did replace all the grade 5 hardware with grade 8 tho.



The K member is still in here. I got it as ready as I felt I could to drop in the morning. Then I can get to work on the headers. I didn't like the idea of having the engine floating overnight. Think I might still craft a hasty 2x4 brace under the crank once the k members down.

Site flopped my picture upside down, it does that from time to time. Here's a shot of the exhaust before I removed the h pipe.



Gonna pull the old Control arms off tomorrow too, that'll drop some weight that I don't have to balance when messing with the k member.

 

[Horseplay]

I'd feel a whole lot better about that engine sling set-up if it was set closer to the top of the shock towers. Forward like that you are getting away from the structure engineered to hold the weight. I don't expect it to fail to the point the engine drops but it is stressing the sheet metal you're using to support it. If it held up for pics it will likely do the same for as long as you will need it.

 

[kb3]

I think you are good to go the way you have the sling set up. There is not really that much weight involved and the sheet metal should be plenty strong enough to support the weight thanks to all the bends in that area. I would, however, put a jack underneath to support the weight after you pull the K member.

 

[Boom]

I definitely agree on the engine sling being pretty far forward. Folks recommend to use the lower alt bolts to secure to, so I wanted to have the chains as straight as possible to prevent possible slippage.

I do have a floor jack with a block under the crank pulley too. No loss of working room to remove the headers and I feel it's a huge safety plus.

Pulled the lower arms off. I have new lower arms and sway bar end links coming. Just need to pop the spindle off here.



Dropping the K member wasn't too difficult after all this was off. The member itself is held on by 4 bolts on each side



This header was a bit of a pain to get off. They had installed the headers with longer studs on all but one hole. Had to do some contortion to get all these off.



Got the other side off too. Gonna clean the surface up a bit and then begin install.

 

[Boom]

What a day. Got both headers on and the k member bolted back up! Still need to reassemble the suspension, but I have to wait for some parts to arrive.

Here's the old fasteners and the new ones from ARH.



The drivers side was way easier to get on and off then the passenger. The steering linkage doesn't go through these headers like they dod on the others.




The passenger side took some effort to get the header up around the starter mount and into position. Some of the bolts on here were ridiculous to get to for tightening.



New motor mounts as well went on.

I had a couple casualties, I ripped a ground wire off that was ground to one of the motor mount studs. Was pretty unavoidable, someone put gobs of red locktite on the nut and I couldn't fit a wrench on the backside where the stud nut was.

The other sacrifice was two of the longer through bolts that go through the frame and hold the k member up. They were pretty mangled when I took them off. I just swapped in a couple 1/2" grade 8 bolts for now. I don't have any 14mm hardware laying around.

I'd have tobsay these headers were some of the nicest I've installed. They fit amazingly well, don't rub anywhere.

 

[kb3]

Looks great! I may have missed it, what brand are the headers?

 

[Boom]

Looks great! I may have missed it, what brand are the headers?

Thanks! American Racing Headers

 

[kb3]

Wow...they are proud of those headers. They look well built but that comes at a cost! Unfortunately they don't build them for older Ford trucks.

 

[Boom]

They sure are proud of them lol.

Got a bit of work done. Got the new Control arms mounted up.

They're way simpler then the factory arms. Here they are side by side



The new sway bar is super beefy. The stock one wasn't a slouch at 27mm, but the Eibach one is like 36mm



I'm not sure what to do with this spacer washer thing. It came sitting on that arm, I don't see any mention in their instructions of it. Even with it on the nut goes way below the hole for the cotter pin. Gonna give the manufacturer a call tomorrow and ask.



Need to mount the new camber caster plates tomorrow. Have to drill a fourth hole since the factory one only had three.



Got the suspension mocked up save for the strut and coilover. Need to torque everything in the morning.



I also need to pick up a couple new oxygen sensors. The upstream ones are fixed to the old headers. The downstreams aren't too old.

 

[Boom]

Hit a few snags today.

I started off this morning wanting to get the new camber and caster plates installed, so I could put the new struts on. Got everything marked pretty easily.



I didn't realize this until trying to actually mount everything, but I got two of the same top plates. They're supposed to be opposite so you can see the camber properly. American Muscle is going to accept the return, I went ahead and ordered a new set so I can get this together quicker.



I got the X pipe mounted. Needed to trim the cat pipes a bit so they'd mate up to the headers. Got new front Oxygen sensors on the way too.



Just got a box with new Moog Tie Rod ends, too. I'll toss those on tomorrow.

Might be able to fire this thing up pretty soon!