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Do It Yourself Ford Projects

What You MUST Know Before Starting Your Small-Block Ford Rebuild

What You MUST Know Before Starting Your Small-Block Ford Rebuild

Rebuilding an engine can be a very rewarding experience. It’s a golden opportunity to start anew, with fresh components and perfectly machined surfaces married together in blissful harmony. When you build an engine, you become familiar with what the engine is. There is no wondering here—you know exactly what you have under the hood. You […]

Filed Under: Ford Mustang Restoration Guide, Ford Small-Block Engine, Ford Tech Tips

Ultimate Brake Guide for Restoring Your Mustang

Ultimate Brake Guide for Restoring Your Mustang

The braking system is one of the most critical areas of vehicle performance regardless of the level of restoration. The car must have a properly operating brake system for safety and performance. The standard braking systems that came with early Mustangs were able to stop the cars, if only just adequately by today’s standards. Few […]

Filed Under: Ford Mustang Restoration Guide, Ford Tech Tips

Ultimate Bodywork Guide for Restoring Your Mustang

Ultimate Bodywork Guide for Restoring Your Mustang

The quality of the bodywork is a telltale sign of the quality of the restoration. Regardless of what level of restoration you undertake, you want to achieve professional results. The body needs to resemble the original bodywork, and be free of rust, dents, and damage for years of faithful service. Beyond components such as moldings […]

Filed Under: Ford Mustang Restoration Guide, Ford Tech Tips

How to Start a Mustang Restoration Project – Step by Step

How to Start a Mustang Restoration Project – Step by Step

In Chapter 1, I provided some advice on how to better define the type of restoration project you intend to pursue and what type of vehicle might be best suited for it. I also gave some tips on where to look for a vehicle and things to avoid. And I covered some resources you can […]

Filed Under: Ford Mustang Restoration Guide, Ford Tech Tips

How to Choose a Mustang Restoration Project – Step by Step

How to Choose a Mustang Restoration Project – Step by Step

The process of restoring a car is much like most other things in life. You need to know where you are going and how to get there. Therefore you need to make a plan and stick to it as much as possible, to avoid extra expense and a less-than-satisfying result. Still, it’s almost never possible […]

Filed Under: Ford Mustang Restoration Guide, Ford Tech Tips

Steering System Guide – Mustang Restoration Tips

Steering System Guide – Mustang Restoration Tips

Power is nothing without control. We improved the performance of our engine, transmission, suspension, and brakes, so the steering got our attention as well. Had we not wanted to retain the factory look of the car, we likely would have replaced the original steering system with a rack-and-pinion conversion. While somewhat expensive, the improvement in […]

Filed Under: Ford Mustang Restoration Guide, Ford Tech Tips

Exhaust System Guide for Restoring Your Mustang

Exhaust System Guide for Restoring Your Mustang

If maximum authenticity is the desired goal, the solution is to simply reuse the parts that were on the car or replace them. Direct-replacement components or kits that are readily available for most first-generation Mustang models. In our case, we wanted to do a bit better because we had upgraded the engine to achieve higher […]

Filed Under: Ford Mustang Restoration Guide, Ford Tech Tips

Mustang Restoration Seat Reupholstery Guide – Step by Step

Mustang Restoration Seat Reupholstery Guide – Step by Step

Installing new seat covers is a lot harder than you might think, especially if you want to do it right. There are many little procedures required to get the new covers to fit properly and look right. A professional often produces a better result, but I show some of the main aspects to consider if […]

Filed Under: Ford Mustang Restoration Guide, Ford Tech Tips

How to Replace a Mustang Inner Door Panel – Step by Step

How to Replace a Mustang Inner Door Panel – Step by Step

Inner door panels are relatively inexpensive and easy to replace. There are, of course, differences in quality among manufacturers, but the better known brands tend to be roughly equivalent and very close to the OEM parts in appearance. If your car’s original door panels are in good condition with minimal to no damage, you should […]

Filed Under: Ford Mustang Restoration Guide, Ford Tech Tips

Mustang Restoration Interior Trim Panel Guide – Step by Step

Mustang Restoration Interior Trim Panel Guide – Step by Step

The panels that comprise the interior of most first-generation Mustangs can almost always be repaired or refurbished to at least an acceptable level. While there may be issues, such as pitted chrome, that can’t be completely eliminated in all cases, enough can often be done to make the result pleasing to all but perhaps the […]

Filed Under: Ford Mustang Restoration Guide, Ford Tech Tips

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The Ultimate Ford Transmission Torque Converters Guide

The Ultimate Ford Transmission Torque Converters Guide

Torque converters are probably the most misunderstood component in an automatic transmission, yet they’re the simplest in both theory and function. Think of a torque converter like a water wheel in an old saw mill: the waterwheel is driven by fluid … [Click here to read more...]

Mustang Engine Swap Guide

Mustang Engine Swap Guide

In this chapter I cover the common engine swaps for first-generation Mustangs that increase performance potential. My philosophy is “There’s no replacement for displacement” when it comes to increasing performance, but the key is how you get it. I … [Click here to read more...]

How to Install Ford C4 and C6 Transmissions: Step by Step

How to Install Ford C4 and C6 Transmissions: Step by Step

Although I focus great attention on how a transmission is built, installation and proper adjustment after the unit is installed are just as important to durability and longevity. To get longevity and durability, a transmission must be properly … [Click here to read more...]

How to Disassemble Ford 4.6L & 5.4L Engines – Step-by-Step

How to Disassemble Ford 4.6L & 5.4L Engines – Step-by-Step

Because the Modular V-8 has so many different applications, it is impossible to detail all the removal and installation specifics here. However, I can touch on what you can expect across a broad range of Ford, Lincoln, and Mercury applications. Gone … [Click here to read more...]

How to Build a 500 Horsepower Ford 351 Cleveland Engine

How to Build a 500 Horsepower Ford 351 Cleveland Engine

There are two Cleveland engine builds for you here: one from Trick Flow Specialties and another from Hot Rod magazine contributor Jeff Huneycutt of www.horsepowermonster.com. Each of these builds shows what can be done with both the 351C and 400 … [Click here to read more...]

How to Assembly Ford 4.6L & 5.4L Engines – Step-by-Step

How to Assembly Ford 4.6L & 5.4L Engines – Step-by-Step

Once you have disassembled the engine, selected the best parts, and finished the machine work, it may seem as if the toughest part of a rebuild is over, but it isn’t. As with every other aspect of a Modular engine rebuild, the assembly is challenging … [Click here to read more...]

Ford Small-Block Rebuild: Torque Specs, Sequences, and Alignment

Ford Small-Block Rebuild: Torque Specs, Sequences, and Alignment

Cylinder Numbers and Firing Order / Torque Sequences This Tech Tip is From the Full Book, HOW TO REBUILD THE SMALL-BLOCK FORD. For a comprehensive guide on this entire subject you can visit this link: LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS BOOK … [Click here to read more...]

Ford FE Engines:  The Complete History

Ford FE Engines: The Complete History

The FE Ford engine was released into production in 1958. The earliest applications included use in the short-lived Edsel program. The FE was not a replacement for the Y-block; it was a larger companion to an engine family sharing some design … [Click here to read more...]

Ford FE Engine Intake Manifolds: The Ultimate Guide

Ford FE Engine Intake Manifolds: The Ultimate Guide

Ford FE intake manifolds are unique to this engine family, and instantly recognizable when compared to any other engine’s parts. One third of the valve cover extends over the intake casting, and the pushrods run through cast or machined passages in … [Click here to read more...]

Ford Cylinder Heads and Valvetrain Interchange: Small-Block

Ford Cylinder Heads and Valvetrain Interchange: Small-Block

Few things determine an engine’s personality more than cylinder heads, camshafts, and rocker arms. Ford V-8s have always struggled to make power because they’ve always been limited by factory cylinder head design. Port size on small-block Fords has … [Click here to read more...]

Ford C4 and C6 Transmission Trouble Shooting Guide

Ford C4 and C6 Transmission Trouble Shooting Guide

It’s good to have a source to guide you when you’re struggling with troublesome transmission function. You can be methodical and cover all the bases during a rebuild and still things can go wrong. This is where a step-by-step approach to the problem … [Click here to read more...]

Ford Axle History and Identification: Ford Differentials

Ford Axle History and Identification: Ford Differentials

Before you embark on the rebuild and start scouring local scrap yards and online websites, it will be helpful to understand what to look for and what to avoid in these axles. First, you need to understand some fundamentals of the Ford axles to help … [Click here to read more...]

Ford AODE/4R70W Guide: Calibration, Building, Troubleshooting

Ford AODE/4R70W Guide: Calibration, Building, Troubleshooting

Ford’s AOD evolved into a highly successful mechanically modulated transmission from its 1980 introduction until production ended in 1991. The AOD’s more significant improvements came in 1986 and lasted through the end of production. Ford developed … [Click here to read more...]

Ford AOD Transmission Installation and Swapping Guide

Ford AOD Transmission Installation and Swapping Guide

Although transmission installation and adjustment appears straight-forward, you should take an orderly, methodical approach to ensure success. You’re either swapping in an AOD, AODE, or 4R70W, or you’re removing and reinstalling one. Size up the job … [Click here to read more...]

Ford 9 Inch Differential Guide: Third-Member Assembly

Ford 9 Inch Differential Guide: Third-Member Assembly

This is where you combine the assembled differential with the gear case and hypoid gears. Plus, you also add the necessary bearings, seals, and shims. You can purchase individual pieces or a complete kit that includes everything that you … [Click here to read more...]

Ford 351 Cleveland Engines: Block Identification Guide

Ford 351 Cleveland Engines: Block Identification Guide

There has always been some confusion when it comes to Cleveland block identification. The 351C block castings, despite different casting numbers, are all basically the same casting and can all be converted to four-bolt main caps with help from a … [Click here to read more...]

Ford 351 Cleveland Engine Ignition Guide: Timing

Ford 351 Cleveland Engine Ignition Guide: Timing

Adjusting ignition timing must be performed with a timing light with an accurate harmonic balancer. Be sure your harmonic balancer has its timing marks properly indexed. You’d be surprised how many times you get it wrong using a worn-out balancer or … [Click here to read more...]

4.6L & 5.4L Ford Rebuild Cheat Sheet: Selecting Parts

4.6L & 5.4L Ford Rebuild Cheat Sheet: Selecting Parts

Parts selection is one of the most important elements of engine building because all parts must operate in concert with one another. Never has this been more crucial than with Ford’s Modular V-8 because of the many variations produced since 1991. You … [Click here to read more...]

4.6L & 5.4L Ford Rebuild Cheat Sheet: Before You Begin

4.6L & 5.4L Ford Rebuild Cheat Sheet: Before You Begin

When Ford introduced the 4.6L single overhead cam (SOHC) “Modular” V-8 in 1991 in the Lincoln Town Car, it took Ford enthusiasts by surprise because it was unlike any other Ford V-8 ever made. It wasn’t like the classic FE-Series 427 SOHC V-8 that … [Click here to read more...]

351 Cleveland Cylinder Heads Guide: Factory Iron Heads

351 Cleveland Cylinder Heads Guide: Factory Iron Heads

Although there’s some confusion over Cleveland cylinder heads, the 335-series engine family has the easiest line-up of Ford cylinder heads to understand. • 351C-4V closed wedge chamber (bolt-fulcrum rockers) 351C-4V closed wedge chamber, … [Click here to read more...]

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