Custom 1965 Correct Craft Mustang build

Your way ahead of me then Jim.What are you doing for side panels? I found that those were the most fiddly things to do,alot of time fitting cutting refitting. Looking at your setup if you use ones like originally were in there might give you fits too mostly by the rear seat bottom and maybe the front one too

You are doing nice work. The fun of custom is the creativity it allows. I love designing things on the fly, but the drawback is I almost always figure out something I could have done better as the project progresses. Thanks for all the pics, someone had to pic up the slack for Alan now that the Hurricane is complete.

The seat work looks really nice. However I don't understand how the spotter will be able to keep an eye on the skier with everything facing forward?

You Re making great progress. It looks very nice to me.

Hussler wrote: [/URL]

I will reiterate what Gary suggested- I would strongly encourage you to bring the level of the seat back down flush with the lower gunnel level, at most... setting it a bit below flush (~1/4") might be an even better idea.

TRBenj wrote: I will reiterate what Gary suggested- I would strongly encourage you to bring the level of the seat back down flush with the lower gunnel level, at most... setting it a bit below flush (~1/4") might be an even better idea.

I'm not sure as to why? I don't like the idea of the rear body lines protruding above the seat.

Gary S wrote: I like the look of the side panels Jim but they also take up more room than you can imagine. Until I put them in I had carpet too and black I think will go good with your hull colors.

Ever since you posted this I cant get the idea out of my head that side panels would be a great way to hide cupholders. I'd really like 4 cupholders but I dont want that **** showing.

Going to probably start breaking down the motor soon, damn shame to take apart something that runs, oh well I guess its part of the game.



Video VVV



Also test fit the exhaust manifold and valve cover to one of the new trickflows, interference of maybe 1/4" tops. I could grind off part of the valve cover but I really want chrome covers anyway (already enroute) If the cover didnt have the decrotive heat sink on top it would have been a non issue.

Just kidding, apparently I can post pics from my phone.unfortunately the phonewouldn't pick up the cracks in the head


All the cylinders look very nice. I don't understand how there could be so much blow by.



Stock bore, always nice to see.

Hussler wrote: Oh yeah, and I got my new valve covers. Very nice look to them. I'm also converting the Motor from breather style to pcv

Jim, what's the advantage of going to a PCV valve instead of the breathers?

PCM 351w's were set up with PCV's from the get go. Sounds like someone modified yours if it only had breathers.

Blow by implies losing cylinder pressure through the piston rings. Perhaps you could tell us what symptoms led you to that diagnosis. Then we could poke holes in your theory rather than guess at what you're seeing.

"Shooting oil" is a pretty amazing amount of blow by. I wouldn't expect one cylinder at 50 psi to cause that amount of pressure in the crankcase, though I suppose at WOT it might. The carb though - that's a long path for oil! Has to get past the rings and be blown back up through the faulty intake valve.

I would pull the suspect piston and examine it since that is the most likely culprit. Before you do so you should examine the heads and old intake gaskets / surfaces carefully. How were your intake gaskets? If the valve seat was destroyed and the valve was not closing / sealing it would be possible, but not likely, that the combustion pressures may have blown out the gasket between the intake manifold and the head causing the combustion pressures to escape into the valley, pressurizing the crankcase. If it was ruptured the intake cycle could draw air / oil into the port and the compression pressure could also force this mixture back into the intake manifold / carburetor. I would not think that this would occurr if the engine is capable of making 50# of compression. A completely destroyed valve guide could cause this condition as well, but it would be very visibly damaged to do this. Are your valve guide seals in the proper positions? If the seal on the dead cylinder has been forced up the valve stem it may indicate a valve guide problem significant enough to cause a problem. Is there a burn mark on the too of the piston? The leaking valve could conceivably cause the mixture to go lean and the resulting high temperature could damage the piston behind the compression ring. How was the plug when you examined it? These are all things that can be easily checked visually. I hope this helps.

john b wrote: I would pull the suspect piston and examine it since that is the most likely culprit. Before you do so you should examine the heads and old intake gaskets / surfaces carefully. How were your intake gaskets?

Head gasket looked good, intake gasket looked well sealed.

john b wrote: If the valve seat was destroyed and the valve was not closing / sealing it would be possible, but not likely, that the combustion pressures may have blown out the gasket between the intake manifold and the head causing the combustion pressures to escape into the valley, pressurizing the crankcase.

It was just the exhaust valve that went bad, intake had a crack in the seat but nothing that could cause a large pressure leak.

john b wrote: A completely destroyed valve guide could cause this condition as well, but it would be very visibly damaged to do this. Are your valve guide seals in the proper positions? If the seal on the dead cylinder has been forced up the valve stem it may indicate a valve guide problem significant enough to cause a problem. Is there a burn mark on the too of the piston? The leaking valve could conceivably cause the mixture to go lean and the resulting high temperature could damage the piston behind the compression ring. How was the plug when you examined it? These are all things that can be easily checked visually. I hope this helps.

Valve guides seem to be in good shape, but the valve seals definitely leak. Seals appear to be properly installed. All the pistons look good, minor carbon buildup on all but nothing that looks bad. All spark plugs look evenly washed.

And thanks!