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Factory Five Roadster Build Part 8 - EFI Fuel SystemWork Continues With the Installation of Our EFI-Based Fuel System From the January, 2007 issue of Modified Mustangs & Fords By Mark Houlahan Photography by Mark Houlahan
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The Fuel Tank Kit from Texas... The Fuel Tank Kit from Texas Mustang Parts (PN E7RR-00009002-K; $229.95) includes a brand-new reproduction Mustang EFI fuel tank with the stock 15.6-gallon capacity, two tank-mounting straps, a fuel-level sending unit with mounting ring and gasket, and the filler pipe seal. You'll need one more lock ring for the fuel pump mounting as well, also available from Texas Mustang Parts. Our Factory Five Roadster project has been moving along nicely. We hit a few bumps in the road, but nothing to put us behind our schedule to have the car done by the end of 2006 (it's only mid-August as I write this). Checking the forums at www.ffcobra.com, there are builds in many stages. Some owners have a Mk II chassis still in the build phase and going on three years, but we've also seen Mk III builds purchased after ours that are already running and driving and ready for paint. Much of this progress depends upon your budget, availability to work on the project, and so on. The busy show season has put a dent in our available work time, but we're trying to get out in the garage at least once a week (especially to keep our Web diary fresh). This month, we're concentrating on our project's fuel system. As we've stated in previous installments, much of FFR's build design hinges around using parts from the immensely popular '87-'04 Mustang, including many parts of the fuel system. The fuel tank itself, the fuel filler neck, the fuel pump, and so forth comes from the donor (if using one) or is purchased new through your favorite Mustang parts vendor. Whether you decide to run EFI of some sort or go with the classic carburetor, you'll still need a Mustang gas tank (or an aftermarket fuel cell designed for the Mustang). The FFR comes with coils of steel line for your EFI fuel system to make the donor-engine swap and fuel-system connections easy. If going carbureted, FFR has a carbureted fuel kit it can provide as well. Since our Smeding Performance 427 Windsor stroker will need plenty of fuel, we opted for larger 3/8-inch fuel lines by using -6 fuel lines from Mr. Gasket. The -6 lines and fittings allow for an easy custom fuel-line routing solution, and connect easily to our aftermarket Mass-Flo EFI system. We're still using a stock Mustang fuel tank, which we scored through Texas Mustang Parts, and an in-tank fuel pump but with larger fuel lines. With our fuel system complete, we'll detail and drop in our drivetrain next month. Then it's on to the wiring phase.  The late-model Mustang fuel...  The late-model Mustang fuel tank uses a vent valve to release tank pressure to an emissions canister, which is then usually pulled back into the engine and burned via a canister-purge solenoid and a length of vacuum hose. We will not use the canister purge setup, but we'll still need to vent the gas tank. The seal is PN F6TC-9B076-AA and the vent valve is E7DZ-9B593-A, both of which are available from your nearest Ford dealer.  To begin prepping the tank...  To begin prepping the tank for installation, the filler pipe seal was installed first. The seal is a tight fit (understandably so) to the tank as well as the filler neck itself. A light coating of assembly grease or other spray lubricant helps. Just be sure to not push the seal too hard and have it fall into the tank.  The fuel-level sending unit...  The fuel-level sending unit is retained just like one from a classic Mustang or other Ford, with a square-cut O-ring seal and a lock ring. Again, a small amount of assembly grease here will hold the O-ring in place while seating the sending unit. We always recommend a brass punch or a block of wood for loosening or tightening the lock ring on a fuel tank to prevent sparks, but since this is a brand-new tank with no fuel in it, a standard punch will work fine.  Many people are now building...  Many people are now building their FFR Roadsters with aftermarket gauges instead of the factory gauges from a possible donor Mustang. Whether they are the classic-looking gauges or something more modern, you'll need to know the ohm rating of the sending unit at full and empty. We tested ours with an ohmmeter before installation and wrote the numbers on the sending unit for when we wire up our gauges later.  Since we're using the stock...  Since we're using the stock EFI Mustang fuel tank in our Roadster build, an in-tank mounted fuel pump is an easy choice for our fuel-pump needs. There are dozens of fuel-pump offerings available, and they will all do the job. With that said, we opted for a new 255-liter-per-hour fuel pump from Mallory (PN 4258FI; $190).  The fuel-pump installation...  The fuel-pump installation into the tank is probably the trickiest part of the entire fuel system. The tank has a baffled area in which the pump sits. Due to the S-shape of the pump bracket, the pump requires a fair amount of rotating and "clocking" as it is lowered through the hole. It will take a couple of tries, but you'll know when you have it sitting right.  Having added Mr. Gasket's...  Having added Mr. Gasket's Titan-Lite sound absorption material to the aluminum panels in the car and hearing firsthand how much quieter the panels were, we thought adding some of the Titan-Lite to the fuel tank would deaden some of the fuel slosh and fuel pump noise. The Titan-Lite easily conforms to the many angles of the tank stamping, as seen here.  A quick shot of black paint...  A quick shot of black paint on the fuel-tank mounting straps and they'll be hidden from view under the car. We also picked up a used fuel-tank plastic cover (factory installed on the Mustang to protect the tank from road debris) from All Mustang Recycling for the project. With the straps and cover in place, it's simply a matter of putting the tank inside the cover and carefully lifting the complete assembly to the frame for mounting.  Using the hardware provided...  Using the hardware provided in the kit, the fuel-tank straps are attached to the frame, securing the tank.  Don't forget the plastic end...  Don't forget the plastic end caps for the vertical tubes on which the tank lip will be resting. You don't want metal-to-metal contact.  While a stock Mustang fuel...  While a stock Mustang fuel filter can be used, we picked up one of Mallory's 5-micron fuel-filter setups (PN 3501M; $129) with dual inlets and outlets, which allows two fuel-pump feeds, if required. We found a suitable mounting spot over the right rear suspension.  To mount the filter assembly,...  To mount the filter assembly, we used riv-nuts because through-frame mounting was too bulky and tapping screws/bolts wasn't secure enough.  The riv-nut installs the same...  The riv-nut installs the same way as a rivet in a drilled hole, but once the riv-nut is seated by the tool, you have a threaded hole to mount something to.  We then used stainless bolts...  We then used stainless bolts from Totally Stainless to mount the filter assembly.  The Mallory fuel filter uses...  The Mallory fuel filter uses O-ring fittings. These are not pipe thread and do not require any additional sealer. Depending upon the planned line size, you'll need the proper AN "dash" size fitting. In this case, we're using -6 hose, so we chose Mallory 30806 -6 adapters (the filter housing is set up for 3/4-16 / -8).  When using AN fittings and...  When using AN fittings and their related hoses, many people use the stainless braided line, which requires a special two-piece fitting and a lot of attention to assembly for the fittings to work properly.  A much simpler, yet still...  A much simpler, yet still effective, way to plumb your fuel system with AN fittings is by utilizing Push-On hose. Push-On hose is capable of handling up to 250 psi of pressure, and uses one-piece fittings that push into the end of the hose once it has been cut to length.  Mr. Gasket carries a complete...  Mr. Gasket carries a complete line of Push-On hose and fittings for any fuel-system project. Our Roadster was plumbed with one 25-foot box of -6 Push-On hose (PN R256; $70) with a few feet to spare. For fittings, we used Mr. Gasket's line of new Shadow Series fittings for Push-On hose. Their killer black and titanium look gives an upscale appearance to any plumbing job.  Partway through the fuel-system...  Partway through the fuel-system portion of the project, we discovered the pre-'94 Mustang used a fuel-pump assembly with a 5/16-inch feed line (which is what we installed on our project). For improved fuel flow, Ford upgraded the '94 Mustang with a 3/8-inch feed for the fuel pump. Once again, All Mustang Recycling came to the rescue and sent us a '94/'95 pump bracket with the larger feed line for us to swap out.  To attach the -6 AN fittings...  To attach the -6 AN fittings on the Push-On hose to the OE bundy tube of the fuel-pump bracket, we used a neat product from Aeroquip called the Versil-Flare. The Versil-Flare uses a special compression fitting for steel tubing that doesn't require a hard flare. Mixing and matching fittings allows you to go up or down in size as you connect the AN line to the steel tube.  Determining the routing of...  Determining the routing of the pressure and return lines along the frame is a little tricky, especially at the rear where you have to work around moving suspension components. We secured the lines every 10 inches with rubber-coated line clamps and 3/16-inch rivets. Check with your state laws for home-built vehicles, as some define the minimum and maximum spacing for line retention.  With the fuel lines routed...  With the fuel lines routed to the front of the chassis, we left the lines loose until the engine was installed so we could properly measure, cut, and route the lines to the fuel rails and pressure regulator. We didn't want to mount the regulator now and then find out it was in the way of something else once the engine was in.  Trying to keep the engine...  Trying to keep the engine compartment as clean as possible, we found a logical place on the frame beneath the firewall for the fuel-pressure regulator that kept it somewhat hidden from view, yet still accessible for adjustments. Another riv-nut and stainless mounting bolt took care of the mounting chores.  With the regulator bracket...  With the regulator bracket installed (and the engine as well, but that's next month's installment), we bolted the Mallory regulator (PN 4305M; $99) into place and finished our fuel-line routing. The Mallory regulator is perfect for high-pressure EFI systems, and features a vacuum port for boost compensation and a fuel-pressure gauge port (we added a Summit 0-100 liquid-filled gauge; PN SUM-800299; $16.95).  The more visible fuel lines...  The more visible fuel lines going to the fuel rails were covered in Mr. Gasket's G-Sleeve hose covering with a simulated carbon-fiber look (PN 11004C; $33).
 | Project Snake Charmer is finished and on the road Check out the diary for more! |  | We'd like to introduce you to Mustang & Fords' new project, Project Snake Charmer |  | We Go Back to School-and Like It! The Factory Five Racing Cobra Roadster Kit Car Buildup Series Continues At The Build School. |  | Our Factory Five Roadster Suspension Finds Its Way to Our Frame |  | Our Factory Five Roadster gets its motivation from a Smeding Performance 427 |  | We install and prepare the aluminum panels for Project Snake Charmer |  | Our Factory Five Roadster gets a Drivetrain Specialtists rear end for Project Snake Charmer |  | Our project becomes a roller with brakes, wheels, and tires |  | Project Snake Charmer receives an EFI based fuel system to feed the snake |  | Our Factory Five Racing Roadster recieves a Smeding Performance 427 Windsor and a Tremec Transmission |  | Our Factory Five Roadster gets a new dash, pedals, and cooling system |  | Installing the Factory Five Racing wiring harness on our Project Snake Charmer Cobra Roadster Replica |  | We finish up the wiring and then turn towards starting the body on our Factory Five Roadster Project Car |  | Installing hydroboost brakes on our Project Snake Charmer Factory Five Roadster before painting |  | Project Snake Charmer Factory Five Roadster heads off for paint |  | Our Factory Five Roadster Begins the Paint Process |  | Our Cobra Replica's Almost Ready For Paint |
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