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Shark92651's MK4 Coyote Build #9327

50K views 236 replies 14 participants last post by  IsaacW 
#1 · (Edited)
Shark92651's MK4 Coyote Build #9327 - fully titled and registered

While my Kit is still about 3 weeks from delivery, I have actually started working on it already so I decided to go ahead and start a build thread so that I can consolidate all my updates and questions into a single thread. If you count the obsessive research I have been doing online, I guess you could say I have been "working" on it since December 2017. I attended the Mott Build School the weekend of 3/9 - 3/11, which I found to be excellent. I met a lot of cool people including a few more builders here in Texas.

I've always loved the Shelby Cobra as long as I can remember, and have thought about building a replica off and on over the years. I finally got my mind set that I was going to build a Factory Five roadster and with a tepid buy-in from the wife (she is coming around, or at least accepted it is inevitable now) it is on now. Besides, I was born in 1965 so it's like it was meant to be ;)

Here is my planned build:

MK4 Complete Kit with IRS
Coyote 5.0L
Tremec TKO 600
Quicktime Bellhousing
Ford Performance Clutch
Tilton Hydraulic Release Bearing
KRC Power Steering
Koni single-adjustable shocks
13" Wilwood brakes
18" Halibrand Wheels
Stainless side pipes

Other Upgrades
Dual Breeze Stainless Roll Bars
Russ Thompson Trunk Box (yes I'm going to cut the diagonals)
Russ Thompson turn signals
Competition Gauge Layout
Leather Covered Dash w/ Glove Box
USB Charger, 12V adapter, Footwell Lights (hidden under dash)
Leather Removable Trans Tunnel Cover
Leather Bucket Seats
Leather Door Panels
LED Headlights, turn signals, tail/brake lights, dash indicators

Color is undecided at this point, probably one of the first items I ever thought about and will probably be the last decision I make.

I'm really looking forward to this process and want to thank everyone that has helped me already and those that will in the future. This forum and it's participants are an invaluable resource! My experience with working on cars in not very extensive. I have installed LED lighting in the front and rear of my truck, replaced a radiator on my Z3 I used to own several years ago, and some basic maintenance, but that is about it. I've done quite a few jobs around the house (electrical, plumbing, etc.) and ran network wiring and camera systems in two offices so I know my way around tools, oh and I am REAL good at Googling and YouTubing.


Here is my one-car garage where I will be building. It's a little tight, but I have 1/2 of the 2 car garage just across from this one to store my body and boxes of parts. Up to this point I've just been getting this work area ready.


I had a large monitor and a Chrome Box at the office that were not being used so I mounted them on the wall over one of my workbenches and connected to my home WiFi - this should be very useful.
 
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#67 ·
Panels back from powder coat

I got my panels back from the powder coater late Friday afternoon. I'm happy that they got them done as promised so I could get on with the build. This powder color is Steel Gray Pearlescent from Cardinal Paint. I got the PS footbox and floor installed along with the DS footbox floor, front, and inside bottom wall. I don't think I should install any more panels at this time as I want access to run my hard lines and wiring. What do you think, should I stop here for now or are there some others that I could safely rivet in place now without interfering with access for the rest of the build?





 
#68 ·
I would suggest that you may have already gone too far with riveting the panels. Unless you have all your fuel, brake, and electrical done, installing the panels can often get in the way. If you have a lift and you can work from underneath the car, might not make a difference, but working on you back under a car on jack stands is not a lot of fun. We all do it our own way, but I simply used clecos to hold the panels in place until it was time to button it all up.

Alan
 
#69 ·
Finished coyote pedal

This is how I attached the coyote pedal after cutting it down. I drilled/tapped the aluminum backer plate and bolted a 10-32 1/2" bolt through what was left of the plastic flange on the bottom and then cut down two aluminum angle pieces and drilled/tapped the backer to hold those on either side of the pedal at the top. I then drilled through both angle pieces and the pedal arm and through-bolted with a 10-32 1-1/4" bolt and nylon lock nut. I then powder coated all the pieces and mounted into the footbox hopefully for the last time. I ended up with about 1-1/2" of clearance from the pedal to the inside footbox wall. I am pleased with how it turned out.







 
#70 ·
Hood hinges

I went ahead and powder coated all the hood hinge parts and also the quick jacks. I think I am mostly done powder coating small parts but I'm sure I'll find something else I forgot to do and have to drag it all out again. I assembled the hood hinges and installed loosely on the car so that I can check clearance as I mocked up the rest of the engine compartment.



 
#71 · (Edited)
Fuel line installed

This morning I ran my 3/8" Nicopp fuel line. It also came with a Stainless coil spring for extra protection. I attached the line with 1/2" rubber cushioned clamps along the spring and 3/8" on the line, secured with 3/16" rivets. This was my first time bending and flaring and I am happy with the results. I borrowed the Eastwood flaring tool from a friend and a line straighter from another and it made the job super easy, even for first time. The Nicopp is flexible enough that I could do final bending and by hand at the ends. I hope to get the brake lines done by this weekend.









 
#72 ·
Charcoal filter mounting

I mounted my rainbird popup sprinkler head charcoal filter to the DS above the rear shock. I used a 1 1/4" conduit clamp that I went ahead and powder coated black with my last batch of parts that I coated. I attached the conduit clamp and the cushioned clamp on the hose with Rivnuts that are in the 3/4" tube behind the aluminum piece. I secured the line under the trunk with a couple more 3/4" clamps secured with 3/16" rivets. Hopefully by running the line all the way to the DS and up high it will prevent any fuel from sloshing out.



 
#73 ·
Triple reservoir complete

I got my triple reservoir and hoses mounted in their final location. I wanted to run the three hoses through rubber grommets in the block-off plate for the clutch cable hole in the front of the pedal box. I found that the hole was not quite big enough so I needed to open it up. This was not the best time to be cutting a hole since I had already mounted my front pedal box aluminum. I ended up using a scrap piece of aluminum and cleco'ed it behind the opening to provide material for the pilot hole of the 2" hole saw. It was a bit hairy but I managed to get the hole cut out and looking fairly neat.

You can see the scrap aluminum for the pilot that I cleco'ed behind the hole above the pedal box bracket. You can see some scratches where I just held up the hole saw and attempted to cut without the pilot hole material - yeah, that was not going to work.




Here is the rough hole before I cleaned it up, filed it smooth, and painted the edge with some rattle can black.



Here is the finished product with the block-off plate, grommets, and hoses in place.

 
#74 ·
Brake lines complete

I spent probably 10 hrs total running my brake lines. I have to say this is probably my least favorite part of the build so far. I had to redo about 3 lines in the process but overall I am pleased with how it turned out. Luckily I was using Nicopp lines and borrowed an Eastwood flaring tool from a buddy or else it would have been a lot harder. I've got nothing but respect for you guys that can do this in stainless! I decided to just stick with the provided insulated clips and rivets to secure the lines - I just didn't see much ROI for buying anything fancier or tapping the holes for bolts. I did end up having to buy some slightly larger cushioned clamps to go over the stainless spring armor that runs over the tubing along the bottom of the 4" rails.

For my front brake routing I decided to come over and down along the 3/4" tube that comes out the front of the pedal box.



Here is the line coming up and over and running down the top of the 3/4" tube to the LF brake. You can see I put a rubber grommet on the line before I flared it. I intend to notch the top of the block-off plate that covers the slot there and slide the grommet in.



Here is the Tee fitting at the LF brake.



Down the X-brace as others have done.



And the connection to the RF brake.

 
#75 · (Edited)
Rear brakes

For the rear brakes I came over and down behind the bracket for the accelerator pedal.



I used a single union on the run to the rear, up behind the accelerator bracket. I decided on this location so that I could run the stainless coil spring the full length along the 4" rail. I racked my brain trying to figure out how to do this in a single run. I punted - I was ready for this job to be over. Again, nothing but respect for those of you that do this in a single run.



Coming out the bottom of the footbox. You can see I used another rubber grommet to fill the 7/16" hole I had to drill to fit the tube nut.



Running along the 4" rail. I had to buy some 5/16" cushioned clamps to fit over the stainless spring armor. I'm not sure if the stainless spring is necessary, but it came with the Nicopp line so I was going to use it. More protection for the lines running along the bottom of the rail is a good thing, IMO.



Coming up the 2x3 tube.



The rear Tee near the LR brake



And finally the connection to the RR brake.



I'm glad that is done. I'm going to fill and bleed the system this afternoon and check for leaks.
 
#76 ·
I got the brakes filled and bled yesterday afternoon. I had my son come over and do the "pump and hold" while I went around working the bleeders with some 1/4" vinyl tubing and a jar. Being my first time it took about an hour before we got them all bled and used about 1 1/2" bottles of brake fluid. The fronts bled pretty easily but couldn't get the rear brake to operate properly until I realized I need to bleed from both the inside and outside bleeders on the rear. Only had one small leak at the rear tee union but just tightened it up a bit more and that was it.
 
#77 ·
Coyote accelerator RHS support

Just a quick update on a mod I did on the Coyote accelerator last time I put it back in. I didn't like the fact that it was only attached to the bracket on the LHS as it tended to kick it out away from the bracket on the RHS and allow some movement. Probably not a big deal but it bothered me so I made an attachment for the RHS. I cut down a piece of aluminum and pressed it in between the ribs on the back. I then drilled a hole through it and tapped it for 10-32 screws. I also drilled and tapped the pedal bracket. I had to drill a clearance hole through the bracket that is welded to the frame at that location as well so that the screw can pass through. I then just cut and drilled a small piece of angle and bolted it down. Now it's rock-solid on the RHS as well.

 
#78 ·
Coyote harness and power started

I've started laying out and attaching the Coyote harness and various bits for the power wiring. This is an area of the build I have been intimidated about since I first started thinking about the build. Hopefully my confidence will grow and it will all make sense by the time I turn that key for the first time. Shout out to Paul for answering my questions, it is greatly appreciated. You will notice the similarity to Paul's power wiring. He did a great job and I'm following his layout closely. I hope to be able to avoid any issues and be prepared so that I can drop the engine/trans in a single time only.

Here you can see I mounted the Coyote PDB on the DS above the trans tunnel, on the large tube. I used 5/16-18 rivnuts, nuts, bolts, and lock washers. I cut a 2" hole in the firewall with the hole about 1/2" above the tube and close to the firewall support I added.



This is a shot from below looking up towards the PDB. You can see I installed the battery disconnect switch (from FFR) and the 250A fuse block that comes with the Coyote control packs. to mount the fuse block under the PDB I used a 10-32 rivnut in the 3/4" tube on the right and then used 1 1/4" of nylon spacers and a 2" 10-32 bolt from HD to mount the left through the aluminum panel.



Here is the PCM bracket and Coyote PCM mounted above the PS footbox.



I also went ahead and mounted the fuse box bracket for the Ron Francis wiring harness. I made a bracket to secure that loose corner as others have done.



Now I'm just waiting on some wire, lugs, heat shrink and other bits to arrive so that I can start hooking all of this up. I'm also reviewing the documentation again trying to wrap my head around all of it.
 
#79 ·
Cable Crimper

EdwardB mentioned the hydraulic cable crimper he found online and I ended up buying the same unit so thought I would post some more info for those interested. Search for YQK-70 - It was about $40 on Amazon. At first I was going to use the fusion lugs and terminals with the solder slug inside but I saw they are around $6-$10 each and I need about 12 of them so that's $72 right there. The basic tinned copper lugs are only about $1 each so was easy for me to justify the investment.

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It easily makes nice 6-sided crimps that are very strong. I put two crimps on the battery terminals because they are so long, and only 1 on the standard lugs.




I had to find a chart to convert the die sizes to AWG. Here it is:

Code:
[B]AWG  MM2[/B]
12    4
10    6
10-8  8
8     10
6     15
4     25
2     35
1/0   50
2/0   70
 
#81 ·
I tapped 3/8-16 holes for the grounds and the studs on the FFR disconnect switch are 3/8" as well. The studs on the 250A fuse are 5/16" so I got a pack of 3/8" and a pack of 5/16" for both 2 AWG and 4 AWG wire. I ran 8 AWG from the switched side of the disconnect into the dash to power the RF harness in there and so needed a 3/8" lug for 8 AWG wire for that one, which I picked up at Autozone. I am still waiting on some wire loom and couple back-ordered items from DelCity and then I will be done with the power side of the wiring. I'll be updating my thread with more detail when I am done.
 
#82 ·
Re-routed rear harness

It's been as hot as the surface of the sun in Texas the last week so haven't been spending much time in the garage. Also taking a few mini weekend vacations so may be awhile before I make some more decent progress. I have mostly completed my power wiring, just waiting on a couple parts from Del City and then I'll post up some photos and details of that work in my next update.

After looking at where I drilled holes for my rear harness, dash power wire, and where I intended to run my clutch line, I decided I didn't like it. With the dash in place, the harness was visible. Probably most wouldn't notice it, but it bothered me so I decided to re-route things. I put the upper inside DS footbox wall in place and decided to route those items through that panel instead.





Here is where the harness will come in. Hidden much better IMO.



Here is a block plate I made to cover the old holes. Another benefit is that it fills most of that large gap between the panel and the 2x2 tube. This will be mostly buried when I get Lizard Skin and carpet in place, but I'm going to powder coat it so that it looks good from the back side before I rivet it in place.

 
#83 · (Edited)
Power wiring complete

I have been out of town the last couple weekends and waiting on a part from DelCity, which I finally received today, so I was able to button up the power wiring. There is nothing here that is new as I relied very heavily on what others have done, especially EdwardB, but there were a few subtle changes in the Coyote Controls pack and I'll do my best to detail that here in case anyone else finds it useful.

There was a label on the wiring harness near the main connection for the PCM that identifies this version of the controls pack as CM-14A006-A504VB REV. 2 04/2018 313. The two biggest changes I see from previous versions is that they eliminated the Clutch Top of Travel connector and switch and also removed the 2nd power connector that plugged into the PDB. You only have to deal with the Clutch Top Travel switch and the single "unlabeled" power lead to the PDB.

In this photo you can see the wiring for the PDB, the supplied 250A fuse, and the battery disconnect switch. I ran 2AWG cable from the battery to the switch, over to the fuse, and then up to the PDB. The power connector that normally goes to the lug on the front of the PDB is actually attached to the right-side of the fuse, but is hidden in this photo. The 4AWG cable on the top (switched-side) of the switch runs down to the starter. Inside that small loom in the middle of the junction there that is also running down with the starter power wire is the (B) Battery Ground BL and the (N) Starter Lead. The Battery Ground needed to be extended and the Start Lead was rerouted from it's original location near the PCM. You can also see a small loom that contains an 8AWG wire coming off the top of the disconnect switch and running into the dash - this will power everything inside the dash.



Here is the 4 AWG power cable and the (N) Starter Lead coming out of the harness in the area where the starter will be located.



Here are the 2AWG battery cables and routing. I tapped a 3/8-16 hole for the ground and grounded the main battery cable and the (B) Battery Ground BL. I used my Dremel with a small sanding drum to remove the powder coat and used dielectric grease to keep the connection corrosion-free (I hope).



FFR supplies a 5/16" hole on the engine mount here that is a perfect pilot hole for tapping a 3/8" engine ground.



Here is the mounted PCM and how I routed the cabling here. I cut and capped off the wires for the EPAS (Electric Power Assisted Steering), which I won't need with my KRC hydraulic system, and tucked them inside the harness. Continuing towards the front on this side is the wire for the engine fan and the connections for the MAF and Alternator which I'll deal with later.

 
#84 ·
Breeze roll bars drilled and through-bolted

I riveted most of my remaining aluminum in place as I hope to spray Lizard Skin soon. Before I put the rear cockpit wall in place I figured I better get my Breeze roll bars drilled first or else it would be nearly impossible to get in position to drill the holes. I read that a lot of people struggled with this but I didn't find it too difficult so will detail what I did here.

From looking at how I could drill from two sides, and to gain access to the roll bars once the body is in place, I decided to drill the holes in a mostly front to rear orientation. I bought three drill sizes: 1/8", 1/4", and 7/16". I bought the Milwaukee cobalt drill bits at Home Depot. I bought 2 of the 1/8" bits and one each of the others.



I'm lucky to have access to a large drill press with a cross vise and it definitely made the job easier. I center punched the tubes at each leg and drilled with the 1/8" bit first, then the 1/4", and then the 7/16". I would swap out the bits and completely drill each leg to completion before moving to the next leg. I ran the press at 550 RPM and used lots of Tap Magic oil. It probably took me just over an hour to get them all drilled.







I then honed out the inside of each leg a bit with a drum sander bit on my cordless drill to remove any burrs and greased up the inside of the legs and the stub tubes. The roll bars pressed back onto the stub tubes fairly easily. I aligned them to the top of the paint marks I had made earlier which are 3" above the floor of the trunk. I then used my center punch to mark the center of each hole on both sides.



Using the same bits as before I drilled 1/8" pilot holes on each side. I did NOT try to drill through to the other side as I figured it would be next to impossible to get the holes to line up that way. I then moved up to the 1/4" bit and finally the 7/16" bit. My cordless drill was struggling a bit on the 7/16" bit, probably because it was getting pretty dull a this point. I switched to my corded 1/2" drill to finish these up. Here is the final product, all six legs and rear stub tube drilled and with through bolts installed. I am glad I decided to plug weld the front stub tubes in place as that saved me from having to mess with an additional 4 holes. I have read that some think it is a bad idea to weld them in place as they needed the additional movement in order to fit the bars, but I don't think that is the case, at least I didn't have any problems at all with the way I did it here. All told it was probably about a total of 2.5 hrs to complete this job.

 
#86 ·
Test dash

Before I start cutting holes in my blank dash, I decided it would be a good idea to make a "test dash" where I could figure out the best hole sizes for each gauge and switch and practice covering with the foam and leather I plan to put on the dash. I cut a piece of aluminum and bent a tab on the bottom and curved the top so I could practice covering a curve with leather as well. I did learn that the 2 1/8" hole saw is a better choice than the 2" for the small gauges. I thought 2 1/8" was too loose but after pulling the leather back through the opening it is about perfect, whereas the 2" was just way too tight. For the large gauges I bought a 3 7/8" hole saw, which is a little too tight. I don't want to spend money on a 4" hole saw so I am just going to open up both those holes to 4" with a drum sander instead. Overall I am pretty pleased with how it turned out. I used a couple of SS washers as bezels for the speedo menu button and the toggle switches.

I used the Landau Top & Trim adhesive and applied it with cheap paint brushes from Home Depot. This stuff works very well. I found that once I pulled the leather over the edge or through an opening and pressed it into place it would not move. I didn't even feel the need to put any weights or anything on it, just ran my roller over it a couple times and it isn't moving at all.



 
#87 ·
Dash fabrication complete

I got all the holes in the dash cut out for gauges, switches, and the glovebox. It was a bit tough cutting with the 3 7/8" hole saw even on my drill press - it kept binding up. I got them all cut out though and then cleaned them up with my deburring tool. I also fabricated a center dash support and new end supports. The center support has USB/12V power connections and "remote" stereo jacks that I will use to be able to program the tach and fuel gauge without having to reach up under the dash to plug in the programming button. The end supports have white "live well" lights that will be used for footbox lights. Hopefully I can get the pad and leather installed next weekend.





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#88 · (Edited)
Dash is finished

This is a milestone that I am happy to have completed. I wanted a padded leather dash with competition layout and got most of my inspiration from edwardb's build. I also wanted a hidden attachment so went with a very similar approach using some aluminum angle, countersunk machine screws, filled with JB Weld and sanded smooth. I used the same method to mount the glove box and it all turned out super smooth with no printing through the leather.





Covered with pad



Covered with leather and pie cuts made



Final product





 
#89 ·
I like the hidden mounting tabs, but how do you plan to install/remove the mounting screws? Seems like you would need some kind of tool that is long enough to reach the mounting tabs from below and hold the screw as you feed it up and into position.

Thanks,

Alan
 
#91 ·
Trunk inner panels

I fabricated a couple of inner panels for the upper trunk this morning. I just took some measurements and then transferred to some poster board and then to aluminum. Took a bit of checking and trimming but finally got them to fit the way I like. It seems so much more finished with these, I'm surprised FFR doesn't include them in the kit.



 
#92 ·
Lizard Skin sound control sprayed

I spent several hours on Sunday masking and preparing for Lizard Skin. I scuffed all the panels in the cockpit and trunk with some 150 grit sandpaper and then masked everything off. This is a lot of work and I am still just over 1/2 done since I need to also mask again and spray the ceramic insulation, but at least that is cockpit only.

Here you can see most of the masking in the cockpit



I bought a few plastic drop cloths and taped them along the edges and tied some string loops in the corners so I could hook them onto my shelves and quickly bring them down to allow me to move around to spray and protect from different directions. I managed not to get it all over the garage, which is good.



Here are the results after I pulled the masking. I should have let it set up for another hour before I started pulling the masking tape, but I didn't want the edges to pull up if it was to hard. As it is, I smudged it in a few places as it was still very wet. Oh well, I have to spray the heat product next and it's all going to be buried under carpet in the end anyway.





 
#93 ·
Lizard Skin complete

I re-masked the cockpit and sprayed the ceramic insulation yesterday. I'm glad to have this done and can pull wires through and bolts things in place for the last time.






After pulling all the masking and pulling the harnesses back through.



I also ran a wiring harness for the wiper motor, ran the engine senders harness, and attached a fitting for the stainless PTFE fuel line. I'll cut and put the fitting on the other end once I have the motor in place. Speaking of the motor, looks like I am very close to dropping that in place.

 
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