[shark92651]

Nice. What size lugs did you end up using?

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.

 

[shark92651]

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.

 

[shark92651]

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.

 

[shark92651]

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.

 

[shark92651]

Panels in place

I've riveted in the remaining back cockpit wall and hope to spray Lizard Skin next weekend.

 

[shark92651]

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.

 

[shark92651]

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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[shark92651]

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

 

[Alan_C]

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

 

[shark92651]

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

Yeah it will be a little tough but I think an extension on my ratchet will work. I put nutserts in the underside of the hoop.

 

[shark92651]

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.

 

[shark92651]

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.

 

[shark92651]

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.

 

[shark92651]

Pressure bleeder

After bleeding my brakes the old fashion way a while back, I still had some air in my rear circuit. The rear MC would move about 4x as much as my fronts. I bought an extra cap for my reservoir and collected the parts I needed at Home Depot to make a pressure bleeder. Here are the parts I used and the finished product.

I set the compressor at 15psi and re-bled the rear brakes. Wow, what a difference. Now I have a nice hard pedal with equal movement in both the front and rear MC. I wish I had just done this from the beginning. Super easy and was done in 5 mins.

Video: https://youtu.be/c1EaOHv8UN8

 

[shark92651]

Cut bottom flange off QuickTime bell housing

As others had advised, I went ahead and cut off the bottom flange of my QuickTime bell housing and backer plate. I figure it would be a LOT easier to do it now while it is still out of the car. I removed the trans and hoisted the engine up and rested it on top of my Black and Decker WorkMate (with the hoist still handling most of the weight) and cut it off with the angle grinder. I cleaned it up with a flap disk and then touched it up with some of the leftover POR-15 that has been in the bottom of my fridge since May - it's still good!

 

[shark92651]

DS footbox top installed

Nothing too exciting today but I got my DS footbox top panel in place, with removable access panel. I had to get my hydraulic reservoir out of the way to get in there so I made a little support out of a piece of aluminum so it's kind of just hanging out in space there. I guess I'll just leave it there until I get the motor installed.

 

[shark92651]

PCV and CMCV plumbing

I knocked out a few more tasks on the Coyote in preparation to dropping it in next week.

I ordered the kit from JLT to run the DS PCV hose to the intake and got that installed.

Thanks to help from forum members and a detailed thread that EdwardB started, I got my CMCV system properly plumbed. The CMVC system gets it's vacuum from a reservoir at the rear of the intake. On the 2017 Coyote, there is a single vacuum hose on the PS that is the vacuum source for that reservoir. This normally connects to the stock air intake with a 3/8" quick-detach shown here.

A good vacuum source to connect this to already exists to the right and above the throttle body, but it is a 1/2" connection. I decided to just cut off the plastic hose with the quick-detach right at that plastic hose barb and just plumb it with 3/8" hose and a barbed 3/8" to 1/2" fitting. The JLT kit for the PCV included a short length of 3/8" hose, so I used that, and I bought a 1/2" short molded cooling hose with a 90 degree bend on Amazon to hook this all up.

Eldon James C8-6BN Automotive Black Nylon Reduction Coupler, 1/2" Hose Barb to 3/8" Hose Barb
Dayco 80393 Molded Coolant Hose

 

[shark92651]

Tachometer wire

I also got my tachometer wire ready to go. I tapped into a DS coil trigger wire to feed the Tachometer, as detailed in EdwardB's thread. I purchased a spade crimping kit on Amazon as I needed that for other wiring as well. I used a short wire lead and crimped a spade connector on each end, stripped a small amount of insulation off the trigger wire, and then crimped the spade connector onto that. I wrapped it all up and zip-tied it so that it is secure.

I purchased this inexpensive Necygoo Crimping Tools kit on Amazon as I needed it to wire other things anyway, like the wiper motor. This is my first time using this type of crimper and it works very well.

 

[shark92651]

Dash test-fit and issue with Russ Thompson turn signal

Today I test-fitted my completed dash for the first time. For my hidden fasteners I used some aluminum angle on the back and put rivnuts on the bottom of the dash hoop in 4 places. Once the dash was covered in pad and leather, and the Russ Thompson trim ring put in place, of course it caused the dash to move a little on me so the holes in my brackets didn't quite line up anymore. I just opened them up a bit with a rat-tail file in the correct direction and was able to get the bolts screwed in easily enough. The last thing I want to do is have one of those bolts bind up and spin a rivnut!

I then test-fitted the Russ Thompson turn signal unit and I think I have a problem. Russ had to modify his mounting system to get it to work with the latest changes to the MK4 frame and he mentioned that there could be an issue and that I may need a longer tube, which he can machine for me. Looks like I am going to have to bring this post to his attention and take him up on his offer. It was probably fine before I added the pad, leather, and trim ring but now it looks like I need about a 3/8" longer tube to get it to work properly. The set screw that secures the hub to the tube is barely making contact with the main tube.

The whole hub kind of comes out at an angle from the dash, but I think that is normal for these cars.

Here you can see that turn turned down end of the tube is about 1/4" from the dash aluminum.

And here you can see the biggest issue that the set screw is not making good contact with the tube in it's current mounting location and length.

 

[shark92651]

Coyote installed, clearance is super tight

I got the powertrain installed today with the help of a few friends. Clearance is super-tight on the drivers side, maybe 3/32" and I don't think it is enough. There is plenty on the PS. Someone on Facebook suggesting removing the 1/2" spacer from the PS motor mount, and lengthening the slots on the DS motor mount so that the motor will drop down and slide a bit over to the PS, while keeping the headers level. Is this the best solution? Any other ideas?

Passenger Side clearance

Drivers Side clearance