'71 Mustang clicking issue

[Stanglover]

Yeah. Someone mentioned it. I want to do everything I can before I consider an engine rebuild.

 Okay and absolutely. The other side of that is how much do you spend before going to a full re-build? You don't have to spend 10K or even 5K on a basic rebuild. Without digging out my receipts, the basic long block rebuild for my engine was only about 2300 bucks, but I did add some extras, new water pump, balancer (damper), clutch, Pertronix III ignition and some other stuff that bought it up to less than 4k CND and that was with it broke in on the test stand. (taxes @13% extra of course!) Of course it goes up from there if you want a roller cam valve train or stroker kit or..........

Not too bad. Though honestly I think I would try and rebuild it myself. Only thing I would need help with is pulling the engine out and putting it back in. But the heart of it I would try and do it myself. Even if it took months. I got a little beater Honda I can drive until it is ready  lollerz

 If you feel up to it, why not rebuild it yourself, but getting the rotating assembly balanced is a pro job imo. As long as you get all the right parts, tools etc., it is very doable at home. However, I personally would not do it unless it was a spare engine that didn't matter too much if I f'd it up. I would not do it on my numbers matching engine though, as I don't have that level of skill. That's why I might do it on a "practice" engine first. The only real way to learn is by doing it. You only have yourself to blame if it blows up.... or you can give yourself a pat on the back if it works out great. Loads of guys here build there own engines so good help is only a post away.

All the best with it.

Geoff.

 

[Mister 4x4]

I got a little beater Honda I can drive until it is ready  lollerz

I had a '95 Civic VX hatchback when I found my '71 Mach 1.  Even though the Civic ran really well, looked cool, and was a blast to drive, I sold it.  Even though it was as bad as it was, that little Honda just wasn't cool anymore now that I had a Mach 1 (... even with a seized engine, Fred Flintstone'd floors, rust everywhere, and basically needing a whole new Mustang to replace everything that was wrong with it).

I should've kept it, though.  :whistling:

 

[Heardatbeat]

 Okay and absolutely. The other side of that is how much do you spend before going to a full re-build? You don't have to spend 10K or even 5K on a basic rebuild. Without digging out my receipts, the basic long block rebuild for my engine was only about 2300 bucks, but I did add some extras, new water pump, balancer (damper), clutch, Pertronix III ignition and some other stuff that bought it up to less than 4k CND and that was with it broke in on the test stand. (taxes @13% extra of course!) Of course it goes up from there if you want a roller cam valve train or stroker kit or..........

Not too bad. Though honestly I think I would try and rebuild it myself. Only thing I would need help with is pulling the engine out and putting it back in. But the heart of it I would try and do it myself. Even if it took months. I got a little beater Honda I can drive until it is ready  lollerz

 If you feel up to it, why not rebuild it yourself, but getting the rotating assembly balanced is a pro job imo. As long as you get all the right parts, tools etc., it is very doable at home. However, I personally would not do it unless it was a spare engine that didn't matter too much if I f'd it up. I would not do it on my numbers matching engine though, as I don't have that level of skill. That's why I might do it on a "practice" engine first. The only real way to learn is by doing it. You only have yourself to blame if it blows up.... or you can give yourself a pat on the back if it works out great. Loads of guys here build there own engines so good help is only a post away.

All the best with it.

Geoff.

That is true. After my last mechanic I would sleep better at night knowing I did the job correctly. Plus there is not a lot of things more satisfying than working with your own hands and learning something new. But before I even consider this I gotta install all the parts I bought and make sure it is not all the other things that it could be.

 

[Stanglover]

Not too bad. Though honestly I think I would try and rebuild it myself. Only thing I would need help with is pulling the engine out and putting it back in. But the heart of it I would try and do it myself. Even if it took months. I got a little beater Honda I can drive until it is ready  lollerz

 If you feel up to it, why not rebuild it yourself, but getting the rotating assembly balanced is a pro job imo. As long as you get all the right parts, tools etc., it is very doable at home. However, I personally would not do it unless it was a spare engine that didn't matter too much if I f'd it up. I would not do it on my numbers matching engine though, as I don't have that level of skill. That's why I might do it on a "practice" engine first. The only real way to learn is by doing it. You only have yourself to blame if it blows up.... or you can give yourself a pat on the back if it works out great. Loads of guys here build there own engines so good help is only a post away.

All the best with it.

Geoff.

That is true. After my last mechanic I would sleep better at night knowing I did the job correctly. Plus there is not a lot of things more satisfying than working with your own hands and learning something new. But before I even consider this I gotta install all the parts I bought and make sure it is not all the other things that it could be.

 As your signature says.................

 Hopefully you will get the parts soon and can update the progress.

 

[Heardatbeat]

 If you feel up to it, why not rebuild it yourself, but getting the rotating assembly balanced is a pro job imo. As long as you get all the right parts, tools etc., it is very doable at home. However, I personally would not do it unless it was a spare engine that didn't matter too much if I f'd it up. I would not do it on my numbers matching engine though, as I don't have that level of skill. That's why I might do it on a "practice" engine first. The only real way to learn is by doing it. You only have yourself to blame if it blows up.... or you can give yourself a pat on the back if it works out great. Loads of guys here build there own engines so good help is only a post away.

All the best with it.

Geoff.

That is true. After my last mechanic I would sleep better at night knowing I did the job correctly. Plus there is not a lot of things more satisfying than working with your own hands and learning something new. But before I even consider this I gotta install all the parts I bought and make sure it is not all the other things that it could be.

 As your signature says.................

 Hopefully you will get the parts soon and can update the progress.

Yes. I got the harmonic balancer today along with all the greases I am going to need. I bought new rocker arm bolts but the package was damaged and only 12 of the 16 bolts made it. I am going to start removing the shroud and fan today.

 

[Stanglover]

I hope you emailed or called RockAuto immediately? They are very good when it come to issues like this. I found their website a bit hard to get around, but there is a direct email and phone number listed that will get a quicker response.

 

[Heardatbeat]

I hope you emailed or called RockAuto immediately? They are very good when it come to issues like this. I found their website a bit hard to get around, but there is a direct email and phone number listed that will get a quicker response.

Oh I did. I am waiting for them to arrive. I am about to pull the harmonic balancer and install the Pertronix II kit. Do I need the relay for the Pertronix II I keep getting different responses.

 

[73pony]

I would include the relay. It is simple to wire up. The Pertronix II works without it using the lower voltage from the resistance wire but works better with the full 12v that would be provided by via the relay.

 

[Don C]

The Ignitor 2 instructions say that a full 12 volts is required, so you either have to bypass the resistor wire from the ignition switch to the coil or use a relay to power the Ignitor 2 and coil, with the relay switched by the resistor wire.

 

[Heardatbeat]

I would include the relay. It is simple to wire up. The Pertronix II works without it using the lower voltage from the resistance wire but works better with the full 12v that would be provided by via the relay.

Ok. I got the Ignitor installed. Any good diagrams to install the relay. I am winging it here but so far so good.  :whistling:

 

[73pony]

Here you go....

http://www.pertronix.com/docs/instruction-sheets/0000-008770.pdf

 

[Heardatbeat]

Here you go....

http://www.pertronix.com/docs/instruction-sheets/0000-008770.pdf

It is pretty clear and easy to read (even for me with no electrical knowledge) except the purple one goes to the ignition switch... Where is the ignition switch? Is it talking about the solenoid? Can I put the large red wire right there on the solenoid where the positive battery cable connects? And the ground I assume I can connect where my negative cable is grounded?

 

[73pony]

The purple wire is connected to the feed from the ignition switch. This would have been connected to the positive side of the coil previously. The red is a constant 12V. Direct to battery or on the solenoid is fine. Black is ground. Screw to chassis or another ground source. Then the orange will go to the positive on the coil where the old wire went that you connected to the purple wire. Use the same wire as before for the neg side of coil.

Basically the wire from the ignition was a resistor wire so less than 12 volts. so the relay just acts as a switch using the signal from the old ignition wire as the signal to close the contact and send a full 12v to the coil. Hope this makes sense.

I also wired in a relay on my headlights to prevent the ever so common dimming of headlights with the RPM's.

 

[Don C]

No, the purple wire has to go to a wire that is switched on and off by the ignition switch. The wire they show it connected to is the wire that is currently (or was) connected to the positive terminal on your coil. Your coil and Ignitor 2 will now receive their power from the relay.

Yes, connect the red wire for the relay to the battery terminal post on the solenoid.

 

[73pony]

No, the purple wire has to go to a wire that is switched on and off by the ignition switch. The wire they show it connected to is the wire that is currently (or was) connected to the positive terminal on your coil. Your coil and Ignitor 2 will now receive their power from the relay.

Yes, connect the red wire for the relay to the battery terminal post on the solenoid.

Correct. That is what I said. The old wire that used to go to the positive side of the coil under the stock set up is the switched feed from the ignition switch (just on a resistor wire giving less than 12v) that should be connected to the purple to act as the switch for the relay. This is exactly how I wired mine in.

 

[Don C]

Sorry, I wasn't replying to you, Jason, I was replying to heardatbeat, but you must have posted yours while I was still typing.

Your post was good and spot on.

 

[73pony]

Oh. Ok. I was confused. But I get confused a lot.

 

[Heardatbeat]

No, the purple wire has to go to a wire that is switched on and off by the ignition switch. The wire they show it connected to is the wire that is currently (or was) connected to the positive terminal on your coil. Your coil and Ignitor 2 will now receive their power from the relay.

Yes, connect the red wire for the relay to the battery terminal post on the solenoid.

Correct. That is what I said. The old wire that used to go to the positive side of the coil under the stock set up is the switched feed from the ignition switch (just on a resistor wire giving less than 12v) that should be connected to the purple to act as the switch for the relay. This is exactly how I wired mine in.

Ok. I will go back and look to where that wire is. I rented a harmonic balancer removal too from a parts store so I have to do that or else they will charge me the tool. I had to pull the radiator so my torque wrench will fit.

 

[Heardatbeat]

Well I'm trying to pull the harmonic balancer I broke one of the bolts in the balancer from the kit I rented and bent the other two it came with. I think I was using it wrong or something. When I tried screwing the middle bolt in it kept spinning the balancer. So I put a bar to hold the tool in place. That is when they bent. Did I just mess everything up? There was no spacer in the kit that fit the hole of the balancer and be able to screw it in so I just used the bolt. Which has a flat surface.

 

[Don C]

That's the way I've always done it, the puller center bolt against the head of the crank/balancer/pulley bolt, with the crank bolt loosened up a 1\4", or so. The puller bolts have to be adjusted so the center bolt is centered on the head of the crank bolt.

I've had to brace the puller, before, too, but never broke or bent the puller bolts.