Tom, -- please confirm which "Steve" you are referring to -- Steve in Reno , or Steve ( PANAVIA ) at the Mustang Ranch.

-- otherwise we will get confused with every Tom, Dick or Harry.

Here is a view of our "Compressive" Clutch cylinder setup which requires less tunnel space and is more accurate, in addtion you can use stock ford cable clutch bellhousings, forks and supplies ( reduced cost and complexity )

http://www.newmustangranch.com/image.../finished2.JPG

Stephen in Reno did the install on my car and I haven't had any issues in 9K miles. Different set-up on my car...not sure if it's because I have a QuickTime bell housing or if someone else at Full Throttle did the work on your car.

As far as I know, Stephen closed the shop that was next store to Dynamic in Reno and moved it somewhere outside of Reno.

It was Steven in Reno......I've never been to your shop.....But I will see you when I have my next issue.

You recommended the AFR HEAD to header gaskets when one of mine started to leak. I found a glob of Permatex between the header and head.......BUT NO GASKETS! I used the #1487 gaskets on the 402 headers you recommended...Problem solved !.............Thanks for the help again !:3DSMILE:

Steve Bramlitt is still in business, he moved! new address is
995 Greg St. Sparks Nv. 775-852-0800 Full Throttle Performance

Tom,

We actually have not "closed up shop". We are still in business and simply moved to a larger location in Sparks, and actually still have the same phone number we have always had.

Your bracket was supplied by an outside source other than myself if I recall. I am quite certain you purchased your "transmission kit" through them which supplied all the necessary installation parts other than fluids. The not so tidy and quite embarrassing ob-longing of the holes was an attempt to align the slave cylinder with the clutch fork as their measurements were drastically off. I notified the guys in Ohio multiple times, and as usual the response was "we don't seem to have that problem". Unfortunately I never saw their parts to be the best that could be used, and questioned several things about the "transmission kit" .. but at that point, I had to work with what was supplied.

At some point after your car I started supplying my own transmission kits and had my own aluminum brackets water-jetted here locally that fit correctly. Not that you would be interested in my advise, but as you have discovered it is necessary to space the slave cylinder away from the fork, and I would recommend an adjustable configuration like the one that was installed but perhaps with something better than what you may find at Home Depot. It is not necessary to install a return spring as the pressure plate obviously returns the fork. Additionally there is a spring as you have also discovered, inside to relieve the piston in the cylinder. Bearing technology has also come a long ways and it isn't a concern for the throw out bearing to be in contact with the pressure plate when the clutch is engaged. Rocker balls are a great idea also.

I could have, and still would, supply you these parts at no cost if you had just contacted me. This however is the first I have heard of any type of failure with the clutch linkage.

Happy early birthday.

In regards to your exhaust leak... ABSOLUTELY no reason for a gasket between the heads and the machined surface of the header flange. Perhaps with a set of 100 dollar Hookers!!! I have been using a light coat of high temp Permatex for years and have had no issues. In my opinion you will have more problems with the gasket in there than you did before. Just my 2 cents....

Steve, first I didn't supply the transmission kit.... You ordered everything for the install and delivered a ready to drive vehicle. Whether the bracket was wrong or or not, it was your responsibility to do a quality install. The fact that I even had to replace the mild steel (Home Depot) steel rod after it "snapped" was bad enough. Finding the hogged out bracket is not what I would expect to find on a car that was more than $80,000 OTD. If you can justify it then so be it. I can't, and didn't enjoy re doing it.

A simple "sorry, I'll send you the up dated bracket" would have made a former customer feel better, regardless of whether he's already solved the problem or not. But I don't need it now so it doesn't matter.

As far as the head gaskets, as you read it pretty much a 50/50 deal with some using them and some not. I guess you can chuck mine up as your first failure.................What's done is done...... Best to let a sleeping dog lie.

This is all part of "working the bugs out".

There will be more, they just haven't shown up yet!

My personal de-bugging included

1. Leaking intake manifold gasket. Installer replaced it. I had to buy the gasket.
2. Stuck thermostat (twice). Installer replaced it the first time. I did the second time.
3. Oil temp gauge stopped working. (I replaced it.)
4. Oil pressure line leaking. Bought braided line. Had installer replace the line.
5. Speedo cable replacement. ( I did it)
6. Trans pulled three times to replace pilot bushing. Leaking rear housing seal. (Installer did this.)
7. Slave cylinder replacement. I replaced the first one, installer did the second one.
8. Alternator wire broke, caused dead battery. (I spliced in a new connector and replaced the dead battery as a cell had died.)
9. Stumble on throttle tip in. ( I replaced the Street Avenger carb with a ProSystems DP).
10. Side pipes gaskets blown. (I replaced the gaskets with Remflex gaskets)
11. Side pipes too restrictive. ( I replaced with 3 inch pipes from Full Throttle.)
12. Sumitomo tires worthless. (Replaced with Kumho Exsta XS.)
13. Valve cover leaks. (Just needed tightening.)
14. Water weeping from water pump housing. (Added Barq's stop leak.)
15. Front end vibration. (Aligned and balanced front end three times. Finally balanced the front wheels and tires while on the car. Problem solved.)
16. Reare tires rubbing inside fender wells on hard turns. (Raised rear ride height.)
17. More to be found at a later date.

Damn Jim, I'll assume it was a new car #2932? I feel lucky now!

Maybe it's just me, but it appears that at least half of those issues were the result of the installer not being tedious and rechecking torque values, etc. after initial start-up and break-in. So is this a name you can share with us?

I think his name was Jim.....:LOL::LOL::LOL::LOL::LOL:

I thought these problems were all a part of "sorting out the car."

And, I don't blame anyone for any of this. I assumed these problems were just a part of owning a hand built race car.

I had tons of teething problems on my first Cobra (an FFR) and expected to have them again with this one (an SPF).

I wasn't disappointed!

Jim,

I would consider ride height, and keeping things tight as "sorting things out", but to have multiple failures is over the top. Hope things are under control now and you can just drive and enjoy. these are things off the top of my head I've had to do.

Changed ride height several times as springs settled.

Oil temp gauge fail....New parts shouldn't fail.

Few oil leaks after 500 miles....understandable.

Fuel gauge issue....factory wiring connection defect on top of gas tank (under carpet in trunk)

I had one of the first with too small calipers on rear ( Superformance updated and fixed)

Had to add a belt driven vacuum pump to have good brake feel (extra $ not expected)

Installer had to remove 1.5 inches from wheel well so 315's wouldn't rub. No mention of this by dealer at purchase of 315x17 wheels.

New clutch at 500 miles. Still haven't figured that one out.

Water leaks...tightened hoses....understandable.

Superformance sent new front brake pads... to compensate for the previous bad caliper size in the rear. (they were way to powerful and they locked up the fronts easily) they went in the trash!

Re jet to #72 and #75 from #70 and #72 and a larger squirter to get rid of the stumble.

Crappy Holly fuel pump left me stranded 50 mi from home. Bought a new crappy Holly replacement.

Had MSI in Roseville re balance the wheels because of a mild shake at 70. Alignment was fine.

Speedo cable replacement ( needle all over the place)....still!

Damn Jim....I have to apologize ! My car is just like yours now that I think of it. I guess I didn't expect so much in respect to set up and "teething problems". I, just like you am happy with the car and have no regrets that I bought it. If I wasn't retired and had no experience in building cars, motorcycles and an experimental air craft, I would be disappointed. I know a lot of people in this area who own Cobra's just to have it, and can't turn a screw and have spent thousands of $ taking it to a shop for every one of these issues. I guess that now I feel like I actually DID do a little building on the car. Thanks Jim, I feel better now.:):):)

Problems?
 

Hi Tom,
Already had my motor rebuilt last May and motor still sucking oil after 2500 miles. Right front wheel bearing went out at 6k in June and ate spindle, rotor, and caliper. And Superformance said too bad. Now Dana is seeping at driver side stub. Have 8500 miles with other small troubles but I wish Roush would get their act together 'cause in a few months the warranty is up. :CRY: Other than that I'm happy as a toad! :LOL: 209

Someone else said the spindle went and took out a part of the body...was that you?
My roush drinks a quart about every 1000 mi. I think thats about average.

Happy New Year. I feel all your pain, the key to happiness with these cars is so simple - Everything is your fault, you caused the problem, you are in fact a failure. Now once you accept that then you will be happy!!

These cars are not hand built racecars, they are assemlbed POS. The most reliable car on the planet for the last 50? years is the Rolls Royce and it is HAND BUILT.

All that being said, once you get it sorted and you will, it is an absolute blast to drive. The problem is to many people in the pie. You have the retailer, the builder SPF , the installer, the engine builder and conviently they can all point fingers at each other.

No doubt if you can not buy a new one within 50 miles of the installer/retailer then buy USED USED USED USED USED, since the original owner will have sorted some of the issues before they got burned out.

Never trust pictures, never buy when tired, never buy in a hurry. Read all your warranty agreements BEFORE you buy.

If the aforementioned does not fit your passion then buy a Porshe 911, if you have very deep pockets a Ford GT (drooooooooooooooolllllll) I want one so bad, Steve Jobs if you are reading this please get your stock out of the slump it has been in the last 5 weeks!!!!

Machined head yes, machined header, come on, we aint that fuking stupid here. Ever heard of thermal expansion, steel flange, aluminium head, no gasket equals leak, header temp is in excess of 800F, no rtv will last in that application it will become hard and brittle. Felpro makes the correct gasket.

Warranty about to go out, simple drive the living sheet out of it, I am talking 6K rpm shifts (50 times), hard pulls through 4th gear 5th if you have the balls (50 times). If it dont break, it aint going to, if it does then you are covered. If you are afraid to push it, call me and fly me out there, I have no heartburn doing. You paid for it, USE IT!!!!!!!

Madmaxx...you're on fire....You drink'in for New Year already? It's already 9:30 in Texas...........What you said, about headgaskets !!!!:3DSMILE:

I drank way way way way way to much, holy sheet, was in pain all day yesterday. Just now getting back to normal. :CRY: