The Road to Mustang Week 2012

[DMassey]

My Lightning is torn down right now, and I have some work to do before I can take it down to Myrtle Beach on July 14th! I will be documenting my journey in this thread. This will help keep me motivated, while at the same time sharing my enthusiasm for showing off my ride at MUSTANG WEEK so I can represent SVTPERFORMANCE!!!

Here is the vehicle that is the subject of this operation. My 2000 SVT Lightning.

Here's how my engine bay looks right now:

Here is basically what happened. I had a forged shortblock built for my truck some time ago, and at the same time I added several supporting mods. Due to an error TOTALLY of my own doing, I had to previously remove the passenger side head for a repair. After putting it back together, I quickly discovered that I had the same problem (again MY fault) in the driver side head.... so alas, here I am again tearing my engine 3/4 of the way apart LOL.

One of my supporting mods is a set of Trick Flow 44cc Track Heat heads. Thankfully, the cam towers are replaceable. We will follow this process in this thread. Please bear in mind i am not a professional photographer, all you will see here are cell phone pics.

If you ever need to replace your cam towers on your Trick Flow heads, here is the box you will receive...

Open the box, and you will see 6 numbered cam towers along with all bolts needed. They also provide you with a package of Clevite 77 assembly lube. Summit Racing had this on my doorstep in exactly 2 days.

I will have more pics tomorrow. This evening I will be replacing the cam towers and reassembling the valvetrain.

My goal is to have the truck ready to take to a local Test N Tune on July 6th so I can have Rick @ Amazon work out any bugs in the tune.
... 9 days & counting!!!

 

[02bigblackL]

Get it done.

 

[DMassey]

Get it done.

I got the cylinder head all fixed back up today!!! My head gasket should be in from Tousley tomorrow. We got some errands to run tomorrow, so Friday i'l be getting the longblock back together. Feel free to swing by!

I'll have pics of today's progress posted tomorrow.

 

[DMassey]

As I said above, the cylinder head is ready for reinstall now. I was very happy with the work I got done yesterday. Please keep in mind, this is not a How-To thread.... just following my progress!

The cylinder head as it was removed:

Removed the 10mm cam cap bolts

Removed the cam caps

Removed the cam

Soaked the lash adjusters & followers while performing the whole operation

Removed the #5 Allen bolts that hold the base of the cam towers

The cylinder head minus the cam, cam towers, lash adjusters, & followers

Used a little non-chlorinated brake cleaner to remove any grime that may be on the new cam towers

Installed the brand new cam tower bases with the brand new bolts that Trick Flow provided. Trick Flow calls for a torque spec of 90 inch lbs.

My go to guy highly recommends Joe Gibbs assembly lube, so that's what I've been using

So here's where I am right now... a fully assembled TFS Track Heat cylinder head ready to be reinstalled!!! My head gasket should be in from Tousley today.
As I said above, the cylinder head is ready for reinstall now. I was very happy with the work I got done yesterday. Please keep in mind, this is not a How-To thread.... just following my progress!

The cylinder head as it was removed:

Removed the 10mm cam cap bolts

Removed the cam caps

Removed the cam

Soaked the lash adjusters & followers while performing the whole operation

Removed the #5 Allen bolts that hold the base of the cam towers

The cylinder head minus the cam, cam towers, lash adjusters, & followers

Used a little non-chlorinated brake cleaner to remove any grime that may be on the new cam towers

Installed the brand new cam tower bases with the brand new bolts that Trick Flow provided. Trick Flow calls for a torque spec of 90 inch lbs.

My go to guy highly recommends Joe Gibbs assembly lube, so that's what I've been using. Luckily, the cam wasn't scored bad at all. There were just a couple tiny rough places that I fixed with an emory cloth.

So here's where I am right now... a fully assembled TFS Track Heat cylinder head ready to be reinstalled!!! My head gasket should be in from Tousley today.

 

[SID297]

Nice to see it starting to come together.:beer:

 

[DMassey]

Nice to see it starting to come together.:beer:

Hopefully I'll have it right this time LOL

 

[DMassey]

Well I got hit pretty bad by the storms that came through here Friday night. It relocated my silver maple tree through my kitchen roof, so I spent Friday night and all day Saturday cutting & cleaning up the 70' savage. So I'm a bit behind on the truck. I've been working on it today, despite no electricity and 100* heat! Mustang Week waits for no one!!!

I would post a pic, but I cant find the attachments tab on my phone. Cylinder head & header are back on. I plan to have the intake & possibly front cover back on this evening.

 

[DMassey]

I got quite a bit done this weekend, despite taking care of the house/fiance/dog, and the 100* heat! (still no electricity since Friday!)

My makeshift workstation:

My progress as of right now. I installed the cylinder head, header, intake manifold, fuel rail/injectors, cop's, & efi harness.

I think I'm still going to make it in time to take the truck to Mustang Week.... we leave in 11 days!!!

 

[SID297]

:beer:

 

[03' White Snake]

Glad to see your making progress. Ill have to check out your L at mustang week.

 

[rich5150]

"I'm 110% positive that I installed the plug correctly on both heads" -Massey Jan 2012.

Looking forward to seein' ya down there Massey

View attachment 8351

 

[DMassey]

new update... I've had a hard time working on the truck. We've had another storm, and some more minor damage... so I've been trying to juggle home chores/insurance with the truck. But I made some good progress today, just gotta install the blower, blower pulley system, and the fan!!!

We leave in 6 days!!!

.... can't wait to see the new ride, Rich!!!

 

[SID297]

You should have it together in a few more hours.

 

[DMassey]

You should have it together in a few more hours.

I plan on firing it up this evening! :banana:

 

[SID297]

What's the word?

 

[5spd07gt]

You do realize its mustang week, not lightning week, right?


J/k man, see you there!

 

[DMassey]

What's the word?

Fired it up last night, and the DS valve cover was pouring oil. Thanks to Rich, I had a brand new Ford gasket laying around. Fired it up today, and it seems great. I'm goimg to do some datalogging to make sure of everything. But it's alive, and it sounds very smooth!

You do realize its mustang week, not lightning week, right?


J/k man, see you there!

Haha, yep but I've been going to MW for 8 years now (with 2 different Mustangs in the past), and it's just too much fun to miss out! Besides... a Lightning is just a Mustang with a bed, isn't it?

 

[SID297]

You do realize its mustang week, not lightning week, right?


J/k man, see you there!

Interestingly enough, I won "Best Lightning" in the car show at MW one years.

Fired it up last night, and the DS valve cover was pouring oil. Thanks to Rich, I had a brand new Ford gasket laying around. Fired it up today, and it seems great. I'm goimg to do some datalogging to make sure of everything. But it's alive, and it sounds very smooth!



Haha, yep but I've been going to MW for 8 years now (with 2 different Mustangs in the past), and it's just too much fun to miss out! Besides... a Lightning is just a Mustang with a bed, isn't it?

Very cool. How is the tune coming along.

 

[DMassey]

Rick has a great base tune on it! I'm going to do some datalogging this evening.

 

[SID297]

Cool