Skip to main content
Topic: 1988 TC single Holset turbo 5.0/ 4R70W (Read 314681 times) previous topic - next topic

1988 TC single Holset turbo 5.0/ 4R70W

Reply #105
Quote from: SirChirpAlot;349902
Your build seems to be moving along well.
All i have done to mine is clear some snow off and start it now and then.


But i took a pic of my turbo as well.


I have been thinking of going the MegaSquirt way when i turbo my BB so i would like to hear how your's works out.

Thanks, man. It's hard to get motivated sometimes in the Winter months. Somehow I usually get my best work done when it's cold out.

1988 TC single Holset turbo 5.0/ 4R70W

Reply #106
Quote from: SirChirpAlot;349902
...But i took a pic of my turbo as well...


Now thats being productive!:hick::giggle:
--SteveN 👍
[thread=28690]1988 Cougar V6[/thread]
2012 F-150 3.7L

1988 TC single Holset turbo 5.0/ 4R70W

Reply #107
For anyone interested I'll detail the circuit for WOT I decided on.

The MS will be set up to send a ground signal at a set boost point, say 2-5 psi positive. That signal is wired to trigger 2 relays, 1 for A/C compressor clutch and 1 for water injection. The A/C relay is wired with terminal 30 connected to 87a so if the relay is activated the circuit is interrupted.(normally closed) Relay 2 is connected 30 to 87, so water injection will be activated at that point. (normally open)

I'm kinda pleased I could figure a way to use one output to control two separate functions. Just need to verify that MS can sink the current from 2 relays without additional modding.

1988 TC single Holset turbo 5.0/ 4R70W

Reply #108
Got back from Camarillo and a couple rounds of golf in the perfect weather. Now it's snow and the teens again. Oh, well.

I unpacked the shifter from poppop (thanks!) and tried it in the car. No good at all. I like the look of it, but the shape and size don't work. I took apart all three shifters I have here, the 2000 Mustang, 1994' ish Thunderbird, and A4LD shifter from a TC, trying to get some concoction that would work out. Came up with nothing for my efforts.

Here's what I am thinking now. Use the Mustang shifter. It has great feel, the correct cable, and fits the sheet metal with amost no additional mods. Remove the oval shaped plastic around the shifter that has the shift indicator. Instead, just use a 5-speed leather shift boot. I'll lose the shift position indicator, but it'll fit and take little to no modding to get it functional, so I can move on. Then, maybe in the future I can put an indicator in beside the shift boot to make it more stock'ish.

Any thoughts?

1988 TC single Holset turbo 5.0/ 4R70W

Reply #109
Thats a bummer man!:(

But if you can make a way to get rid of that mustang indicator plate like you were saying, that would be great. I think the mustang and bird shifters are the same its the indicators that are different... I don't know what you figured out though. But if you can get rid of that plate, thats what was wrong. That big bubbly thing just didnt' fit inside there. I'm sure you'll figure out something cool.;)
--SteveN 👍
[thread=28690]1988 Cougar V6[/thread]
2012 F-150 3.7L

1988 TC single Holset turbo 5.0/ 4R70W

Reply #110
Quote from: sarjxxx;350459
Thats a bummer man!:(

But if you can make a way to get rid of that mustang indicator plate like you were saying, that would be great. I think the mustang and bird shifters are the same its the indicators that are different... I don't know what you figured out though. But if you can get rid of that plate, thats what was wrong. That big bubbly thing just didnt' fit inside there. I'm sure you'll figure out something cool.;)


The late model Tbird shifter is a large, long unit and the cable has the wrong end for my tranny. The faceplate can't easily be modified to fit my plastic because it is too narrow and too long.

Here's what all 3 look like taken down to bare.

First is the late tbird one:

X

Next the Mustang:

X

And the A4ld:

X

You can see the early TC and Mustang mount in pretty much the same, although some light fab is required since the mounting spacing for the big bolts is a little different.

You'll have to trust me that the plastic won't work very well, I didn't take photos of everything I tried.

1988 TC single Holset turbo 5.0/ 4R70W

Reply #111
OK, here's what the original looks like:

X




And here's what I came up with. I removed the rubber seal from the boot, cut the boot open enough to clear the fatter Mustang shifter, then re-sewed and super glued the leather back up. Will this look hokey on an auto shift car do you think?

X

X?

1988 TC single Holset turbo 5.0/ 4R70W

Reply #112
I think it look fairly stock. It looks good.
88 Cougar LS 5.0 .030 over, ported E7s with GT40 valves & trickflow springs, Proform roller rockers, HO cam, removed air silencer, K&N filter, smog pump delete, 2.25" dual flowmasters, Pacestter H-pipe & headers, HO computer, 65mm TB, Explorer intake, 19# injecters, 3.45s, rebuilt posi, and TCI shift kit.

1988 TC single Holset turbo 5.0/ 4R70W

Reply #113
Yeah it seems like a descent trade off. Just need to clean that boot off. It doesn't quite match color wise. Other than that it should work. It just seems so odd to me that the shifter that's actally designed for that transmission won't fit right. I'm not saying you did anything wrong, its just unfortunate.
--SteveN 👍
[thread=28690]1988 Cougar V6[/thread]
2012 F-150 3.7L

1988 TC single Holset turbo 5.0/ 4R70W

Reply #114
Yeah I was surprised it didn't work out on the Tbird one. There were some changes along the way on that tranny, and the console design is just a bit awkward for making it fit to boot. No biggy, part of the process.

Well, that's 3 for and 1 against. My wife doesn't care for it much. I think I'll run with this for now and keep my eye out for a cleaner solution down the road. I need to get this bolted in and wired up to press on with the assembly.

BTW, I think some shoe polish will help the old boot look better. I was really dried out and sorry looking. The plastic needs attention, too.

1988 TC single Holset turbo 5.0/ 4R70W

Reply #115
Never mind. I'm back to square 1.

The boot doesn't have enough flex in it when it's fixed to the console, so I have to ditch this idea. I may just get an ugly rubber floor shift boot to get it going while I search for a better solution. I don't want to hold off on this any more.

I'm the type that can't stop thinking about a problem until it's solved, so I need to press on.

EDIT:

I took the late Tbird plastic and cut the hell out of it so it pokes up through the console. If I can figure a way to attach the inner plastic to the shifter and come up with a way to get the indicator to work it may suffice. I'll need to put a piece of rubber with a slit in it to cover the gap around the shiftt lever since I had to kill the stock parts to get this far.

  One other issue will be to come up with a way to finish off the gap. Maybe recover both the armrest and the console in leather? Either that or some kind of z shaped flashing or something.XX

1988 TC single Holset turbo 5.0/ 4R70W

Reply #116
hmmmm.... you nkow what I was thinking.... have you ever seen on a lot of column shifted cars, how there is a type of "brush like" insert in the opening where the shifter moves up and down through the opening? If you could find something like that in a JY and get it to fit in there where your shifter is... it really wouldn't look bad. It would be pretty cool I think. I remember one car that I've seen that in specifically was my old Frontier.

Just a thought.
--SteveN 👍
[thread=28690]1988 Cougar V6[/thread]
2012 F-150 3.7L

 

1988 TC single Holset turbo 5.0/ 4R70W

Reply #117
You could also make a plexiglass plate to fit in the original rectangle hole. Back-paint it black and mask off the oval where the shift indicator is (so it shows through). Have a slot cut for the shift lever, and do the brush thing mentioned above (or rubber flaps). You would end up with a black shiny plate that has the shift indicator shining through. Kinda like this, and put the brushes in the shifter slot:
CoogarXR : 1985 Cougar XR-7

1988 TC single Holset turbo 5.0/ 4R70W

Reply #118
Those are good ideas. Thanks, guys.

I welded a plate on the tunnel cover and drilled holes for the shifter mount. Made a couple brackets to attach the indicator plate for now.

Watching football the rest of the night.

1988 TC single Holset turbo 5.0/ 4R70W

Reply #119
What might be pretty cool, is that the MLPS sensor works on resistance. if the resistance is a certain amount, then the trans sees itself in a certain gear. I could tap that wire, read the resistance and have a different LED light up under 1, 2, D, N, R, P to show the gear. I could mount that anywhere. Then just cover the whole plastic piece, right over the big hole, with vinyl or leather and have the brush deal around the shift slot.

Thanks for giving me some new ideas!