[garage_engineer]

Ok I finally have a bit of an update! I've been very busy in August with lots of weekend plans and other jobs going around the house but I managed to make a bit of progress on the engine.

First, I worked on getting the fuel rails back together. I had already disassembled, cleaned and painted them so now was time for reassembly. My next step was rebuilding the fuel pressure regulator with a kit I got from Holley. The rebuild itself was pretty straightforward, except for the fact that I needed to buy some special Torx drivers to get the small perimeter bolts out




If you remember a while back, the fuel injectors I had on my car are the blue Ford 24lb injectors. I sent them off to be cleaned, rebuilt and flow tested at SouthBay Fuel Injectors. They tested them before and after the rebuild and it turns out they weren't too bad to start with, as only 2 injectors showed a slightly lower flow rate than the others. They are all nice and consistent now though:


It took me a little while to remember how the small clips that hold the injectors into the fuel rail worked but once I got the trick they slid right in. You need to install the clip beforehand on the injectors, then rotate it once the injector is installed to lock it into place.
Pre-Assembly:



Fuel Injector to Rail Install:





Before I could install the fuel rails onto the intake base, I needed to install the runners for the Super Ram. I ordered a new bolt kit from Hawks but some of them needed to be cut down so they didn't bottom out in some of the blind holes. There were also a few Allen head fasteners I needed to reuse in the lower sections of the runners where there's no room for a Torx head. She's on though!



New 160deg thermostat, gasket and painted neck and bolts went on as well:


Here is where she sits today: