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Is it normal that my Bullitt feels like it is falling apart?

3K views 21 replies 12 participants last post by  B3NN3TT 
#1 ·
Hello everyone,

I have owned my Bullitt for a while now, and to be honest, the car never gave me a "confident" feeling. For the longest time, I just couldn't put my finger on what the problem with my Bullitt was. And then I asked myself, "Why do I not go for drives in this car anymore?"
Gas Prices? No.
Cost of tires? Nope.
Weather? Nope.
Police? Nope.

The reason I don't take my Bullitt for drives anymore is because the poor car feels like it is falling apart, and I always feel guilty that I just made the life span of [blank] part that much shorter.

Let me give you an example of what I'm on about, and maybe some of you guys could shed some light on my situation:

1.) Clunks from the Rear Diff when shifting into first at a standstill

2.) Alarmingly loud clunks from transmission when I let the clutch out too quickly when shifting (let clutch out too quickly,whole car shakes, makes loud clunk noises at me, meanwhile my foot is on the gas giving more, less, more, less throttle as the car clunks/jerks back and fourth, so does my foot)

3.) Clunk sound from transmission when I let the clutch out at low speed (under 10 mph) *this only happens 8 out of 10 times

4.) I know the TR-3650 is notorious for not wanting to shift into second when it's cold (mine has even popped out on me a couple times).

5.) The heat shield on my exhaust manifold makes awful creaking noises sometimes

6.) The ride is so unbelievably stiff. It is to the point where I have to drive 5 mph below the speed limit at times just to give my body and my car a break.

7.) Clutch is heavy and inconsistent (I know the fix for this thanks to you guys!)

So to sum things up:

My whole driveline (clutch all the way back to the diff, my engine *knock on wood* is an absolute peach) just feels so unbelievably sloppy compared to every other car I have owned. Supposedly, some people say this general "slop" is normal for a Mustang with a TR-3650, however I don't know if I buy that.

And the car seems way too stiff. Now granted, the car has 105k miles, and I do believe it is still on it's stock Tokico's. Is there a general consensus on an upgrade shock and strut for our Bullitts? Or do most people just replace the Tokico's? I autocross about twice a month so I want something that is at least as stiff as the Tokico's, and if possible not as rough. However if I know that the stock Tokico's are supposed to be that rough, I will be fine.

And then there is the heatsheild on the exhaust manifold. Any fix to this? Or do I need a new manifold? Or perhaps a set of Longtubes?

And yet despite all that, I absolutely love my Bullitt to death. I would just love to get those things fixed, or I would at the very least like the peace of mind knowing that it's normal that my Bullitt behaves like that, and is supposed to behave like that.

I hope you guys can help

Thank You
 
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#2 ·
Beats the hell out of me, i have had dhg 1994 since new and she has almost 50k on her and doesn't have any of the issues you mentioned. The ride is and always has been 'stiff', but if you have the original tokico's, i am sure that is most of the issue , maybe replacements are inorder and would relieve a lot of that stiffness problem. The cold shifting issue was there from day one but i don't even notice it much anymore. She has no real clunks or rattles, no squeaks .... Everything seems to work as it did 13 years ago...
 
#3 ·
Pretty much the same here our DHG is just under 50k and yes it rides stiff, supposed to, has a stiff clutch, supposed to and occasionaly have problem shifting into reverse when it is cold, that part sucks. But other than that it is good

We also own a TB and that car has been to date pretty flawless but then it only has a little over 32K on it

There are other owners that have approaching or over 200K on their cars and still love them

So maybe yours is special
 
#5 ·
I have 197,000 miles on my True Blue and I have NEVER had any of those issues.

I am the original owner, and while I am not a FREAK about things (as some on this site are !!!) I do keep up the maintenance and if I feel ANYTHING wrong, I'm down at the shop in a heartbeat (no, I don't generally do the maintenance myself :( )

Having said that ... I have had to have the clutch replaced twice (can't be my heavy foot :), must be all the city driving!), the fuel pump was replaced at 70k.

I still have the stock shocks, and I have just never felt the stiffness that you describe.

I guess that's just no help at all :(
 
#6 ·
With 100k miles I would recommend new shocks. I put tokico blues on mine and she rides like stock. The other issues could probably be solved by a new clutch, drive shaft u joints and a trac lok rebuild. By 100k miles all of these items are probably due for replacement if you're still running the factory equipment. Probably be good for another 100 thousand miles. I can't comment on the heat shield.
 
#7 ·
Sounds like a poorly taken care of Bullitt.

1. Have the rear axle rebuilt
2. Promotion T3650
3. New Clutch (your choice) and cable
4. Bilstein shocks / struts, oil change new spark plugs and fix the little things

Seems like several things have been neglected and need attn. now

My .02 Good Luck
 
#8 ·
Hi everyone,

Thank you all for the replies. I do think that the car needs a general freshen up when it comes to the driveline (rebuilt track-lok, new clutch and corresponding parts, etc.)

With that being said, I did drive the Bullitt again today, and it seemed much better. To be honest, I think I had just gotten used to my other cars, and forgot about how old school the Bullitt really is. I guess it was just a bit of a shock to me.

In regards to taking my Bullitt to the next step, what would you guys recomend I rebuild and with what parts?

For the rear end, I was just going to rebuild the Traction-lok with carbon disks, put in 3.73 gears along with a rebuild kit. What else should I look into replacing in the rear end? (I am clueless when it comes to solid axle rears)

Garrett you recommended getting new drive shaft u-joints. If I am messing with the drive shaft in the first place, should I go ahead and get an aluminum one?

And it sounds like everyone has come to the consensus that I need new shocks and struts, and probably new rubber bushings once I'm down there. What shocks would you guys recommend? I don't want the car to have any more body roll then it does now (I autocross 2x a month), but I would really like the ride to be better.

Besides that I have changed the spark plugs, as well as the engine, transmission and diff oil in the past 500 miles of ownership.

Thank you all for the help
 
#9 ·
I can't say if the aluminum shaft would be worth it or not. Maybe others will chime in. I've read you don't notice much of a difference but with you auto crossing, every little bit could help getting out of the corners. If you decide to just do u joints go with spicer. As for rear end. Get a master rebuild kit with new bearings and shims. Inspect the axles. Would be a good time to upgrade to 31spline if anything looks sketchy in there. The 3.73's will be a nice pickup. In acceleration too.
 
#10 ·
As for shocks and struts, there will be several opinions. I think a lot of us went with either the Tokico Blues or the Koni STR.Ts (orange). Personally, I used the Koni STR.Ts and it made a big difference from the old worn out stock shocks and struts. It really tightened things up. For autocross, you might prefer adjustable shocks and struts though?
 
#11 ·
Also, the clutch and associated parts may help a lot with some of your issues.

These '01 Bullitts are not the nice refined ride of the newer cars. They have a completely manual clutch, stiff springs and sway bars, stiff shocks and struts, and just not a lot of refinement that you would have with other cars. The chassis is basically the same as the older Mustangs. Some of us love that about these cars, while others may not like it so much. That's just how they are though. Rough and noisy = character! ;)
 
#12 ·
for the suspension, my recommendation if you have the money..Bilsteins. If not, then the Koni STR t's are a good upgrade. from my experience, the stock shocks are pretty much gone at 50K or before. The front struts, not much more. those alone will make a big improvement. I had the Bilsteins on my B and loved them. I have the Koni's on this car and have been very happy with them.

as to the rearend...could be once that is rebuilt , some of the clunking issues will go away. Ford has indicated to me prior, that from the factory, often the preload on the pinion bearing is off and that contributes to the clunking you hear when engaging the clutch and when shifting. Happened with my B and after I had the gears installed...gone.

clutch....recommendation...Ford 03-04 Cobra clutch, Ford throw out bearing, ford clutch fork, Ford clutch pivot ball. also, change the clutch cable with a Ford cable. you will be amazed.
 
#13 · (Edited)
All of this is good advice :)

Bilesteins make a world of difference when your Tokicos are blown out. Mine rides better than it ever did on Bilesteins.

clutch, I went with OEM as it lasted for 100k miles without issue under my driving, and I knew the pedal was fairly light. http://www.imboc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=206097


Going back to the original post. The Bullitt is pretty loud and raw compared to new Mustang or basically any other car :D My wife has liked or dealt with the Bullitt for years but recently she's starting to hate it after riding/driving in newer nicer cars. Also doesn't help the tires (Nitto NT05) are a bit noisy. Also the chassis is fairly flexible in our cars and the rear axle transmits a lot of road noise as well as harshness over bumps. It's still a ton of fun though!
 
#14 ·
Hello everyone,

Again, thank you all for the very informative replies.

In a couple weeks, I am taking Bullitt #2148 to a very good Mustang shop in my area. I am expecting at the very least, for them to tell me that my Traction-LOK needs a rebuild, and that I need new shocks and struts.

Also if I do need new shocks and struts, I will be excited because that means I can finally give this car a proper alignment! (Negative Camber)

When you guys say recommend "Bilstein" shocks and struts, do you mean these? The HD series?

Front:
http://www.americanmuscle.com/bilstein-hd-strut-8704.html#customer-reviews-section

Rear:
http://www.americanmuscle.com/bilstein-hd-shock-8704.html

If these Bilsteins are the best, then I will by all means buy them. As far as I'm concerned and from my experience, the Bullitt is one of the best handling Mustangs, and best handling cars I have owned and currently own, so I definitely want to keep it that way!
 
#15 ·
Roger. that's them.
 
#16 ·
Hi everyone,

So the specialist mustang shop was able to tell me a couple things about my Bullitt that explain some of my complaints.

1.) The clutch is an aftermarket, heavy duty type performance clutch. That is why the car has more clutch effort. On top of that, the specialist said that the extra grab from the clutch could be what's causing the jerky shifting/clunking. He said he didn't find any issues with the transmission/drive shaft.

2.) He did determine that my Traction-LOK is totally fried. He quoted me $330 just to rebuild the Traction-LOK. Seems extremely steep to me... What do you guys think?

3.) He said my shocks and suspension are fine (I was a bit surprised by this)

4.) And finally he said that my engine will need it's cam tensioners replaced in the next 5-10,000 Miles. To be honest, I know very little about these in regards to repair cost. He quoted me about $900. This seems very high to me. Do any of you have experience with getting your cam tensioners changed? Any info would be much appreciated!

So I guess that leaves me with a couple options and things to fix. I have decided that I definitely want to rebuild the Traction-LOK, probobly put 3.73 gears in while I'm at it, maybe a tuner for the gears as well. Then get the cam tensioners sorted out.

After that, I would really like to put a lightweight flywheel and lightweight driveshaft. I feel like both of those things combined would make the drivetrain (and whole car) feel much lighter and more peppy around town. Also, I have had multiple people (including the specialist at the mustang shop) talk about how lightweight flywheels are a phenomenal upgrade.

Anyone have any opinions/recommendations?

Thanks everyone!
 
#17 ·
$900 does sound high. first, order the tensioner and guides and chain from Tousley Ford. sign up over on SVT performance and they have their contact info on there and give a nice discount. that will save you some coins for the parts. then you have Ford parts and then just pay the labor. all that comes as a kit so you save money that way besides the discount. Tousley, ....now that I think of it..a different name but you will find them there. if not, let me know.

most reputable mustang shops will recommend against an aluminum flywheel on the street. get the DS and for the rear...same deal......get the parts from Tousley and save some money on the parts, then just pay the labor.

check on the age, if you can, of the clutch cable. all of the issues with the clutch feel could be from a collapsed cable which is very common on Mustangs. a new stock OEM cable is the best route. replace that and see how it feels. even a quadrant and manual adjuster really aren't necessary and just costs more money. stock for most applications works fine. the OEM cable is the most important thing.

ok, checked, they call themselves Ford SVT parts over there. here is a link that you can send them a message and get a parts quote. they are great to deal with. you can join SVT performance free.

http://www.svtperformance.com/forums/member.php?21307-FORDSVTPARTS
 
#18 ·
~~
most reputable mustang shops will recommend against an aluminum flywheel on the street.~~~
I don't see a prob on the street. It makes the car accelerate faster. It allows the engine to rev more quickly so heel and toe down shifting is much easier. When you release the clutch, there is less engine braking so it is much easier to modulate the rear brakes and not lock a tire. What's the downside? :???:
 
#19 ·
the steel flywheel maintains centrifugal force thru the rotating inertia for the street better. it translates into an easier engagement of the clutch in stop and go traffic at a lower rpm. aluminum flywheels take more to maintain that inertia, thus the need for higher rpms. with tall gears, not a problem, but the lower the gears...the more rpms to have it spin and engage without chatter. it is not that you can't use it, just some have found it to be less traffic friendly and have changed back just for a more enjoyable driving experience.
 
#20 ·
Thank you all for the replies,

I completely agree about the aluminum flywheel. I have tried to explain Snakebit's argument to other people in the past, but they can never seem to get it. Glad to know I'm not the only one!

With that being said, I really only drive the Bullitt 3x a week at the most (usually no stop and go traffic) so I would like to think it would be worth it. Either way, my clutch still has a good 30k miles left on it, and I know I won't change just the flywheel.

However, a new problem with the car has shown itself. It has a very bad misfire under load. I am just about positive it's the C.O.P.'s. The car had a similar misfire about 1500 miles ago, so I had the spark plugs replaced and everything worked well up until yesterday. It happens under load and acceleration. This is a no big deal fix right? Basically a plug and play for the mechanic right? Anything I should know going into it?

Note: I have done some basic research on this topic, just wondering if any of you had any personal experience with problems/replacing them.

Thanks!
 
#21 ·
COP's...nothing to replace. unplug it, if I recall, 8mm socket for the little bolt, remove it, pull it out, put the new one in and reverse. only thing...do not, I say do not overtighten the hold down bolt. you can crack the tab on the new COP. when you put the new one in, push down good to make sure it is seated on the plug properly. no Hulk stuff, just push down.
 
#22 ·
If you've been having misfires, you should probably install new plugs when you do the coils, as the ones that are in there are probably damaged from the misfire activity. Putting good coils on bad plugs can sometimes bake your new coils in short order, so it's best to have all new ignition components.
 
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