1966 Mustang front sway bar
 

need a little help and info here.
i have a 66 mustang coupe. 289 v8 2bbl auto
my front sway bar and bushings are shot,
how easy is it to replace this myself without a lift? i just have the driveway, jack and jack stands.
i know the swaybar end links have been replaced but nothing else. also i noticed several different sizes when i went on CJ Pony parts....
should i get what is on the car or can i go up a bigger size with the existing end links without buying a whole complete kit?

thanks
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/themust...1493e65e0c.jpg

That front sway bar setup is dead simple and really easy overall. Take the links off, take the two bushing clamps off, and it almost falls out of the car immediately. Be careful you don't hit your noggin with it. :) Just jack up the car on jack stands so you can comfortably work on it. Installation is the reverse of removal. Done!

Here's a video on the thing that'll help out immensely for ya methinks. It's an excellent video about the sway bars in general on that car.

Regarding the links... can't say the car's a big performer that needs more than stock links for any bar, stock or upgrade. You'd only go get bigger/stronger ones if you're snapping the stock ones off. The bushings are probably more important, switching from stock rubber to polyurethane would increase performance but also increase NVH in some ways. Trade offs, they're a thing. :)

Hope that helps! :nice: Good luck!

so another issue i have is that the bolts are all rusted and i cannot turn them with the wrench.
any suggestions to use to loosen them up? i sprayed WD40 on them and doesnt seem to budge.
any other ideas?

i think what im going to do immediate is to see if can loosen the brackets up enough to get the bushings back in place,
then in the spring i will just replace the whole thing since everything under the car is old, rusting, or just plain worn out....
i will do a complete suspension overhaul on the car in the spring and do it all at one time....

thanks for the video!

A product known as PB Blaster might penetrate better than WD-40. Heat helps too.

Ok, well, there's plenty of debate on this very topic, but the *best* stuff I've found?

Liquid Wrench Pro Penetrant. This exact stuff here:
https://www.liquidwrench.com/product...bricating-oil/

And how, you might ask, did I come to be enlightened about this stuff?
Short version: Clutch job. Gotta remove the H pipe. Nuts on the exhaust manifold flange would *NOT budge on the left side. Period. No way. And I tried other stuff. WD-40, PB Blaster... No go. I had my *big bad* breaking bar and not doing it. I was eager to NOT snap the stud on the manifold, of course. Air ratchet no go. Air impact gun no go, but my compressor's wore out. I went and got a *honking* electric impact gun, and trust me, it's *stupid* torque at max. No. Not even kidding. I go on the internet and discover this amazing person:


Skip to about 8:33 to see the torque values to get the loosening happen. Notice how Liquid Wrench Penetrant is the best out of all of those (including Kroil, the magic stuff everyone raves on), except for heat from a propane torch.
So I go to get it, but I wind up getting the 'upgrade' pro stuff...well, I kinda figured Pro meant 'more awesomer'. And sure enough, let that sit for 30 minutes, and *boom*, ripped those nuts right off pretty as you please with that honkin' impact... I put nickel antiseize on the studs before I put it back together to hopefully prevent that from happening in the future. We'll see. Pipes are still on and good, so it didn't affect the tightening aspect.

Oh, sure, one might say that the other stuff helped, but I don't think so, I don't think they even penetrated to work. *Multiple* applications of the other stuff and no go. A LOT of time wasted. This stuff? I was done in 30 minutes.

Yessirs/madams... Liquid Wrench Pro Penetrant. With the flashlight (it's actually kinda handy, that). I'm a believer, as you can see. I hope it works as well for you too, should you get it. I don't believe you'll be disappointed! :nice:

ok so im looking for a good, easy to use restoration manual for the 66 mustang.
there are a lot of books out there but which one for everyone seems to be the easiest to use and follow?....
i am not a pro when it comes to stuff like this, i have to learn from the ground up so i need something
that i can understand and will not cost me in the end.....

thanks

There's not a 'restoration manual'. And there's not an easy one regardless. There's shop manuals, and then general knowledge. I'm sure there's some books and such out there that might be good resources beyond that, but that's the real deal. Nobody will restore a Mustang the same way, nor has the same information in their brain. Multiple ways to skin things, as the saying goes. It's more the general knowledge of how things go together, how to do mechanical/fabric/paint/body/etc, coupled with certain specific information as needed (like how the A/C might need to be done in general), hence the shop manual. And even then, the shop manual won't help with today's modern, upgrade systems, the old freon and compressors alone will be wrong, for example. Other specific: How the heater core and plenum works/is rebuilt. That sort of thing. Which won't cover repairing a cracked plenum at all, that's more general than specific. It's all relative knowledge, in other words, especially on the older cars. The plenum rebuild may be either a replacement, or a fiberglass repair situation. Some don't do fiberglass, some do, and some learn. And you'll have to address that if you take it apart wrongly. Shop manual for that, or youtube maybe.

We'll not be addressing those what do fancy things like 3d print parts and/or retrofit other pieces of cars into theirs. I've done the latter, of course, and you should see my dad's Falcon, that thing has ALL KINDS of cars in it... :)

Further, it totally depends on how much restoration you're doing. Interior? '66 Mustang's pretty easy... just seats, carpet, dash cover... most of the car is painted textured metal inside, not covered or paneled. Door insert, not a panel, that sort of thing. Fairly easy stuff. Unless you decide to cover ALL THE THINGS with vinyl, then there's no manual. Ask me how I know... :) Engine rebuild? Any ol' 260/289/302 Ford Engine Manual will probably do for that... Drum brakes are drum brakes, pretty dang universal, so you do one, you pretty much have done them all.

And all that stuff that goes with your 66? Well, it probably doesn't all translate to a, oh, 93. Or a Dodge Charger of any year. And definitely not all will go to a Toyota Crown. Hence, shop manuals. Although, Youtube is a fantastic resource, as is the googling/binging/duckduckgoing of particular items such as, oh, '1966 Mustang Headliner Replacement', as but an example.

Here's an example of the manuals you can get:
https://www.cjponyparts.com/mustang-...ls/c/60130050/

but THE one is this one:
https://www.themotorbookstore.com/19...op-manual.html

Although I cannot stress this enough: THIS IS NOT AN ENDORSEMENT. Of either site, really. Although everyone probably knows and maybe has dealt with CJ Pony Parts (I have!) but I cannot speak of that other one, so caveat emptor. I'm sure they're fine, though... :unsure:

Just have to soak in the knowledge, don't be afraid and get to doin' things. You can do it! :nice:

ordered the shop manual, but not from this website. another one and cheaper. (not much cheaper but free shipping too)
ill start with this and go from there.
my fear is that i try and fix something, mess up, cant get it back together and now have a car i cannot move in my driveway and would be a pain for a truck to come in
and try and put on a flatbed or whatever because how things set up behind the house....but i guess there is a way for everything....
trial and error....

thanks for the Info!

here is all 3 together
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/themust...afc1debc16.jpg

What a nice stable of ponies! :chirp:

Verry niice...! :nice: