Longtermmustang

Hello all, I want to do a bunch of refreshing maintenance to my new mustang since I have no idea what was done to it previously and when. For safety first, it definitely needs new rear brakes so I was thinking of replacing all 4 rotors and pads with something a step up from stock like Power Stop's Z26 set. Maybe the Calipers, brake fluid, brake master cylinder, and brake lines too so everything is fresh and I'll have to bleed the brake lines just once.

After that, I was going to do a coolant flush and thermomstat replacement, MAF and IAC clean with MAF cleaner, spark plugs and wires, fuel injectors, oil change, rear diff oil change, power steering fluid change, fuel filter and maybe pump, and new air filter to top it off.

I'm assuming my best choice for fluids is my local autozone or O Riely's but what about for everything else? I've been looking at americanmuscle.com lately but does its competitors like rockauto.com tend to offer better pricing? What are good price points for the hardware I need like the brakes, thermomstat, etc? I'm on a tight budget but if I can upgrade above stock for not too much more, I'm interested.

Lastly, which brand of maintenance book do you recommend, I don't have the owners manual and Fords owners manual download site hasn't been working for me.

I know, I should use the search but so far it hasn't been very friendly to me as I only browse on my phone and it freaks out or spits out a million results. I've started reading the how to's on this site to compensate.

Other than the oil change, it would be the first time for me to do any of the other items so any help, price points for each project item, etc would be amazingly appreciated. I'm excited but nervous and want to make sure I don't blow the bank on just one list item. Thanks!

Longtermmustang

Oh and the reason I'm thinking if doing the plugs and injectors is because last time I drove it it supposedly had a misfire in cylinder 2 (with no CEL) and makes this puffing noise out the passenger exhaust. The posts I could find said start with the usual plugs and wires.

Longtermmustang

Nevermind on the maintenance manual, I finally found a post asking about this and the factory service manual was recommended. There was a link for a digital copy but I'll probably hunt down a physical copy, personal preference and all.

JimC

It would help a lot if those giving you any advice had an idea what year and type of Mustang you have.

Longtermmustang

Sorry I wasn't sure if it auto displayed or not. It's a 98 GT convertible.

Urambo Tauro

I'd be remiss not to mention forum sponsors like Carid. But RockAuto certainly does have an excellent selection. It can be a little overwhelming at times, especially when they offer more than 100 brake pad options for the same car. It definitely helps to know what you have, and to know what you want. Maybe you want to spend as little money as possible, or maybe you want high-quality parts.

If you're looking for a service manual, Chilton/Haynes books can typically be found for $20-$30, but you can can get a much more comprehensive Ford manual through eBay or Bishko.

ZEN357

My opinion......

http://www.jegs.com

Derf00

Rock Auto used to be my go-to and highly recommended but as of my last couple of orders this year, they have lost their reliability.

In each of my two orders they managed to screw something up (Mislabled part number sent in one instance, in the other case they sent me the aftermarket copy instead of the OEM Motorcraft part I ordered). Their screw ups caused delays to the maintenance/repairs I've had scheduled. The problems were fixed without question and quickly (or as quickly as possible through shipping) but it sucked to have to make more time later on to finish up what I was hoping to have done all in one shot or to have to reschedule it altogether.

Amazon is turning out to be a reliable source. Jegs is a bit overpriced IMHO.

And yes, factory service manual will ALWAYS be better than what is available through Hayes/Chilton