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11
User Rides / Re: My 85 TBird
Last post by bodyman -
The tank is to increase the capacity of the intercooler system a bit.  The color is ford code PQ, race red.
12
User Rides / Re: My 85 TBird
Last post by gtbird -
What’s the tank behind the bumper support?
Final body color to be that red? Looks like the red of my ‘03 Terminator: Torch Red.
 I miss my 88 “Super Coupe”
14
Engine Tech / Re: Strong engine stumble
Last post by jcassity -
i have read this 5 times,, and twice to friends and all of us had all kinds of laughs.  i swear to god there should be some sort of movie or comedy about your so relaxed and laid back attitude and how hard these cars keep trying to prove to you they are worth saving...  good story,, should be a sticky
15
Lounge / Re: seeds
Last post by jcassity -
january is a good time to locate your supplies.
if anyone wants seeds that have been harvested from naturally grown food , plucked out and dried by myself,, then call 304 772 4082 or jcassity@frontier.com

good healthy food with a natural foundation is becoming rare by the day now.

if you have seeds you have saved back from your past harvest i am open to trading.... especially if you are in a zone 6 or 6a climate.

if you want to see where my seeds came from,, you can go to the below link and just look for any of my garden vids.
by the way,, the way i garden,, there is no weeding,, no hoeing and barely any watering ,, literally almost zero work!!

https://www.youtube.com/@ifixitall-24-7
16
User Rides / Re: My 85 TBird
Last post by bodyman -
Quote
That thing is going to be killer when it's done. Looks really good man, and congrats on it moving, big milestone.

Thanks. Still have a long way to go, but it’s so nice that it moves under its own power again.  Before I left the shop last night I moved it to another bay, just because I could.
17
User Rides / Re: My 85 TBird
Last post by Haystack -
That thing is going to be killer when it's done. Looks really good man, and congrats on it moving, big milestone.
18
Engine Tech / Re: Strong engine stumble
Last post by Haystack -
I checked my storage today, my oil pan was smashed, and I already stole the good one and forgot about it, sorry. If you want a front sump smashed oil pan that leaks, I'll send it to you for shipping cost. It isn't smashed badly, motor mounts ripped out and the front corner washiznitting the sway bar and I didn't notice until it was leaking.

When I was 16, knew nothing about cars and was a pen 15y know it all, I decided I was going to do an h.o. swap and bought a brand new (remanufactured) engine.

When I got married, money obviously was tight, I ended up buying a car with a bad engine, I was really excited to throw all the parts at it. I got it all put together, dropped it in the car, and not only was the engine bad, but so was the transmission. Had a very badly skipping first gear and 3 neutrals. Didn't even make it around the block.

After trying to save up for a new or rebuilt trans, I gave up, picked up another cheap t-bird that was listed as "non-running" food trans, which I got for a song, I think I paid $150 for the whole car due to an "electrical fire", sight unseen. After it got dropped off, it was in much better shape.

Since I already had an extra wiring harness on the stand, I figured it might be cool to see if it will try to start and verify the engine works before I swapped cars, so I decided to see how bad the harness was.

Single bad fuseable link, replaced that and the car fired right up, it had lower miles, and was in much better shape, but also removed the reason why I "needed" to swap the engine, so the now ex-wife said we'll just save it for now, and when it blows you can spend money to put it in. So I ended up saving the engine and junking the other car.

Since then (about 2006), I have only changed the oil if it was a needed thing, meaning I had to drop the oil pan for some reason, and I have tried as hard as I could to blow up every cougarbird since. My current 86, the one with 275k miles, I drove it home, 50 miles on the highway when I bought it in first gear bouncing off the rev limiter. I figured for sure it would fail, it had a bit of a stumble, and a bit of an exhaust tick, so I was sure it had a bad lifter.

I drove it as is, hard as I could, trying to blow it up. If the oil got low, I'd wait until the oil light was flickering at idle, and keep driving it until I got done with whatever I was doing that day, and then I would throw 1 quart of the cheapest oil I could get at it. I don't think I ever once pulled the dipstick. Again, that was 135k when I bought it, after 9 years, it's at over 275k last I checked, the dash lights have been burned up so I can't read it for the last 4 or 5 years and I haven't checked since.

Eventually the exhaust tick and stumble got really bad, I also started blowing coolant. Again, I topped it off when the engine seized from overheating, otherwise I just drove it as is. It got bad enough I started blowing radiators and heater cores, so I decided to pop the valve cover to see how bad it was.

With how much I beat on it, and overheated it, I was sure it was a blown head gasket, secretly hoping for a cracked head. Instead, I found that it was missing a head bolt, just one between two cylinders. Engine looked mint, no metal shavings, I even pulled a few lifters and they had some wear, but it was really clean and even, hardly a single scratch on them.

I pulled off the head, head gasket wasn't even blown, but I already bought the kit, so I replaced it anyways. Only replaced the gaskets and the one busted head bolt, and it ran like a top, minus an occasional stutter that came and went, which is what ended up being the o2 sensor harness. After I fixed the O2 sensor harness, car still ran good, only used about a quart of oil a tank, so I just topped it off. Oil filter is rusted with almost no paint left on it last I looked,  but has a thick layer of black gunk, likely oil mixed with dirt (I often drove on dirt roads). About a year ago, I think the valve stem seals all have up, that or the oil rings. Now I can't keep oil in it, blue smoke everywhere, uses a full 5 quarts in half a tank, not worth driving anymore with the cost of the oil so I parked it.
20
Engine Tech / Re: Strong engine stumble
Last post by jcassity -
no worries,,,
i gotta get my act together on these uploads,, and dead links.


Haystack
ive got 375kmi on my 302 20th,,  i feel compelled to credit rotella 15w40 diesel engine oil.  plus changing the oil often sure does help.
I started this habit long long ago because one day i changed my oil and after a trip 50miles round,, i came home and checked it and it was sorta dark again.  from that day forward,, about every third oil change i use 4qts of cheapes oil to keeping the old filter,,
then drain the cheap stuff, add new filter and new rotella.  ive noticed it kinda flushes hout the motor and keeps the oil looking good and carmel in color much much much longer than before.


If you happen to have a spare 302 oil pan that has a low oil level sensor provision,, i could use one... jcassity@frontier.com or 3047724082 to discuss cost ,, i appreciate it.
i am still wanting to experiement on a two piece oil pan since i now have the sheet metal splice strip i found from BLine.