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Messages - Chuck W

2
Lounge / Re: F.E.P down?
I haven't heard a peep in response to my last message. :dunno:
3
User Rides / Re: Work In Progress. '88 TC
Yeah, that Gills controller shouldn't be a problem. I have something similar on mine currently. No problems.

Does the car "surge" or anything in line with the erratic movement of the boost gauge?

I'd do a smoke test and see if you have any leaks.

I don't remember. Is this car running on a stock LA-series ECU?
5
Lounge / Re: F.E.P down?
Yeah, it's down again. Going to try and get in touch with Skye.
7
User Rides / Re: Work In Progress. '88 TC
I wish I'd kept the AC on the Tbird when I did all of the IC stuff, etc.  Guess I'll wait until I do something different with the drivetrain to worry about it.

It would be driven a lot more over the summer. I get stuck in traffic too much back and forth to work and don't want to hassle with getting cooked trying to get there. The LTS has been getting a bunch of use this summer.
8
User Rides / Re: Chuck's '83 TBird
OK. Got it sorted out.

Tested the fuel pressure and it was good. No need to drop the tank to find a pinched return.

I hooked up the laptop and started to look at things. Almost immediately I saw the MAP gauge stuck at "100 KPa" or ambient. It wasn't reacting at all. SO I grabbed a length of vacuum tube and bypassed the in-situ feed to the ECU and sure enough it was reading properly.
The MAP signal hose to the ECU had gotten pinched when I reinstalled the seat after chasing the power issue.

Found the problem and put it all back together and the car is much happier.  :toothless:

Now, back to my other project and hopefully I can get the roof wrap sorted out soon.
9
User Rides / Re: Chuck's '83 TBird
New pump is installed, but the car runs like doodoo. :nonchalance:

It appears to be super rich.  When I pulled the fuel pressure regulator reference hose off of the intake, the idle smoothed out a bit.

I didn't get a chance to check the fuel pressure yet, but should be able to tomorrow. Hoping that I didn't somehow pinch the return line between the tank and the body (would be hard to collapse it though.)

I'll need to toss the laptop on it, to see what the WBO2 is showing.

It's possible that if the fuel pressure is correct. the car was tuned under a weak fuel supply and now that it's getting a healthy dose, the tune is off. This thing doesn't "learn" like the stock EEC4 stuff.

We'll see I guess. I don't think anything else broke/failed when the pump went.

12
User Rides / Re: Chuck's '83 TBird
Yeah. a 255HP.

Messed with it more. Seeing as the pump would run sometimes with direct power I tested it back in the harness on the car and no joy. Digging deeper, I found out that the power feed through the FP relay wasn't getting power.

That involved tracing the wiring and trying to remember what changes I made when I did the MS install all those years ago.



IN the end I found and remembered the power feed to the FP and that it had been incorporated into my aux fuse box back when I did the lighting, etc.
The clear blue 15A relay is the replacement for the one that was blown, which is the FP power (the other 15A is for the stereo AMP power).


Got things back together and with the new fuse in place, the FP powers up some of the time.

Going back to testing it on the bench. There are times it would spark more when power was applied, kind of hinting at a larger start draw, pointing to a failing pump. (Other times it wouldn't spark, and start cleanly).

My guess is the pump was drawing more power and when it went, I was on a slight "pull". It bogged as the pressure dropped and then it recovered and kind of idled on for another 1/4 mile or so as the last of the pressure in the line went away and the car completely died. The fuse blew on the pull.

Had I remembered the fuse, I might've been able to get it started and drive it home, instead of pushing it the 4 blocks. :p

Now just waiting on the new pump.
Glad I got the source of the issue located, but I wasted time that I was wanting to work on the wagon project. :dunno:


13
User Rides / Re: Chuck's '83 TBird
Had a short bit before dinner to drop the tank and pull the pump.


So, out of the tank it *works* when I apply power to it---some of the time. None of the internal tank wiring seems loose.

I have a new one on the way, as I have no idea when I installed this one. It's gotta be 20+ years ago. Not that it's seen a whole lot of mileage in that time, though.  :dunno:
14
User Rides / Re: Chuck's '83 TBird
Well, today was not the day for the TBird.

This morning I was supposed to have the wrap installed on the roof of the car, to hide the paint mess. but my buddy had a material malfunction and we're going to have to reschedule.

On the way home, about 4 blocks from the house, the car died. Looks to be a dead fuel pump. All the relays click and the pump doesn't run when powered directly. So now I have that to mess with.  :nonchalance:
15
Suspension/Steering / Re: 1980 Thunderbird drag suspension
The front suspension is like the Fox Mustangs and the 83-86 TBirds. Control arms/spindles/brakes/struts. All the same. Springs are whatever, but you can use Mustang stuff if you're looking at aftermarket.
Strut mounts are Tbird.

The rear suspension is like the 83-88 Tbirds, in regards to control arm length, as well as shock length and spring rate/load.

They use the "narrow" housing 7.5, which is the same width as the Fox Mustang 8.8. Axles/drum brakes are like the 83-85 cars.

Welcome.

Peruse the site, as there is much info to be found here.



CoolCats.net is a great resource for these cars, as well.