In addition, you can do it alone, recycle the captured brake fluid and can almost eliminate the possibility of air in the lines. When I say recycle the brake fluid, what I mean is capturing the clean brake fluid and using it to keep the MC topped up.
The Gabriels do very well on my TC in her current form, though not as well as the last set of Koni's I had on her....sadly, they are no longer made. When I install the IRS and SLA, I'll be using Bilstein rebuildable coil-overs on all four corners.
That is not cheating at all, when doing a complete overhaul of a 25+ year old critical safety system, that is SMART.
Quote from: jcassity;398530
Foe, interesting thoughts, is there a way a general wrench like me can fully back presure the lines with air so i can empty out all the old stuff. I agree with your air / corrosion opinion, physically seen in in about every moving part and as well every brake line on my cars.
I generally end up wasting a lot of brake fluid just to make sure i bleed enough.
The best way to bleed braking systems is by using a tool like this, or similar.
I think we can all understand that there are those purists that want to keep the remaining of unmolested TC's as high as possible. However, to get their knickers in a twist over someone else's car is a bit over the top. If you think about it, the owners of unmolested TC's can only benefit from those that modify their cars, since at some point they are no longer TC's at all, but more like a base 'bird in TC trim. My TC is going to be modified, not because I dislike the 2.3 turbo, hate turbos or for any other reason than I love my TC and I want to keep her on the road for another 25 years. If I can do that while making improvements in handling, braking and efficiency... all while increasing horsepower, drivability and yet maintain her as a modern interpretation of a TC, then I will... and sleep like a baby doing it.
When completed, I'll have a twin turbo Coyote, T56 (Viper spec) Tremec, a modified 2003-4 Cobra IRS and an Agent47 SLA setup up front. She ought to get very, very good gas mileage, yet to me will be what the designers of the original TC had in mind, if they had had the technology of today and the backing of Ford.
Better than the idea of a friend who's a manager at the O'rilley part store..........Copper centers and polished lips on the wheels that I already have with the Bird emblems and some interior accent pieces in the copper as well. :shakehead
You might respond with, "Yeah, sounds great! I can't wait to see what that looks like when you do that to your 'Bird"...
As far as I know, there are no aftermarket patch panels available. Instead, you will need to locate a syard 'bird and salvage panels from that. These are getting harder and harder to find though, so you might have better luck finding an almost "driver" locally, liberating it of it's panels and then parting out the remainder.
There is an advantage to be sure, but it isn't as simple as just replacing the brakes in the rear. You have to change the MC and plumb in a proportioning valve to be able to adjust the bias correctly, after many rounds of testing. Otherwise, you actually decrease the effectiveness of the braking system by increasing front-end bias, seen in increased stopping distances.
I have Gabriels on mine, but I have heard that they don;t make them any more. Not having had to replace them in the last few years, I don't have first hand knowledge of this however and could be merely a rumor.
Brakes, like most safety systems, aren't cheap initially, but are well worth the investment. I have seen many a nice car sent to the s yard for want of nothing more than a reasonable investment in brakes. It happens because we have become a disposable society who doesn't do the work to maintain vehicles, or anything else for that matter, anymore. About 10 years ago, I rescued a '93 Cobra from just that fate and all she needed was a MC, calipers, new pads and a flush of the lines. I bought her for $600 after the PO had been told that it was going to cost her $1500 for the brake work. It took 2 weekends, about $500 in parts and materials and I found her a new loving home for $6,500 four days after I put her up for sale. My point is that having the knowledge of how to tackle these kinds of tasks not only puts us in the minority in this country, but at a distinct advantage over those that don't know how to do anything more complicated than filling the tank and maybe changing the oil.
I have always found the use of a creeper to be more of a hindrance than anything else, but I suppose like anything else, it comes down to personal preference.
Lol, rag joints aren't any better of an idea. Mine in the Stang is toast...least I can get new ones for pretty cheap.
A failed rag joint is not even close having the same kinds of safety issues though. In the first place, rag joints are well known components that any competent mechanic or owner can routinely checkup on, since it is quite visible. Secondly, even if a rag joint were to completely fail, the "fingers" would likely provide enough interference that completely and total loss of control is not anywhere near as likely. Lastly, rag joints can be replaced by solid joints similar to products by flaming river and others.
The closest I can see is a plug about half way up the rear of the housing.
However, perhaps to avoid further confusion, perhaps you could post a pic or two of what you are seeing. The diff check plug is usually just at or below the axel centerline, so the diff is never actually "full" to the top.
:shakehead