These cars are definitely a rollercoaster.. (long post) September 02, 2006, 07:53:35 PM ..of love/hate emotions, that is.My fiance got a raise at work, and her father loaned her some money to fix up the car so we can take it to Chicago at the end of the month. I got started today. O2 sensors, ceramic front pads, rear pads, four wheel bearings, vital fluids, wipers, etc. Later or tomorrow we pick up what we forgot.. 2 window motors and 1 A/C blower motor.. and later this week we order new rotors (front and back) from Rock Auto. I even felt well enough to work on it, thanks to a triple shot of espresso. ( her for working at Starbucks.. that stuff makes me more hyper than a 3 year old on crack)FELT well enough, anyway. Rained no less than five different times today, no time longer than five minutes. New medication I'm taking has sun-sensitivity problems, so a little sun has me feeling like I'm on fire. (I still maintain I'm a redneck in skin color only) :p But all that melted away after the first test drive after changing out the O2 sensors. It was much easier than I expected it to be, and doing it even got rid of about 80% of a knocking/tapping I had been hearing above half-throttle under load. When it was going good, I must've said " I love this car" five or six times out loud. When it went bad, it was near frightening.I managed to stomp out the hard vibration from the front rotors with a few hard near-stops.. but man those brakes are in ROUGH shape. Every stop feels like one (or more) of the front calipers is going to shake itself loose, complete with sharper metal-rattling/thudding sounds than you get from your average cooked rotors. (what is commonly mis-diagnosed as "warped rotors".. been doing a lot of reading on brakes lately) I know the ABS isn't working, because A) the yellow ABS malfunction light's on, and B) I locked a tire in one braking test. The right rear rotor is so awful it has two bolt trenches in it, and my right rear wheel is covered in a fine layer of rust the same way front wheels get covered in brake dust.On the upside, I did manage to swap out my stock rear 6x9s for some Pioneer 4-ways, and put the stereo up to the limits of my cobbled-together setup. (there's little fader pots for the adapter that allows me to plug the amplified wires out of the head unit into the harness going to the stock P.S. amp) Looks like I'm going to have some money left over after my b-day this coming week, so I may get some new front speakers as well. Also did a little bypass of that coolant line that runs into the TB spacer, using some 1/4" brake line and a cheap flaring kit and four hose clamps. (don't worry, I pulled all the remaining coolant out, what little there was, with a shop vac) I know I could've just plugged it, but I want the lines there in case I decide to put it back.. and I didn't want the lines just dangling there with a pair of bolts stuck in the ends.Well, I fell in love with the car again after being mostly stuck driving my truck for the past few months.. and those few moments with my foot buried in it (listening for that sound) were pretty fun.. but I'm truly terrified to drive it with the brakes the way they are. Looks like I'll be driving my fiance to work for the next few days in the truck. Let this be a lesson to ya: Always have a backup vehicle whenever possible. :p OK, I'm done venting.. for now. :p Tomorrow I start on the power windows, the A/C, and trying to figure out what that knocking/tapping is about. Quote Selected
These cars are definitely a rollercoaster.. (long post) Reply #1 – September 02, 2006, 10:03:42 PM been riding the rollercoaster too...... I think I am getting sick of the down hills :( Quote Selected
These cars are definitely a rollercoaster.. (long post) Reply #2 – September 03, 2006, 12:31:54 AM Quote from: Bird351a 3 year old on crack So THAT explains some of your posts :D (sorry, had to be said)We've all had those downhills (I just about beat myself senseless doing that front suspension), but my God, those uphills are great as well (such as driving the car for the first time after doing the suspension). Remember, these are old cars, and while I firmly believe that they were among the best built in the 80's, they were built in the 80's - a period hardly known for domestic manufacturing quality. Most of us are not the original owners of our cars, and although we baby them, we don't know how they spent the majority of their lives. They will break. They're counting on us to fix 'em. Quote Selected
These cars are definitely a rollercoaster.. (long post) Reply #3 – September 03, 2006, 08:29:54 AM Quote from: Thunder ChickenSo THAT explains some of your posts :D (sorry, had to be said):pThe triple-shots of espresso only started within the last week or so. You'll have to figure out another reason for that. :pEDIT: Here's today's project.. Quote Selected
These cars are definitely a rollercoaster.. (long post) Reply #4 – September 03, 2006, 12:33:56 PM Today's already turning out eventful. Heard a nice long loud rumble of thunder while putting the second screw in for the P.S. window motor. That was a tough decision.. run for cover or finish the job. (I finished the job) :pHad to put the A/C blower motor on order.. should get it around the end of the week. What a b-day present.. changing out A/C blower motors. :pOnce this storm passes I'm gonna load up the window tracks with this Kimball Midwest penetrating grease I have. Might as well, while the door's apart. Quote Selected
These cars are definitely a rollercoaster.. (long post) Reply #5 – September 03, 2006, 05:15:23 PM Success!That's the first time since I bought it that both windows have been open.. and it has been months since the driver's side window last opened. Quote Selected
These cars are definitely a rollercoaster.. (long post) Reply #6 – September 04, 2006, 01:33:08 PM Got the front rotors ordered from Rock Auto. Rears will have to wait until next week, I think. Also ordered this stuff, and I'll be the official FTB/CF guinea pig for it:http://www.auto-rx.comI see people on Bob Is The Oil Guy.com swearing by this stuff.. so I'll give it a shot. Gonna try it in the Mark and in the truck.. and since I have a roughly 3000 mile round trip coming up at the end of the month, what better way to test it out? Only thing is, now I'll be forced to do an oil change while we're up in Chicago.. and on the return. Oh well. Usage on the truck might be more problematic, seeing as I've barely put 1200 miles on it in 9 months. Quote Selected
These cars are definitely a rollercoaster.. (long post) Reply #7 – September 04, 2006, 02:03:22 PM Quote from: Bird351http://www.auto-rx.comGonna try it in the Mark and in the truckLet us know how it goes. $50 is a lot for an "engine treatment", but as you said...those guys on Bobistheoilguy.com have a major hard-on for the stuff. Quote Selected
These cars are definitely a rollercoaster.. (long post) Reply #8 – September 06, 2006, 05:50:44 PM Quote from: Bird351Let this be a lesson to ya: Always have a backup vehicle whenever possible. :p OK, I'm done venting.. for now. :p Tomorrow I start on the power windows, the A/C, and trying to figure out what that knocking/tapping is about.Who's the dumbass who said this? Oh yeah, it was me.So my backup vehicle failed today. Had to limp home at 20 mph in the truck while the bouncing in the front end got progressively worse. I think one brake may have locked up or started sticking.. (front left) it pulls to the left and wobbles a lot when driving normally, but when you hit the brakes it smooths out and starts pulling a little bit to the right. My uncle warned me that front left brake hose was marginal. Looks like he might've been right. (I'm guessing.. if you think it's something else, please don't keep it to yourself) :pOh, and the knocking under heavy acceleration came back on the Lincoln.. sporadically. Wish I had more experience dealing with unusual engine noises.Well this day sucked. Only bit of good news was that the front rotors and my guitar would get here Friday. The Auto-RX isn't even being shipped until next Monday due to the long weekend. Quote Selected
These cars are definitely a rollercoaster.. (long post) Reply #9 – September 06, 2006, 06:16:02 PM Give me a tripple shotof that. Your luck sucks.Hey they say there is a god!I really do have to wonder.Does he hate fords? Quote Selected
These cars are definitely a rollercoaster.. (long post) Reply #10 – September 06, 2006, 06:21:36 PM I'm an Atheist, so I can only blame myself (and the passage of time) for these things. :pThe brake hose is something I knew was marginal, but I've been worrying too much about repairing the Mark to worry about the truck as well. It caught up to me. Quote Selected
These cars are definitely a rollercoaster.. (long post) Reply #11 – September 06, 2006, 09:10:07 PM Latest adventure: Starting to change the blower motor half an hour before dark. Surprised the mosquitoes didn't gang up and just carry me off.Looks like I'll be replacing the blower resistor.. putting in the new motor only gained about 20% airflow.. still feels weak.Fix one thing, break another.. now the passenger seat is slow to raise from reclined. Had to hit the switch 40 or 50 times, it seems, to get it to go. Oh yeah, and my fat ass broke the seat side trim, too. I'm on a roll today! Huzzah! Quote Selected
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