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**FatNasty** · 08-01-2006, 05:48 PM

Originally posted by Paul229

According to the owners manual for the '88 I have now, California-equipped cars had a Check Engine Light rather than a Check Oil light. That's what I was referring to. Your car has the Check Engine light.

Unless it was only for 88's i dont think thats correct. About half the GM's i see in the junk yard here have the check engine light and my old GM had it and it was from texas. But if it's just 88's it could be right.

**89GrandMarquis** · 08-01-2006, 08:10 PM

Originally posted by Paul229

According to the owners manual for the '88 I have now, California-equipped cars had a Check Engine Light rather than a Check Oil light. That's what I was referring to. Your car has the Check Engine light.

I just checked my 89 Owners Manual - no mention of the California-only thing. So, maybe it is an 88-only thing?

**Mr. Land Yacht** · 08-02-2006, 02:50 PM

if it helps at all, my car say check oil instead of check engine.

**nitroracer** · 08-02-2006, 11:35 PM

Nice black Merk, the wheels really set it off.

**sniper308** · 08-05-2006, 11:59 AM

My first Panther car was a 1989 Mercury GMLS it give me excelent service take care of it meanwhile post some interior pics too Mang.

ATT, SNIPER 308.

**83tc** · 08-05-2006, 12:30 PM

black out the gold paint in the wheel openings and itll be perfect

**Grand Marquis GT** · 08-05-2006, 05:12 PM

Originally posted by sniper308

My first Panther car was a 1989 Mercury GMLS it give me excelent service take care of it meanwhile post some interior pics too Mang.

ATT, SNIPER 308.

Sniper was a BOX OWNER?

No wonder we think you are so cool!

**sniper308** · 08-06-2006, 12:14 AM

Originally posted by Grand_Marquis_GT

Sniper was a BOX OWNER?

No wonder we think you are so cool!

Yeah Mang I was a proud owner of a "BOX Panther" I will post some pics of that Panther so !Watch for it!

ATT, SNIPER 308.

**89GrandMarquis** · 10-05-2006, 09:44 PM

Took the day off from work to finish my 3.55 install. Put in the extra clutches as well (four verus three per side).

Not hard, but sure took a long time. The hardest part was trying to get a good read on the pattern. I am not certain that the pattern was as good as I could get it, or for that matter, even adequate. This is the only part of the job that worried me.

I used the Heavy Duty pinion shims from FRPP (puts the shims behind the bearing cup). I liked that a lot, since I didn't have to press off/on the pinion bearing to change the pinion depth.

On the second try (0.024" pinion shims), the pattern seemed OK. Backlash was about 0.013" to 0.014". Went for a test ride, and I can't hear abnormal noises, so maybe I did it right.

I also used "super shims" where you use a shim stack, as opposed to the stock single shim. These worked very well, and I recommend them to anybody doing this job.

I didn't notice much of a seat-of-the-pants change in acceleration, but maybe I will later. I only test drove it about five miles or so in town. The biggest difference is that I can now power-brake and smoke my 255's. My Lo-Po could never do that before! I put in 3.55's mainly because I put 4.10's in my E150 (paid someone to do that job ($200)) and it had 3.55's (with about 40k miles on them), so I considered it a freebie! But I wanted to do my own baby myself.

Now I just have to wait on my 20 tooth speedometer gear from Steeda (didn't order it till today).

**Grand Marquis GT** · 10-06-2006, 07:30 PM

Nice!

**MrMarquis** · 10-06-2006, 10:12 PM

That's a slick looking 89. I'm liking the wheels. How many miles are on it?

Did you pull the Grand Marquis lettering, or did it fall off? This is just me talking; but I think the residue from it is taking away from the clean lines of your car.

**89GrandMarquis** · 10-08-2006, 08:13 PM

Originally posted by MrMarquis

That's a slick looking 89. I'm liking the wheels. How many miles are on it?

Did you pull the Grand Marquis lettering, or did it fall off? This is just me talking; but I think the residue from it is taking away from the clean lines of your car.

The Grand Marquis lettering broke in two, but is in the trunk. Been looking for a replacement, but haven't gotten around to it yet.

**89GrandMarquis** · 10-08-2006, 08:31 PM

Just some extra pics of the electric fan install.

Taurus fan. DC Control controller.

I made the "hangers" from 1/2 x 1/8" metal. I used "elevator bolts" to connect the fan to the hangers. The end of the hanger is bent over 180 degrees, and just "hangs" on the radiator top. An electric fan clamp (thing?) from Advance Auto is used to hold the hanger against the radiator. That way, the fan doesn't "swing in the breeze". I also used the same electric fan clamps (two) along the bottom of the fan. The main thing is that the weight of the fan is supported by these simple hangers, and the electric fan clamps just hold it against the radiator.

You can see that I used foam weather-stripping on the fan itself to help seal it against the radiator.

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