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Been soaking the bolts every other week for over a year. Then burn it off on the following Mondays for my commute to work. I'm hoping the repeated soaking and heat cycles will help coerce the studs off without breakage.
As such; I am giving up on this project for now. There is a large puddle under my car that isn't going away. And even if I didn't have that; we have tornado warnings for later this afternoon. We don't normally get those; but we almost always get a lot of rain; so that puddle isn't going anywhere. I will just have to hope that next weekend is a little dryer so I can at least loosen the studs; or even just get the headers on there and piece together the exhaust from there. I will have to see if that will work; or if I will be better off sending the car to a local shop to have them finish the install.
So I had a 3 hour window yesterday to take a good look at the car before the rain came (again). I put the starter back up in place; didn't bother to put the heat shielding back in place, as I snapped one of the retaining bolts anyways; and I recut the tailpipe. I had a clamp right behind the muffler holding the tailpipe in place. I checked downstairs and realized that I already have the piping to make the 2.5" version. Probably did that when I was working from home a year and a half ago. Anyways, I pulled the tailpipe off and will assemble that side sometime this week. The car has a very-slight rumble without its tailpipe; but still quiet under acceleration. I hope when it's all said and done; that is the volume of the full exhaust.
So, this attempt came to an abrupt end this afternoon when I snapped my swiveling ratchet extension in an attempt to take the exhaust stud behind the a/c compressor out. That was the only way to reach it. So now I am searching YouTube to figure out how to get the a/c compressor out. If I do that, I will be able to get the air impact ratchet in there and do the job right. It will also make the header installation easier. So that will be my plan B. And since this is turning into a real project, I might have to take a week off to do it. I might take this car to the mechanic and have them evacuate the a/c system. I will also have them locate the whining noise that I can't locate in the engine compartment. When I get the car back; I will remove said a/c compressor and try the exhaust installation again. These things were so much easier with the Malibu and Crown Vic (well, except for the electrical gremlins).
there's 4 long bolts through the body of the compressor to the block. There's also some large roll pins (1/4 inch) working as alignment dowels. With the belt off, you should be able to move it far enough. May be able to put the top bolt back through the compressor and mount it to the bottom hole in the block to hang it so you don't have to evacuate the system.
I might have to evacuate the system anyways. I noticed a year ago that there was oil along the underside/belly of the car. It didn't look like engine oil. After getting a good look; I think my a/c accumulator is leaking. I had charged the system 2 years ago; and I noticed last year that it was blowing lukewarm air. Now I know why. I think I will have the mechanic evacuate what's left in the system and replace the accumulator. Hopefully they will find the source of the whining noise as well. I must be going deaf because it's too loud with the hood open to pinpoint where exactly it's coming from. After those issues are fixed; then I will go and do the exhaust.
I might have to evacuate the system anyways. I noticed a year ago that there was oil along the underside/belly of the car. It didn't look like engine oil. After getting a good look; I think my a/c accumulator is leaking. I had charged the system 2 years ago; and I noticed last year that it was blowing lukewarm air. Now I know why. I think I will have the mechanic evacuate what's left in the system and replace the accumulator. Hopefully they will find the source of the whining noise as well. I must be going deaf because it's too loud with the hood open to pinpoint where exactly it's coming from. After those issues are fixed; then I will go and do the exhaust.
Any chance of using a stethoscope to pinpoint the source of the noise? I know the loud ones are tough to narrow down.
What I Own: 1993 Mercury Grand Marquis GS
What I Help Maintain: 1996 CV / 1988 CV / 1988 Tempo
I was about to buy the stethoscope when my Dad intervened and told me to pull the belt off and start spinning things. As it turns out; my idler pulley went south; I can feel the bearings as I spin it in my fingers. I was feeling confident when NAPA said they had the idler pulley on the shelf. Picked that up and installed it and no more whining. But there was a little knocking noise that remained. This was the noise I would hear under load. Pulled the belt off and spun the water pump and sure enough it was knocking with me just spinning it by hand. So I went ahead and ordered a Motorcraft water pump, another idler pulley, and an a/c accumulator. I will do the water pump in my driveway; but I will send the car out to the mechanic and have them purge the refrigerant and install the accumulator. With the a/c system purged; I will go ahead and remove the a/c compressor and do the exhaust. Then hand it back over to the mechanic to charge the system back up. This looks/sounds good; but we all know it isn't that simple.........
My Dad’s 2000 CVPI had a similar issue. I just used a long 3/8” extension as a stethoscope.
—John
1985 Ford F-150 XLT Lariat
1990 Mercury Grand Marquis LS (POTM March 2017 & May 2019 - gone, but not forgotten)
1995 Mustang SVT Cobra coupe (cream puff)
1966 Mustang coupe (restoration in-progress)
What kind of noise does a dead injector make? None?
—John
1985 Ford F-150 XLT Lariat
1990 Mercury Grand Marquis LS (POTM March 2017 & May 2019 - gone, but not forgotten)
1995 Mustang SVT Cobra coupe (cream puff)
1966 Mustang coupe (restoration in-progress)
Yes Lisle quality. Some years ago, before I swore off Harbor Freight I bought their scope. The first time i used it one of the ear pieces came off and was lost then I cut the inside of my ear as the edges were sharp.
03 Marauder DPB, HS, 6disk, Organizer Mods> LED's in & Out, M&Z rear control arms, Oil deflector, U-Haul Trans Pan, Blue Fuzzy Dice 02 SL500 Silver Arrow 08 TC Signature Limited, HID's Mods>06 Mustang Bullet Rims 235/55-17 Z rated BFG G-Force Comp-2 A/S Plus, Addco 1" rear Sway, Posi Carrier, Compustar Remote Start, floor liners, trunk organizer, Two part Sun Visors, B&M Trans drain Plug, Winter=05 Mustang GT rims, Nokian Hakkapeliitta R-2 235/55-17 12 Escape Limited V6 AWD, 225/65R17 Vredestein Quatrac Pro, Winter 235/70-16 Conti Viking Contact7 Mods>Beamtech LED headlight bulbs, Husky floor liners
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