My 1983 Continental Mark VI!

[mercurygm88]

That’s much better than the price of the Cardone remans through work. My only issue with using a shorter belt is that I know the smog pump supplied most if not all of the vacuum for the cruise control on my 88 Grand Marquis. When I was having trouble getting a functional vacuum T for the HVAC on that car I actually temporarily hooked the HVAC vacuum like that went to the T under the hood to the vacuum side of the smog pump so that the system would stop defaulting to defrost. I’m figuring the Mark VI has the same set up.

[Mainemantom]

For 107.95 you can send your smog pump in to be re-manufactured through Rock Auto.
How does a smog pump relate to the cruise control ?

[mercurygm88]

I was bored so here’s a video!

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=-tTfE7zOVM0

That horrible knocking/clattering that sounds like an old diesel is coming from the smog pump. I’m not sure what it’s up to but I can’t imagine it’s good. I imagine I’ll wait until it blows up or does whatever failed smog pumps do before I worry about it. It only does it for a minute or two on a cold start.

A replacement smog pump is well over $200 even with my work discount, which is ridiculous but I require working cruise control and if I remember right the smog pump is pretty much required for that.

[mercurygm88]

huh, construction is different than what I remembered. I was thinking the chrome piece had the reflector attached to it, and the clear lens fitted into the chrome piece with butyl. maybe thats the Mark V then?

I was kind of hoping for something like that, or the lens fitting into the chrome piece separate from the bulb housing, but it isn't so.

[gadget73]

huh, construction is different than what I remembered. I was thinking the chrome piece had the reflector attached to it, and the clear lens fitted into the chrome piece with butyl. maybe thats the Mark V then?

[sly]

The aftermarket ones are probably sonic welded together rather than glued like the OE stuff. And yeah... getting that apart cleanly would probably require a temperature controlled hot knife/razor/wire to melt them apart at a low enough temp to not burn anything. Probably about 200C or so. Then sanding the edge smooth to mount the new lens to. Yeah... lots of work there. I mean you could use an abrasive saw (cut-off wheel) and cut the lens off slightly proud of the reflector side and then sand down to a flat surface for mounting and clean it out. That might work too. Not sure what you would want to glue that with though. I don't know of anything that wouldn't look crap in there that would actually last a good long time. I'd probably end up using plastic welder epoxy (cures beige) or JB Weld Marine Weld (it cures white).

[mercurygm88]

I could be totally wrong here but I’m guessing that center bolt seen at the 20 second mark is the top nut for the assembly and the bottom nut is somewhere in that hole below the bulb wiring?

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=jX9e-Ze6WrE

This is all I could find in the service manual. And yes it looks like the lens/bulb housing is meant to be one piece. My luck I’ll find out I spent a bunch of money for something I can’t even use.

Update: I was able to remove one of the housings, easier to remove than install. The bottom nut is a bitch and you can barely turn a ratchet in there.

The aftermarket lenses/housings that I have are simply marked “Made in Mexico, Tucan” I’ve never heard of this Tucan company.

The bad news is that on my lights the lens and housing appears to be molded as one piece. Without heavy modification and cutting that I don’t trust myself to do I’m not seeing a way of making the new lenses work.

Looks like it’s time to try to fight a refund out of the seller or try to resell these and recoup what I can.

Stupid me should have looked into this in the first place but I just assumed the lens was a separate piece.

[mercurygm88]

I could be totally wrong here but I’m guessing that center bolt seen at the 20 second mark is the top nut for the assembly and the bottom nut is somewhere in that hole below the bulb wiring?

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=jX9e-Ze6WrE

This is all I could find in the service manual. And yes it looks like the lens/bulb housing is meant to be one piece. My luck I’ll find out I spent a bunch of money for something I can’t even use.

[mercurygm88]

I’m just replacing the clear lens, that’s all that was offered. Looking at it from the back I see two long bolts inside the fender, they’re actually fairly easy to get to on either side. Neither the washer tank or battery is anywhere near them. But I don’t know if the nuts on those studs are all that’s holding the assembly in place. The bulbs are surprisingly easy to remove. I’ll get some pics later.

The current lenses are not original I have no idea if they were replaced by themselves or if someone replaced the whole assembly.

[gadget73]

are you changing the entire assembly or just the lens? The assembly has 2 or 3 nuts on the back side at the front edge of the fender. If you want to get the lens out of the assembly, thats probably a heat thing. They mount in there with butyl tape. I expect you'd need to soften it to get the lens to let go.

and yes removing the assembly blows. Long 1/4" extension, deep socket, and a flex joint make it possible. One you get through a hole next to the battery, the other you remove the washer tank to get at.

There may or may not also be a screw or something that you access from underneath. I don't remember, but have a look with a flashlight before yanking.

[mercurygm88]

I looked at the service manual and it doesn’t actually tell you how to remove the turn signal lenses, just how to change the bulb. Which looks like it would take small hands and great dexterity itself. It appears that there are just two nuts on the back side holding the turn signal lenses in. Getting to those nuts is going to be the issue

[mercurygm88]

You have to remove the filler panel they're attached to. It's an absurd amount of bolts for what it is and the access is terrible from behind the core support. Then you can get to the bolts which hold the lens off. Its just too hard to figure out which bolts are for the lens and which are for filler panel extension thing.

Of course they'd make it extremely difficult.

[DerekTheGreat]

You have to remove the filler panel they're attached to. It's an absurd amount of bolts for what it is and the access is terrible from behind the core support. Then you can get to the bolts which hold the lens off. Its just too hard to figure out which bolts are for the lens and which are for filler panel extension thing.

[mercurygm88]

Anyone know how to remove the turn signal lenses on a Mark VI? I looked at it and I don't see any exposed screws or anything obvious. I found two of the unobtainium lenses with the emblem in them and while they cost a kings ransom I had to have them.

[mercurygm88]

Well I think I’ve got it, it’s down on the first notch and the idle is nowhere near as ridiculous as it was. We’ll see how this works out.