Mikey's new four-door

[Archangel]

PM me your address again, and I'll try to have the thing in the mail for ya tomorrow.

[1987cp]

PM me your address again, and I'll try to have the thing in the mail for ya tomorrow.

dude, you must be more tired than I am... I said above I already have at least two of the little dudes sitting around!

[P72Ford]

If I don't run 93 in my car, it pings like a bitch; I was driving it around for a long time with the vacuum advance plugged off, just so I wouldn't do damage. Once I fixed the EGR, it was better but since I started to use the 93, it has been swell. At one time, when I was running 87 with the advance hooked up, the pinging was so bad that it was frightening, but only under certain throttle conditions. It was fine under light throttle, and under WOT, but in between was bad. I hate to run 93 as it really isn't needed, but it has provided a fix for me, at least for the time being.

I think I know what happened to me though. I changed the distributor back in the spring; I just went to the parts store and bought one. However, I am thinking now that perhaps those little weights inside are different on this distributor than they were on the one that was in the car. Foolishly, I have never checked to confirm this. I have other nonfunctional distributors from 351 P72s, and I will have to check what they have and compare to what is in my car.

[1987cp]

Another uh oh .....

Since the advance limiter wasn't wanting to come out with the distributor still in the car, I went ahead and jerked the distributor. Good thing I did! Check out the first pic - that's not a distributor gear, that's a bunch of little cast-iron cutting blades! The only explanation I can think of offhand for such a phenomenon is that the bushings on this particular distributor are pretty tight, so it may be possible that the extra friction (and thereby, extra force on the gears) could have potentially sent this gear on its way toward complete failure in the foreseeable future.

Conveniently, hoarding parts can pay off ... even though I absolutely COULD NOT get either the trashed gear or the 13/18 advance limiter off the silly thing, my spare 351 distributor had a gear that was just fine (second pic). After a good cleaning to remove ancient built-up and baked-on crud (this distributor's former home was in my '79 351 that overheated frequently due to a leaky water pump), I took the retaining clip I'd just removed from the first distributor and used it to install one of my 10/15 limiters on the other one, and took it out and plunked it in.

Pics 3 and 4 show the limiters set for the excessive 36 degrees centrifugal advance (for 46 total after 10 initial) and the more appropriate 20 degrees centrifugal (for 32 total after 12 initial), respectively.

[Archangel]

dude, you must be more tired than I am... I said above I already have at least two of the little dudes sitting around!

Haha, guess so, but tis good cause either way I can't find mine nowhere. Also, on your question about the tools - two tiny flat screwdrivers is all you need for those darn clips.

[1987cp]

More weirdness ....

.... in the form of what appears to be a stress fracture developing at the top of the p/s "A" pillar. Greg pointed out to me when I picked up the car a few places where the painted had cracked at body flex points way back when, one of which I think may have been in this location, but there was nothing like this visible, so I'm guessing I've managed to make it worse just in the couple of (very brief) full-throttle runs I've given it lately. My concern at this time, aside from this being a rust hazard, is that it could weaken the body structure enough to crack the non-cracked windshield (which is a big deal to me because I haven't had a non-cracked windshield in about 5 years!). I wonder if this is something I could potentially fix without having to remove the windshield and risk cracking it anyway?

[packman]

Sounds like you need to install some sub-frame connectors to stiffen it up a bit. Sux about the cracking and the windshield, but on the bright side (if you can consider this a bright side) you now have bragging rights. How many street cars can do that?


Packman

[1987cp]

You do have a point!

In positive news, P72Ford just explained to me in chat that there's actually a leaded body seam there, and the cracking I see is in all likelihood only lead and not steel.

[packman]

For bragging purposes just say it's steel. Though at least it sounds like it's reparable.


Packman

[Lincolnmania]

it needs body mounts mang

[1987cp]

it needs body mounts mang

Really? I thought my mounts on the wagon were pretty bad, and it hasn't had anything like this .... has the frame supports and smaller engine, though ...

[P72Ford]

I checked out my car, and my brother's '88 today, and they both have that. I'm sure the seem is still fine, but what Scott says has merit. Perhaps the tweaking from poor body mounts, etc has caused the lead fill to crack/pop. Then, once water gets in there, it just gets worse.

[Grand Marquis GT]

Sounds like you need to install some sub-frame connectors to stiffen it up a bit. Sux about the cracking and the windshield, but on the bright side (if you can consider this a bright side) you now have bragging rights. How many street cars can do that?


Packman

Too bad panthers (a full frame car) don't have SUBFRAMES.

[1987cp]

:lol: True that, though I do need someday to make a set of the front under-frame connectors for the poor thing, and maybe the fender-to-radiator-support braces too.

[import convert]

sounds like a good pick up man. i want like 70% of the mods that thing has.