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1988 Lincoln Town Car

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    Cool beans. Burn some rubber.
    ~David~

    My 1987 Crown Victoria Coupe: The Brown Blob
    My 2004 Mercedes Benz E320:The Benz

    Originally posted by ootdega
    My life is a long series of "nevermind" and "I guess not."

    Originally posted by DerekTheGreat
    But, that's just coming from me, this site's biggest pessimist. Best of luck

    Originally posted by gadget73
    my car starts and it has AC. Yours doesn't start and it has no AC. Seems obvious to me.




    Comment


      Heater core #5 died yesterday. It's not exploded but a dribble is leaking out of the plenum and steaming the windshield enough to annoy me.
      Rock Auto only has cheap cores in stock now, really conflicted about what to do. Tempted to try one of these:

      http://www.thebrassworks.net/shop/He...578aee373c0d8f

      Has any of ye ever tried these in the past? If so, is it worth the money?
      Summer car-> 1988 Lincoln Town Car, triple blue, 335,xxx km. New HO 5.0 in and running. Bought 2006/08/22. June 2017 PotM!
      Winter vehicle-> 1995 Ford F-250 XLT SuperCab 4x4, 284,xxx+km. AKA "Brutus" 460/E4OD/4.10 axles and 12 MPG. Bought 2019/08/14

      Originally posted by phayzer5
      I drive a Lincoln. I can't be bothered to shift like the peasants and rabble rousers

      Comment


        Originally posted by nfldfordltd View Post
        Heater core #5 died yesterday. It's not exploded but a dribble is leaking out of the plenum and steaming the windshield enough to annoy me.
        Rock Auto only has cheap cores in stock now, really conflicted about what to do. Tempted to try one of these:

        http://www.thebrassworks.net/shop/He...578aee373c0d8f

        Has any of ye ever tried these in the past? If so, is it worth the money?
        I lack the history of the other ones and their failure modes, so forgive me:

        I think that assuming "cheap ones are bad ones" is not the best approach. Also consider that RockAuto pricing will always be "cheap" because that's how they roll. I also think that buying a soldered brass/copper heater core (for incredible money) is a mistake, when it is an established fact that they don't last as long as aluminum ones. The caveat is aluminum ones are less friendly to some flushing chemicals and if you are the type to flush the system every couple years, you can quickly murder your new investment.

        I am also reasonably sure the one you linked will not fit. I believe that's the 90+ item with a common application data error which suggests it fits 89, but 89 uses the old one.

        Frequent heater core failure is probably more a symptom of a bigger systemic issue than it is an indicator of heater core quality, IMHO. You might have issues like electrolysis eating the core material away.
        Last edited by kishy; 06-05-2019, 11:54 AM.

        Current driver: Ranger
        Panthers: 83 GM 2dr | 84 TC | 85 CS
        | 88 TC | 91 GM
        Not Panthers: 85 Ranger | Ranger trailer | 91 Acclaim | 05 Focus
        Gone: 97 CV | 83 TC | 04 Focus | 86 GM
        | Junkyards

        Comment


          Do you have a coolant pressure restrictor in place?
          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>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

          Comment


            Check the voltage in the coolant. If you've got some electrical grounding problem, you may have electrolysis going on and that will dissolve the heater cores too.

            https://www.northernfactory.com/knowledge/electrolysis

            Normally the heater core and radiator are not connected to electrical ground on these, so make sure nothing has changed in that regard. Missing or crusty battery to body or engine to body grounds can cause you trouble though.
            86 Lincoln Town Car (Galactica).
            5.0 HO, CompCams XE258,Scorpion 1.72 roller rockers, 3.55 K code rear, tow package, BHPerformance ported E7 heads, Tmoss Explorer intake, 65mm throttle body, Hedman 1 5/8" headers, 2.5" dual exhaust, ASP underdrive pulley

            91 Lincoln Mark VII LSC grandpa spec white and cranberry

            1984 Lincoln Continental TurboDiesel - rolls coal

            Originally posted by phayzer5
            I drive a Lincoln. I can't be bothered to shift like the peasants and rabble rousers

            Comment


              Originally posted by kishy View Post
              I lack the history of the other ones and their failure modes, so forgive me:

              I think that assuming "cheap ones are bad ones" is not the best approach. Also consider that RockAuto pricing will always be "cheap" because that's how they roll. I also think that buying a soldered brass/copper heater core (for incredible money) is a mistake, when it is an established fact that they don't last as long as aluminum ones. The caveat is aluminum ones are less friendly to some flushing chemicals and if you are the type to flush the system every couple years, you can quickly murder your new investment.

              I am also reasonably sure the one you linked will not fit. I believe that's the 90+ item with a common application data error which suggests it fits 89, but 89 uses the old one.

              Frequent heater core failure is probably more a symptom of a bigger systemic issue than it is an indicator of heater core quality, IMHO. You might have issues like electrolysis eating the core material away.
              I actually had much better luck with brass cores vs aluminum ones. I have a theory now that the water I was mixing with the coolant was suspect...I was doing 50/50 concentrated and tap water. The tap water where I used to live is famous for corroding and eating hot water tanks in as little as two years.
              Once I get settled in from the move, I'm going to flush and fill again and add a ground strap from the core itself to the firewall.
              If that doesn't work, I dunno...the heater box is getting destroyed from being removed and replaced so much. Next time I'm going to need a box as well as a core.
              Summer car-> 1988 Lincoln Town Car, triple blue, 335,xxx km. New HO 5.0 in and running. Bought 2006/08/22. June 2017 PotM!
              Winter vehicle-> 1995 Ford F-250 XLT SuperCab 4x4, 284,xxx+km. AKA "Brutus" 460/E4OD/4.10 axles and 12 MPG. Bought 2019/08/14

              Originally posted by phayzer5
              I drive a Lincoln. I can't be bothered to shift like the peasants and rabble rousers

              Comment


                The shocks are getting worn out again in my Lincoln. Time for a new set methinks.
                Current suspension setup is fairly new stock front springs and stock front sway bar.
                Rear has used springs from a 1991 police Ford plus regular sway bar.
                Running P225/75/R15 tires all around with 32 psi as per police sedan specs.
                The Gabriel shocks that I put in back in 2007 weren't really very good from day one, I didn't like the ride as they tended to flutter after going over a bump.
                Anyone got suggestions as to what they think is the best shock to go with for my setup? I live in a place where the roads aren't the best, rutted pavement, frost heave and potholes are pretty normal.
                Might get a set for the OBS same time to save on shipping, the truck seems to be always in need of shocks. No matter what I get, it still bounces a lot, but with new shocks it bounces more softly than with old or cheap shocks. Hauling heavy loads isn't a huge concern, it's mainly my winter beater, occasional dump run truck.
                Thanks in advance.
                Summer car-> 1988 Lincoln Town Car, triple blue, 335,xxx km. New HO 5.0 in and running. Bought 2006/08/22. June 2017 PotM!
                Winter vehicle-> 1995 Ford F-250 XLT SuperCab 4x4, 284,xxx+km. AKA "Brutus" 460/E4OD/4.10 axles and 12 MPG. Bought 2019/08/14

                Originally posted by phayzer5
                I drive a Lincoln. I can't be bothered to shift like the peasants and rabble rousers

                Comment


                  For the front I have KYB 344081 on both of my cars with original springs and stock sway bar. I like them but they might not be soft enough for some people. They're listed for Police and Taxi under CV/MGM on Rockauto, but not listed at all for '88 TC.
                  For the rear, get some air shocks. I prefer the Gabriel HiJackers 49205 in The Ice Car over the Monroe Max-Air MA815 in The Scab. Mine are manual fill, but I wouldn't mind putting a stock system in with these shocks. With the air shocks you can run them at different air pressure depending on how you want them to ride. I tend to ride at the higher end of the pressure range, but running lower would soften them up quite a bit.
                  Vic

                  ~ 1989 MGM LS Colony Park - Large Marge
                  ~ 1998 MGM LS - new DD
                  ~ 1991 MGM LS "The Scab"
                  ~ 1991 MGM GS "The Ice Car"

                  Comment


                    Distilled water is your friend. Its about a dollar a gallon at the store here. Any pharmacy or Walmart has it. My well water used to be absolutely horrid. It rotted the lead out of the original copper pipes. I wasn't about to put that in my engine. New well is not bad, but for how cheap distilled is, I'm not interested in risking it. I've even been known to buy 50/50 premix if I can get it for the same total price per gallon as making it myself. There is a surplus store in this area that sometimes has it for that price.
                    86 Lincoln Town Car (Galactica).
                    5.0 HO, CompCams XE258,Scorpion 1.72 roller rockers, 3.55 K code rear, tow package, BHPerformance ported E7 heads, Tmoss Explorer intake, 65mm throttle body, Hedman 1 5/8" headers, 2.5" dual exhaust, ASP underdrive pulley

                    91 Lincoln Mark VII LSC grandpa spec white and cranberry

                    1984 Lincoln Continental TurboDiesel - rolls coal

                    Originally posted by phayzer5
                    I drive a Lincoln. I can't be bothered to shift like the peasants and rabble rousers

                    Comment


                      Originally posted by VicCrownVic View Post
                      For the front I have KYB 344081 on both of my cars with original springs and stock sway bar. I like them but they might not be soft enough for some people. They're listed for Police and Taxi under CV/MGM on Rockauto, but not listed at all for '88 TC.
                      For the rear, get some air shocks. I prefer the Gabriel HiJackers 49205 in The Ice Car over the Monroe Max-Air MA815 in The Scab. Mine are manual fill, but I wouldn't mind putting a stock system in with these shocks. With the air shocks you can run them at different air pressure depending on how you want them to ride. I tend to ride at the higher end of the pressure range, but running lower would soften them up quite a bit.
                      I have KYBs in the rear of my truck currently, don't really like them. They are mediocre. I've been reading good reviews of the Monroe Magnums.
                      I'm not terribly interested in setting my car up for air shocks, I don't haul enough weight really to justify that. Looking for a conventional shock that balances ride quality with handling. That's something that in my experience Gabriels don't do. I had a set of those in the truck and had to get rid of them quickly; it was all over the road, and bouncier than if the shocks were actually gone. The car handled them better, but still had that annoying little dance after going over a bump or washboard on pavement or gravel.
                      What I really want is some NOS non-gas pressurized hydraulic-only shocks, but with a big piston to dampen better than a regular old fashioned shock. But that's made of unobtainium I'm sure.
                      Might check out the police/taxi parts and see what's available, as the setup is more like a cop car than a Town Car.
                      My fuel sending unit is still working like a champ
                      Summer car-> 1988 Lincoln Town Car, triple blue, 335,xxx km. New HO 5.0 in and running. Bought 2006/08/22. June 2017 PotM!
                      Winter vehicle-> 1995 Ford F-250 XLT SuperCab 4x4, 284,xxx+km. AKA "Brutus" 460/E4OD/4.10 axles and 12 MPG. Bought 2019/08/14

                      Originally posted by phayzer5
                      I drive a Lincoln. I can't be bothered to shift like the peasants and rabble rousers

                      Comment


                        Originally posted by gadget73 View Post
                        Distilled water is your friend. Its about a dollar a gallon at the store here. Any pharmacy or Walmart has it. My well water used to be absolutely horrid. It rotted the lead out of the original copper pipes. I wasn't about to put that in my engine. New well is not bad, but for how cheap distilled is, I'm not interested in risking it. I've even been known to buy 50/50 premix if I can get it for the same total price per gallon as making it myself. There is a surplus store in this area that sometimes has it for that price.
                        That's the plan, to replace what's there with distilled water or 50/50 premixed. That's why I did the concentrate/water 50/50 mix on my own, due to the price of the 50/50 premix.
                        Now that I'm out of the sub-Arctic northern nether-region I can now get some stuff that's not stupidly expensive.
                        Summer car-> 1988 Lincoln Town Car, triple blue, 335,xxx km. New HO 5.0 in and running. Bought 2006/08/22. June 2017 PotM!
                        Winter vehicle-> 1995 Ford F-250 XLT SuperCab 4x4, 284,xxx+km. AKA "Brutus" 460/E4OD/4.10 axles and 12 MPG. Bought 2019/08/14

                        Originally posted by phayzer5
                        I drive a Lincoln. I can't be bothered to shift like the peasants and rabble rousers

                        Comment


                          Police interceptor Monroe Magnums ordered for the Lincoln now from Rock Auto. I hope they work out!
                          Summer car-> 1988 Lincoln Town Car, triple blue, 335,xxx km. New HO 5.0 in and running. Bought 2006/08/22. June 2017 PotM!
                          Winter vehicle-> 1995 Ford F-250 XLT SuperCab 4x4, 284,xxx+km. AKA "Brutus" 460/E4OD/4.10 axles and 12 MPG. Bought 2019/08/14

                          Originally posted by phayzer5
                          I drive a Lincoln. I can't be bothered to shift like the peasants and rabble rousers

                          Comment


                            Nice. Hopefully a good report on the new shocks, at least for your sake. I'd be curious to hear if they're too harsh/stiff or not.

                            I had a set of stock replacement Gabriel's on the front of my '89 years ago, and they were awful. I couldn't tell the difference between the completely dead originals and the brand new Gabriels. That car was parked not long after those shocks were installed, but I had no intention of reusing those shocks. However, the old Gabriel Hi-Jackers on the rear of that car and the new pair on The Ice Car I found to be great. You don't need to haul a ton-o weight to benefit from air shocks, just run lower pressure in them with less weight for a manual fill setup like mine, or adjust the sensor accordingly for the optional stock setup. I think the minimum pressure recommended for the Hi-Jakers is 25 PSI, I think I run around 150 PSI (haven't touched them in 3 years since I installed them), I think max is 225 (the max is much lower on the Monroes, like 125 PSI I think, I'm at 90-100 on those). Anyway, nothing wrong with not wanting to go the air route, it's just my preference and may not work for everyone.

                            Good to hear that sending unit is still working. I know Kevin discovered some of the late build '88 TCs in the JYs seem to have gotten the newer sending unit like '89 TCs got, luckily yours needed the older unit that we sent you.
                            Vic

                            ~ 1989 MGM LS Colony Park - Large Marge
                            ~ 1998 MGM LS - new DD
                            ~ 1991 MGM LS "The Scab"
                            ~ 1991 MGM GS "The Ice Car"

                            Comment


                              Normally mixing your own is cheaper, but sometimes Ollie's (the discount store) has 50/50 that comes out to the same price per gallon, so I go the lazy route. I'm really not particular about who makes it or how, as long as its green and not mixed with river water I'm fine.
                              86 Lincoln Town Car (Galactica).
                              5.0 HO, CompCams XE258,Scorpion 1.72 roller rockers, 3.55 K code rear, tow package, BHPerformance ported E7 heads, Tmoss Explorer intake, 65mm throttle body, Hedman 1 5/8" headers, 2.5" dual exhaust, ASP underdrive pulley

                              91 Lincoln Mark VII LSC grandpa spec white and cranberry

                              1984 Lincoln Continental TurboDiesel - rolls coal

                              Originally posted by phayzer5
                              I drive a Lincoln. I can't be bothered to shift like the peasants and rabble rousers

                              Comment


                                If you're looking for a "like factory" ride, you can always go for a Sachs shock. Those are pretty cushy shocks.
                                -Nick M.
                                Columbia, SC

                                66 Squire, 89 Colony Park, 90 TC, 03 TC, 06 TC, 07 TC (2x)
                                03 BMW 540iT, 07 Toyota Tundra SR5 Dbl Cab/5.7 2WD

                                Comment

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