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kishy's 1985 Country Squire

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    The green coating or whatever is some sort of polymer, least that's what the label said on the brake line I recently bought for Ashley's truck. I too like to use the word "harvested" when liberating parts from scrap yards. "Recycled" is another good one when around hipsters and greenies.
    1985 LTD Crown Victoria - SOLD
    1988 Town Car Signature - Current Party Barge

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      I figured out the exhaust leak, but not why it changes over time: the smog tubes are present on the heads, however they are corroded off after a couple inches on each side and just breath freely. I will probably do that trick where you take them off, grind the tubes off the nub things, then put the nubs back on reversed so they block the holes. That should solve that problem without needing to deal with the BS that goes along with using the plugs (likely need to run a tap into the holes re: chunks of carbon). I had forgotten that the TAD/TAB doohickey is entirely absent on this car, though the control solenoids thankfully remain (if they are removed, it will set a code)

      Got eyes on the AC evaporator through the blower motor hole. Not completely clogged up with dirt, so that's good. Blasted what I could out with air and that'll have to do.

      Blower motor likely needs to be swapped, it makes noises. Bought two closeouts from RockAuto, that should solve that.

      Removed the AC lines and drier. Will re-add AC later, for now I'll benefit from the working room in the engine bay.

      Orifice tube did not want to come out at all. Eventually I used a screw driver to hammer the metal tube through the rest of it, then drove a wood screw into the body of the orifice tube, and when that couldn't make it budge, I took a propane torch to it. Can't be tight if it's a liquid, right?

      Tie rods are installed. New idler arm is installed. Pitman arm seems tight so that's good. Steering box leaks, but they all do, so that's whatever I guess. Greased the front end; ran out of grease just as I finished up with the final grease fitting. Will need to buy more of that.

      The $20Cdn RockAuto closeout Kelsey-Hayes fully loaded brake calipers will be quite nice...they have an anti-corrosion coating on them. Too bad I'm going to hide them behind steelies.

















      Garage roof might have a leak. Either that or a resident animal in the attic peed at a strategic time while it was raining. I'm more inclined to suspect it's just rain, but it was very weird that the dribble from above suddenly began and then suddenly ended. Can't really do anything about it either way until this car is out so whatever.

      I'm going to need some sort of spiked car cover for the '91. Little raccoon hand-prints all over it. They're my favourite animals, but I want them off of my cars.

      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

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        I caught a cat in action a couple times on top of mine...Its covered BUT STILL STAY OFF.

        I should really do inners and outers on my front end. I just dread setting up the toe/making the steering wheel centered.
        ~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


          Racoons look cool, that's about it. Unfortunately for us humans, they're also very clever.

          Those calipers do look nice, especially with their fancy zinc coating. Last time I looked into calipers that had said coating, I think they were $60/piece or more.
          1985 LTD Crown Victoria - SOLD
          1988 Town Car Signature - Current Party Barge

          Comment


            I now suspect the animal which has gained access is an opossum. And a water damaged (evidently from a past roof, as I don't think there are current leaks) section of the drywall ceiling in the back room (storage/"stockroom") has become no longer attached to the ceiling, forming an approximately opossum-sized hole. Interesting.

            Blocked off the air injection ports on the heads. I did the thing where you just flip the pipe connector end pieces so they block the holes. This will probably allow a small exhaust leak in some conditions but that's better than the full sized exhaust leak it had previously.



            Began fuel lines. Instantly regretted using Poly Armor steel lines; should have just used nylon like I planned. Return line is more or less done though. Compression fittings may need tweaking. Or maybe outright rethinking. I'll probably steer towards using nylon on the supply side because it totally defeats the benefits of the poly coating if you scrape it all off trying to get the line in place.

            Resumed working on brake lines. The main front-rear line is now done, and rear flex hose is installed. Just need to rebuild the drums and put new lines on the axle and the brakes will be more or less done.








            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


              Found a rather large exoskeleton that a spider molted out of. Kind of wigged me out, a bit, knowing that at one time the rest of the spider was there with it.

              Continued my battle with 5/16" Poly Armor steel fuel line. This is a very regrettable choice of material. My flare tool agrees and wanted nothing to do with it, so I coerced it a little. I need to find a really good quality flare tool and make all my flaring hate go away. Maybe something pneumatic if available.

              Need to buy some 1/4" fuel-rated rubber or nylon line for the evap hose. Factory did steel, but I am quickly losing my patience with metal lines.

              Supply line is "done" working backwards, to the torque box, roughly. It is a mangled mess aft of that, but will get me back to the fuel filter where it needs to go. I'll be doing another one of those flare-union-flare-quick connect deals and that will get me into the factory rubber-coated-nylon flex line to the filter. I am probably going nylon for the duration aft of the filter. It's on hand, I just have concerns about it chafing on stuff. I might put some loom on it.

              The compression unions turned out to be junk. In order to sufficiently tighten one to make the steel line lock into position without freely spinning, I had to tighten it to the point the threads just ripped off. Parts store won't consider a refund without the manager approving during specific hours of availability in the week. I get their angle; if I had cross threaded them and screwed it up myself, I would deserve nothing. Unfortunately the product is just inferior in this case. It is probably going to result in me re-doing the return line rear end. It seems like the front end "took" OK, but my confidence level is not great. For a fuel fitting directly adjacent to a heat source, I think my confidence level should be higher.






              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


                That kind of looks like a brown recluse. Google images of bites from that thing and not only will you be spooked, but you won't have an appetite for at least the remainder of the day.
                1985 LTD Crown Victoria - SOLD
                1988 Town Car Signature - Current Party Barge

                Comment


                  Didn’t know you could get those quick connector ends new. Good to know, thanks kishy.
                  1990 Country Squire - weekend cruiser, next project
                  1988 Crown Vic LTD Wagon - waiting in the wings

                  GMN Box Panther History
                  Box Panther Horsepower and Torque Ratings
                  Box Panther Production Numbers

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                    I tried the same thing, using a clamp, with that type of flaring tool (mine is the cheapie from HF). It seems to be that all flaring tools of this type have the 5/16" hole in the center, farthest from the pressure points at each end resulting in far less clamping force. Never had an issue with 3/16" which is closer to the end, also have never used one of these tools for any other size line.
                    I ended up giving up on the stainless line I harvested from a '95ish Taurus.
                    Originally posted by kishy View Post
                    ...
                    Continued my battle with 5/16" Poly Armor steel fuel line. This is a very regrettable choice of material. My flare tool agrees and wanted nothing to do with it, so I coerced it a little. I need to find a really good quality flare tool and make all my flaring hate go away. Maybe something pneumatic if available.
                    ...

                    ...
                    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


                      Originally posted by DerekTheGreat View Post
                      That kind of looks like a brown recluse. Google images of bites from that thing and not only will you be spooked, but you won't have an appetite for at least the remainder of the day.
                      Nah, not thinking recluse...leaning more towards wolf spider or a huntsman (sparassidae). Either way, I'm not enthused about one potentially being in my garage. I'm hoping it molted before the car was on my property lol.

                      Originally posted by Tiggie View Post
                      Didn’t know you could get those quick connector ends new. Good to know, thanks kishy.
                      It's sold as an adapter from nylon to steel - note that one end is barbed for nylon and the other is the quick connect male. In this case I cut off the nylon barb and flared it.

                      RockAuto carries S.U.R.&R.'s version of it, part K150. I think they have the shipping weight set wrong because it's kind of spendy to ship, but if you can't source them locally, that will get you a pair.

                      It's a fair bit cheaper than buying the Dorman (or others) 1ft length of tube, double-ended with those ends, and then cutting it in half...those tubes are typically closer to 20 bucks (US) each.

                      Originally posted by VicCrownVic View Post
                      I tried the same thing, using a clamp, with that type of flaring tool (mine is the cheapie from HF). It seems to be that all flaring tools of this type have the 5/16" hole in the center, farthest from the pressure points at each end resulting in far less clamping force. Never had an issue with 3/16" which is closer to the end, also have never used one of these tools for any other size line.
                      I ended up giving up on the stainless line I harvested from a '95ish Taurus.
                      The C-clamps got it done. They proved to be necessary for both the Poly Armor and the plain steel, so the coating didn't affect it +/-...the problem is of course that many of the flaring tools on the market are identical, made by the same Chinese or Taiwanese tool makers, and all of the identical ones will have the same shortcomings. It's strange to me that this problem wasn't corrected early on because 5/16" is not really a rare line size. Surely the makers know about these issues.

                      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


                        Only thing I've ever used compression fittings on is copper or plastic line. The brass ferrules just don't bite into steel. You need stuff specifically designed for steel tubing, usually instead of the football ferrule you get a two piece thing that has an obvious one way only assembly method. Standard compression lets you put the brass bit in either direction and it doesn't matter. Swagelok, Yor-Lok, or Let-Lok (different brands of the same thing) are usually the thing to use there.

                        or just double flare them, but fuck flaring steel 5/16" line.
                        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

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                          Yeah...I think I'm going to ditch the compression fittings. Really not confident in them for this application. I should be able to get enough line free to flare them, and if that were to fail, I'd rip the new line out and just go nylon. Should have done that originally. Live and learn.

                          Supply line is now done working back from the throttle body to the fuel filter. Factory line off TB, factory nylon line to the frame rail, new line as pictured in the most recent pics above. Now that new steel line ends under the passenger front door, and transitions to nylon, which goes to where the filter lives. New quick connects were used because the old ones pulled apart and didn't look great.



                          Yes, I forgot the flare nut there and had to redo it.





                          I think I'm doing nylon from the filter back to the line off the tank. So done with steel.

                          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


                            My Mark VII rocks all-original nylon lines from 1991. Its the way of the future.
                            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 gadget73 View Post
                              My Mark VII rocks all-original nylon lines from 1991. Its the way of the future.
                              Any issues with the nylon getting brittle with heat over the years? (I guess probably no worse than steel getting rusty... )

                              '78 LTD | '87 Grand Marquis | '89 Crown Vic (RIP) | '91 Grand Marquis (RIP) | '94 Town Car (RIP) | '97 Town Car (RIP)

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                                It has one repair splice from before I owned it, but otherwise no issues that I know of. I've never gone under there and poked at it just to see if it will fail but it hasn't given up on it's own. Panthers use the same stuff at the fuel filter, at the top of the tank, and from the frame to the lines on the engine, along with a section at the front and rear of the fuel rail. None of that ever seems to fail either.
                                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

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