My 79 Marquis

[VicCrownVic]

Well, I brought that float with today, but I totally forgot to give it to you.

[Grand1]

Fuel tank no longer leaks.....Vic you remember that iffy spot on the fuel line,when we put that Mopar gasket in the tank? Well son of a bitch, have to replace the fuel line lol, its not the rubber hose that leaks ....its at the line and cascades over 'em...has another leak by drivers front door.

[Grand1]

Fixed the fuel line. That Niccopper shit is worth its wieght in gold, stringing a 131 inch long line solo is not the easiest, it helps to be able to easily bend it.

Fixed two vaccum leaks and got a stronger throttle return spring...its at 625 at idle and it sounds pretty good. No stalling or bogging .....Now, what with the transmission .... it doesn't want to go into gear(it does but reverse is a little noisy "ca thunk") it seems to hesitate to go into drive....a couple of times it didnt go into gear at all. Not going to mess with it till after a fluid and filter change. Any common areas of advice for a C4?

[slack]

Fixed the fuel line. That Niccopper shit is worth its wieght in gold, stringing a 131 inch long line solo is not the easiest, it helps to be able to easily bend it.

Fixed two vaccum leaks and got a stronger throttle return spring...its at 625 at idle and it sounds pretty good. No stalling or bogging .....Now, what with the transmission .... it doesn't want to go into gear(it does but reverse is a little noisy "ca thunk") it seems to hesitate to go into drive....a couple of times it didnt go into gear at all. Not going to mess with it till after a fluid and filter change. Any common areas of advice for a C4?

I love the Niccopper stuff. I don't think I'll switch back to the other stuff unless I have to. It's just so easy to bend and flare, it's worth the extra cost.

The C4 in my 78 when I got it barely shifted at all. After I changed the fluid and filter (dropped pan and drained torque converter) and shift modulator (was leaking trans fluid into the vacuum line), it now shifts great between all gears except there's a slight shift "flare" between 2-3. I honestly figured it was dead and would need a rebuild before the fluid change but lucked out.

Maybe you'll be lucky too with the fluid change.

Also, word of warning. There were two pan bolts on the driver's side pan towards the back that screwed through the trans casing so that the threads were exposed on the top. For me, those ended up snapping right off and I had to drill them out and retap the holes. Hopefully you don't have that happen to you as well.

[Grand1]

Thanks slack, all good info and I sure will baby the bolts. Read about a spring that can bounce out and some C4s don't have a drain plug for the torque convertor . This video was pretty cool:

https://youtu.be/J_PxQl7p2b0

[Grand1]

You where correct, after an eventful trans fluid change ( to include the small weight of the spring disappearing and me crawling over cement for 2 hrs) things shift quite well. Put 5 quarts in and did the whole shifting thing...put in another four and it was two much.....siphoned 2 quarts out and now it seems perfectly filled.....The exception is going from park to reverse, its like a small donkey punch under the tranny (lol). Maybe I should see if my u joints are greaseable. Took her for .3 mile commencement trip on the country roads and I am still alive.

[Grand1]

So, I have reverse. Drive engages than goes out. Changed fluid as per above. Was wondering if I can get some ID on some pics. What is this damaged wire/cable from the side of the tranny...attaches to connector in rear of engine bay, per last pic.....?

[87gtVIC]

Revers lights or neutral safety are my guesses if it runs to the transmission.

[VicCrownVic]

My vote is also for NSS/Reverse lights. Looks like we have some wire repair to do.
I'm not familiar with the connector in the last picture, it looks like we could just grab a harness from that connector to the trans and simply replace the whole run.

Also, I would guess that the broken wire down by the trans is the reason for the blue butt connector. Put the rear up on stands and see if the car will try to start in any gear. If it does, then that blue butt connector is bypassing the function of the NSS.

[Grand1]

Thanks for the info gents.
I made a makeshift 10lb weight hanging from the selector and put in drive. Loosened the nut and put the tranny lever in the second dent position per my manual, and retigtened the nut. Crisp gear selection. I put Lucas mechanic in a bottle shit in the tranny, started it....put it in drive and gunned it going for broke. Maybe it was a sticking valve body but its staying in gear for now. Reverse still has a kaaarthunk sound when engaging.....but most ready to take it on the country roads.

[massacre]

Jumpered red/LB wire is usually a NSS defeat. Reverse lights are usually grey/black wire.
Very common on Fords but yours might be different

[Grand1]

Got everything to stay in gear and took her out on her madien voyage....couldn't resist it from tooling around on my acerage. Puff drives pretty well. Definely more to and fro bouncing (at the right times....car seems more" heavier")then other boxes I have had but maybe it could be the feeling with 14 inch tires. Let the rust and cosmetic battle begin.

[DerekTheGreat]

It's a sweet car, I'd be all over it.

[Grand1]

Hey, it has surprised me how much I like it....getting older as earth tones seem dope now.

So I cleaned her pretty well, and did a half ass job of clay barring spots. Then two coats of Turtle wax. Now, the driver side is roached, but I have that fender. The other spots seem to be just past surface rust. Should I take off the trim and sand that shit out before winter....or dose it with oily shit?

[Mainemantom]

I would not take the chrome off because you may/will find more rust and not be able to get the trim back on.
Isn't there a POR product that can be painted over when you are ready ?