Charts Tips

[The White Falcon 355]

Well, I've been testing mine through the OBD II port for lack of a multimeter, but I see 13.0v at startup and nothing higher than that-drops and averages around 12.7v.

I'm guessing it's the alternator going bad (it's covered in oil and gunk from when the valve cover gaskets were leaking, and it does have 130k on it), but I'll check to make sure.

[-chart- 287]

Well, I've been testing mine through the OBD II port for lack of a multimeter, but I see 13.0v at startup and nothing higher than that-drops and averages around 12.7v.

I'm guessing it's the alternator going bad (it's covered in oil and gunk from when the valve cover gaskets were leaking, and it does have 130k on it), but I'll check to make sure.

Best to do good maint.

See my pic added. Carchip recorder.

Record of sudden Alt failure.

40 minutes to the next town.

Cost me $530, AAA towed to garage, ~$100 in motel bill.

This one with 47K miles.

No indication of any kind.

-chart-

[breeves002 182]

Oh lord drum brakes were the worst. I hated messing with the adjuster. I usually just spent 10 minutes banging on and rocking the drum until the damn thing came off. Well no more drum brakes anymore and my rear pads/rotors are brand new motorcraft so I'm set on the rears for a LONG time!

[-chart- 287]

Ball Joint Removal

Two ideas, and with the first you can use a puller and wedge at the same time.

-chart-

[-chart- 287]

Here in the North, rust, rust, RUST.

And on rotors.

Trying this on the Lin.

Coated, all non wear surfaces, including inside the fins.

Will report next year.

Centric Rock Auto:

120.61049 part No.

$40.79 per.

-chart-

Edited May 26, 2013 by -chart-

[Bull Geek 812]

Did you coat them or did they come coated?

[-chart- 287]

Did you coat them or did they come coated?

They come like that. However, if one does not live in rust prone areas, likely not worth the price difference.

-chart-

[Bull Geek 812]

They come like that. However, if one does not live in rust prone areas, likely not worth the price difference.

-chart-

Rotors on my car have mild surface rust. Very cool - I gota get a set of rotor for my 97. I'll check into Centric.

[-chart- 287]

Rotors on my car have mild surface rust. Very cool - I gota get a set of rotor for my 97. I'll check into Centric.

If yours look like this:

Then you are a bit late. I would go with the low cost Centric if I were doing that on my Taurus/Sables.

I went high price for the Lin.

-chart-

[-chart- 287]

Brake Maint.

Flange rust.

Note: when steel/cast iron rusts, it expands. Creates considerable force.

When replacing rotors, or just cleaning them of rust as I am doing this Spring, must clean the rust off the spindle flange.

I sand, then wipe down the flange with wheel bearing grease, like wipe it with only a very thin film.

Same for matching face of the rotor.

-chart-

[-chart- 287]

Might be time to think about fuel filter.

And remember, the hairpins must be the right size, and remember:

Put the pin in the fitting while it is off the filter, facing the right direaction, then push the fitting on the nipple until it snaps over the bulge.

-chart-

[-chart- 287]

Project plugs on Intech.

Not too bad once you learn the key.

Back side, remove the stabilizer, and need 3 extensions 3" each 3/8" drive and rachet. Working one extension after the next while feeding the total down the hole, being sure not to drop it until the third extension is on. Hole depth about 9". Should not have to do this again.

-chart-

[-chart- 287]

I have had two of these fail within a week, '03 then '01 Sables, Tec engine.

A/C working fine, clutch fails and is seen as failed rubber springs that retract the plate from the pulley. Then the plate drags and gets really hot, then the bearings in the pulley fail. The rubber springs are common in Taurus/Sables in the last ~20 years. Older ones use steel springs.

On a side note, the Lin Cont uses the steel spring clutch. It is noisy when engaging or releasing and can be heard inside the car. I complained when my NEW '02 did that and the shop checked it and said gap in fine, the steel spring clutch is more robust but also slightly louder. My second and present Lin sounds the same. The Sables were dead quiet until the rubber failed.

It is possible to replace the clutch plate on the Sable while the compresser is in place. Not an easy trick, but possible. However, once the clutch overheats and the bearings are tight or loose or noisy, it is done.

In the checklist of things to check before a trip, might check your rubbers.

Just sharing.

-chart-

[-chart- 287]

A/C tips from the school of hard knocks.

On the checklist of things to look at under the hood.

Visible check of A/C clutch plate might save you a bit of pain.

Once the plate rubber springs start to fail, things go downhill quickly. The plate can be replaced.

When the plate fails it overheats the pulley and the bearings fail. QUICKLY!

Been there done that, two times the Summer.

-chart-

[-chart- 287]

Just in case anyone wants to know what is in a COP,

Boot and spring are available separate. Some cases they are reported to get brittle, arc track or break down but the coil is fine.

Mine just got damp from a loose plug.

I took apart and washed with ammonia, dried and re-did. runs fine.

And for FORD, (my Lin) 7 plugs right type, 1 plug completely different, different ceramic, wire, and thread. Then one not tight.

Loose one in rear, odd plug in front bank.

Workmanship?

-chart-

Edited July 20, 2013 by -chart-

[-chart- 287]

Coils and Cracks

Ford Coils crack, but I have not found any issues related to this.

Two above from '02 Lin Cont 56K miles, all on back bank are cracked, and two from the JY are same cracks.

Reason for them being out are loose plug and condensed water in the chamber. I bought 2 from the JY and cleaned them, then rotated two in and out at a time for clean and dry. Run perfect for over 500 miles.

Coil pack on my '03 is cracked, runs fine. All from the JY on Vulcans are cracked. Can't see the DOHC as they are on the back.

Same coil

Just my take, and I am not going to buy new coils for either car. Do not know about the '01 Sable, it runs perfect.

If it aint broke ain't gonna be fixed.

-chart-

And this is my take apart and clean, and dry for reuse. Cleaned all in ammonia, rinsed, dry with towel, blow dry with hair dryer.

Silicone spark plug grease inside of boot where the plug goes, the spring where it goes on the plug, and the spade inside the coil where the spring locks.

-chart-

[-chart- 287]

Head Lamp Seal

First time I have seen this, likely it is not a one off fail.

this one on the HL I got from the JY. Nice headlamp but went to replace the bulb and it would not reseal.

Left a bulge sticking out as the O-Ring is too big.

Switched harness from a scrap lamp that had water in it and made the reflector dull.

Others use a different seal and not O in cross section.

Just sharing.

Why do so many unusual things happen to ME?

-chart-

Edited August 3, 2013 by -chart-

[jw89sho 123]

Why do so many unusual things happen to ME?

-chart-

You've been around long enough to see them... -respect-

[durasel 32]

Chart knows his cars, no doubt!! How about some pointers on a coolant change, Chart?

Edited August 3, 2013 by durasel

[-chart- 287]

Chart knows his cars, no doubt!! How about some pointers on a coolant change, Chart?

I just drain it out, refill mix. If what comes out is cloudy, do it each year.

If it is clear, maybe every other year.

Guess little over half drains out, just keep it fresh works for me.

Same on PS fluid.

However, brakes need a flush. Maybe every other year.

Just my take.

-chart-

[-chart- 287]

Strut spring compression

Not suggesting this but I have done it one time on Lin Cont strut. It is larger than the Bull Strut.

Hose clamp on section of heater hose.

Warning, you will have to remove this with the boot in place and the rod lifts ~2" higher than it's static position. Measure once, cut twice, do over.

You can pre lift the rod and clamp it in place extended. This means less spring compressing, and more likely you can get the clamp off under the accordian. In the pic, I am lifting about 1" and taking the pic with the other hand. It is not all that stong, the internal spring that keeps the rod down. This internal spring is the drop down spring stop. It is about 2" compressed when the car spring is in place. Thus making the rod higher when the spring is installed and the clamp higher and less likely to be reachable under the accordian.

Not recommended yet, only done on the Lin Cont strut.

-chart-

Revised, the G-4 Strut is not like the Lin.

New pic, but the shaft clamp will help get the top plate on.

The Lin sturt uses a spring internal and that keeps the shaft partly retracted. Thus one needs to pry it up to use this helper. The G-4 strut shown does not use the internal spring and thus it is nearly fully extended by pressure.

-chart-

Edited August 24, 2013 by -chart-

[-chart- 287]

Pic of spring off the '03 Sable. Replaced strut due to bearing grinding, but that is seen as rust. Not this topic.

Springs break. This one will, it would just be a matter of time. The plastic coating is eaten away due to sand/salt etc getting between the rubber isolater and the spring. The location of damage is where the spring leaves and contacts the rubber as the load goes up and down. Once the steel is exposed, rust/water/salt gets under the coating and the break will happen there. I have had 2 fail, and seen them at the JY. They all fail about 3/4th the way around the bottom coil.

This car 10-11 years old, north climate. 110K miles.

Of course, miles and exposure to conditions are not all the same thing.

My take on the bearing mount rusting is likely to under body washing. Popular here in the car wash market.

Just sharin my thinking.

-chart-

[Bull Geek 812]

The front strut mounts on the Gen 3/4 Taurus are less durable than the Gen 1/2. Probably because the car is so dang heavy up front. Not one of Fords better designs. Weak suspension.

[-chart- 287]

The front strut mounts on the Gen 3/4 Taurus are less durable than the Gen 1/2. Probably because the car is so dang heavy up front. Not one of Fords better designs. Weak suspension.

I never had a mount/bearing issue before. My '01 is smooth. If I intended to go way beyond 100K in the future, I would just put KYB loaded struts on at 100K and forget spring breaking or other issues. Call it maint. Found my daughter had done underbody car washes on the '03. I took the bearing that came off and it had grease and water/rust in it. I have never done underbody car wash. I took the spring and mount off of course, and the strut was just fine, no leak, pressure up.

The breaking spring thing is a rust belt issue.

-chart-

[mh488 41]

I never had a mount/bearing issue before. My '01 is smooth. If I intended to go way beyond 100K in the future, I would just put KYB loaded struts on at 100K and forget spring breaking or other issues. Call it maint. Found my daughter had done underbody car washes on the '03. I took the bearing that came off and it had grease and water/rust in it. I have never done underbody car wash. I took the spring and mount off of course, and the strut was just fine, no leak, pressure up.

The breaking spring thing is a rust belt issue.

-chart-

^ agreed. My bull spent 60k miles in Arizona living in a retirement community with my grandparents. My grandad passed and my grandmom moved home to Pa. She could no longer drive so she sold me the car. It now has 120k miles on it and looking underneath it looks like its 5 years old bearly any rust on anything. Fuel and brake lines are shiney and clean, it's amazing really. The front subframe is showing surface rust, I need new struts, the original struts are on the car!! No spring failure just a tad bouncy over the bumps. I hate the brine crap they put on the roads here, if it wasn't for that the bull would probably be rust free.

Edited August 25, 2013 by mh488