Hatchbacks and sunroofs

[RobertB]

With me providing the synthetic oil and Fram filter, the oil was changed.

When I came back from New Zealand/Australia and after a few days of rest, I crawled under the Crown Vic to change its oil again.  O.K., 5 quarts of synthetic SuperTech oil from WalMart (because I think all synthetic oil is the same) but this time, a new brand of oil filter.  Since the 1980's, I've used Fram oil filters, because Consumer Reports magazine rated them number one.  However, recently when I went through SummitRacing.com, they listed not only the oil filters for my car, but also how well the filters filtered in terms of the largest size contaminant particle they would let through.  The best Frams would filter down to 20 microns.  However, K & N filters would filter down to 10 microns!  No other oil filter listed could filter down to that amount.
     That settled it for me.  I installed a K & N filter, the stores in my area not having the cheaper one (which had the same 10 micron rating) but the expensive one.  $16 for a filter... ouch!  Well, on the rebuilt engine, I felt that I was giving it the best.
     Then I went to the Amiwest Show.  Hmm, what was that oil that I saw under the car after I parked it every day?  After Amiwest, I went back home, and the next day I found a veritable puddle of oil under the car!  I had lost 2 quarts of expensive synthetic oil after all this time.  I started the engine and looked underneath.  A stream of oil was coming out around the new K & N filter!  It was tightly on the engine, but it was still leaking.  I turned off the engine, wrenched off the filter, and went to O'Reilly's in order to buy another one, warning the sales clerk that if this one had the same problem, I would not stay with K & N but return to Fram.
     After about 200 miles, the replacement K & N is holding up.

         Crossing my fingers that it holds up until
         the next oil change,
         Robert Bernardo
         Fresno Commodore User Group
         http://www.dickestel.com/fcug.htm

P.S. If all goes well, my other Ford products - the 1988 Mercury Colony Park and the 1972 Ford Ranchero will get K & N oil filters.

[RobertB]

     I've had the 1988 Mercury Colony Park station wagon since 2006, but I've only put a little over 6,000 miles on it after all this time.  I've only brought it to Stockton four times (165 miles away), but this fourth time I used it to bring more Commodore stuff to the storage there.  Today I brought it to Hewitt Alignment, and the mechanics were surprised that they had not known about the car.
     I asked for a wheel alignment and a lube job, and of course, the shop gave it a thorough inspection.  Sway bar bushings, idler arm bushing, upper A-arm bushings -- all bad or going bad.  Loose wheel bearing in the right front hub.  Steering wheel coupler o.k. for now but getting there.
     The shop manager didn't like the Monroe Sensa-Trac shocks on the car; he called them weak and wanted them replaced with KYB's (sold by his shop, of course).  I told him that the shocks only had 6,000 miles on them, as I had them installed by Sears as soon as I bought the car.  I liked how they gave the car a comfortable ride and how they stopped the pitching motion of the car with the previous shocks.  I didn't tell him how I remembered when the shop had installed KYB's on the front of the Crown Vic years ago, and the shocks were too hard.
     More importantly, he didn't like the condition of the old Michelin X tires; after all these years, the rubber was cracking and splitting.  He was worried that I was going to drive back home 165 miles on the freeway.  I told him that I would have to get some new Cooper tires.  He wanted to know the reason for my buying such average tires like Cooper's, and I told him that they were one of the few manufacturers that still made whitewall tires.
     I authorized the replacement of the sway bar bushings and the idler arm bushing and the tightening of the loose wheel bearing.  I also asked them to remove the Type III tow bar in the back of the car; it hung so low that it would frequently scrape on deep and medium-deep driveways and dips.  With the alignment and lube, the cost was $398.
     The steering coupler, an $8 part, could be installed by my local mechanics.  The new tires could be installed much later.  The upper A-arm bushings could be installed much, much later, because I put so few miles on the car every year that it isn't an immediate necessity.  I saved the tow bar, which was quite a heavy "boat anchor"; perhaps my father could use it on his truck or he could give/sell it to someone.

          Truly,
          Robert Bernardo
          Fresno Commodore User Group
          http://www.dickestel.com/fcug.htm

[RobertB]

     At its last wheel alignment, the Hewitt Alignment mechanics told me there was extreme wear on the left front brake disc rotor; that was the cause for the car to pull to the left when braked hard and for the brakes being grabby when cold.  They also said that though they tightened the right front wheel bearing, it was still "rough".  So, it's time for a brake job.  Today I went to Pep Boys and ordered the ceramic brake pads (not in stock) which were covered under the lifetime warranty.  No cost except for installation.
     And I took the plunge... I ordered a couple of drilled and slotted disc rotors!  Years ago I was ferrying Jeri Ellsworth to the Computer Barn (Museum) west of San Jose.  To get to it, we had to drive through a mountainous switchback road and use the brakes quite a lot around the turns.  After several of these sharp turns with the brakes, I noticed I had to press harder on the pedal to get the same amount of stopping power.  Being a car person, Jeri said, "Brake fade?"  I said, "Yeah, brake fade." I never forgot that.  To try and keep effective braking power, that's why I'm going with the drilled and slotted disc rotors.
     One forum told me that those kind of rotors have wear problems.  One friend told me that they cause premature wear on the brake pads.  We shall see.

         The brakes being installed on Thursday,
         Robert Bernardo
         Fresno Commodore User Group
         http://www.dickestel.com/fcug.htm

[RobertB]

The brakes being installed on Thursday...

Well, the drilled and slotted front disc rotors with new bearings were installed on Monday (after waiting and waiting for the rotors to come in).  I had to remind the brake mechanics (at Pep Boys) that I use silicone brake fluid (DOT 5).  They were quite surprised when I handed over a few bottles of fluid for them to top off the master cylinder.  Being unfamiliar with the fluid, one of them predicted bad things would happen (he mentioned seals would swell unnaturally, but he was just guessing).  I told him that I have been using that type of fluid in the car for 25 years with no ill effects.  In fact, I told him that his predecessor in the shop had installed it (and he remembered his predecessor).  He said, "Well, it's your car" and proceeded with the brake job.
    Actually, since the 1980's I'd been using silicone brake fluid in the variety of cars I've had - the 1973 Pontiac Bonneville, the 1979 Ford Fairmont, the 1991 Honda Accord.  Those cars are long gone, but I've never had any bad experiences with the fluid.  Silicone brake fluid does not deteriorate; it doesn't absorb moisture like regular fluid, and so, rust cannot form and corrode the brake calipers, master cylinder, brake lines, wheel cylinders, and their seals.  Unlike regular fluid, if you spill silicone brake fluid on a painted surface, nothing happens to the paint.
    When I got the Crown Vic in 1991, it had 24,725 miles on it, and I had the regular fluid changed right away.  The fluid, which had been in the car since it came out of the factory, came out milky instead of being clear; its deterioration had already begun.  For all these years, I've used the same calipers, cylinders, and lines, and they are still in good shape!  (With my "newer" cars, the 1988 Mercury Colony Park and the 1972 Ford Ranchero, I'll have to have the above components inspected, replaced if necessary, and get the silicone brake fluid into their systems.)
    Back to the new disc brake rotors... Their installation was ordinary... no problems.  They look sharp on the Crown Vic.  I'll take a photo of them when the wheels are next balanced and/or rotated (which I have done at Sears, because that is where I bought its  tires).  Heh, when those wheels are balanced/rotated, the mechanics will be shocked to see those drilled and slotted rotors on such an old car.    Modern hardware on an old car!

        FCUG celebrating its 35th anniversary,
        Robert Bernardo
        Fresno Commodore User Group
        http://www.dickestel.com/fcug.htm

P.S. Silicone brake fluid cannot be used with anti-lock brake systems.  All modern cars have anti-lock brakes.

[RobertB]

I installed a K & N filter...

(snip)

A stream of oil was coming out around the new K & N filter!

(snip)

After about 200 miles, the replacement K & N is holding up.

About 365 miles ago, I gave the Crown Vic another oil change and installed another K & N.  A few days ago I noticed oil spots on the pavement under the car.  The area around the oil filter mount was wet with oil.  I started the car and looked for oil leaks but saw nothing pouring out.  It must have been a seeper!  Well, that did it for me.  This was the second, expensive K & N to start leaking on me.  No more K & N's (at least not for a Ford)!
     Today I went to WalMart and bought a Fram Ultra.  Off came the K & N and on went the Fram.  I also motor-washed the area around the oil filter mount.
     Why did the K & N's keep failing on me?  I have a theory.  When installing a spin-on oil filter, you have to screw it down a center threaded post.  The K & N always was "loose" as I screwed it down the post.  It did not tighten up until near the end of its travel.  The Fram was always "tight" as I screwed it down; there was no free play.  I suspect that bit of free play in the K & N was a factor in it leaking, even though externally everything looked and felt tight.  That free play was enough to start an oil leak.
     I will check the Fram regularly for any future leaks, though I doubt I will have trouble it.

          Back to 20 microns of filtering instead of 10,
          Robert Bernardo
          Fresno Commodore User Group
          http://www.dickestel.com/fcug.htm

[RobertB]

     When I can't do the repair or maintenance item, I leave it up to my long-time mechanics.  Last Friday I brought the car in for a broken driver's side door latch (the key would turn in the lock but the door would not lock) and for engine shuddering during highway deceleration.  The former took longer than I thought; they took off the inner door panel, removed the latch mechanism, and rebuilt it.  The latter seemed to be an easy solution but for a part with which I had no experience.  The throttle position sensor was adjusted by lowering the voltage going into it.  Poof!  No more deceleration shudders.  Idle speed in drive (especially when the engine was cold) was too low with the adjustment.  It was adjusted again to bring up the idle speed.

         Truly,
         Robert Bernardo
         June 10-11 Pacific Commodore Expo NW -
         http://www.portcommodore.com/pacommex
         July 29-30 Commodore Vegas Expo -
         http://www.portcommodore.com/commvex

[RobertB]

The throttle position sensor was adjusted by lowering the voltage going into it.  Poof!  No more deceleration shudders.

The shuddering has returned.  Hmm, perhaps the throttle position sensor needs readjustment.  Before I bring it in, on May 15 I'll order some Taylor spark plug cables from SummitRacing.com .  Taylor has the lowest resistance per square foot of all the cables listed for the car.  When the engine was rebuilt last year, the mechanics put in cheapy cables from O'Reilly, and I know that they don't last very long.  The MSD cables that I had on the car previously were good cables but were susceptible to tearing.  By the way, I bought a new MSD distributor cap and rotor and will install those in the next day or two.

         Truly,
         Robert Bernardo
         June 10-11 Pacific Commodore Expo NW -
         http://www.portcommodore.com/pacommex
         July 29-30 Commodore Vegas Expo -
         http://www.portcommodore.com/commvex

[RobertB]

The Colony Park needs its air-conditioning fixed and a modern radio installed to replace the barely-working FoMoCo unit.  Before the a.c. is installed, a heavy-duty radiator with a 3-row core is needed instead of the original 2-row radiator.  For the radio, an Alpine units would go in the dash, and the dull-sounding Ford speakers would be replaced with smooth-sounding Polk speakers.

After all this time, the modern radio and speakers still haven't been installed nor a heavy-duty radiator.  However, because I plan on using the Colony Park on the very long trip to Seattle for the Pacific Commodore Expo, I've been doing maintenance items.  The transmission filter and fluid and the differential fluid were changed, synthetic fluids going in.
    At the last wheel alignment, the mechanics said that all of the old Michelin tires were cracked and thus dangerous to drive on.  I bought the car in 2008, and so, the tires are older than that.  On Friday I went to Pep Boys for tire installation, having pre-paid for new Travelstar tires a few weeks ago (no Cooper whitewalls through Pep Boys but the no-name Travelstar whitewalls were much cheaper).  When they popped off two of the wheelcaps, they found wheel locks.  The problem was that I didn't have any key for the wheel locks!  When I bought the car, I was not given a key.  In fact, I had been driving the car all this time without knowing it needed a wheel lock key!  What if I had a flat tire and needed to change a tire?  I wouldn't have been able to do it!
    Pep Boys wanted $51 per wheel to wrench off the locks.  Grudgingly, I approved, but none of their wheel lock keys would fit the old lock.  Also, because the wheel lock had a smooth circumference, they couldn't get a tool on it in order to take it off.  So, no money for them.  The service manager advised me to take the car to the south Visalia welding shop, Roberts & Son.  
    Today I brought the car to the welding shop and met the one welder working there.  Everybody else was off to lunch.  An old-fashioned place... large, galvanized metal building... plenty of old shop tools and worktables... lots of dust on the floor.  After I told the welder the whole story, he told me to drive the car in, and he got to work on it right away, delaying the job he had been doing.  He tack-welded a large, steel nut to each wheel lock and with a large crescent wrench, he would then take off the lock.  Total cost - a cheap $35.  I finger-tightened on new lug nuts to replace the old locks, but the recommended nuts were too shallow and did not extend much past the aluminum wheels.  When the car goes back to Pep Boys for the tire installation on Wednesday, I will have to look for longer wheel nuts that extend out from the wheel surface.
    Tuesday, I bring the car to my mechanics for them to diagnose why the cruise control is not working, (I should check the fuse.) and why the horn keeps blaring (bad horn relay?).
    I have looked at speakers for the car (though I probably don't have the budget for them right now).  The dash speakers are 4-inch, and the rear speakers are 5 x 7 or at most, 6 x 8.  I don't think Polk makes speakers in those sizes; I will have to go to a different manufacturer.  I'm not sure I want to keep the dash speakers.  There are speaker grilles on the front doors for the optional 5 1/4 speakers (which were only put in cars with Premium Sound systems).  I'm tending toward disconnecting the old dash speakers and toward putting in the door speakers, though door speakers are partially obscured by the door map pockets.

         Truly,
         Robert Bernardo
         June 10-11 Pacific Commodore Expo NW -
         http://www.portcommodore.com/pacommex
         July 29-30 Commodore Vegas Expo -
         http://www.portcommodore.com/commvex

[RobertB]

The shuddering has returned.

(snip)

By the way, I bought a new MSD distributor cap and rotor and will install those in the next day or two.

It took me a few minutes to install the new distributor cap and rotor.  With the old cap removed, I inspected the insides and found significant corrosion on the brass.  I also rerouted the spark plug cables.  With the new parts installed, the car runs much better.  The shuddering is gone, though I'm still not satisfied with the slightly uneven idle and the slightly uneven speed with cruise control on.  When I receive those new spark plug cables and when I add cable separators, I'll see if those items alleviate those symptoms.

         Truly,
         Robert Bernardo
         June 10-11 Pacific Commodore Expo NW -
         http://www.portcommodore.com/pacommex
         July 29-30 Commodore Vegas Expo -
         http://www.portcommodore.com/commvex

[RobertB]

Tuesday, I bring the car to my mechanics for them to diagnose why the cruise control is not working, (I should check the fuse.) and why the horn keeps blaring (bad horn relay?).

Ah, I had read of this problem, but I wasn't sure I believed it.  The cruise control circuit and the horn circuit are connected at the same point -- the horn pad on the steering wheel!  When the electrical connections in the horn pad (which is in the center hub of the steering wheel) go bad, then your horn malfunctions and your cruise control is gone.  The remedy -- buy another horn pad!  Finding a brand new horn pad in the color keyed to your interior is impossible.  I'll have to resort to buying a used pad and take my chances that it will work.  The interior of the station wagon is a milk chocolate brown; all I can find is a dark brown horn pad.

         Hmm, a contrasting color for the interior?
         Robert Bernardo
         June 10-11 Pacific Commodore Expo NW -
         http://www.portcommodore.com/pacommex
         July 29-30 Commodore Vegas Expo -
         http://www.portcommodore.com/commvex

[RobertB]

After all this time, the modern radio and speakers still haven't been installed nor a heavy-duty radiator.  However, because I plan on using the Colony Park on the very long trip to Seattle for the Pacific Commodore Expo, I've been doing maintenance items.  The transmission filter and fluid and the differential fluid were changed, synthetic fluids going in.

The Mercury Colony Park station made the trip to Seattle and back in fine shape.  Compared to the Ford Crown Vic, the CP got slightly worse gas mileage -- 19 to 20 mpg against the Vic's 21 to 22 -- making for more gas stops on the route.  Making the steep climb over the Mt. Siskyou pass between California and Oregon was o.k. for the old engine which has over 250K in miles; it maintained speed going up, but if slowed down during the climb, it laboriously tried to gain the previous uphill speed.  In other words, it was no fresh, rebuilt engine as in the Vic.  Though the a.c. still did not have a full charge, it handled the Pacific NW weather adequately, because the temps did not break over into the 80's.  In fact, for most of my time there, it was cool and rainy in the 50's and 60's.

...I went to Pep Boys for tire installation, having pre-paid for new Travelstar tires a few weeks ago...

The soft Travelstar tires are o.k., but they are not like the firmer Michelins previously mounted on the car.

I have looked at speakers for the car (though I probably don't have the budget for them right now).  The dash speakers are 4-inch, and the rear speakers are 5 x 7 or at most, 6 x 8.  I don't think Polk makes speakers in those sizes; I will have to go to a different manufacturer.  I'm not sure I want to keep the dash speakers.  There are speaker grilles on the front doors for the optional 5 1/4 speakers (which were only put in cars with Premium Sound systems).  I'm tending toward disconnecting the old dash speakers and toward putting in the door speakers, though door speakers are partially obscured by the door map pockets.

My mistake... the car did have the Premium Sound system.  I discovered this when I brought my car into Warehouse Car Stereo just before my trip north.  They removed the old FoMoCo stereo radio and installed a brand-new Pioneer DEH-X6900BT CD/radio.  When they tried hooking into the old Premium Sound speakers, they found out that the speakers had a separate amplifier, making the speakers unusable with the new Pioneer.  Solution - bypass the amplifier and put in new speakers.  As I had planned, the dull dash speakers were disconnected and the 5 1/4" door speakers (which were in the doors but were not working) were replaced by new Pioneer tri-axial speakers.  The rear speakers would have to be installed at a later date.
    The overtime on the stereo installation left me with a 3-hour later departure, but now I had a modern, 2017 car stereo with color-changeable display, song title display, USB connection, AUX mini-jack input, and Bluetooth (e.g. my cell phone would ring and I could answer it by using the lavalier mic mounted on the steering column and by listening on the car speakers).
    At the Pacific Commodore Expo, at one of my hotels during the trip, and elsewhere, the Colony Park drew admiring looks; I guess a big, woody station wagon in very good condition isn't commonplace anymore.  Or perhaps they were looking at the old Commodores in the car's cargo area.  
    Kent Sullivan, "I can't believe that you got all of that (7 systems) in the car!"  Rob Santry, "You still have room for more?!"  My response, "Well, it's not up to the ceiling yet!"

         Truly,
         Robert Bernardo
         Fresno Commodore User Group
         http://www.dickestel.com/fcug.htm
         July 29-30 Commodore Vegas Expo -
         http://www.portcommodore.com/commvex

[RobertB]

Though the a.c. still did not have a full charge, it handled the Pacific NW weather adequately...

Sunday I went to the FCUG meeting with the semi-cool a.c. working in the Colony Park.  Going there in the morning was all right, because the outside temps got up into the 80's or low 90's.  However, going back home was big problem, because the outside temp rose to about 100.  Not good!  With the a.c. fan on high blowing only cool air, I was still sweating in the hot car.  That did it!  No time to bring it to my mechanics for a professional check of the a.c.; I'd have to recharge the a.c. myself.  On Monday, armed with a $38 can of freon bought from WalMart, I connected that can to the low-pressure side of the a.c. system, read the pressure readings, and began the process of charging the system.  One can did it!  Previous pressure had been down to an unacceptable 28 p.s.i.; now it was up to a good 44 p.s.i..  The a.c. compressor no longer cycled off and on, trying to compress a slight amount of freon.  With a full charge, the compressor ran continually, doing the job of cooling the air coming through the vents into the car.  Ah, it was nice to have real cold air coming through the vents again!

         110 degrees today in my area,
         Robert Bernardo
         Fresno Commodore User Group
         http://www.dickestel.com/fcug.htm
         July 29-30 Commodore Vegas Expo -
         http://www.portcommodore.com/commvex

[RobertB]

When I receive those new spark plug cables and when I add cable separators, I'll see if those items alleviate those symptoms.

Yes!  I put in most of the Taylor spark plug cables (o.k., I haven't put in the cables for #6 and #7 because those are the most difficult to access), and the engine is running much better.
     Today, Thursday, July 13, the Crown Vic hit the 500,000 mile mark!  That's 20K on the rebuilt 302 V8.  To celebrate the 1/2 million mile mark, the car will get a new, 2017 Pioneer car stereo, just like the one installed in the Colony Park station wagon.

         Truly,
         Robert Bernardo
         Fresno Commodore User Group -
         http://www.dickestel.com/fcug.htm
         July 29-30 Commodore Vegas Expo -
         http://www.portcommodore.com/commvex

[RobertB]

I put in most of the Taylor spark plug cables (o.k., I haven't put in the cables for #6 and #7 because those are the most difficult to access)...

When I brought my car into my mechanics for the car stereo installation, the Crown Vic stalled out in the parking lot of their establishment.  It would not restart.  Was it a fuel delivery problem, or was it an ignition problem?  Raymond, the mechanic in charge of electricals, gave it a quick test for spark right there in the driveway.  Donnie, the mechanic in charge of engine problems, deduced that the ignition control module (which hangs on the distributor) had gone bad.  He quickly replaced it, and the engine started up right away.  Bruce, the owner of the shop, commented that I was really lucky to have broken down right there and not on the way to and from next weekend's SCCAN meeting or the July CommVEx.
     While the car was there, the remaining Taylor spark plug cables were installed... for free!

...the car will get a new, 2017 Pioneer car stereo, just like the one installed in the Colony Park station wagon.

Stereo installed!  It took me awhile to pair the Bluetooth of the receiver with that of my cellphone, but I got it done.  Now the question is... do I put the same Pioneer stereo receiver in the 1972 Ford Ranchero?  Currently, it has a non-working aftermarket radio that fits the original hole in the dash.  If I do go with the modern Pioneer, the hole in the dash would have to be enlarged, and of course, the Pioneer does not look at all like a classic car radio. 

         Truly,
         Robert Bernardo
         Fresno Commodore User Group -
         http://www.dickestel.com/fcug.htm
         July 29-30 Commodore Vegas Expo -
         http://www.portcommodore.com/commvex

[RobertB]

...I connected that can to the low-pressure side of the (station wagon's) a.c. system, read the pressure readings, and began the process of charging the system.  One can did it!  Previous pressure had been down to an unacceptable 28 p.s.i.; now it was up to a good 44 p.s.i...

Today was the Crown Vic sedan's turn.  A couple of days ago I discovered that the a.c. was not blowing cold air as well as before.  Today armed with an 18 oz. can of R-134, I dug under the hood.  I couldn't understand how the a.c. system had lost its freon in the relatively short time span since it blew its hose and had been recharged.  Looking around the fittings, I discovered an oily patch around the high-pressure inlet.  It had loosened to only being finger-tight!  So, I wrenched it a bit tighter to about 5-7 footpounds (don't want to overstress its o-ring).  Then I measured the system pressure with the engine running and the a.c. at max.  The compressor was cycling on and off between 25 and 52 p.s.i. (between undercharge and overcharge levels).  As soon as the new freon started pumping in, the readings leveled out to 30 p.s.i., still undercharged.  Patiently, I continued the process, and the freon pressure topped out at 39 p.s.i., adequate for the system.  Success... the a.c. was now blowing out cold air.  And I had about 2 ounces left in the freon can.

          Truly,
         Robert Bernardo
         Fresno Commodore User Group
         http://www.dickestel.com/fcug.htm