New MGM devotee

[Medusa]

Hi, GMN!

I was recently blessed with the gift of a 1988 Mercury Grand Marquis LS, which I dearly love. She is a diamond in the rough!

I have some mechanical knowledge, but in most cases would need to do research about the specifics on this particular car beyond the maintenance basics. I'm not a mechanic (obviously), but as an RN, I do understand systems theory, so I generally have no trouble understanding how and why things function the way they do (or don't)...

I've owned this baby since early July, and not too long afterward, the notorious TVC grommet failed...suffice it to say that I've lost overdrive and am now operating in Drive only. I never would have been able to figure out what was wrong without the help of the geniuses here at GMN, and that's why I decided to join. Most people I know have encouraged me to sell her and get something else, but I'm the only female in a household of six, and, dammit, I want a project, too! Besides...I really love this car. It's like driving a couch! Also, there is nothing out there in modern automotive offerings that compares to the coolness of cornering lights! Just sayin'...

Thanks for being here and for already saving my bacon. Please bear with me as I ask plenty of "dumb" questions. I hope someday to be able to answer them for others.

[DerekTheGreat]

Props for driving a box and being committed to it! Also props for being a chick and into non modern cars, that's quite rare. The only dumb question is a question not asked so ask away. Ashley (AshleyTheGreat) and I both drive boxes and dig them for various reasons. Also, I hope you aren't driving that unless you installed that brass replacement grommet, will buy you time. Ashley picked up her '89 Town Car with a smoked trans for the same exact reason but we parked it until we got that replacement:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/AOD-transmission-TV-cable-HD-bushing-clip-Ford-Mustang-5-0L-EFI-/121782540088?hash=item1c5ace1738&vxp=mtr

It only had 2nd & 3rd gear (drive) but she drove it like that for about 3 or 4 months before having the trans rebuilt.

[87Topaz]

Are you still driving it with the bad grommet? If so (I hope not) I would replace it with the brass grommet and clip. Easy repair and "may" fix your trany issues without a rebuild (if stuff is not already burnt out already). Ignore all the nay sayers, keep the car, if possible and enjoy. Welcome to the forum!! Anthony

P.S. I work in a hospital and most of my friends are RN's!

[Medusa]

Thank you to Anthony and the Greats! You've made me feel welcome already!

I looked for the brass grommet, but haven't been able to find one yet. Initially went with a generic grommet similar in size from Autozone as a temp fix, and then got Ford's "answer" to the original grommet problem at their parts counter, as well as a backup should that one fail. Tranny rebuild to fix what I'm told is a burned-out fourth gear is looking like $1,700 at a minimum, so that's why she is only operated in D for now. I do intend to swap in the brass grommet once located, and to have the tranny rebuilt, but in the meantime, I'm keeping an eye on that grommet and cable, and keeping an ear out for the sound of further tranny slippage.

I only wish I had been able to recognize the problem when that TV cable came loose. By the time I figured it out a couple days later, 4th was already fried. Of course, if it hadn't been for you folks being willing to share your knowledge and experience, she'd prolly be at the junkyard by now...and I have to ask: how do you design, develop and manufacture as complex a component as a transmission, but allow its success or failure to rest on the viability of one tiny rubber grommet? Just sayin'...

She has a few other "minor" issues, but I treat her with respect and she gets me where I need to go Getting her back to her former beauty is just what I need right now: having her as a project is giving me new intellectual challenges and increased confidence. I guess it really is "the journey" that matters most!

Thanks again for welcoming me. Please let me know if I get too insistent or verbose (in a PM, of course! Lol).

[DerekTheGreat]

Word!

That link I posted was to one for sale on ebay, scoop it up and install in place of the temporary one. Trans experts here could explain it better (I merely tinker and understand the basics, so I'm not "great" lol) but that linkage is critical to the life of the trans, as you depress the gas it essentially allows more pressure to the governor inside the transmission to keep clutches and such applied, which is why overdrive failed. Without that pressure the clutches just kept slipping, built up heat and then led to carnage. When adjusted properly, that TV cable also dictates how long the trans will hold a gear. Before it failed you might've noticed that when you matted the gas pedal to the floor it shifted right away (or didn't downshift) into the next gear as if you're coasting- because the governor thought you were due to non existent line pressure. And yes, it is a stupid design, my dad's old Mark VII's transmission died the same way and my 88 TC already had the brass one installed so I'm guessing my transmission has been rebuilt already. When most things fail they're designed to "fail-safe", in this case too much line pressure, which would cause super hard & delayed shifting but not a dead transmission.. Here's a great video on how to adjust the TV cable btw:

We're a pretty loose bunch here and encourage discussion, well at least I do haha. But the community has lots of people on here that know their stuff and have helped me countless times. I've learned a lot about panthers in my short (two years going) tenure with them because of this site and it's people.

[VicCrownVic]

Welcome!

Too bad you don't live north of Detroit (I assume you don't, no need to disclose that information though), I know a place that does great work rebuilding transmissions with great pricing. In 2010 my dad paid just over $1k to have and AOD rebuilt for his 89 MGM, and now it's in my car which is the 3rd car it's been in since the rebuild. I'd have to dig through my maintenance logs to know the exact mileage, but I think it has maybe 120k miles on it, and my trans hasn't been babied either, just ask Derek. Honestly I don't do anything really abusive/stupid, I'm just not afraid to floor it from every stop light.

[Medusa]

Thanks so much for the eBay link and the video! I just finished entering a bid for it. "MINE!"

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[Medusa]

See, that's the thing about this car. I really needed a car ASAP. I was desperate. Finally had everything worked out to get a newer foreign model from a dealership three hours away at a STUPID interest rate (long boring story). Night before, a friend calls and offers me this vehicle for $500. I look it up online, and I'm totally NOT impressed, but beggars can't be choosers, right? But the price was right, so I figured I had no choice but to buy it as long as it was mechanically sound. So I go meet the buyer, feeling just a teeny bit sad inside cuz it was not all that pretty, and it was so OLD...

...and then I drove it.

And from that moment on, it was just love. What can I say?

I know y'all know what I mean.

I have an old friend who's driven nothing but LTCs as long as I've known him. And now, I know why.

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[DerekTheGreat]

Awesome!

No problemo, happy to help. Vic isn't easy on his car at all haha! Floored from every stoplight that I paid attention to but his car doesn't seem to be any worse for wear. $1,700 does seem steep for a rebuild. The shop we took Ashley's TC to rebuilt hers for just over $1,100 last year...

[DerekTheGreat]

I hate foreign stuff with a burning passion so glad you didn't go that route, especially new..

I have a friend who says anything that runs & drives is worth $500 so it is what it is. I'd take some of the money you'll be saving by not having to make car payments and stash it aside so you can go through the braking & fuel system, slap new tires on it, change out the fluids, throw spark plugs & wires at it and other tid bits if that car means that much to you, or save up for one more like what you want. The nicer the car is starting off the cheaper it will be to maintain it and or get it where you want it to be. Stay away from anything rusty, those aren't easy fixes and just because a fix looks pretty doesn't mean it will hold up to the elements. Paint systems don't get much better than what the factory did back in the late 80's. Good ole lead based ecoat over zinc phosphate followed by primer sealer, basecoat and then clearcoat.

Eh, don't let the old car thing play with your head too much. Anything out of warranty is an "Old car." I only recommend the payment route to people who aren't car saavy. The newest car in our fleet is a 1989 haha. Worse case scenario, if I can't get replacement parts for the EFI set-up I'll sell these things and go the carbureted route

[Medusa]

Derek-

$1,700 was the AAMCO price. I mainly went there for diagnostics. I'll def be on lookout for a better price in my area when the time comes. Thanks for giving me a pricing frame of reference.

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[Medusa]

I'm finding that the older models meet my needs just fine. I def didn't WANT the "newer" car, OR the payments, but like I said, I was desperate. Three kids, no reasonable public transpo where I live, and it's a metro region, so most people DON'T work and live in the same town around here...which means if you want to get to work, school, or the grocery store, ya pretty much gotta have wheels in these parts.

This car is exactly what I wanted and needed. I just didn't know it yet ;-)

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[VicCrownVic]

Sure do know what you mean.

My current DD 91 MGM was also a $500 car. I bought it knowing it had a bad trans, but I wasn't worried about it since I already had a trans to throw in it from my rotted out 89 (I had just swapped this trans into the 89 the year before).

Until I bought a Yukon last year I had never owned anything other than box panthers.

...
I know y'all know what I mean.

I have an old friend who's driven nothing but LTCs as long as I've known him. And now, I know why.

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[Medusa]

Aww, see, now I had a 2000 GMC Yukon XL until someone totaled it for me in 2013. And I LOVED my 'Kon. That was replaced by an '05 Chevy Suburban, but then SOMEONE decided that this beautiful, LUXURY SUV would make a better WORK TRUCK than a family vehicle. And so SOMEONE just took my truck for their own, and now it's got cement, and paint, and caulk, and grease, and dirt all over the carpet and the beige LEATHER INTERIOR.

No, I'm not bitter. Why would you ask that?! Lol

My husband's thing has always been Jeeps, and we have several, but I have never wanted anything for my own driving pleasure but 'Kons or 'Burbs ('Kons are better) since I bought that used 2000 in '03. In my experience, having watched my husband and oldest son repair and maintain these trucks over the last twelve years, they are treasures in their own right.

Someday I WILL own another Yukon XL, but I'm pretty sure I'll still keep my MGM in the stable. They just don't make 'em like this anymore.

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[87gtVIC]

Welcome to the forum. Good luck with your new old vehicle!