Grrr..Older Chiltons or Haynes manual?

[fordktpjoe]

Anyone know where I can get an older Chilton or Haynes manual that covers up to '90-'91?

I bought one at Advance but the damned thing is mostly about '92+. Not much info in there for my car. What a waste of $20

[Mercracer]

What are you looking for specifically? You can order just about anything on line or from Barnes and Noble.

[FastGallopingPonies]

Internet is your friend, Got my Haynes manual off ebay for ~$10 Shipped to my door, and found a local guy with a '88 Ford drive train service manual that I got for $5, found him on craigslist.

[packman]

The newer Chiltons is alright, but the service manuals that the mechanics and repair shops use is the way to go. If you can find a shop that is closing and or one that has no use of the mechanic's service manual, snatch it up. Both the Haynes and Chiltons manuals that they sell at Barnes and Noble just don't cut it and they leave out a lot of information.

Oh, I forgot to mention, there is a place called Helm publications that publishes the service manuals for the Ford dealerships. They might be helpful. I just ordered what are supposed to be original service manuals for my mom's '86 Crown Vic. I'll hunt up the contact information for them.

I couldn't find the info that I originally wrote down, so I did the next best thing and found their website. Here is the linky.

http://www.helminc.com/helm/homepage.asp?r=http://search.yahoo.com/search?fr=ush2-mail&ei=UTF-8&p=helm+publications

Packman

[interceptor1985]

I just got a Haynes "manual" for my 99....I think I was better with the $20 bucks still in my pocket, that thing is USELESS! My car IS NOT an aero Its a whale! and I need body info not how to change my damned oil....ARGHA!

[gadget73]

Get the actual Ford manual if possible. More information than you could ever want. They are somewhat seperated though, one is all the body/chassis/electrical stuff, one is powertrain/maintenence and the other is the electrical/vacuum troubleshooting book.

[fordktpjoe]

Internet is your friend, Got my Haynes manual off ebay for ~$10 Shipped to my door, and found a local guy with a '88 Ford drive train service manual that I got for $5, found him on craigslist.

Yeah I been looking on ebay...no luck so far.

every place else I have looked has only up to '87, or the one I have. I may go with the < 87 one, as it is closer to my car anyway...I WILL go check out the helms link too.

Thanks guys!

[packman]

Get the actual Ford manual if possible. More information than you could ever want. They are somewhat seperated though, one is all the body/chassis/electrical stuff, one is powertrain/maintenence and the other is the electrical/vacuum troubleshooting book.

I had those manuals and I stupidly gave them away to the kid that I bought the CV from. I'll try contacting the kid if the manuals that I bought don't work out.


Packman

[1987cp]

Yeah I been looking on ebay...no luck so far.

every place else I have looked has only up to '87, or the one I have. I may go with the < 87 one, as it is closer to my car anyway...I WILL go check out the helms link too.

Thanks guys!

One thing about Helm, I'd suggest talking with the older/more experienced guys on here before placing your order to make sure you're ordering the exact manual you think you are since the names of the volumes can be a bit cryptic. I bought one once but wound up returning it (and paying the restocking fee) because it contained completely different information (body and chassis, I think) than what I needed (engine/SEFI) and so was completely useless to me.

I did subscribe to AllDataDIY once, and while not the most convenient way to find information (it's sorted weirdly), it seems I was eventually able to find what I needed. Also, if the Haynes and Chilton publications you're thinking of are the ones I've got, don't bother. The info on the '86-up models (SEFI in particular) is all but nonexistant and even a lot of the pictures show '68-'78 stuff that is in my opinion of marginal relevance.

[LTDMan83]

This is the Chilton Shop manual I have. It's about as detailed as you could possibly ever want, and is broken up into separate sections. Even has a fully detailed section just for SEFI.

I would have been stuck many times working on my engine, without having the exact removal/install procedure and torque specs for everything.

It's a little pricey for a shop manual, but it's worth every penny IMO.

Link

[1987cp]

Funky, that's the exact manual I was just deriding... maybe I should have another look at it.

[86GmLsCoupe]

The Helm/Ford manuals are the best I've seen, but 1987CP is right, they are broken up into the volumes. I had some problems with my car and needed certain emissions info and thought I was ok with the two volumes I have (volumes A & D), but it turns out I need another engine & emissions specific volume (volume H). My Hayne's manual is pretty much a paperweight.

[gadget73]

from 1990 onward, you can get the manuals on CD I believe. Those may pop up on ebay from time to time.

[Lincolnmania]

if you guys have an ollies bargain outlet near your town, they sell the auto manuals cheap......around 5 bucks for the paperback, 10-20 for the big thick chilton manuals that cover domestics......they are good for torque specs and the beginner.....those books to a pro are simply torque specs and toilet paper

[1987cp]

torque specs and toilet paper ..... Isn't that sometimes the truth, though?