WTF is it?!

[Freshmeat]

1989 Lincoln Town Car Signature Series... there's some sort of contraption on the driver fender. Looks almost like a pump of some sort. It has a plastic air hose coming off it leading to God knows where. It's blocking me from using my Marauder intake assembly.

Anyone know what it is? Is it a necessity? What would happen if I take it off? I can try to get a picture tonight if no one knows off hand what I'm talking about.

Thanks guys!

[mrltd]

probably the pump for the auto-levellling rear suspension.

[Mercracer]

probably the pump for the auto-levellling rear suspension.

+1 most likely...

[Freshmeat]

Auto-levelling rear suspension? I thought that was only with airbag suspensions...

[DuceAnAHalf]

Auto-levelling rear suspension? I thought that was only with airbag suspensions...

didn't all town cars have air bags in the rear?

[Freshmeat]

Mine has springs.

[DuceAnAHalf]

was it converted?

[Freshmeat]

Doubtful. Everything on this car has appeared to be stock and untouched except for a random ass horn and a shitty tape player that wasn't even connected.

[CheeseSteakJim]

didn't all town cars have air bags in the rear?

'90-up did. '89 and below had coils, but some came with load-assist pneumatic shock absorbers that would help raise the ass off the ground. I personally have never seen one up close but if I remember correctly Gadget has them.

[gadget73]

Coil springs and air shocks for 85-89. The pump went up front in 1987, and it went to air springs in 1990. You can tie it into aftermarket air shocks with a $15 adapter, or if you're not using air shocks just remove the compressor.

and yes I do have them. Mine would work if the damn O ring would seal. The common wisdom from the Mark VII people won't get me a good seal, so I'll have to seek alternate sources for the O ring.

[Freshmeat]

Will switching to conventional shocks require any special adapters? I'd rather just ditch this pump and go to normal shocks. If I ditch the pump now, how badly will it screw up my suspension without replacing the rear shocks?

[Mr. Land Yacht]

Magna had the same thing under the hood.
yes, it is for rear air shocks/auto leveling.

[gabegt90]

jermey's 90 blue vic that he sold had that as well
Found the pic

[85crownHPP]

I think he meant you only need adaptors to run the pump to aftermarket air shocks. Installing normal shocks should not require anything special.

[Archangel]

The problem with the whole air ride setup is that the stock lines are 3/16" but the new shocks take 1/8" lines, so you gotta tie the 1/8s into the 3/16 main coming off the compressor. You can do that with the adapter Thain mentioned, or you can put something together yourself if you got the right parts, like I did.

Air shocks can be replaced with regular shocks, then you can get rid of the whole compressor setup and all the associated lines. Chances are by now the shocks are shot so they contribute nothing to your ride height, so if do go swap them out for regulars there will be no change in the car's ass-side ground clearance.