What a shame

[WagonMan]

I just parted an 88 Town Car with 73K miles. My demo derby friend bought the car cheap because it had a "seized" engine. When I got the car the spark plugs were removed and the starter was in the trunk. The "professional" shop that diagnosed the car couldn't figure out what happened. I cut the air pump belt and spun the engine over by hand. So this nice Town Car is going to be destroyed because of these idiot mechanics. WagonMan

[87gtVIC]

Smog pump locked up then huh?

Cant plug their scan tool into it they dont know what the hell to do.

[gadget73]

first thing I was always told when dealing with a "seized" engine was remove the belts just in case its some accessory.

The problem with these cars is they're too new for the really old school guys to want to fool with, but too old for most other folks to want to deal with. 1960s engines with 80s fuel injection, its like the worst of all worlds to most people.

[knucklehead0202]

first thing I was always told when dealing with a "seized" engine was remove the belts just in case its some accessory.

The problem with these cars is they're too new for the really old school guys to want to fool with, but too old for most other folks to want to deal with. 1960s engines with 80s fuel injection, its like the worst of all worlds to most people.

So funny is that's what i love about them. A fun mix of old and new. If they'd done it without the bullshit metric fasteners at random i would like it better.

[mercurygm88]

So funny is that's what i love about them. A fun mix of old and new. If they'd done it without the bullshit metric fasteners at random i would like it better.

Did ford ever stop doing that? I noticed that the coolant temp sensor on my '02 was 3/4" the thermostat housing bolts were 10mm. I feel like my '88 was all metric. I feel like a Canadian built panther would be all metric, and a U.S. built one would be all standard. Or they would have just agreed to used one or the other.

[gadget73]

Its less metric as time went on. My Continental is the really dumb one. German engine and trans, every bolt on it is metric. Every bolt on the body is metric. Random accessories have standard bolts because its a 1960s alternator and power steering pump. AC compressor is Japanese and metric, water pump is German and metric.

Panthers with the half metric, half SAE bolts are stupid too. Water pump bolts with standard into the block but metric for the accessory brackets. Mix of standard and metric depending on when the specific accessory was made. I hate having to dig into both sets of tools just to work on something.

[DerekTheGreat]

So funny is that's what i love about them. A fun mix of old and new. If they'd done it without the bullshit metric fasteners at random i would like it better.

Yep, same here. Tried and true engine design with decades of history and thus parts that are readily available.. That plus the fact that if the aftermarket part quality ends up sucking more than it does now, you can carb slap it and keep going, no need to throw the whole thing away.

[clutch47]

So funny is that's what i love about them. A fun mix of old and new. If they'd done it without the bullshit metric fasteners at random i would like it better.

Ne'er a more true word spoken. ^^
The randomness of Met-Rick vs. SAE just makes me laugh sometimes. The one that really makes me shake my head is the trick fasters I've found on my wifes Taurus. Met-Rick head/SAE thread. Verified with thread pitch gauge and new nuts from my stash. Typically into a plastic part with a threaded insert that is ALSO SAE.. WhatTHE HELL.?

[DerekTheGreat]

GM is notorious for that too. Found that out as a teen when I went to swap the intake on my Firebird, metric headed bolts, SAE thread pitch.