found the snake... what is it?

[sinistral]

found the source of my hissing... not sure what i'm looking at (or what it does). near the firewall around the shifter rod, smaller of the 2 hoses:

(upper right, left hose in this lousy cell phone pic)

[ATTACH]25811[/ATTACH]

thanks.

[1990LTD]

that is the vacuum actuated automatic parking brake release. it'll release the brake when you pop it in gear if you forgot to release it. kind of a loud and alarming sound when it happens but a neat feature. they break and crack and split etc with time

check this out

http://www.grandmarq.net/vb/showthread.php?t=33999&highlight=automatic+parking+brake

[1990LTD]

part number E45C-2B623-AA

[johnunit]

You can install a new one like in that thread, or cap the line off. It doesn't affect anything other than the automatic parking brake release itself, which is probably faulty if it's hissing.

I just capped the vacuum line on mine off because I don't use the parking brake anyway, not "best practice" but not hurting anything either.

[sly]

be wary... I replaced the one in my car and the rubber in it cracked within 6 months. I just pulled and capped the line coming though the firewall to the horseshoe looking vacuum switch near the firewall at the end of the shifter shaft.

[johnunit]

I think the problem is that, at this point, any OEM Ford replacement is going to be nearly as old as the part that broke, and the breakage is caused as much by aging of the material as wear and tear from use.

[sinistral]

thanks... i very rarely use a parking brake, so it sounds like i can pull & plug both the hoses and call it good?

[1990LTD]

yup

[johnunit]

yes. only one hose needs to be capped (the one with vacuum when you put it in gear) but you'd have to pull them both to confirm which that is, so might as well pull both.

[87gtVIC]

Mine was plugged with a golf tee.

[85crownHPP]

plug the black one

[johnunit]

Mine was plugged with a golf tee.

Mine is still plugged with a cheap chinese screwdriver bit.

Having said that, maybe I should go back and edit where I admitted to having done the work myself...

[91waggin]

USE YOUR PARKING BRAKE ON A HILL!!
My friend's mother killed her mother (my friend's grandma) because the parking pawl failed on a truck and it rolled down the hill and hit her where she was gardening at the bottom of the driveway.

Oh and golf tees work great for plugging vacuum lines. Have done this too.

[rick99601]

i never let my vehicles rest on the transmission if parked on any type of uneven ground.

its always 'N, engage parking brake, left off brake pedal, THEN park'

[tjc78]

I miss the auto park release on my Lincolns and MGM. My newer car has just about everything but not that.