My 1985 Town Car Sig.

[Piece-it pete]

No sweat mangs it is indeed a long tailshaft, the tail cover is 11" long. Come out a super clean 85 Conti, dude put a 5 speed in it. 103k miles, fluid pretty clean but not new, I'm doing the free tranny dance lol. Cool people rock!

Zoom I'd rather have yours!, and I sure appreciate the offer, but mine is going downhill fast, it's like it's getting worse every day. I didn't even take it on the 100 mile drive to get the trans.

I'll start a prepping an AOD thread here shortly...

Pete

[Piece-it pete]

Tranny on hold for a moment, driving back from lunch yesterday and the steering goes weird.

Turning a corner it feels like it wants to keep going straight. Feels loose driving straight, and doesn't want to re-center. Makes driving fun!

Much better to sit here guessing what it is than actually looking at it My Karnak-like mental powers tell me it's probably the gear box. I believe the netherworld is telling me that because A) I just spent hours changing the damn output shaft seal on it, B) I want a 98-02 cop gearbox anyway, and C) I slightly tightened the current gearbox, again, when I changed the seal Anatomy of a freaking genuis I tell ya.

The hunt will start this weekend weather permitting (after I check and make sure it's not something stupid like a tierod end).

All I need is: Input and output shaft seals (might as well), new rag joint, custom high pressure line? Is the pitman arm interchangable?

Pete

[gadget73]

if the box is over-adjusted, it will bind in the center of travel. You want to make that lash adjustment with the wheel rolled over about a turn so you're in a non-worn part of the gear. It also can't be tight, there needs to be some gear lash or it won't steer properly.

[Piece-it pete]

Thanks! So it's possible I don't need to change the box right now? I'll try giving it a turn and checking the adjustment.

Pete

[Piece-it pete]

I got the 'good' box yesterday

Off a 98 copper CV. I also did a bit of looking for an adapter. After a number of phone calls I ended up at a Parker store.

They said, 'I'm not saying it doesn't exist, but we sure don't have it.' It was the bubble flare that made it a problem btw. Since eveyone else said they were the go to people I said 'Well I'm out of luck'. They mentioned they knew a co that just got a bubble flare machine! I call, they'll do it for $15.

So. I think that the line diameter of the stock 85 line is just slightly smaller than the line on the 98. Just the same, I think I'm going to buy a new stock 85 line, cut the flange, slide the new fitting on and have it re-bubbled, that it's close enough to work. Comments, objections?

Also, I see that the return line on the 98 has a different routing. Do I just bend it by hand and connect the hose? And lastly, my 85 pitman arm will work, correct?

I'm fired up about the box. Since I put the 16s on my car the steering seems a little overwhelmed and I'm hoping this will cure that.

Pete

[gadget73]

the police cars had a power steering cooler. If you get it, or make one, you'll find the stock police return line works brilliantly. The cooler is nothing more than a loop of steel line in front of the radiator. Looks like this.




upper thing is the trans cooler, lower is the PS cooler. Return from the cooler to the pump is just bulk hose. I won't swear that it helps anything, but I can tell you my pump has nearly 190k on it and it doesn't have that Ford PS moan of doom like so many cars have. Take that for whatever it may be worth.


if you can get a line that goes from an 85 PS pump to a 98 PI box made up for $15, absolutely go for it. Hell, if it works I'd be quite inclined to send you some cash to have one made for me as a spare.

The only concern with a police box is the possibility of it having a gazillion miles on it, especially if it was in a taxi. Make sure its not slopped out first. I was hugely lucky in that Scott managed to score one off a super low mileage (like 7k miles) rear end wrecked P71 which he sold to me when I converted my car. I will warn you that the actual police boxes feel nothing like your stock gear does. Its a much stiffer wheel feel, so be prepared for that.

[86VickyLX]

if you can get a line that goes from an 85 PS pump to a 98 PI box made up for $15, absolutely go for it. Hell, if it works I'd be quite inclined to send you some cash to have one made for me as a spare.

Ditto!!!!

[Piece-it pete]

Thanks for the info! The cop car had 140k but playing with the box it seemed tight, who knows? I figure that I'll at least have it in and running and it's GOT to be better than the current one. If/when I find a low milage one and have the green it'll drop in. I was hoping to not buy the cooler, this is getting expensive (pullapart wants about $30 for the cooler) and I've still go that tranny to do! I'd rather have the cooler though.

I'm going to buy a new 85 line and then spend $15 more, just to be clear.

The more I look into it the more doubtful I become. Here's the sizes:

85: 5/16" Swivel O-Ring Type II x 3/8" Swivel O-Ring Type I x 45"

98: 16mm Swivel O-Ring Type III x 5/16" Male O-Ring x 45 1/4"

Which end is which? The nut off the 98 looks slightly larger than the 85. 16 mm is more like 5/8, so I think that's not it. Is it really 5/16 to 5/16, and the diameter difference is english to metric somehow anyway? [edit: d'oh! That's probably that 'type I, type II thing] What I'm worried about is leaking even with a new bubble because the line appears slightly smaller on the 85.

Aw heck I'll have to buy a line and take it up there, see what he says. If that's a bust I've found a welder who is willing to try to mate the metal hoses together, who has patched leaking metal hydraulic lines before, but he's worried that he'll melt it, $20-25.

What's a custom hose cost roughly?

1st I need funds before I do any of it. I've learned from you guys - I'll have to smack the hoes that owe me money

Pete

[Piece-it pete]

You know, I bet that if we can find out what 'type' the 98s 5/16" fitting is we can find an adapter. I'm going to try.

Pet

[Piece-it pete]

Spoke with Gates, they said the 5/16 end of the 98 hose has a 16mm 1.5 pitch nut. So perhaps, if I've got the right ends! both tubes are 5/16" and so I should be able to swap nuts & have it bubbled. I'm going to try it.

Pete

[gadget73]

should be able to measure the tube diameter with a 5/16 wrench to confirm size. tube sizing is by actual outer diameter. Pipe size is determined by some drunkard who can't read a measuring tape.

[Piece-it pete]

Did some work on it over the weekend. I missed that I needed the the piece that goes on the input shaft, went back to the JY with the cordless recip to get it, they crushed the car

So I pulled one off a 98 MGM. I like the rubber rag joint, I'll take it to the hardware store and see if I can get the bolts and sleeves to make it work. If not, new old style rag from the parts store.

Went to replace the pitman shaft seal. Cleaned the thing out, and surprise! No internal snap ring?? WTF?

Pete

[Piece-it pete]

Spoke to a mustang guy last night, he said just drill out the brackets that hold the new style rag joint to the same size as the holes in the rag, it'd be fine.

Pete

[Piece-it pete]

Finally got to the hydraulic place. Picked the right time, Saturday morning, no one there except a bored looking old timer behind the counter.

He spent almost an hour with me trying to get this to work. He started by saying 'I hate you car guys' good naturedly

Long and short is, fail. The metal line on the 98 is slightly smaller than the 85, enough where he believed it just wouldn't work. It might, might have sealed properly if I opened the hole in the nut a little bit, and managed to get the fatter line down in the new box, but it probably wouldn't, his take. Um, I believed him.

No good way to use adapters either. Even if the right ones could be found (they didn't have anything in stock in this huge place with 30+ service trucks parked outside) they are fairly expensive in their own right. He said yeah you probably have to get a custom line made. Is $100 or possibly more correct? To borrow a phrase, bah!

My neighbor is a welder/fabricator, and he knows a guy with 40+ years experience. The guy is going to try to weld the new box fitting onto the old style line. I will report back on that, hopefully in a day or two.

Anyway in desperation I ran to the JY and picked up a stock box, wanting the old battleaxe back on the road. Pulled it off a 85 TC showing 7k something miles (hopefully 107). Popped that sucker in. It is so much better than my original, even before I destroyed it. Of course now the steering wheel is about 10 degrees off

Playing with the two steering boxes off the car (A life? What's that?) even with 140K on it the newer cop box is WAY tighter, I can turn the input shaft and the output shart turns immediately, no slop whatsoever, while the 'new' old box did have a little bit, enough to be obvious. I hope the guy can weld the line, I'm really looking forward to giving it a go.

Nice to drive Faded Glory again though

Pete

[Piece-it pete]

Got the hose! Looks like it might work. I hope to have it in tomorrow weather permitting.

Pete