My '85 MGM, "Maisa"

[gadget73]

surprised they didn't just put the amber lights in the ditch light as the side marker.

Ditch lights are actually useful when they work. Works better with a nice bright LED though, and of course if the reflector inside is still somewhat shiny. The Citroen design where the headlamps turned with the steering linkage is even more effective but US laws do not allow for moving lights. Also why SUV/CUV things with huge rear lamp assemblies on the hatch only light up a tiny square that is fixed on the body. Not sure what Euro models allow for but just looking at the back makes it seem like it was designed to have a much larger light area than we get here.

[Arquemann]

Funny feeling, as if the car is almost "done". Just about everything works and is to my liking...

The ditch lights are seemingly intact, somebody just ripped out the guts of the bulbs, leaving the metal base in.
How do the lights work on these? Does it just come on with the blinker? I might just bother getting those to work too.

Also "reserved" a spot for winter storage, same place, warm and ventilated. For 60€ /month it's a good deal here.
I'll probably take the car in within a month or so, cruising season is about over as the nights are getting dark and cold. No reason to keep the car in the rain any longer.
First I've got to get the Volvo roadworthy again, inspection ran out a week ago and I want to get timing set and WP done before the thing grenades spectacularly. It's a touch over 10 years old and about 80-90k KMs. And not doing that myself, nope nope nope.

I did go to the almost ancient and traditional "stadin cruising" last night. Aka Helsinki cruising. Haven't been there before. What a let down, the local and closer cruise nights are way bigger and nicer IMO.
Though I'm not a city slicker, I really can't be arsed to go Helsinki for anything even remotely "for fun". Big city, shitty traffic and not knowing the roads makes me nervous.

Right in the heart of Helsinki, city hall in the background.

[Tiggie]

My dad once told me if it’s dark enough for parking lights, it’s dark enough for headlights. He has some Norway/Sweden DNA.

I like running the parking lights and fogs on my Ranger around dusk.

[Arquemann]

My dad once told me if it’s dark enough for parking lights, it’s dark enough for headlights. He has some Norway/Sweden DNA.

I like running the parking lights and fogs on my Ranger around dusk.

I put on parking lights cause you gotta have lights on, I use headlights always on bigger roads / when not fucking around town.
Driving around town in the daytime, I used to just have all lights off, but now that the parking lights are amber, I'll use those. Can't forget your lights on if you never put them on

Fog lights are illegal to use as DRLs and outside of bad visibility...
With this car, basically the only way to be "legal" all the time would be to just have headlights on constantly, but ya gotta save on those bulbs right?

[gadget73]

Ditch lights run when the turn signals are on. It uses a pair of what are effectively blinker relays under the dash to 'bridge the gap' between the flashes.

[Arquemann]

I threw a couple bulbs in, now I've got working ditch lights.
Boredom turns into productivity sometimes, not with schoolwork though.

Now what?

[87gtVIC]

I threw a couple bulbs in, now I've got working ditch lights.
Boredom turns into productivity sometimes, not with schoolwork though.

Now what?

Sweet. Gotta love it when just tossing a bulb in place fixes things.

[Arquemann]

Well, the vent shade installation failed pretty spectacularly.

Today I ripped out the single installed piece and replaced the window channel with the WC3396 stuff. The original seal is pretty dead and brittle, but surprisingly came out again in one piece.
Now I have pretty much the same issue as with the old seal + the vent shade. The window comes up too much outwards, it catches the seal and bunches it up. I've tried yanking on the door frame but shit, I feel like I'm gonna break it before it's good on the window. It does fit somewhat okay against the body weatherstripping.

Is there a proper way to adjust the window in-out?

Also washed the car properly, too long since the last time, I almost feel sorry.
I can actually see out the windows well.

And the E-brake indicator decided to break, after using the e-brake for like the 9th time during my ownership.

[sly]

parking brake indicator always on is typically due to the contact washer on the parking brake itself. I've had to use sandpaper to break through the oxidation on both the 88 Grand Marquis I used to have as well as the 93 Crown Vic I have now. Sanding the washer a bit along with the tabs it contacts (they are all exposed) seems to fix the issue for a good while. Last time I did that in the 93 I think was 5 years ago or so.

[gadget73]

There is a guide rod inside the door that will control window tilt, and I think there may also be a padded metal block at the top edge of the door for that. I'd probably loosen the bolt sticking out of the bottom of the door and try moving that first. Thats the guide rod.

[Arquemann]

Don't feel like fucking around with the window yet.

I've had the EGR disconnected and plugged since last summer, so today I put it all back, to see if changes anything now that the car is actually running somewhat properly.
Hot idle in park gets weird and a hint of bucking is noticeable when cruising.
Imma let it be then, better off it not working at all vs. not working correctly. Modern fuel injection or carb might be on the to-do list if I'll keep this car for long. I ain't sure about anything currently. Not sure if this thing has ever run 100% or even 95%, but I do like the car.

I've been trying to keep an eye on the trans fluid level, due to this:

Engine oil pan is dry, trans pan seems fine too, the leak seems to come from between the engine and the box... Not sure is trans front/pump seal or rear main, either way not fun.
My problem with the trans dipstick is that with the advised procedure, I get oil halfway up the dipstick with a whole lot of bubbles every time.
I don't think the trans would be so incredibly overfilled and still shift all nicely?

[sly]

Could be rear intake seal over the engine valley leaking oil as that drips off about the same point.

[gadget73]

Red is ATF, brown is oil. If your ATF is brown enough to be mistaken for oil, thats a problem.

Rear of the intake is highly possible, rear main not impossible but slightly less likely. Valve cover gaskets also tend to run down the back of the engine. Probably worth a good cleaning and then inspection with a mirror to see if its running down from the top or only from the inside.

[packman]

I would have to agree with the above; at least it seems with Ford engines. Both my '91 Ranger and the '86 CV had rear lower intake leaks; the Ranger was more active though; especially on hot days it would run down on top of the Y-pipe and make a nice smoke show for my fellow commuters.

This is what the stock 5.0L looked like after years of leaking oil out of the intake. It even oiled my rear diff that was rebuilt and painted a few years ago.

[Arquemann]

Did some digging into the leaks. Handily, I had the car overnight in front of the house, so I found the new spots on the ground easily.

Right under the power steering pump and steering box. Not surprising, since pretty much everything steering-related is coated in black crap from the pump fill cap downwards.
So atleast one of the leaks is ps fluid, the level was pretty low, so maybe I'll go get some power steering stop leak, it could possibly help.

A very tiny spot had also appeared at the trans' whereabouts. Didn't bother jacking up the car so I just reached my arm under and snapped a load of pics.
Seems like the isn't as clean underneath as it was last summer... It had sat for long before I purchased, so no wonder there.

Ew.


Valve cover gaskets are pretty done all around atleast. Pan gasket too, probably from the rear.

But it doesn't seem like the intake would be leaking. I'd presume the oil would be running down the bell housing from the valley? The bell housing is filthy, but not at all glistening.