My 1983 Continental Mark VI!

[gadget73]

You should buy a Mark VII from an old dude who was the original owner. So far I'm at 100% success rate on extensive maintenance records for those.

[mercurygm88]

You should buy a Mark VII from an old dude who was the original owner. So far I'm at 100% success rate on extensive maintenance records for those.

These cars are getting old enough that it’s hard to find one that’s still with it’s original owner. Especially a Mark VI.

I’d like to have an 86-92 Mark VII but prices are getting silly, especially on unmolested examples. I want a clean one with working air suspension.

[gadget73]

frankly thats the only reason I own the white car. Its been very well maintained but everything is stock and working.

[DerekTheGreat]

You should buy a Mark VII from an old dude who was the original owner. So far I'm at 100% success rate on extensive maintenance records for those.

I'll just buy your white one when you're finally ready to sell it.

[mercurygm88]

I did my first oil change on the Mark VI tonight, no chunks of plastic timing gear in the oil so hopefully that’s been addressed.

This was my first time under the car and it pretty much looks like a Florida car underneath. Some minor surface rust on the lower control arms and that’s about it. Exhaust looks great.

I went for a little ride afterwards and it was a bit chilly here. It seems I don’t have any heat so I’m going to have to figure that out. I assume it’s the blend door or whatever the equivalent is in these. I’m guessing that’s vacuum actuated?

Do these have an interior temp sensor like later Panthers that controls the temp? I honestly don’t even know if this car has ATC it has temps marked on the slider but I suppose they could just be a reference, if it does have ATC it doesn’t have an automatic fan speed.

[DerekTheGreat]

You could look around the timing cover for signs of fresh gaskets and RTV schmoo. With how low mileage your car is, I'm betting it's never been apart..

All Town Cars got ATC. Your problem is the ATC sensor. They go bad after awhile and unfortunately are pretty much unobtanium these days.
The one I bought some six years ago had a date of like 2003 on it. However, I think a member on here had some success with taking his apart and cleaning it ultrasonically.. http://www.grandmarq.net/vb/showthre...-vacuum-switch

[mercurygm88]

Unobtainium that’s great. It looks like the Mark VI also used different sensors. I found an 80-81 sensor but nothing so far for 82-83.

Supposing I find one how hard is it to get to? I know roughly where is is having had the dash of my 88 Grand Marquis apart for a trip minder install but I had experienced help for that.

[mercurygm88]

Unobtainium that’s great. It looks like the Mark VI also used different sensors. I found an 80-81 sensor but nothing so far for 82-83.

Supposing I find one how hard is it to get to? I know roughly where it’s located having had the dash of my 88 Grand Marquis apart for a trip minder install but I had experienced help for that.

[DerekTheGreat]

Fairly easy. I'm betting it's in the same location as my '88. You have to pull the dash pad, but you'll find it on the passenger side with like this white tube attached to it just above the woodgrain trim which says "Lincoln" on it or whatever.

[mercurygm88]

Fairly easy. I'm betting it's in the same location as my '88. You have to pull the dash pad, but you'll find it on the passenger side with like this white tube attached to it just above the woodgrain trim which says "Lincoln" on it or whatever.

Yeah it's in the same place as on the later boxes, you can stick your fingers up under the edge of the dash pad and feel the opening. Now that I have a part number the only issue is finding one. Until then I'm going to try to rig up a way of blocking vacuum to the blend door vacuum actuator that doesn't require dropping the glove box every time.

Here's one thing I don't understand about how the system works. Supposing a fully functional ATC setup, at full cold there's a vacuum being pulled against the blend door actuator to keep it on cold. On heat there is no vacuum going to the actuator, if you move from cold to hot how does it dump the vacuum in the line going to the blend door actuator so that it can move? Is there just a constant slow leak built into that actuator? or is there some kind of dump valve that's triggered somewhere?

[DerekTheGreat]

If you find one, let me know. I'll buy the second one if it exists and vacuum seal it.

[Lutrova]

The slow leak is built into the ATC sensor. When you switch to hot the needle valve closes off the vacuum supply and the remaining vacuum going to and in the temp servo leaks out through the hole in the sensor.

[mercurygm88]

The slow leak is built into the ATC sensor. When you switch to hot the needle valve closes off the vacuum supply and the remaining vacuum going to and in the temp servo leaks out through the hole in the sensor.

I kind of figured it was something like that.

[mercurygm88]

I replaced the pre heater hose from the exhaust manifold to the intake today for all the good it may do.

I somehow doubt the vacuum actuated flapper in the air cleaner housing even works after all these years.

[packman]

Funny you mention this. I had revived the EGR system in my old Malibu when I replaced the cat and the rest of the exhaust back. Whatever little flapper valve was in the exhaust manifold made a loud tapping noise then the exhaust tone got deeper and a little louder. I guess the free flowing exhaust opened that valve up. That lasted a year and the exhaust manifold cracked at the collector flange.