Dropping the gas tank and driveshaft install

K

Kidd-7

6th Gear Poster
Lifetime Supporter
Joined
Sep 22, 2023
Messages
649
Location
RTP, NC
Vehicle Details
96 Cougar 4.6L
Country flag
I'm planning on doing both these jobs this week. I've been on borrowed time with my fuel pump for a while now. I've got some questions and looking for any advice:

- What's an easy was to engage the fuel pump? I've got a few gallons in there I'd like to drain as much as possible.

- I'll be installing the new to me aluminum driveshaft, reusing my slip joint, should l replace the seal where the slip joint goes into the tranny?

- I'm pretty sure my tranny has been leaking around the shift lever seal, any guidance on how to replace that?

- I've got some squeaking and a rattle from the drivers side front, I'll start with making sure everything is tight and ball joints look good. Any other insights to look for?

I think that's about it, it's enough for sure.
 
IIRC you can jump the pump at the cutoff switch in the trunk. I think you can also energize it from the CCRM harness.

I've never replaced the output shaft seal or had a leak there, but YMMV. Not sure about the MLPS seal though.

Suspension rattle could be either sway bar endlinks or UCAs. Squeaking could be the LCA, depending when you hear it. I've also had aftermarket sway bar bushings squeak.
 
IIRC the seal where the slip joint goes in, is the extension housing seal. Never had it leak in my high mileage Tbird, and my Cougars 4r70w had the factory one still with a 93 Mark driveshaft I put in. I think since the driveshaft is mostly stationary due to the IRS on the car, they don't really go bad or leak.
I did replace it on the T45 I swapped into my Cougar.

Doing the fuel pump on mine soon as well. I couldn't find any easier way to "hotwire" the pump than what Brandon mentioned. The tank in mine is about on E though so not going to bother draining it completely.

Last time I lowered the tank I used a harbor freight rolling transmission jack. It made things a lot easier! Going to be using it again.
https://www.harborfreight.com/autom.../450-lb-low-lift-transmission-jack-70262.html
 
If you get the car (both ends) up high enough, the tank is not hard to drop. The hardest part is probably the fill tube to tank. New U-joints are always a good idea if the current ones have miles on them. The seal, if it aint leakin', leave it. Be sure to get the correct filter for the pump (had a shop put the wrong filter in one of my cars once, was not a happy experience). Unless you have rust, it's 4 bolts, the fill tube (3 screws?) and that's it. Oh, unplug your wiring and and fuel lines. Emptying as much gas as possible just makes the job a little lighter and easier to handle.

I actually bought one of these and it worked great on removing my exhaust hangers:
 

Attachments

  • 51S1cWqjmqL._AC_SL1500_.jpg
    51S1cWqjmqL._AC_SL1500_.jpg
    54.3 KB · Views: 10
The tank only needs to be tilted downward forward to get at the pump, you don’t have to mess with the fill tube or crossover tube at all, just make sure to disconnect the clip that holds the lines on the tank and it’s actually surprisingly easy if the tank doesn’t have much gas in it.

On that note 12v to the inertia switch is my method to pump out fuel (I forget for sure which wire but I think it’s green with yellow tracer). Just clip your power source to that and ground to ground and that’s all you need.

It’s even easier doing the driveshaft, you can basically only loosen the front strap bolts and remove the rear strap bolts and set the back of the tank on a jack to lower it just enough to slide the driveshaft out beside the differential.

There’s no scenario beyond outright contamination to 100% remove the tank completely from the car. The exhaust removal is by far the most annoying part if you follow these methods
 
Same as above on engaging the fuel pump. Honestly, if it is only 4-5 gallons I wouldn't even bother. As stated, the three lines (fill, vent, cross over) are the biggest pain to the job in my opinion. I've never done it with anything but a floor jack and a 2x4. You can drop the tank down to the ground (assuming your car isn't 20' in the air) before disconnecting the electrical and fuel lines on the fuel pump.

If the slip joint doesn't have any grooves and the seal wasn't leaking before, I would leave it alone, but that is me.

I've heard squeaks from ball joints, control arm bushings, and strut rod bushings on these. Could be anything. Does it squeak when turning the steering wheel or when the suspension moves up/down?
 
You could just cut a hole in the floor under the rear seat and forget all the rest. I did that in my Mark VII because dropping that tank in that car is a lot harder. There are several write ups on the web about doing it this way.
 

Attachments

  • MVC-043S.JPG
    MVC-043S.JPG
    26.6 KB · Views: 10
It is the green/yellow wire, the ground should be grounded already. I cut the wire, and added in a dpdt switch, one way is 12v,other way is the normal car circuit. I've pumped almost 15 gallons of 15yo syrup out of the red car. to do the ds, drop the diff,yank the exhaust,yank the 4 12mm bolts on the flange, and pull the ds all the way back over the diff, until it drops out of the trans, then pull it forward under the trans. doing the mlps seal, drop pan,remove the lever assembly, pull out the seal, install new one.
I'm not sure it can be done under the car. You can pull the tail off the trans, and replace the bushing and seal.
 
White Lincoln said:
You could just cut a hole in the floor under the rear seat and forget all the rest. I did that in my Mark VII because dropping that tank in that car is a lot harder. There are several write ups on the web about doing it this way.
Click to expand...

That subject has been discussed here before. It turned into a heated discussion and the thread ended up being locked. :zshrug:

It seems like a valid option for saving time if that is most important.
 
Kenz said:
That subject has been discussed here before. It turned into a heated discussion and the thread ended up being locked. :zshrug:

It seems like a valid option for saving time if that is most important.
Click to expand...
I do recall that.
 
The rattle is the PBR caliper, which I’ve read is pretty normal.
The squeak ended up being the shock mount, I made sure those bolts were tight and it seems to be quieter.
 
Kidd-7 said:
The rattle is the PBR caliper, which I’ve read is pretty normal.
The squeak ended up being the shock mount, I made sure those bolts were tight and it seems to be quieter.
Click to expand...

It could be the shock mounts sleeve unbonded itself from the rubber and is physically moving inside it(causing the squeak) that happened to mine after the engine swap as I think being on jackstands for a prolonged period led to it. I never replaced them but to fully get rid of the squeak I added washers under the big washer to fill the gap.
 
Grog6 said:
doing the mlps seal, drop pan,remove the lever assembly, pull out the seal, install new one.
I'm not sure it can be done under the car.
Click to expand...
Are you saying you’re not sure about the mlps seal being done on the car?

Well I would tend to agree, it’s definitely leaking from there, the puddle is directly under it. It’s obviously leaking bad, the whole underside is covered in tranny fluid.

It sat at a shop all last week and they didn’t even look at it so I brought her back and got under there. Depending on how long the shaft is, it’ll be tight coming out. There’s not a whole lot of room to the tans tunnel and the cat is also on the way. This is going to be an expensive seal to replace.

It’s too damn cold for my body to lay on the driveway and work on her right now, much less still needing to go to work. I’m not sure what I’m going to do, but I can no longer drive her like this. Not only am I losing vast amounts of fluid, but she smokes badly at stop lights.🚦
 
I looked at my notes, and the man lever will not come out in the car. It has to be unbolted from the engine, and dropped out of the tunnel. I was apparently pissed when I wrote the note.
 
I can imagine. I’d be pissed also if I just needed that out to finish the job and it turns into dropping the tranny.

Do you think there’s any way to replace the seal without removing the lever?
 
No, it goes around the shaft, where it goes inside.
There are two parts that have to be swapped over ,for an 02 gm or cv trans to work for us, and I forgot. The vss isn't easy to swap, but the man leverjust will not.
 
Well at this point having to drop the trans I’m leaning toward swapping a rebuild in. I mean this trans shifts fine, but it’s probably over 200k miles and almost 30 years old.
 
There was 208k on the one in the 98 when I decided to proactively have it rebuilt. It was tired but shifted OK (aside from taking an extra second or two on very cold mornings to engage drive for the first time); the shop said the clutches were pretty much used up but nothing else was wrong.
 
Based on my originals, The rubber seals will be hard, the scarf-cut seals will be leaking,And the plates worn.
I don't rebuild original ones, but a 96 isn't too bad.
Replace the seals,use one piece seals on the direct shaft, Kolene steels, stock plates except raybestos blues in the direct. Use stock thicknesses and numbers, and jmod it. Check the valvebody for wear, and use new-style 1-2, and the right year new 2-3. Carbon fiber bands everywhere. It should take another 30 of hard use. no problem. A good shop should be doing it that way, by now.
 
Talked with Rob a little while ago, his estimate to rebuild and install is reasonable. I'll try to source a newer trans for him to work with.
 
Should I look at a new torque connector as well?
 
The place that rebuilt my trans replaced it. The presumption is if the clutches in the trans are shot after 200k, the converter clutch isn't going to be in better shape. For the few hundred extra it costs to eliminate the final weak link, I'd just do it.
 
That makes sense and kinda how I was feeling. I had the TQ shudder and it vastly improved with merc V but isn’t totally gone.
 
White Lincoln said:
If you get the car (both ends) up high enough, the tank is not hard to drop. The hardest part is probably the fill tube to tank. New U-joints are always a good idea if the current ones have miles on them. The seal, if it aint leakin', leave it. Be sure to get the correct filter for the pump (had a shop put the wrong filter in one of my cars once, was not a happy experience). Unless you have rust, it's 4 bolts, the fill tube (3 screws?) and that's it. Oh, unplug your wiring and and fuel lines. Emptying as much gas as possible just makes the job a little lighter and easier to handle.

I actually bought one of these and it worked great on removing my exhaust hangers:
Click to expand...
Those exhaust hanger tools are fantastic to have.
 
I'd buy a 2004 mustang small pattern tc,and a dual size flexplate. unless you want so spend the cash for a better one. An 02 trans from the jy usually comes with a better one than I have. Rob can make an 04 trans work, but ask him. You might find an 04 set cheap,as they won't work in old2r cars without paets awaps.
 
Looking on car part, which I’ve never used before, I found a 02 Crown Vic trans. It’s listed as 1W7P-BA, from my research that trans works. I’d like y’all confirmation though.
 
Should be fine. It has an 8 tooth output shaft so you'll need a different speedo gear. Keep the 96 MLPS and EPC solenoid, and repin the harness.

If you're going to have it rebuilt, see if the shop can move the output shaft from the 96 into the 02 trans; you'll be able to keep your speedo gear and you'll have more speedo gear/rear end combos available without needing to consider a speedcal.
 
You have to swap the mlps, the manual lever, and the vss sensor. I recommend adding the supwr tuff plate to the 02 valvebody, in liu of a jmod;it's already drilled. A tune will be needed ,or you'll have a neutralling on the 3-4 at light throttle, a value file that raises epc pressure during rhe shift fixes it. When you buy a tune, mention the 127.5 mph bug in our eecs.
Read what I told dude from finland on the rebuild. You'll have a trans that will last forever!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Back
Top