The Unofficial "Ask a Stupid Question" Thread

[theterminator93]

Send your oil out for analysis if you want to be sure.

 

[1997ThunderbirdLXV6]

I think you'd be able to smell it. Plus oil will soak in. Just not sure how fast. Gas would soak in quicker.

That's the point of the cardboard test - if it actually works. The circle around the oil drop being gas that has soaked in.

I always taste it if I'm not sure on smell. If it's a bit sweet there's antifreeze in it. Gas tastes like....gas

Well, I wouldn't know what that tastes like...

How has your fuel economy been? Overall power?

Fuel economy is totally normal. Power...I think normal, too.

 

[Kenz]

I would use reducer rather than paint thinner.

Thanks for the advice, it worked out just fine. I bought a small jar of airbrush paint reducer off Amazon for $7. Put a bit of it into the touchup paint jars, and it mixed in with no issues.

If it helps anyone else I have used www.automotivetouchup.com a few times now and had very good luck. I'm planning on buying an aerosol can to paint the chrome trim body color.

 

[Stanley]

For the 1997 Sport, do they need special brake pads for the rears or will any old Bird brake pad do at the back?

I keep seeing sales pages for Bird front brake pads, but not rears, which is confusing me, and sometimes there's a mention that it doesn't apply to Sports but that's not consistent either.

 

[Rodeo Joe]

Rears are all the same.

Joe

 

[Grog6]

Sports have the same calipers as the mark 8. marginally bigger than the v6 caliper. a 2004 mustang gt pbr caliper will bolt right up, clear a 15" wheel, and uses much bigger pads. The rears we need due to the parking brake design. It wouldn't hurt to replace them with remanned ones, along with the stock rubber lines at the wheels.

 

[Stanley]

Purely academic question: what do guys with rear drum brakes have to do if they want to do the hub swap? Do they have to take any extra steps, like guys who have the 89-92 spindles do, or is still just the same procedure?

 

[XR7-4.6]

I very vaguely recall there being a drum that worked with the MN12 shoes and had the 5x4.5” bolt pattern. But generally it’s a good idea to just convert to rear disc while you’re there, the spindles have to come off anyway and that’s the biggest hurdle to the drum/disc conversion.

 

[Grog6]

All you have to do to convert is find a set of disk knuckles on car-part. com, And get the whole assembly. lines, brake cables and all.

 

[rampagingsloth]

New stupid question. I went to the Fabulous Fords Forever car show recently at the Irwindale Speedway. Very cool show, though it was about 80% Mustangs (some old, many newer). I saw maybe 3 Fords from the '90s, just one Thunderbird ('96, I think). Only one '70 Torino this time, but bright yellow so that was nice. Three Mavericks, a couple old Cougars. My question is, I remember many years ago a TCCoA meeting in Fullerton, not a true car show but maybe a dozen+ cars and owners, it was cool to see that many of these cars in the same place, so I'm wondering if that still ever happens here in L.A.? I may have asked this some time ago (on TCCoA) but I can't remember the answer and I don't know if circumstances have changed since then.