The Unofficial "Ask a Stupid Question" Thread

CDsDontBurn said:
A couple days ago I noticed, but it's gotten exponentially worse today, when braking, especially at higher speeds, there is a repetitive and significant "thumping" type noise on the front right.

Thoughts on what this could be? Could this be related to the strut rod bushings, perhaps?
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A rock in your tire tread?
 
LukesCougar said:
The poly ranging from soft to hard makes me curious, as well as true rubber having the potential to be hard.

I keep seeing these "ramcoa" stamped black bushings. They have a matte finish as if they were rubber, but clap them together and they sound super dense.

They appear to have the exact same mold as moog blue thermoplastic too, but are sold claiming to be "natural rubber" whether its mevotech for 8$ or precision chassis for 70...... it all looks like theyre the exact same chinesium part??
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I usually use Sil-Glyde on rubber suspension parts. I don't know why, but it makes me feel better about myself. It cannot hurt. Also, most rubber parts (mounts, bushings, etc.) are made in India so it would be more like Indesium I guess.
 
Silicone greases won't degrade rubber like regular oils will. Except WD; it's not good for rubber, but not as bad as brake fluid or gas.
 
Is there a better transmission fluid dipstick that fits?

Some Mustangs have a dipstick with a honeycomb tip, making it much easier to get a clear reading. Unfortunately they seem too long. Panther sticks are longer, too.

Is there any Ford model with a dipstick of the same length as MN12, but with a more functional tip?
 
They're the same trans, ,same fill level,so you need the matching tube. You need one from an npi cv, gm, or mustang. PI and mark tubes are different.
 
Yup. The bolt is on the back of the head on an npi and pi.
The tubes fit different cars; you want a matching set.
A panther tube sticks up a bit higher, iirc.
I never knew this until I broke one.
 
He has a 3.8L but I'm sure it bolts up the same way.

Joe
 
Did decent battery prices nearly double in the last 4 years? :2eek:
 
1997ThunderbirdLXV6 said:
I checked Panthers in the junkyard. Their dipsticks are longer.
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I know. I went and got one for a friend who needed one for his lincoln twn car that had the 4.6. I thought they would be the same and I compared to mine and nope. I don't recall which was longer but they are different.
 
Like I said, you need the tube too. Their tube length matches their dipstick; all of them are measuring the same level.
To bolt up to your npi head, you need an npi cv gm, or tc dipstick and tube.
 
He's fucked. :)
TSBC is your best bet, unless you can order from ford.
 
Ok, after some googling, the only other cars with a v6 are mustangs; as long as the same trans it should swap, with both pieces.
 
I’m actually fairly certain the Mustang trans dipstick and tube are shared with the Tbird/Cougar
 
KevinVarnes said:
Yes. I've been buying mine at Costco for the last 10-12 years. There are certain things that a parts store is not the best place to purchase. Batteries are one of those things.
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I’ve had good luck at Home Depot also.
 
1997ThunderbirdLXV6 said:
The ones I looked at were longer, though they had the much more legible honeycomb tip. They were early 2000s; maybe they changed at some point (?).
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Good point I was thinking the 94-98 body, I don’t remember what the new edge ones had but I’ll take your word for it.
 
Aren't those tips held on with a roll pin in a hole?
Get the level correct, taking your time, swap the tip, and remember your new easy to read oil level, if it's different.
The dipstick is hardened steel, drilling a new hole in it is difficult.
 
Vicinity said:
Did decent battery prices nearly double in the last 4 years? :2eek:
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Battery prices have gone up and the warranties were slashed.
I live in Vegas and batteries live about 3-4 years max due to the summer heat beating them up, even though my Bird is garaged at home.
It's so consistently 3-4 years of life, that I even have an Outlook Reminder set to let me know when a new battery is 3 years old, so that I can expect it to die soon. :ROFLMAO:

I also meticulously maintain my Bird and regularly inspect & clean the battery terminals of any corrosion, then spray the red stuff on them.

In previous years, I always bought Autozone Duralast Gold batteries because they had 3-year/36K mile free replacement, then pro-rated after that period. But in the last few years, every brand of battery has had the warranties reduced to just a flat-out 3-year free replacement warranty and that's all. One day over warranty and you have to buy a new battery. Lesser/cheaper batteries will have a 1-2 year or less warranty.

Last November, my last Duralast Gold battery died. A new one would have cost $210. F that noise.
Walmart EverStart Maxx was only $140 with same 3-year/36K mile free replacement warranty, so went with them because they also have great ratings/reviews.

Here's a pro-tip to note:
Normally, Duralast Gold batteries only lasted 3 years in my Bird, due to the summer heat. But with my last Gold battery, at around 3 years of age, I started charging/desulphating the battery monthly with a Harbor Freight Viking Battery Charger/Maintainer that also desulphates them. Doing that, I was able to get 5.5 years out of the battery before it died. Probably would have gotten more years out of it if I did that starting when the battery was new.

The new EverStart Maxx battery, I do the same charge/desulphate procedure every month since it was new. I'm curious how many years I'll be able to get out of it.
 
agm batteries suck for high current; it makes a bubble in the acid gel, which decreases the battery capacity. A customer of mine destroyed one when I ran an electronic shop, with the amps I sold him.
For a std car, it should be fine.
 
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