The Unofficial "Ask a Stupid Question" Thread

I use whatever the owner's manual says to use as that was the standard when the car was built. Especially for pre-E10 cars.

See also: 5W-30 vs 5W-20.
 
I filled the diff with 75w250 back in 2019 and have had no problems, they aren't picky. The limited slip chatters sometimes on tight turns so it could probably use some friction additive.

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It's probably due for a change, so going to switch back to Mobil 1 75w140 since it has the friction additive in it.

For an open diff use whatever's on sale.
 
I use 75w90. Like said it’s not picky, I used to use 75w140 but it’s just not necessary. With an open diff it can last virtually the life of the car without changing. LSDs with friction modifier and worn off clutch particles it’s best to replace periodically(still like 50,000 miles or more really)

Kenz said:
I filled the diff with 75w250 back in 2019 and have had no problems, they aren't picky. The limited slip chatters sometimes on tight turns so it could probably use some friction additive.

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Buy all your Red Line Heavy ShockProof® Synthetic Gear Oil from us at Raceparts USA, highly rated LSD oil, available with UPS delivery.
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It's probably due for a change, so going to switch back to Mobil 1 75w140 since it has the friction additive in it.

For an open diff use whatever's on sale.
Click to expand...

I don’t like diff oils that have a premix of friction modifier, the ratios are always off(and usually too much). Last time I put in the cheapest parts store brand of plain 75w90 and HALF bottle of motorcraft friction modifier. Strong lockup and no real chatter
 
At 234,000 I have yet to change the fluid in the Mark... :zwall:

I think I used Valvoline 75W90 with friction modifier when I put the TL 3.73 pumpkin in the T-bird. It's been fine so far but I guess it'll be time to replace it soon.
 
I need to yank the diff on Lazarus, and rebuild it. At 550k miles, I've never changed the oil. Or had problems. It left two black marks, the last time I drove it, rod knock and all.:)
I'm still amazed that it didn't break until I put it back in its parking place.
 
I'm working on my teksid shortblock for Lazarus. The pistons I have are mark -3cc pistons, bore is stock.
I'm looking at using my npi heads, with pi cams. CR will be ~10.5:1. Am I making an untuneable mess, or will I be ok on 93 octane?
 
Grog6 said:
I'm working on my teksid shortblock for Lazarus. The pistons I have are mark -3cc pistons, bore is stock.
I'm looking at using my npi heads, with pi cams. CR will be ~10.5:1. Am I making an untuneable mess, or will I be ok on 93 octane?
Click to expand...
All good until 11:1 or higher... You probably could get away with 11.5:1 if tuned conservatively. Especially on a port injected design. That's how my 347 was designed. 10.5:1 is kind of the target for most N/A engine builders.
 
I have looked at both the tbird and cougar panels, and both would require being cut open, and then welded back together. I believe they are abs plastic, and it's available as a solvent paste, like pvc for plumbing. Leds are the easy part: cheap on amazon, as are pc boards of that size. Flashing and sequencing are easy. If you want that.

A router table and jig would let you cut the back out, then you glue your board to the cutout, and glue it back together.
3m makes an optically clear epoxy; I have some for gluing scintillators to pmt's.
 
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XR7-4.6 said:
I don’t like diff oils that have a premix of friction modifier, the ratios are always off(and usually too much). Last time I put in the cheapest parts store brand of plain 75w90 and HALF bottle of motorcraft friction modifier. Strong lockup and no real chatter
Click to expand...

When I put in the Cobra differential, I filled it with Mobil 1 and a bottle of Ford friction modifier. That was a mistake! It was pretty much an open diff at that point.
I'm at the opposite now with the Redline and no additive. It's grabbing too hard.

I ordered Valvoline 75w-140 last night. I will give it a few days of driving to make sure it is worked into the clutches. I'll post how it worked out in the "what did you do to your thunderbird" thread.
 

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Abs cement. it's abs dissolved in solvent.

If you put mobil1 in a motorcycle, you no longer have a clutch. It will not hook up.
 
If you mix that with ammonium perchlorate and aluminum powder, it will burn green or wet wood. That's part of my camping supplies. :)
 
Kenz said:
When I put in the Cobra differential, I filled it with Mobil 1 and a bottle of Ford friction modifier. That was a mistake! It was pretty much an open diff at that point.
I'm at the opposite now with the Redline and no additive. It's grabbing too hard.

I ordered Valvoline 75w-140 last night. I will give it a few days of driving to make sure it is worked into the clutches. I'll post how it worked out in the "what did you do to your thunderbird" thread.
Click to expand...
I just put in AMSOIL 75-90 this afternoon. Will see how it goes. Thankfully, if I don't like it the LPW cover has a drain plug.
 
1000001202.jpg
Am I doing something wrong on this trans mount? Luckily I had 2 because I ruined one already.
 
1997ThunderbirdLXV6 said:
Looks too clean for that in my opinion. Who could make such a clean cut with a dremel?

View attachment 11556
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The technique is what matters, and there are apparatuses that can secure a rotary tool to make a perfectly straight cut. Once you secure the tool along a guide path, it's just a linear cutting wheel, polishing bit, or chisel bit.

I've got an outstanding need to correct a screw-up by the guy who made the aluminum door sills, and he told me he could correct the issue with a Dremel. I didn't understand how before, but I do now. Him disappearing on me and social media is another story though.
 
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Irv said:
I've got an outstanding need to correct a screw-up by the guy who made the aluminum door sills, and he told me he could correct the issue with a Dremel. I didn't understand how before, but I do now. Him disappearing on me and social media is another story though.
Click to expand...

Same guy that did the run on SCCoA about 10 years ago? Primo Forged, was it?
 
theterminator93 said:
Same guy that did the run on SCCoA about 10 years ago? Primo Forged, was it?
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Yes, that's it. I got the very last set ever made long after he stopped selling them, but it has a correctable defect in the etching depth on one of the sills.
 
He made some decent stuff too, sucks you had a problem with yours Irv. The sills definitely add a nice touch.

Joe
 
I remember those, my buddy bought two SC sets he never got around to using. I wanted a set but all of his Cougar sets for the group but at least were “XR7 supercharged” which I didn’t want.
 
Here’s a stupid question, are Goodyear gatorback belts not a thing anymore? I had one on my 2V from like 07-15 and then my 4V from then until now and the latter was a closeout item when I got it(and given its dry rot it was probably older than my first one!) Do they not exist anymore or were they rebranded? I loved these belts!
 
Few decades ago I bought a gatorback belt for my Toyota. The guys on Toyota forum swore they are the best. Haven't seen them in a long time.
Maybe since all belts are EPDM now they aren't or weren't any better :unsure:
 
Kenz said:
Few decades ago I bought a gatorback belt for my Toyota. The guys on Toyota forum swore they are the best. Haven't seen them in a long time.
Maybe since all belts are EPDM now they aren't or weren't any better :unsure:
Click to expand...

They were the best! I always figured that unique “tread” of them gave them better grip than conventional serpentine belts, I know from first hand usage switching to one immediately cured any j-mod upshift belt slippage, and I’d been hooked ever since. I had to go out of my way to find one for the DOHC when I swapped it in so I hindsight I should have seen the end coming, but damn.
 
How long are the wheel studs from the brake rotor to tip? I would measure mine but its still parked and its gonna be awhile till I could actually have a wheel off. I hope someone has their car with a wheel off right now.
 
Goodyear got bought out about 10 years ago,all thier stuff is gone now. I bought blue gy tubing for the pi swap,
but when I went to get more for lazarus ~ 2 years ago, they were gone. Continental now sells going the gatorback brand. Fucking hedge fund did them in.
 
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