What did you do with your Thunderbird Today?

Getting to the point where I’m going to throw this supercharger in the trash.
I filled the system up with coolant last night, then pressure tested it and found the whole left side was leaking coolant. So, I have to take it all off for a second time.
I decided to reuse my intake manifold gaskets cause they still looked good, and they’re only 3 years old but I knew I should have changed them anyways. I guess it’s partially my fault this time. 🤦🏻‍♂️

Has anyone had luck with the Mhale steel intake manifold gaskets? Part # MS20314
 
KevinVarnes said:
Maybe a stupid question, but is there a mismatch on the coolant ports (NPI versus PI)? I don't know anything about your engine combo. Also, if you throw it in the trash, let me know where you live (preferably before trash day).
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I have PI heads, and I had the blower ported for PI heads, the passenger side didn’t leak at all, only the drivers side, I’m assuming the gasket must have a crack I missed. I haven’t pulled it apart yet.
 
Ericv8thunderbird said:
I have PI heads, and I had the blower ported for PI heads, the passenger side didn’t leak at all, only the drivers side, I’m assuming the gasket must have a crack I missed. I haven’t pulled it apart yet.
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I believe this is the problem, by ported for PI heads I take it to mean it’s an npi SVO and the ports were reshaped to match the heads?

If so it would still have the npi “kickout” on the water passage. The easy solution is simply do the same as us who’ve run PI intakes on npi heads and dab RTV on that port protrusion, only upside down in your case with the intake being meant for npi
 
XR7-4.6 said:
I believe this is the problem, by ported for PI heads I take it to mean it’s an npi SVO and the ports were reshaped to match the heads?

If so it would still have the npi “kickout” on the water passage. The easy solution is simply do the same as us who’ve run PI intakes on npi heads and dab RTV on that port protrusion, only upside down in your case with the intake being meant for npi
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Yeah, Stiegemeier did the PI porting to match my PI heads.
Most of the leak was coming from the front at the drivers side. Here is a pic sent from Stiegemeier. The rear of the blower is the left side of the picture.
 

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Ericv8thunderbird said:
Yeah, Stiegemeier did the PI porting to match my PI heads.
Most of the leak was coming from the front at the drivers side. Here is a pic sent from Stiegemeier. The rear of the blower is the left side of the picture.
Click to expand...

Interesting, those do look like the PI coolant port shapes, but that pitting around them is definitely not going to get a good seal.
 
XR7-4.6 said:
Interesting, those do look like the PI coolant port shapes, but that pitting around them is definitely not going to get a good seal.
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Exactly what I was thinking, I’ll go ahead and order some of the water pump rtv and fill in the pitting. I also have new intake manifold gaskets on order.

Hopefully this fixes it. 🤞🏻
 
Ericv8thunderbird said:
Yeah, Stiegemeier did the PI porting to match my PI heads.
Most of the leak was coming from the front at the drivers side. Here is a pic sent from Stiegemeier. The rear of the blower is the left side of the picture.
Click to expand...
Don't insects have 8 legs?

Just kidding, very nice intake Eric! I hope it is fixed now.
 
On an engine, I'd use the ultra black. I used a pick tool on the pitting,to get all the aluminum rust out of the pits. after they were clean, I filled them with rtv first, and then glued the gasket down to it. Running a block sander across the gasket flanges can help find all the pits. Hot water dissolves the oxide, so it leaks.
 
I was able to put 5 hours in on the cougars today. I pulled 4 bolts out of the trans on lazarus, and finally got the taillight installed on the red cougar. I've got to swap wheels on the two, and some oTher parts, and I finished pumping the third 5 gallon gas can out of the red one, so there' less than 3 gal left,lol. When I swap wheels I'll pull the rest off the bolts holding in the engine in laz. I'd like to get it on a stand for evalualuation.
I pulled together the stuff to put the arp studs in the teksid block.
I'm going to install the studs with permatex 1, like the oil galley plugs.
Comments?
 
Got the new fuel pump installed finally. It's almost completely silent except for a slight whooshing sound under the hood. I am assuming that is the much higher flow going through the return back into the tank.
Cougar fires up instantly now, old pump was defiantly going out!

Thought I found a washer, but it was the remains of the hole I drilled for the handbrake swap :LOL:

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The inspection tag with four signatures is interesting! Wonder if modern car gas tanks go through that many inspections?:unsure:

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Changed the oil in my 95 XR7 today. This is the 3rd time I've changed it since I've owned and I will say I'd rather change the plugs on my modified SC twice, than do an oil change this car....the filter orientation is horrible.
 
Kurt K said:
Changed the oil in my 95 XR7 today. This is the 3rd time I've changed it since I've owned and I will say I'd rather change the plugs on my modified SC twice, than do an oil change this car....the filter orientation is horrible.
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That's why oil filter relocations are so popular. :)
 
I just pay the dealer to do it.
 
Kurt K said:
Changed the oil in my 95 XR7 today. This is the 3rd time I've changed it since I've owned and I will say I'd rather change the plugs on my modified SC twice, than do an oil change this car....the filter orientation is horrible.
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I changed the oil and filter in mine while it was up in the air for the fuel pump.

Inluding the time it takes to clean up all the spilled oil, I think it actually took less time dropping the exhaust than changing the oil. :oops:
 
Kurt K said:
I hate paying the dealer to do anything to my cars. This is also why all but two of my cars are at least 19 years old.

I'm done venting about oil changes....at least until the next one.
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It is terrible. Once you've done it enough times it does get easier. I remember one of the first times I changed the oil on a 4.6 MN12 over 20 years ago. I was so mad trying to get that filter out of there. Collapsed engine mounts won't help the cause either.
 
I remember reading old TSTSNB some fellow had broken his arm doing a MN12 oil filter change, and he had to walk to the doctor because his car wasn't together. I can kind of feel how that could happen. Because I stand under the car to do them, I find it easier for me to to the twisting from above my shoulder wtih elbows bent closed
 
Oil changes... meh. Over and done with within about 15-20 minutes. The thing I hate the most about other people doing oil changes... they always overtighten the drain plug and filter! When I can do the oil change for $30-$35 using full synthetic in under 20 minutes, and with the cheapest service shops wanting 2-3x that... I'm a miser, to be sure. :)
 
I remember hearing about this too, I have used it on every vehicle that has the oil go on or near a crossmember or suspension piece. It has saved me a ton of brake clean usage cleaning up.
 
Long, long, long time ago in a time line far from now, I let Big O tires change my oil. A while later, I decided to do it myself. The drain plug was in crocked and too tight for a regular wrench to open. It took my f-i-l and myself with a long cheater bar to break it loose.

Needless to say, I never let anyone change my oil again. Fkin' apes.
 
Kidd-7 said:
I think it was over at TSTSNB I read a suggestion about using folded tin foil to drain the oil filter before doing the dance to remove it.
That has seriously helped clean up.
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I clean up the major mess, but oil is free rust proofing where I come from. Most of you would probably be disgusted by the amount of grease and oil on the underbody and engine bay in our '97, but that is the cost of driving one of these rigs year round up here.
 
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