What did you do with your Thunderbird Today?

I bought more E85 for it … put in gas cans not the car.
 
1997ThunderbirdLXV6 said:
Is your car modified to run on E85? If so, what does that entail, and what are the benefits?
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Yes. I run E85.

To get that done you need:
  • A bigger fuel pump. I run a FORE 465 lph pump.
  • Bigger Injectors: I'm using 60 lb injectors. Stock injectors are 19 lb.
  • Billet Adjustable Fuel Pressure Regulator - 2 hole design - SCP sells them for $156.00 but you might find them elsewhere for less.
  • I"m still using the stock fuel lines and rails
  • And, of course you'll need a tune to dial the engine in with E85
The benefits are:
  • Much, much more performance - E85 is equivalent to 112 to 114 Octane rating! Think racing gas on steroids!
  • Lower Cost: E85 can be had for much, much less than premium 93 octane pump gas - Usually over $4 a gallon. I bought my E85 today for only $2.499 a gallon!
Down side:
  • It takes more E85 to get the job done, thus the need for a bigger fuel pump and injectors.
  • Your MPG will drop significantly. I haven't calculated mine but, depending on how heavily you're into the throttle (or not) it can get you pretty far at a slower pace or a shorter distance at a very good pace. ;)
  • E85 can be more difficult to source than regular pump gas. Fortunately for me there's a Sheetz gas station relatively nearby that carries it. You'll have to check around your area for availability. There are websites that show where to find it. Sheetz is a good source as most of their stations carry it.
 
i hate changing my oil filter. It seems that the DA who put the power steering hose on made sure to leave that damn spring clamp turned so that the tab literally cuts a groove along the filter when pulling it out. Going in with some oil in it I go high and push the hose up enough to drop the filter in the pocket w/ gasket side up to not lose all the pre-fill.

Thought about installing a remote and move it but when I replaced the filter housing gasket a few years back I had forgotten about it so f it. I just replaced a section of vacuum line from the PCV to the throttle body. I had noticed it was collapsed and I messed with it and realized it was old and non-reinforced hose. It also had a hard turn too so I used a plastic tee and cut it and added a short piece to connect to TB and plugged the other end. It idles so smooth now I was like What the? The throttle response also seems better. Hmmm.

Maybe it will consume/leak less now that the crankcase is more evenly pressurized. We'll see., but I've gotta do the intake and heater tube leak fix AGAIN. tried to rent the pressure tester at Oreilly's and theirs was out.
 
There's a pour lip on the crossmember. I loosen the filter a couple of turns, and let it drain into a pan, then move the pan and pull the drainplug, let it drain, put the drainplug back in. remove filter,check flange for filter remnants,like part of the rubber gasket from the old filter,put in new filter, wipe off kmember with rag,add new oil,start car and look for leaks,write mileage down.Letting the oil drain is the longest time.
 
theterminator93 said:
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. :)
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I don't know if its my scrawny muscles or what but I truly have no clue how people overtighten filters that bad. I get the overtightening of lugnuts with the infernal torque sticks on impacts but god damn, oil filters you only need to tighten until they stop screwing on via inertia plus a half turn at most! doesn't take much.

Plus where I agree with @KevinVarnes about free rust proofing via oil (far superior to any "painted" undercoat), the K member doesn't need it, and the plastic valve covers on SOHCs (and many other modern vehicles) most certainly don't need it to stave it off! It's just laziness.
 
I thought the 4.6 was the only one with the sway bar in the way.
 
The sway bar isn't really in the way on the SC, but the filter is above the crossmember and mounted at angle....oil ends up on the crossmember.
 
I bought a relocation kit for the red coguar. now to figure out how to cut this stainless braid off, so I can assemble the AN10 lines.
 
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Zep5.0 said:
It sucks on the 5.0, too. We did my oil change once when I first got the car, and Dad said "pay someone to do that shit next time"
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That unlocked some memories right there of my Dad and I having some of our biggest arguments under a car. :rofl:
 
Grog6 said:
There's a pour lip on the crossmember. I loosen the filter a couple of turns, and let it drain into a pan,
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Mine just drains onto the power steering hose tucked in the crossmember, gets caught on that and drips from there basically right under where the filter attaches to the block. It never makes it to that little lip in the crossmember. I keep promising myself I'll eventually replace the engine mounts and it will get better, but we all know that won't happen.
 
Trunk Monkey said:
Yes. I run E85.
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How is E85 on the seals and gaskets? I recall that the corn oil crap they put in regular gas can effect gaskets, but I don't recall how far back the age of the car before it can cause issues.
 
That's as bad as using an impact to install lug nuts. I beat a guys ass over that. It wouldn't have pissed me off that bad if he hadn't cross threaded them all. not a one was even tight.
 
Filled up with 93. It was about on fumes since I just changing the fuel pump. Put in a can of 134a, aired up the tires and gave it a wash! Pretty much spring here now so it's ready for summer :cool2:

I was getting sick of the drone with no mufflers, so put on a pair of glass packs. I'm undecided on the look but I like that the exhaust exits straight out the back now. Sound is much more mellow but still aggressive, it's way quieter on the highway. Going to try some chrome tips on it

These are what I used and with the angles in and out they actually fit perfectly in place of the factory mufflers - https://www.summitracing.com/parts/APH-351822S



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Kenz said:
Filled up with 93. It was about on fumes since I just changing the fuel pump. Put in a can of 134a, aired up the tires and gave it a wash! Pretty much spring here now so it's ready for summer :cool2:

I was getting sick of the drone with no mufflers, so put on a pair of glass packs. I'm undecided on the look but I like that the exhaust exits straight out the back now. Sound is much more mellow but still aggressive, it's way quieter on the highway. Going to try some chrome tips on it

These are what I used and with the angles in and out they actually fit perfectly in place of the factory mufflers - https://www.summitracing.com/parts/APH-351822S
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Beautiful ride, ugh, I wish it was getting to the right season. -22°f here today, car is under 2 feet of snow, im jealous of being able to work on a car in February. Maybe one day ill live somewhere warm
 
@Jae 'Bird I remember those days! Where I use to live in NY where we got ridiculous amounts of lake snow. I would pause the insurance on my Cougar every winter and switch its plates over to my winter rat. Glad I went through all the trouble because the Cougar would probably be rotting out by now if I drove it through the road salt.
 
Nice looking Cougar! I forgot how good the stock 7 Spoke 16s look. Makes me want to put them back on. Always wished they made them with exposed lugs like the tbird 16s have. I tried running with chrome lugs and no centers and it didn't look good IMO
 
White Lincoln said:
Ape arms and oil filter wrenches. They don't know that you only use the wrench to REMOVE the filter. :P
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Not unless you flip it over (strap type of course).
 
Generalee0527 said:
Not unless you flip it over (strap type of course).
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That's a given. I have used a filter wrench to screw in some filters because my hands were too big to fit in the are to tighten it. But of course, turn till it stops with little to no pressure, tighten 3/4 of a turn. AND LABEL THE DATE AND MILEAGE!!! :P
 
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Ron, I may have mentioned this, but I bought the green injectors you sold to steve, and when I cleaned them, I got a large amount of black spooge out of them before the spray pattern went to normal. Idk if you had converted to e85 yet, but our lines weren't designed for e10; I'd want to look at those, with your investment. Replacing them is much less expensive than a clog.
Inspecting the debris in the screen of an injector would tell you a bunch.
 
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