What did you do with your Thunderbird Today?

Grog6 said:
A couple of people mentioned oil coolers above; What you need is a transmission fluid cooler bigger is better.
It will make your trans last a lot longer. Our stock tune does the 3-4, 4-3 thing repeatedly in traffic, and the temp soars.

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When an auxiliary transmission oil cooler is required for your vehicle, Tru-Cool Max delivers optimal protection with double the cooling performance of our other products. Maintain lower temperatures in your transmission and lubricant with Tru-Cool and extend the life of the vehicle you depend on.
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I'm using the biggest one they make, 48kbtu I think.It's mounted in the front of the radiator and ac stuff. I didn't use a cold weather bypass, but depending on where you are, you may need to.
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I made a simple frame out of aluminum bar to mount the cooler to the rad frame and tapped into the radiator tranny lines. The oil is flowing through the cooler then the radiator for extra cooling. It is suggested to add a tranny filter in line with the tranny cooler back to the rad. I opted out of that since I don't have a race car. :P

Here are the parts I used (fittings):
Parts from hardware store:
5/16" x 1/4" hose barb MIP adapter (to connect rad line to cooler hose)
1/4" x 7/8" Female pipe coupling (anything shorter won't work)
3ft of 3/8" (9.5mm) fuel line
3/4" x 1/8" x 72" rectangular aluminum bar (for mounting frame)
24 - #8 x 3/8" sheet metal screws (to mount the cooler frame to the rad frame)
4 - 1/2" copper straps (to brace the input / output fittings to the frame)
 

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What I did to my Cougar today (sounds like writing my weekly report to DOGE)
I contemplated replacing the PCV Valve... After watching another show about working on engines, one show and another person suggested just flushing them with engine cleaner. Thought I would give that a try instead of getting a new one for now.

Anyone else flush their PCV valve instead of replacing it?
 
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Cut out and moved the dash bar down. Forget the instrument cluster not fitting because of the bar, the steering column was positioned way too high. Cut it out, places the dash and cluster in, positioned the column, repositioned the dash bar. Need to make mounts to hold the column in place now, but everything fits a lot better and I can use the OG cluster again.
 
White Lincoln said:
What I did to my Cougar today (sounds like writing my weekly report to DOGE)
I contemplated replacing the PVC Valve... After watching another show about working on engines, one show and another person suggested just flushing them with engine cleaner. Thought I would give that a try instead of getting a new one for now.

Anyone else flush their PVC valve instead of replacing it?
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No, but I have cleaned PCV valves out before. ;)

Sometimes you can clean them, sometimes you just can't get all the crap out. I replaced one on a Subaru a week or so ago because the original valve still didn't sound very good after cleaning.
 
White Lincoln said:
No, but I have cleaned PCV valves out before. ;)

Sometimes you can clean them, sometimes you just can't get all the crap out. I replaced one on a Subaru a week or so ago because the original valve still didn't sound very good after cleaning.
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Dang dislexia! "Yeah, what Kevin said..."

"Well, my Cougar has a PVC valve, don't go hatin' on my car because its different...." :P

Thanks Kevin for the feedback (and correction)

My "PVC" was not even dirty, but I flushed it anyway.
 
I’ve R&R’d the covers off these seats so many times but easy never comes to mind, the hog rings are always a tremendous struggle for me.
 
White Lincoln said:
I made a simple frame out of aluminum bar to mount the cooler to the rad frame and tapped into the radiator tranny lines. The oil is flowing through the cooler then the radiator for extra cooling. It is suggested to add a tranny filter in line with the tranny cooler back to the rad. I opted out of that since I don't have a race car. :P

Here are the parts I used (fittings):
Parts from hardware store:
5/16" x 1/4" hose barb MIP adapter (to connect rad line to cooler hose)
1/4" x 7/8" Female pipe coupling (anything shorter won't work)
3ft of 3/8" (9.5mm) fuel line
3/4" x 1/8" x 72" rectangular aluminum bar (for mounting frame)
24 - #8 x 3/8" sheet metal screws (to mount the cooler frame to the rad frame)
4 - 1/2" copper straps (to brace the input / output fittings to the frame)
Click to expand...

Ok...very useful post! But...

On my car, the top coupling on the radiator is the exit. Unless, yours is different, based on your photo, it would be: tranny > radiator > supplemental cooler > tranny. This is also the setup that is generally recommended from what I've been reading.

However, your diagram shows: tranny > supplemental cooler > radiator > tranny.
 
XR7-4.6 said:
I’ve R&R’d the covers off these seats so many times but easy never comes to mind, the hog rings are always a tremendous struggle for me.
Click to expand...

Oh, sorry. My pics may have been misleading.

I only removed the covers of the front seats (no hog rings). The rear seat I cleaned using the Bissel machine.
 
1997ThunderbirdLXV6 said:
Yes. They come off easily, but you have to take the seat apart to get the bottom cover off.
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I took the seat skin off my Mark VII when I had it re-upholstered. The worse part was getting the lining hook (long plastic part that hooks under the seat) off. Interesting though, I never thought you could throw the lining into the washing machine.... "Fanstastic Baby!"
 
White Lincoln said:
:P
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White Lincoln said:
You litterly removed the skin of the seats and put them in the washing machine? I would like to add a heater to the drivers seat and thought pulling and washing would be a good time to add the heater too.
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Adding a heater is problematic; It's a slightly different mix of foam, in a sandwich of other stuff. You'd need to get the whole sandwich, and modify our foam to accommodate it. The driver is probably pwm, with a temp sensor for feedback. But if you get all the pieces,it could be done.
 
AFAIK heated seats have only ever been offered with leather seat skins, though the undersides of the skins are covered in foam. And yes, there is a temp sensor.
 
The cloth probably melts. Standard foam too. I used to use "heat tapes" on high vacuum equipment, and other stuff, they're good to 400C. Foam, pleather, or polyester fabric is not.

www.mcmaster.com

McMaster-Carr

McMaster-Carr is the complete source for your plant with over 595,000 products. 98% of products ordered ship from stock and deliver same or next day.
www.mcmaster.com www.mcmaster.com

These are closer to seat heaters, 300F max.
www.mcmaster.com

McMaster-Carr

McMaster-Carr is the complete source for your plant with over 595,000 products. 98% of products ordered ship from stock and deliver same or next day.
www.mcmaster.com www.mcmaster.com

These are examples of the tech; these are for 120V.
 
Volkswagen has offered heated seats with cloth since the Mk4 and B5.

It's doable with the right fabric.
 
1997ThunderbirdLXV6 said:
Ok...very useful post! But...

On my car, the top coupling on the radiator is the exit. Unless, yours is different, based on your photo, it would be: tranny > radiator > supplemental cooler > tranny. This is also the setup that is generally recommended from what I've been reading.

However, your diagram shows: tranny > supplemental cooler > radiator > tranny.
Click to expand...
Seriously, do what you have read or think would be best. I do not recall where I got the layout from, but it has been there for some 17 years and no issues. In thinking about this, my thought was, send the hottest fluid through the smaller, opened radiator to cool down faster first, then into the rad where it is not cooled as fast. My two cents. Hope that helps.
 
White Lincoln said:
Seriously, do what you have read or think would be best. I do not recall where I got the layout from, but it has been there for some 17 years and no issues. In thinking about this, my thought was, send the hottest fluid through the smaller, opened radiator to cool down faster first, then into the rad where it is not cooled as fast. My two cents. Hope that helps.
Click to expand...

I hear your rationale. That's a different subject.

My point was: I don't think that's what you actually did based on your photo. It shows the supplemental cooler between the radiator top coupling and the transmission. On my car, that's fluid exiting the radiator. And I can't imagine they changed that over the years; but I'm happy to be persuaded another way.


On the subject of which routing is better, i.e., which cooler should come first, the rationale I read most frequently was to go radiator > supplemental cooler. Reason being that a cooler can only cool the flow-through ATF to the temperature of the surrounding air/fluid. Assuming that the coolant in the radiator, even on the coolant exit side, is still hotter than ambient air, the radiator can cool the ATF to no lower than the coolant. Then the supplemental cooler can cool the ATF to no lower than ambient air.
(Evidently in practice, neither cooler cools the ATF that much; I'm just talking in principle.)


Some experts help me out please...
 
White Lincoln said:
What I did to my Cougar today (sounds like writing my weekly report to DOGE)
I contemplated replacing the PCV Valve... After watching another show about working on engines, one show and another person suggested just flushing them with engine cleaner. Thought I would give that a try instead of getting a new one for now.

Anyone else flush their PCV valve instead of replacing it?
Click to expand...
Last night, I pulled my IAC and was going to replace it with my OEM one that I pulled from the yard because I have had consistant low idle for some time now. That is one indication of a IAC going bad. After reaplacing the IAC, the car started to run like crap. I put the first IAC back in, then the car would not start. I said "F-it" and went to bed. I figured I flooded the thing. This morning, I try to start the car, no spark. Hmmm.... I put my test light on the coil to cap and got spark. I put the light to #1 plug and NO SPARK! WTF? I pull the cap off and the rotor blew up! Weirdest damg thing I have ever seen. I had a new rotor and cap (2nd pic) in my spare parts box I bought when they were on close-out at RockAuto.
 

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1997ThunderbirdLXV6 said:
I hear your rationale. That's a different subject.

My point was: I don't think that's what you actually did based on your photo. It shows the supplemental cooler between the radiator top coupling and the transmission. On my car, that's fluid exiting the radiator. And I can't imagine they changed that over the years; but I'm happy to be persuaded another way.


On the subject of which routing is better, i.e., which cooler should come first, the rationale I read most frequently was to go radiator > supplemental cooler. Reason being that a cooler can only cool the flow-through ATF to the temperature of the surrounding air/fluid. Assuming that the coolant in the radiator, even on the coolant exit side, is still hotter than ambient air, the radiator can cool the ATF to no lower than the coolant. Then the supplemental cooler can cool the ATF to no lower than ambient air.
(Evidently in practice, neither cooler cools the ATF that much; I'm just talking in principle.)


Some experts help me out please...
Click to expand...
Ahhhh.... now i see what you are saying. I believe you are correct. I used the top one cause I did not want to have to try and run my line under the car or radiator and if I recall, could not find an easy space to do so? I will have to look more into this and see if I have this all bass ackwards.

Thanks for pointing that out!
 
Grog6 said:
Adding a heater is problematic; It's a slightly different mix of foam, in a sandwich of other stuff. You'd need to get the whole sandwich, and modify our foam to accommodate it. The driver is probably pwm, with a temp sensor for feedback. But if you get all the pieces,it could be done.
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I bought a kit years and years ago and never put it in. The ad's never mention about "types of foam", they just say "put a heater in your seat and enjoy a warm arse in the winter!!!" My Town Car has them and it is a must have once you have a car that has heated (cooled) seats. I never read anything about the foam being an issue. I will look more into that if I ever do get off my arse and install it.

Thanks Grog for bring that issue up.
 
The ones I used were nichrome flat wire (resistance wire) covered by 1/16" silicone on both sides; I'd glue them to stuff with thermally conductive adhesive. For a seat, flat sandbags might be better up against the heat, and the foam and cloth over that. Take a bit longer to warm up, but less electronics needed, and less chance of fire. Mcmaster sells the silicone sheet material, as does mscdirect.com. I'd say the ones used in cars are much more flexible than the ones I used.
I made a temp controlled box using a 1/4" copper plate on the bottom,2'x3' with a bunch of those pads glued to it, then glued to a steel box 2'x3'x16". No flexibility at all.
 
Crap.....

Anyone want to by a heated seat unit, new?! Never used, still in original shipping box.... Anyone, anyone????
 
Stopped and filled the tank to the brim. Had to pack the last 1/2 gal as I guessed how much it would hold as I had 337 miles since last fill. 23.6 mpg at 369,000miles. 🙂
 
Generalee0527 said:
Stopped and filled the tank to the brim. Had to pack the last 1/2 gal as I guessed how much it would hold as I had 337 miles since last fill. 23.6 mpg at 369,000miles. 🙂
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That is awesome! Glad you are getting good gas mileage out that engine / drivetrain. I am waiting to see what this tank yeilds on my Cougar. It seems to be using less gas, but how much will tell this next tank. I was getting 180 a tank? Yeah, "wtf?"...
 
White Lincoln said:
That is awesome! Glad you are getting good gas mileage out that engine / drivetrain. I am waiting to see what this tank yeilds on my Cougar. It seems to be using less gas, but how much will tell this next tank. I was getting 180 a tank? Yeah, "wtf?"...
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Tire pressure is important. Mydrive is 90% highway at 60-65mph. Do you have ability to check fuel trims? I use forscan to monitor mine.
 
When I was driving 120 miles/day, I could tell tire pressure, oil age, trans fluid age, and suspension wear just from how the car drove.
I could tell gas mileage pretty well too.
I change oil every 2500 mi, trans fluid every 25k, and air filter every oil change. I got 21-25mpg, although by a random thing of following a state trooper into maryville for a week, I found out the non-hooning mpg was 35mpg@80-85mph. Difference was everyone got out of the way ,lol.
 
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