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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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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IMG_20250504_171515306.jpg
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?
Click to expand...
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.
 
1997ThunderbirdLXV6 said:
Yes. They come off easily, but you have to take the seat apart to get the bottom cover off.
Click to expand...
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!"
 
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