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Topic: Sometimes I hate these cars (Read 638 times) previous topic - next topic

Sometimes I hate these cars

So I was going to swap out the power steering rack today. I walked out to the car and there was a line of coolant coming from the car. I checked the water pump and the weeping hole was leaking. So I went to my father in laws(Where the motor I will be swapping in is at, and he has a garage) to swap out the water pump and hopefully still have enough time for the power steering rack, lines and pump. Spend about 2 hours bent over the fender while I sped all the old gasket and gobs of RTV off. Hooked the bottom hose back up, filled it full of 50/50 and started it up. It starts g coolant out of the upper radiator hose mount on the radiator. So I go to autozone and get a new radiator.

Had to wait for 1 hour while they "looked" for it. I got it back to the car and swapped it out. The lines sucked to get off. They were tighter then they should have been at least. Spent almost 2 hours getting everything in the garage cleaned up. Then I threw more coolant in it, started it up, and went to pull it out front cause I figured I was done. When I got out of the car, there was a long red line following my car the whole way. I pop the hood, and now I have tranny fluid all over the car. I parked the car back at my father in laws and drove the neon home.

I bent the fitting on the radiator and the plastic seal isn't fitting right inside of the line.

Nothing like 5 hours or more of work and $100 down the drain just to park the car, and drive the neon home.
Quote from: jcassity
I honestly dont think you could exceed the cost of a new car buy installing new *stock* parts everywhere in your coug our tbird. Its just plain impossible. You could revamp the entire drivetrain/engine/suspenstion and still come out ahead.
Hooligans! 
1988 Crown Vic wagon. 120K California car. Wifes grocery getter. (junked)
1987 Ford Thunderbird LX. 5.0. s.o., sn-95 t-5 and an f-150 clutch. Driven daily and going strong.
1986 cougar.
lilsammywasapunkrocker@yahoo.com
 

Sometimes I hate these cars

Reply #1 –
I had a tranny coolant line go bad at the fitting,and I went to Autozone,bought some rubber line for the tranny,cut the metal lines about a foot from the tranny,installed the rubber lines and a cooler I had from an Explorer.No more worries.Now I have the 5 speed,it's all gone,but the rubber lines worked great,and sisn't take long at all to fix.That little stuff can nickel and dime you to death,and,Christmas is around the corner,don't forget your sweetie.
'88 Sport--T-5,MGW shifter,Trick Flow R intake,Ed Curtis cam,Trick Flow heads,Scorpion rockers,75mm Accufab t-body,3G,mini starter,Taurus fan,BBK long tube headers,O/R H-Pipe, Flowamaster Super 44's, deep and deeper Cobra R wheels, Mass Air and 24's,8.8 with 3.73's,140 mph speedo,Mach 1 chin spoiler,SN-95 springs,CHE control arms,aluminum drive shaft and a lot more..