Delete Reply #120 – September 27, 2009, 08:25:43 PM Installed my clear headlamps today. This was not a drop-in installation like the eBay auction was advertised. I had to enlarge the openings in the back of the headlamp buckets for these to fit. I realized just a while ago that I was not sent LH and RH headlamps as the picture in the auction shows because the city lights are supposed to be positioned opposite of each other for each side.The wiring was the easy part for me. The original low beam headlamp connector fits the H4 bulb but I had to release the terminals and reinstall them into the correct slots in the connector. For the high beam bulbs, I had to cut a tab away on the connector to clear the unused low beam terminal on the H4 bulb. Easy job though. All that was necessary was to turn the plug upside down and push it into the back of the bulb to make it function properly. You can see I opted for amber city light bulbs. I'll see if I stay with this for the duration or not. Quote Selected
Delete Reply #121 – September 27, 2009, 08:28:34 PM A very seemingly dangerous thing happened today. The catalytic converter overheated while I was driving the car for a short run today. The floorboard was hot as an iron and there was smoke coming from the converter underneath after I parked it. Looks like I have serious issues to attend to! Quote Selected
Delete Reply #122 – September 27, 2009, 08:36:28 PM Quote from: Watchdevil;292821A very seemingly dangerous thing happened today. The catalytic converter overheated while I was driving the car for a short run today. The floorboard was hot as an iron and there was smoke coming from the converter underneath after I parked it. Looks like I have serious issues to attend to!Sounds like it was running very rich. I have seen more than one car set its carpet on fire because of this. Glad yours is still with us!Shiny Side Up!Bill Quote Selected
Delete Reply #123 – September 27, 2009, 11:48:59 PM Quote from: ProTouring442;292827Sounds like it was running very rich. I have seen more than one car set its carpet on fire because of this. Glad yours is still with us!Shiny Side Up!BillYeah it's a good thing that there is no carpet installed. That's the first time since I have been runninng the car this has happened. Something is going on causing it to run way too rich. I have to face facts. The engine will have to be overhauled or replaced. I have so much work to do on this car that if it was not for the fact that it was given to me I would not even worry about restoring it. But hey it will be worth the time and investment in restoration to enjoy the end result. I really did not set out to find a car to restore, much less a second car in the first place but I could not resist keeping a Thunderbird from going to a junkyard since my parents no longer wanted it. Quote Selected
Delete Reply #124 – September 28, 2009, 05:45:00 AM Quote from: Watchdevil;292850Yeah it's a good thing that there is no carpet installed. That's the first time since I have been runninng the car this has happened. Something is going on causing it to run way too rich. I have to face facts. The engine will have to be overhauled or replaced. I have so much work to do on this car that if it was not for the fact that it was given to me I would not even worry about restoring it. But hey it will be worth the time and investment in restoration to enjoy the end result. I really did not set out to find a car to restore, much less a second car in the first place but I could not resist keeping a Thunderbird from going to a junkyard since my parents no longer wanted it.Are you getting a Check Engine light? If not, I would suspect the O2 sensor. If you are getting one, the most likely culprit is the Air Temperature Sensor. In either case, you should verify the problem with a good scanner. The converter is most likely shot at this point as the substrate will have melted. Find out ASAP and get it fixed as there is still a lot of stuff that a glowing converter can set ablaze! Shiny Side Up!Bill Quote Selected
Delete Reply #125 – September 28, 2009, 06:23:27 AM Quote from: ProTouring442;292868Are you getting a Check Engine light? If not, I would suspect the O2 sensor. If you are getting one, the most likely culprit is the Air Temperature Sensor. In either case, you should verify the problem with a good scanner. The converter is most likely shot at this point as the substrate will have melted. Find out ASAP and get it fixed as there is still a lot of stuff that a glowing converter can set ablaze! Shiny Side Up!BillNo check engine light. I am assuming that Engine light on the sparse instrument cluster would be what lights up if that goes wrong.One of the things on my big to do list is to have the exhaust system replaced. I do know the ler is shot with a big hole in the back of it. There is so much that has to be done to this car. Quote Selected
Delete Reply #126 – September 28, 2009, 08:18:56 AM CEL was not wired to the cluster until after 1986. I know, I have two 86's. In fact, I don't think it happened until 88 or later, because I actually have an 87 cluster in one of my 86's. You'll have to pull codes to find out if there's one that would cause a CEL. The output is there, in the EEC and wired to the DCL, just not wired into the cluster. Normally, the CEL is the same wire that goes to the DCL from STO (Self Test Output) which is Pin 4 on the DCL. If you want, you can connect a test light between pin 4 of the DCL and the + post on the battery while it's idling, and that will show if it has latched codes. It will need to be up to operating temperature, though, otherwise, any diagnostic codes will be moot. An overheating cat doesn't typically mean a rebuild is needed. If, however, it's smoking blue/white, or excess water vapor is coming out of the tail pipe, then you may be correct. However, it may need little more than some "freshening" with some new front end and top gaskets, including head gaskets. That 5.0 is a TOUGH engine. They'll take a lot more abuse than the 3.8's will. And somehow, I can't imagine your parents abusing the car, and then giving it to you. Quote Selected
Delete Reply #127 – September 28, 2009, 10:51:35 AM I have been driving my car while it was overheating for two days and over 200 miles and didn't notice any smoke or lack of power. My stupid gage cluster burned out on my full digital dash, and I have had problems with the oil pressure sensor. Went to do a pizza delivery and the car died, checked the coolant, and it was bone dry. I was wondering why my heater quit working, I thought my heater core went out again. Funny thing is, it didn't smoke or anything. No white smoke or any sign of overheating till the car died. That and the heater not working. If the cat is glowing or burning too hot, it might be clogged. If it is, its already bad. I would hollow it out as a temp fix until you can get it fixed. I had a brand new cat on my 86 car. Map sensor line came off and it would leave black marks at every stop sign I stopped at. Cat was somehow fine after. Quote Selected
Delete Reply #128 – September 30, 2009, 12:18:56 AM Quote from: Old_Paint;292878CEL was not wired to the cluster until after 1986. I know, I have two 86's. In fact, I don't think it happened until 88 or later, because I actually have an 87 cluster in one of my 86's. You'll have to pull codes to find out if there's one that would cause a CEL. The output is there, in the EEC and wired to the DCL, just not wired into the cluster. Normally, the CEL is the same wire that goes to the DCL from STO (Self Test Output) which is Pin 4 on the DCL. If you want, you can connect a test light between pin 4 of the DCL and the + post on the battery while it's idling, and that will show if it has latched codes. It will need to be up to operating temperature, though, otherwise, any diagnostic codes will be moot. An overheating cat doesn't typically mean a rebuild is needed. If, however, it's smoking blue/white, or excess water vapor is coming out of the tail pipe, then you may be correct. However, it may need little more than some "freshening" with some new front end and top gaskets, including head gaskets. That 5.0 is a TOUGH engine. They'll take a lot more abuse than the 3.8's will. And somehow, I can't imagine your parents abusing the car, and then giving it to you.Thanks for your input. I tried starting the car today for the first time since the cat overheated. It starts and ran rough for a few seconds then stalled. I started it again and it just will not run. It seems like it clogged, so the converter may be so damaged the exhaust cannot get out. The fumes I do get are very rich. Looks like this car is going to be sitting for a while. Quote Selected
Delete Reply #129 – September 30, 2009, 01:09:03 AM Man you've put alot of work into that Bird! I like how you're making it your own with your own touches. How strict are they on emissons are they there? Here they are only required to look to see if the converter is there. If that's the case just hollow it out and put it back on. Great job with it, keep it up!! Quote Selected
Delete Reply #130 – September 30, 2009, 10:22:38 AM Quote from: 1Bad88tbird;293158Man you've put alot of work into that Bird! I like how you're making it your own with your own touches. How strict are they on emissons are they there? Here they are only required to look to see if the converter is there. If that's the case just hollow it out and put it back on. Great job with it, keep it up!!Strict in North Carolina! This car needs so much work to pass inspection. I have a cracked windshield, poor brakes and bad converter and ler. I also need new tires. If this was not my step-mother's car that she bought brand new I would have looked for something better with lower mileage. Not long ago I passed up on a 1983 Tbird for sale about a mile down the street that some old man had since it was brand new. Silver with w red interior. I started it up and it sounded lile brand new. However at some point after that he had a little accident and bashed the front end a little damaging the left front fender and header panel knocking the headlamps out. I so wanted to buy it but I am too cash poor. The old man was asking too much for it anyway. Quote Selected
Delete Reply #131 – September 30, 2009, 11:14:22 AM I know what you mean about things being tight, I've been laid off since april. You just do what you gotta do to keep going. Even when I was working things weren't easy but I got by. I've had my Bird since 1990 and it was in great shape when I bought it, I think it only had 24k miles then, of course I paid 10k for back then. I was always on a tight budget so I only did a little at a time through the years and pretty much got it where I want it but it'll probably never be done. There's always something new to do to it. One nice thing with you starting where you did you'll know everything that has been done to it and what still needs to be done. Just take your time with it and try not to get discouraged with it and you'll eventually get it where you want it. And then you'll enjoy it that much more knowing you did it! Quote Selected
Delete Reply #133 – October 04, 2009, 10:42:47 PM Today I started relocating the ignition module. A while back I got a heatsink and wiring harness out of a 88 Cougar V6. The module and heatsink is going in the same location it was on the Cougar I got it out of, that is on the passenger side radiator support just ahead of the radiator. I got most of the wiring done except for the three wires going to the pick-up coil. It started getting dark and I had to wrap up work for the night. I will finish on my next off. However what is aggravating me is that the ignition module on the distributor has one screw that is blocked by the water outlet housing so it looks like I am doing to have to remove that first to finish the work. Quote Selected
Delete Reply #134 – October 05, 2009, 02:13:20 AM just mark on the bottom of the dist where it is sitting with a sharpie, loosen it, and turn it till you can hit it. Quote Selected
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