Added another Fox to the fleet - 1985 Marquis LTS

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Re: Added another Fox to the fleet - 1985 Marquis LTS

Reply #30 – August 21, 2022, 08:41:01 PM

Well, I decided to go with a set of adjustable MM RLCAs for this, instead of boxing a set of stock ones. Of course they wound up on backorder (even though they showed in-stock when I placed the order...).

While I'm waiting on those, I took care of a couple more little projects.

First up was an e-fan installation.

I had a couple spare Volvo 850 fans/shrouds/relays, so I decided to pursue that option,

It took only minor tpuppies of the shroud and mounting the fan on the inside of it to make it all fit.

The Volvo relay has inputs for triggering the LO and HI speed modes on the fan.

Since I had already relocated the temp gauge sender into this 2-port manifold, I installed the Hi-speed temp switch there as well.

Now, the LO-speed trigger was perfect for---triggering the fan for when the AC is turned on.

Yup. AC.

I replaced the condenser and all the hoses and flushed out the evap core and compressor for the conversion to R134a.

Pulled a vacuum on the system (Just to verify that the evap core was indeed still good).

A short while later, we now have working AC and an e-fan in the car.

On the other front, I now have this in my possession.

A 2011 3.7 V6 with the 6R80 6-speed auto trans.

Right now I'm just researching all of the other details needed to make the swap work. Fortunately, the engine/trams harness are very modular and 98% complete, with the PCM. I think other that having the PATS disabled in the ECU, only a couple other configuration changes will need to be made. I'm planning no "mods", save for whatever the exhaust looks in the end, and maybe the large-bore TB upgrade.

The biggest decision up front will be to spend the money on an AJE K-member for it to be almost drop in, or stick with a stock K-member and make some mounts, etc. I haven't gotten that far yet. The AJE would have provisions for a stock spring set-up, so no need for anything fancy.

There are a few other systems and details that would need to be addressed, but I'm formulating a plan for those.

I'm hoping to have all of the stuff together to start this swap sometime next year.

Re: Added another Fox to the fleet - 1985 Marquis LTS

Reply #31 – October 16, 2024, 11:36:18 AM

Been a minute since an update.
As mentioned in the LTD wagon thread, the 3.7/6R80 is going there and this is staying as-is drivetrain wise for a bit.

Not too much to report, just been driving it and doing a little maintenance work. Nothing exciting.

We did take it up to Detroit for the Motor City Fox Fest back in July. Did great on the trip.

It'll get parked when the snow/salt starts to fly, but I do have a couple projects for it when I can get more done on the wagon engine swap.

Re: Added another Fox to the fleet - 1985 Marquis LTS

Reply #32 – June 01, 2025, 12:43:44 AM

Coming back from spectating at the velodrome Thurs night, I noticed that the PS pump was making more noise than it should.

It was dark at the time, but I looked under the car to see this mess.

Awesome.

A quick investigation revealed that it was probably the reservoir o-ring. Seeing as it was probably the original to the car. It did have a bit of movement to it.

I was hoping to tend to it when I pulled the drivetrain out for a reseal, but I guess this didn't want to wait.

The reservoir was basically empty, but there were no signs of any rapid losses. I guess also hadn't noticed the dribbles on the driveway, but it rained a bit earlier in the week and I hadn't driven the car in a few days.

Since I had a pump rebuild kit but didn't want to pull the pump from the car, I just decided to do a quick o-ring replacement.

You can see that the old o-ring (right) was kind of flattened.

Since I had it out, I also replaced the o-rings on the inlet fitting and the high-pressure connection.

Got it all back together and power washed the gunk off of everything.

Now back to driving it until I'm ready for the aforementioned side-quest.

Re: Added another Fox to the fleet - 1985 Marquis LTS

Reply #33 – June 04, 2025, 11:17:20 AM

Well, after a couple of days of driving, the PS reservoir was low again. The fittings on the rack are clean and the boots are new-ish and aren't full of fluid, but should probably warrant a closer look.
I replaced the PS return hose with new clamps and cleaned things up.
Watching it run, it looks like the pressure line is seeping at the crimp.

Also, at this point, the front main seal on the engine is merely a suggestion.

That's where the bulk of the "mess" is coming from. I may need to park the car until I can get the drivetrain pulled out for the reseal/clean/port induction/MS swap.

I need to do a couple things on her Beetle, mainly to get the parts/boxes out of my way. Then this may move into the "work bay" spot and I'll bounce back and forth between it and the wagon. There are piles of parts in my way for this project as well, and it would be nice to get them off the floor and on the car.

Re: Added another Fox to the fleet - 1985 Marquis LTS

Reply #34 – August 25, 2025, 08:48:57 PM

OK, so I did wind up parking the car for a few weeks and dealt with other things.

This weekend I began tearing into it to do the refresh.
This includes:
- Resealing the engine. (All seals are merely suggestions at this point)
- Valve seals
- Motor mounts
- Factory headers
- Trans seals
- Fix PS leak (turns out to be a bad pump)
- Port injection set-up install with MegaSquirt ECU
- Rear disc brakes (S197s)
- A couple other fiddly bits

This is where we're starting

Everything up top disconnected, and after removing the belt was when I found the bad PS pump. The pulley moved in/out but about 1/8" or so.

Also, a little project I'm working on for the intake

Re: Added another Fox to the fleet - 1985 Marquis LTS

Reply #35 – September 13, 2025, 09:48:35 PM

Got this done today

It wasn't playing nice on the hoist, so I conned my wife into being a second set of hands to get it out without damaging anything.

As I mentioned, the seals on this engine are merely suggestions.

There is nothing open here. That is oil actively draining from the oil pan or rear main seal

Messy, messy.

The engine is on the stand and hopefully I can get the powerwasher out tomorrow and clear off the crud from the engine and transmission and start getting things taken care of.

Re: Added another Fox to the fleet - 1985 Marquis LTS

Reply #36 – September 14, 2025, 06:43:08 PM

Fired up the powerwasher this morning. Also hit the engine bay.

Engine in the garage, ready for rehabbing.

Re: Added another Fox to the fleet - 1985 Marquis LTS

Reply #37 – September 15, 2025, 10:40:54 AM

Mannnnn that is a nasty leak. In the worst possible place too. Seemed to clean up nicely though, and you had help which means the world. Great to see progress on this....wish I had that kind of motivation...

Re: Added another Fox to the fleet - 1985 Marquis LTS

Reply #38 – September 15, 2025, 12:13:25 PM

I’m retired (still have a lot of energy) and I can’t imagine undertaking all the projects you tackle (and succeed at) and have time to breathe. I assume you have a full time job, helpful, supportive wife, kids maybe. Kudos to you for forging ahead with all you do and contribute here.
Rick

Re: Added another Fox to the fleet - 1985 Marquis LTS

Reply #39 – September 15, 2025, 02:06:37 PM

This is honestly the first time I've had any help getting any help getting a drivetrain pulled/installed. I was in a bind. Luckily she hadn't left to run errands yet. :p
Yeah, full time job. 2 young kids (8 and 6). Trying to get back in shape after the hip surgery, etc. She supports my mania, but I do have A LOT of projects currently cooking. This doesn't even count the house projects that I'm peppering in.

I like to keep moving, but it's getting a bit more rough as I'm closing in on 60.

The front main isn't any better, Eric. If the PS hadn't given up on me, I'd probably still be driving it around, like I was. Time to get it fixed now, though.

Re: Added another Fox to the fleet - 1985 Marquis LTS

Reply #40 – September 16, 2025, 07:22:12 AM

At least it doesn't look too terrible in there.

While I have the rocker arms pulled for the valve seal replacement, I'm going to do a leakdown test, just to get a general idea of engine fitness. It ran well enough and didn't show any signs of problems, so it's more for informational purposes.

Re: Added another Fox to the fleet - 1985 Marquis LTS

Reply #41 – September 16, 2025, 09:06:32 AM

quietly in the background, "Project creep, pull the heads, project creep, roller rockers, project creep, roller lifters, project creep, project creep......."

edit: I have a nice set of heads with 1.9 intake 1.6 exhaust, with some bowl porting that would look really nice on that motor. LOL

Re: Added another Fox to the fleet - 1985 Marquis LTS

Reply #42 – September 16, 2025, 09:36:37 AM

Lol.

Yeah, that's not gonna happen here. I have other creeping projects I need to keep a handle on.

The only creep that has been added is redoing the Y-pipe. I did a quick patch up to get the car on the road, but now I need to change the f langes to accommodate the larger outlets on the factory headers vs the manifolds. I can't cobble bigger f langes onto this and feel good about it.

I'm also going to make a new dual tip, to mimic what they came with originally, as I just did the single when I built the rest of the exhaust. No duals on this car.

Re: Added another Fox to the fleet - 1985 Marquis LTS

Reply #43 – September 26, 2025, 08:34:47 PM

Been taking some time in the evenings to get the engine torn down and things that need it tossed into the ultrasonic tank.

Lots of crust down low, not much up top.

This engine never gave me an oil light, or so much as a low-oil rattle.

Pulled the oil pump cover off and it didn't look too bad, honestly. Going to toss a new Melling pump and pick-up on it though, while I'm in there.
The harmonic balancer needs to be replaced and going to toss a new timing set on it, since I have it all apart.

Pulled the ECU harness out to do the modifications for the MS swap.

I took out all of the EGR and other mostly-non-working emissions stuff. Pulled the wires out of the ECU connector and fixed up a couple of things.

The harness is now ready to go back into the car.

I'll do the final wrapping, etc. once I get things in their final spots. I need to splice in the TPS harness to replace the non-OEM connector I used to get the car running, and make the connections to the injector harness. This is just going to be batch-fired, as I can use the 2 injector triggers I have and they ran the trucks this way, so it'll work. I didn't want to run 6 new injector triggers, for pretty much no gain.
The fan control is getting slightly altered. The LO-speed is still controlled by the stock AC relay, but the HI-speed will now be triggered by the MS unit, and not the temp switch I installed originally. I'm going to retain the WOT cut-out for the compressor, and can trigger that in the MS unit as well.

Speaking of the MegaSquirt ECU. I guess I haven't talked about it in this thread (I think I did in my old, lost FEP thread)

What I'm using is a OLD MS1 V2.2 board unit. The same thing I have had in the TBird, for 20-ish years.

What I'm using to connect it to the factory harness is the almost as ancient adapter board by Scott Hall that I've had sitting on a bookshelf forever (and I almost sold it too).
I was able to find the BOM for the components and de-soldered a connector from a junk EEC-IV ECU and put it all together.

Then with a short harness, you can connect it to the MS unit and all of the needed connections are made.

Kept me from going down the rabbit-hole to a more custom install with the harness, etc. I've done it. Didn't need to do it here.

Once I get things cleaned up a bit more, parts will start going back on the engine.

I also got a bunch of stuff to get the new Y-pipe made. I may, or may not, have purchased a bunch of stuff to be able to attempt TIG welding stainless with my welder...

Re: Added another Fox to the fleet - 1985 Marquis LTS

Reply #44 – October 06, 2025, 09:12:58 AM

Chipping away at things.

New timing set, oil pump and pick up are installed.

Got the engine all scrubbed down and in paint.

Also got the engine harness back into the car.

Next tasks are
-Install timing cover and water pump.
-paint and install oil pan.
-replace valve seals