What Next? 1973 Ford Contry Sedan

Discussion in 'General Automotive Tech' started by Slidemanic, Oct 11, 2016.

  1. ALFATAR

    ALFATAR Active Member

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    Probably should change the water pump at the same time since it had to come off anyway
     
  2. Slidemanic

    Slidemanic Well-Known Member

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    Good idea,but the water pump was replaced less than two years and about 15,000 miles ago,& I don't want to go over budget on this deal.
    The work only happens on weekdays,and there was a terrific snowstorm on Thursday when few people went to work,so there may be delays here and there. Again,this is driving me mad crazy because the '04 Mustang GT has just about zero clutch left,and I have to drive it for work! And fit big people in it,like 6'2" & 220 Lbs.,or 5'2" & 302 lbs. Naturally,the Country Sedan absorbs these people better.
     
  3. Slidemanic

    Slidemanic Well-Known Member

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    Got a chance to stop by the shop and got an update. When the parts are in,they can start the reassembly. I even got a look. The cam gear looks like a new piece,but it is aluminum and some form of red plastic teeth. Could the teeth slip on the aluminum? The chain was way stretched,and the damper was NG for some reason. My understanding is that they'll replace everything and I'll have a nice set of wall decor for the den: chain,gears,etc. No broken pieces,so pan stays on.
     
  4. Silvertwinkiehobo

    Silvertwinkiehobo "Everything that breaks starts with 'F.'"

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    The cam gear's factory original. Nylon-covered aluminum. My '74 Ranchero Squire had that kind of a set on its 351C. And if the damper's bad, that affects setting timing. Saying a prayer and crossing my fingers those new parts do the trick.
     
  5. OldFox

    OldFox Curmudgeon

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    Those plastic teeth are white when the part is new. Over time, heat and exposure to oil makes it turn color and imbrittles it. At some point in time there will be so much slop in the timing chain that the car will backfire and the chain will shear the teeth off the hub. The teeth will fall into the oil pan. If not removed they will be sucked past the pickup screen and lock the oil pump up.

    The same thing happens to the valve guide seals. They become brittle and start to crack into smaller pieces which end up in the oil pan and get sucked up into the oil pump. When that happens, the pump locks up and corkscrews the shaft that drives the oil pump and goes into the bottom of the distributor. The car dies. Often when the pump locks up, it will also cause the shearing of the cam gear teeth.

    If a Windsor motor makes it to 100K without any of this happening, you are damn lucky, especially if you live where the winters are cold.
     
  6. Slidemanic

    Slidemanic Well-Known Member

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    Well,anyway...Once they got the parts in yesterday,it was a fast deal for these techs. At slightly over budget,a smooth running car. I didn't even pop the hood,just drove it and parked that 'Stang with its burnt-out clutch.
     
  7. Silvertwinkiehobo

    Silvertwinkiehobo "Everything that breaks starts with 'F.'"

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    Woo hoo! A wagon is back to running great and back on the road!

    Now, about that Pertronix Igniter II and Blaster coil....
     
  8. Slidemanic

    Slidemanic Well-Known Member

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    I've got all the old parts for a wall decor for the den,like with a Tiki Statue! The damper looks pretty sad. Good doorstop. I suppose they set the timing per the sticker @ 12B--seems to run OK. It is so winter here,with more snow on the way,it is all I can do to shovel the yard,can't really do much else yet. The '73 has got new all-season tires with good bite and a Trac-Lok axle to get around. The 'Stang has the same,but the new tread on the same design as the old tires (2 & 2) doesn't cut it. (P245/45ZR17). That is,the front worn tires would've been better than the same casing/new tread design on the rears right now. So,J78/15 forever!
     
  9. Slidemanic

    Slidemanic Well-Known Member

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    Pertronix maybe when the points & condenser they felt they had to put in does 5000 miles! My girl is happy,too,because I wasn't going to go 90 miles to see her for Valentine's Day with a burnt out clutch! So: New gears/chain/balancer,points/condenser,muffler,carburetor,heat/electric choke assembly,distributor,cap,rotor,wire set,and many other parts,all good to go! What could possibly go wrong?
     
  10. Slidemanic

    Slidemanic Well-Known Member

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    I'll tell you what could go wrong! One of the belts cut into the lower radiator hose and coolant went everywhere. They are correcting it,but I can't have it until later in the afternoon. The power steering got messed up too, I think because of slippery glycol on its pulley.
     
  11. Slidemanic

    Slidemanic Well-Known Member

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    In other news,the clip I was using to secure the choke lever fell off. I think I need an original piece,one size smaller than the hardware store has. It is a really tiny hairpin clip. Without it,the choke plate on the air horn is not connected to anything. I squeezed one down with needle nose pliers, but it may fall off too.
     
  12. Leadslead

    Leadslead Well-Known Member

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    You seem to have all the luck don't ya? :(
    I've had cars like that, I find cars to be a lot like women, love them or hate them, some you just cant get along with no matter what you do.
     
  13. Slidemanic

    Slidemanic Well-Known Member

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    Well,all I ever wanted was another Big Ford Station Wagon. And then came drama!
    Obviously,there was an error on reassembly with the hose touching the belt,so no repair bill. On the other issue,I called Mike's Carburetor Parts to get the right teeny-tiny clip for the choke,Priority Mail,so I hope the one that's one there doesn't fall off in the meantime.
     
  14. Leadslead

    Leadslead Well-Known Member

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    Well the bright side is your wagons running, mine needs an engine rebuild so the barge is currently sitting in the garage waiting for me to pull the engine...:( I guess the bright side is shes being pampered by being in the garage. :D
    She's been pampered most of her life anyway, so I guess she's used to it, and is that kind of high class woman. :cool:
     
    Grizz likes this.
  15. Grizz

    Grizz Are we there yet???

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    Hey at least your not blasting off your muffler anymore!! Coolant and clips seem minor compared to backfiring at your neighbors in the wee hours of the morning. Congrats :yahoo:
     

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