teffie's new ride

[Ozwynn]

No pics yet but she got tired of driving the '95 kick so I bought her a 1999 Lincoln Continental. I set out looking for a 2002+ V8 Explorer but didn't find one that I was willing to pay the price for.

but anyways I am happy with this car because I had no idea that Ford could stuff a 4.6L DOHC 32 valve V8 under the hood of a front wheel drive car.

these are the things I have found wrong with it so far

1. missfire on #8 cylinder (solved this by pulling the spark plugs out and letting the pool of oil in the spark plug holes drain into the engine), got the code cleared and it has not come back.

2. needs a wheel bearing assembly, I thought this was a transmission noise when we looked at the car and Cambel Ford took $1500 off the price. I am going to replace both wheel bearings and the ball joints (they appear to be the originals with 183,XXX miles)


3. windshield sprayer tube was laying on the engine and burned in half. I have to replace that and it looks like that trashed the bearing in the alternator so it will need one of those too.

4. Valve cover gaskets and what ever the seals around the spark plug holes are need to be replaced.

5. The rotors have rot lot....... but are otherwise fine, however, they are easier to replace that getting them turned (he let it sit for all winter long in a garage before trading it in).

6. Outer tie rod ends and an alignment....... going to let Midas do that.

7. one of the locks does not respond to the switch or the remote.

8. While the transmission shifts fine and I have no reason to suspect a failure my transmission guy when he inspected it told me not to ever flush it because it will cause more problems than it will fix........ told me just to change the filter. (beings how this is front wheel drive there go my plans for a mustang 5spd)

9. Air and fuel filter.


It was being traded in at the very moment we were there looking at an Explorer so I got to talk to the owner. He is a traveling salesman and was trading it in for an F150 super crew...... he said he is the original owner and he will have the maintenance records sent to me. I got the feeling he just did the bare minimum to keep it going.

all in all not a bad car and it does not need that much considering what I paid for it ($4000)

It is wicked fast....... I gunned down a late 90's Mustang GT for 3 lights and hung with a late 90's Cobra to 120 mph where the Lincoln seems to be governed.

will post picks later and get some of the engine aswell.

got to fix this before winter

got to fix this one too

See, I bought another high mileage car........ most miles on a car I have ever bought. I have been assured by several forums that if I don't drive it like an idiot and take care of the few problems it has then it will last a while......... been told that its not un heard of for the Old people to 300,000 trouble free miles out of these. I like the gauges. (guess I am wrong on this account ..... I forgot the Suzuki has 262,xxx when I bought it)

this is where I get to tune the suspension and steering..... well steering anyways..... I have not figured out how to tune the suspension.

Cassette deck ....... anybody still got any of those? I don't think my kids have ever seen a cassette tape. has a 6 disc in the trunk.

Now for the pretty ...........










wait for it ..............














wait for it ................














wait for it.........................

was that worth the wait???????

 

[Ranger Sport Honduras]

nice ride!
post some pics soon!

 

[Original_Ranger84]

I was going to say that seems like alot for that car but for 4,000 you really can't complain. How does the mileage compare with the zuki?

 

[Ozwynn]

I was going to say that seems like alot for that car but for 4,000 you really can't complain. How does the mileage compare with the zuki?

lifetime average of 20.7 mpg...... the original owner claims 26 on the hwy. I am thinking 25 hwy when I get all the little things it needs fixed...... right now it is still missing on the #8 cylinder so my first project will be valve cover gaskets and spark plugs and boots. The coils are not cheap ....... $320 for a set of 8.

It has almost 100,000 less miles that the Suzuki and is alot more comfortable. The Suzuki gets 21 around town (19 with the A/C on) and 27 hwy (25 with the a/c on)..... I am going to keep it as a run about.

 

[exbass94]

8. While the transmission shifts fine and I have no reason to suspect a failure my transmission guy when he inspected it told me not to ever flush it because it will cause more problems than it will fix........ told me just to change the filter. (beings how this is front wheel drive there go my plans for a mustang 5spd)

There is absolutely nothing wrong with flushing a transmission. There is literally no way a flush can possibly cause transmission damage.

Sounds like a sweet car. I never would have guessed that those are front wheel drive. I always assumed they were rear wheel drive like the Town Car.

 

[Ozwynn]

There is absolutely nothing wrong with flushing a transmission. There is literally no way a flush can possibly cause transmission damage.

all the clutch material floating around inside a transmission that has 183,xxx miles on it that has never been flushed will certainly plug up sensors and fluid passages..... 'specially when the fluid called for is a high detergent synthetic. Ford told me the exact same thing when I asked.

Sounds like a sweet car. I never would have guessed that those are front wheel drive. I always assumed they were rear wheel drive like the Town Car.

Yeah ........ I knew the were front wheel drive because I had a 91 continental but it had a Taurus 3.8L V6. When I saw 32v DOHC V8 I thought maybe it was either the V8 SHO engine which is what ....... 3.6L? or maybe the 3.9L in other Lincoln models....... nope ...... its the same engine in the Towncar.... 4.6L of Rice rocket hunting power.

 

[exbass94]

Wow, they really shoe-horned that engine in there lol

 

[Original_Ranger84]

Holy Balls!

That is wicked weird!

 

[mp3deviant721]

Looks like fun. But a PITA to work on.

 

[exbass94]

all the clutch material floating around inside a transmission that has 183,xxx miles on it that has never been flushed will certainly plug up sensors and fluid passages..... 'specially when the fluid called for is a high detergent synthetic. Ford told me the exact same thing when I asked.
.

A "flush" isn't exactly a flush. It doesn't stir up clutch material at all. They simply hook the machine up and start the engine. The transmission uses it's own pump to pump the old fluid out, just like it always does. So, if there is junk floating in your trans, it can plug up passages when you're simply driving down the road. The only thing the machine does is make sure the new fluid gets pumped in at the same rate that the old fluid comes out.

I had my Explorer's trans flushed at around 130k. About 10k miles later, I dropped the pan and changed the filter. There was a thick layer of sludge on the bottom of the pan that the flush obviously didn't dislodge. Once again, it's not actually a "flush." The correct term is a fluid exchange.

I firmly belive the only reason shops recommend against flushing is to cover their ass against stupid customers. People who have trans problems and hope a flush is going to fix it. Then the trans inevitably dies later and the customer blames the flush and makes the shop replace the trans for free.

Either that or they have the same misconceptions about "flushes."

It calls for high detergency synthetic? All ATFs have very little detergents in them. They don't have to deal with nasty combustion byproducts like motor oil does. What does it call for? Mercon V? Merc V isn't even necessarily a synthetic. Most of them are merely synthetic blends.

 

[Sasquatch_Ryda]

It's just regular old Mercon V in the AX4N in that thing.

 

[Ozwynn]

I suppose it would be a stretch to find a Taurus SHO 5spd to handle it wouldn't it?


there has to be one ....... somewhere ........ I remember reading a thread where the guy was bragging up his 5spd swap (on his continental).............. must have either went rear wheel drive or had an older one with a V6.

 

[Ozwynn]

A "flush" isn't exactly a flush. It doesn't stir up clutch material at all. They simply hook the machine up and start the engine. The transmission uses it's own pump to pump the old fluid out, just like it always does. So, if there is junk floating in your trans, it can plug up passages when you're simply driving down the road. The only thing the machine does is make sure the new fluid gets pumped in at the same rate that the old fluid comes out.

I had my Explorer's trans flushed at around 130k. About 10k miles later, I dropped the pan and changed the filter. There was a thick layer of sludge on the bottom of the pan that the flush obviously didn't dislodge. Once again, it's not actually a "flush." The correct term is a fluid exchange.

I firmly belive the only reason shops recommend against flushing is to cover their ass against stupid customers. People who have trans problems and hope a flush is going to fix it. Then the trans inevitably dies later and the customer blames the flush and makes the shop replace the trans for free.

Either that or they have the same misconceptions about "flushes."

It calls for high detergency synthetic? All ATFs have very little detergents in them. They don't have to deal with nasty combustion byproducts like motor oil does. What does it call for? Mercon V? Merc V isn't even necessarily a synthetic. Most of them are merely synthetic blends.

that could very well be likely as I can not find a shop willing to touch it.......... they are all willing to replace the filter but not flush it....... I am not really sure what it calls for because I have not looked it up in the owner's manual but 3 shops now have claimed high detergent fluid......... I had the Chrysler flushed and the filter changed, we did not experience any transmission problems........ what about transmission by-pass filtration (all ready plan on engine oil by-pass filtration and coolant by-pass filtration)? what Micron filter should I be looking for?

 

[COPPERHEAD85]

It's just regular old Mercon V in the AX4N in that thing.

Same as AOD.

 

[Sasquatch_Ryda]

I am not really sure what it calls for because I have not looked it up in the owner's manual but 3 shops now have claimed high detergent fluid

The transmission is an AX4N and calls for Mercon V. Right out of the shop manual.