The big Three-Zero-Zero-Zero...

[Altron]

... I still feel small and pathetic compared to most of you five-digit-postcount nutjobs, but, this is the first time I've ever passed 3,000 posts on a forum (Two other forums where I have high post counts I was at like 2,900 and 2,300) and it marks nearly 500 posts since I came back last November. Isn't this amazing?

 

[Professur]

Yup. and 500 fairly good posts too, even tho most of them have been about your car.

 

[Altron]

I'm going to replace the air filter (that is one BIG motherfucker. I laugh at those wimpy Jap things with the 6" square air filters or the ones with the 24 oz. coffee-can sized filters, this bad boy is like 5" high and 14" in diameter) and the duct-taped hose going between the carb and the front air intake.

Oh, if anyone cares, the carbureter is a Quadrajet model EM4C.

I'm going to take some pictures when it's all in.

By the way, is having an Electronic Level Adjustment important? Something about modifiying suspension for varying loads, but the previous owner has the whole section highlighted and the equipment is disconnected. The wires running to it look like they caught on fire, the insulation is melted off in places and the wire is very heavily oxidized. I've been carefully avoiding plugging it back in. Is it necessary?

Also, why the hell does it take my engine so long to cool off? Well over three hours of being off, the hoses and the carb are hot enough to be uncomfortable to the touch.

Also, is it bad that I can squeeze the big thick radiator hose hard enough for the opposing sides to touch while the engine is off but there is still liquid in the hose? (When I squeeze it, there's a bubbling noise from the coolant overflow)

Also, am I supposed to put coolant in the radiator or into the tank over the passenger side wheel? My dad says the tank, but I think the radiator.

 

[Professur]

Air levelling suspension is good. It being burned up isn't. There's also a compressor somewhere in there. The Chilton manual should have more. Personally, I'd be thinking about one thing. Something burned up the wires. You really want to know what, before you try playing with it.

Big engines, lots of steel, lots of heat.

Yes, that's a bad thing. Time to change the hoses before they leave you stranded. Rad hoses rot from the inside. Change the heater hoses too, and use new clamps. It's stupid to reuse the old ones.

You're supposed to add to the overflow tank. Unless the level drops below the intake tube, in which case, you'll suck air into the rad. Once in a while, with the engine stone cold, check the rad. Either works. But, the rad cap is a pressure valve. Over working it might cause it to leak.

 

[Inkara1]

Look around the back tires. Do you see regular springs back there, be them coil or leaf, or do you see rubber air bladders? If you see springs, then the prior owner took out the self-leveling suspension and had it converted to springs. That's a fairly common thing because those air suspensions in the late 1980s were major trouble spots, especially if the seals or the air bags finally gave out. If you see a late-80s or early-90s Lincoln Continental dragging its ass on the ground even though there's only one person in it, that's exactly what happened.

 

[Altron]

There are coil springs and shock absorber pistons, but those are original equipment. It never had air bladders.

Yeah, the ELC is this whole big assembly with a compressor and a bunch of other things [not] connected to the rest of the car with a 4 pin molex-style connection.

What's the procedure for changing hoses? Do I need special stuff? The rad hose looks like it's a very specific length and bent in certain spaces. What hoses do I replace? Do I try to drain the coolant at the same time?

 

[Professur]

Last time I say it. Chilton manual.

proceedure for changing hoses. Get a bucket. A big one. If you're only changing one hose, you only need to drain the rad to below the level of that hose. To clarify. One way or another, you're gonna drain it that far. Yank off a hose full of fluid, and it doesn't stay full long.

Usually, intelligent car manufacturers install a petcock (quit giggling) at the bottom of the rad. Unfortunately, intelligent car manufacturers seem to be getting rare. If there's no petcock, you have to do it the hard way. Since you're (hopefully) gonna change the bottom hose anyways, I personally opt for drilling a hole in the bitch (the hose, not the rad) and draining it that way, as opposed to yanking off a hose and having it piss everywhere as you try and guide it to the bucket. Do I really need to say that you don't use an electric drill for this? Thought so. BTW, it drains faster if you take off the rad cap.

Now, since you're going through all this bother, you've obviously bought all new hoses. You went to the parts store, told them the model and year, and they sold you all the right hoses. You asked for new clamps, and they gave you the right sizes. You asked for a new rad cap (it's a valve, remember?) and the right coolant for your model engine.

The question is, were you smart enough to hold one hose against the other and make sure they gave you the right ones before you went and started drilling holes?

 

[Professur]

Oh, and check the shocks. I'm not sure inky's right on the airbag deal. I seem to recall that the shocks were tied to the compressor.

 

[Altron]

Oh, and is there any reason not to use 3" dryer vent for an air intake? I know it's not ideal, but then, neither is a paper hose full of holes and covered in duct tape. The store didn't have a stock replacement, so they suggested a $22 plastic air hose, so I went to the hardware store and for like $8 got a bunch of dryer vent and a pair of clamps. Ended up reusing the elbow between the hose and the carb (the elbow seems to be part of the hose, as it's very easy to remove it from the snorkel but it's permanately attached to the hose, that is unless you have strong arms) and about two feet of dryer vent. I moved it way out of the way of the alternator (the cause of the big hole in the old hose) so we should be good. Combined with the new filter, I got probably a good 50 horsepower boost. I'm going to go race my homies, yo. I got paid today so I can buy some spinner rimz, yo. Dem rimz and the 22" rubber band tires should give me like 100 horsepower, yo!
Honestly though, it does seem to run better, and when/if it becomes time to part ways, the silver vent looks much better than the torn up duct-taped hose.

 

[Altron]

How much does a set of new hoses cost, ballpark?

Going to need to get ramps too...

Ah, well, I pulled in $225 for the past two weeks.

And I don't want to get too concerned in the suspension, because the whole ordeal of shocks, springs, tires, and brakes would be several hundred dollars. I just wanted to be sure that it's nothing crucial. Previous owner was a truck mechanic, and I don't think he would remove something unless it was unneeded.

 

[Professur]

I wouldn't want to be trusting a plastic dryer vent in an engine compartment that you're already complaining about heat in. Melting plastic being sucked into your carb can't be a good thing.

 

[Inkara1]

My dad's (formerly my grandfather's) 1989 Continental has air bags on it, as did the '91 Continental my aunt used to have. I didn't know there was another kind of self-leveling suspension.

Dryer vent should be fine. I twon't look stock, but as long as it routes the air as well as the original hose did when new, looks are unimportant. If only girls thought that.

 

[Altron]

It's metal. I said I didn't buy the one at the car store because it was plastic.

The elbow for the OE hose was plastic, so I don't think there's too much melting danger.

 

[Altron]

My dad's (formerly my grandfather's) 1989 Continental has air bags on it, as did the '91 Continental my aunt used to have. I didn't know there was another kind of self-leveling suspension.

Dryer vent should be fine. I twon't look stock, but as long as it routes the air as well as the original hose did when new, looks are unimportant. If only girls thought that.

Actually, except for being shinier, it does look pretty stock. A few months of grime and it will fit right in. There's actually a very similar hose running between a cap on the snorkel and the exhaust manifold. Dunno what it does. I'm bad at navigating the manual. Most of it goes way over my head.

 

[Altron]

How come I don't have a second custom title. Mine is just 'Off Topic Master' but other people have cool ones.

 

[A.B.Normal]

My dad's (formerly my grandfather's) 1989 Continental has air bags on it, as did the '91 Continental my aunt used to have. I didn't know there was another kind of self-leveling suspension.

Dryer vent should be fine. I twon't look stock, but as long as it routes the air as well as the original hose did when new, looks are unimportant. If only girls thought that.

Neither did I ,in the tireshop they are quite good at making sure we know what vehicles not to lift without turning off the airride,nothing worse than lifting a car and the tires stay on the ground.

 

[Inkara1]

How come I don't have a second custom title. Mine is just 'Off Topic Master' but other people have cool ones.

The easiest way to get a custom title is to get to 10,000 posts.

I still haven't thought of the one I want to have.

 

[Nixy]

The easiest way to get a custom title is to get to 10,000 posts.

I still haven't thought of the one I want to have.

I don't think I have mine either yet...

 

[rrfield]

... I still feel small and pathetic compared to most of you five-digit-postcount nutjobs, but, this is the first time I've ever passed 3,000 posts on a forum (Two other forums where I have high post counts I was at like 2,900 and 2,300) and it marks nearly 500 posts since I came back last November. Isn't this amazing?

It's funny because it's not me.

 

[chcr]

It's funny because it's not me.