1983 Ford Thunderbird Heritage

Topic: 1983 Ford Thunderbird Heritage (Read 4715 times) previous topic - next topic

Re: 1983 Ford Thunderbird Heritage

Reply #45 – May 11, 2023, 09:17:45 AM

Quote from: Ductape91, i have one of those glass inline fuel filter things im going to throw on in its place so i dont have to cut a new piece of hose for it. [/quote

uote]

Ive heard very bad stories about those breaking and fires. Go with at least a clear plastic one.

Re: 1983 Ford Thunderbird Heritage

Reply #46 – May 11, 2023, 09:26:53 AM

Yeah, plastic > glass for the fuel filter.

Re: 1983 Ford Thunderbird Heritage

Reply #47 – May 11, 2023, 01:16:12 PM

Company i worked for years ago used them on ride on and self propelled mowers for years, bouncing and slaming in fields over rocks and holes and never had one break.
Im sure they can and do break on people but alot of videos i saw about them breaking was people routing them in the worst way possible, like over the motor/exhaust and after the fuel pump and just letting them flop around underhood to smack into stuff.

Re: 1983 Ford Thunderbird Heritage

Reply #48 – May 11, 2023, 02:18:52 PM

Just find a piece of metal tubing the same size as the rubber line and leave the check valve or extra fuel filter out of the line. You have a strainer on the pickup and already have an inline filter. Why create another pressure drop for zero benefit?

We just did this on my buddy’s 69 fastback with a 408 in it. Removed a chincy little fuel filter up by the Holley carb, replaced the inline filter before the Holley blue pump and bumped the fuel pressure at the carb from 5 psi running to 7 psi. Car is a different animal now.

Re: 1983 Ford Thunderbird Heritage

Reply #49 – May 11, 2023, 04:09:50 PM

I have a 25' roll of fuel line i just didnt feel like digging it back out to make another one.

Re: 1983 Ford Thunderbird Heritage

Reply #50 – December 03, 2023, 08:49:57 PM

Back at the garage today for a few things, though mostly the non functional drivers window.

After removing alot more scews than the last time i remember having to do this i removed the door panel and handle to expose the vapor mat and such.

After pulling that stuff off while trying not to ruin it and removing the door speaker i got to see where the motor was.

Maybe im crazy but i dont remember my 86 having the motor in the middle of the door like that, though that was a long time ago.
Now as you can see in the upcoming pics there are factory dimples on the door for you to drill thru to get to the bolts, i wish my hands were smaller because i hated drilling holes in my car even though thats what they are there for.

I used a step drill and made the holes 1/2", which was enough for my nut driver to get thru and reach the bolts. The bolts themselves were 5/16, which was smaller than i was expecting them to be.
No drama in removal of the motor itself, just came right out thru the speaker hole.
While i was in there trying to clean the metal shavings and leaves and whatnot, i got what i could of them, i checked the speaker wire and the connector was corroded, as was the speaker plug end. The speaker itself has seen better days and was missing 90% of the outer ring stuff.

Bummer. Guess ill have to replace that, if i can find it, and the other door probably is similar so that means i got to plan for both.
Back to the window motor it was as i suspected, the 3 plastic things broke into pieces which renders the window useless.

Atleast the motor is good because i hear the replacements arent that good. I wish i couldve washed out all the old grease since the replacement gear set barely came with any but im confident i got all the broken bits out. It is what it is.
Threw it back together and works like a charm. If i had grease i wouldve greased up the rails for the window mechanism but ill try to remember that when i have to pull the panels back off to replace the speaker.

Side note, i swear there were these little plugs you could get from ford that went into the holes you had to drill but couldnt find them, would like to put something in there when i go back in there.

Re: 1983 Ford Thunderbird Heritage

Reply #51 – December 04, 2023, 08:06:47 AM

Nice work. I never knew about the reason for those dimples.

You can probably find rubber plug assortments at the local autoparts store.

I did find a listing on McMaster-Carr: https://www.mcmaster.com/9600K514/

Re: 1983 Ford Thunderbird Heritage

Reply #52 – February 29, 2024, 08:11:24 PM

Stopped by the garage today before i went to work, actually a few days ago also to take it out, to replace the alternator.
Easy enough job with just a 7/16, 9/16, 5/8 sockets and 15mm wrench and 5/16 socket for the tensioner.

Pulled the old one out and took a pic so i can remember where the wires go.

Inspecting the alternator charging harness, wires looks good no hot spots or corrosion on the connectors. A real shame that these connectors are not reproduced by anybody.

Old and new(nos rebuilt actually). I had to drag it to work yesterday to remove the pulley since i cant find my impact anywhere.

And new one ready to go in.

The old one has alot of forward/back play in it, definately enough to make the belt jump. Rebuildable so im going to drag it to work and take it apart and see where the play came from.

Re: 1983 Ford Thunderbird Heritage

Reply #53 – March 03, 2024, 10:08:26 PM

Drove the tbird around for the last two days since my daily is broke and i needed to put more miles on that fuel sender and all i can say is wow, the headlights just dont light up anything on the road in the rain. The stuff they used to paint the lines with lasted years and was still visible in the rain with standard halogens but man this newer stuff is faded after months and is invisible in the rain.
Had to pic up some new wipers right away and the intermitten wipers just kept stopping randomly on the windshield untill i ran the normal speed for awhile. Probably havent been used for decades so im just glad they even work.
I put it back in the garage again, maybe next weekend ill drag it back out, but while i was there i finally got to use those h4 headlight replacements i bought like a year ago but threw some cheap leds in.

I hate the color, hope they wont blind people but they probably will. Well see.