Search results

Take notice whether or not that Chevy engine has an integral oil filter in the left rear corner like the Bird had. The '55 Chevy 265 didn't have one! It would be worth it for me to travel 1000 miles just to see this turkey...

Put on your hip boots before you walk through the door. There is no documentation to support a story like that Tom.

There has been long standing controversy regarding pressure type brake light switches compatibility with silicon brake fluid. Some say there is no way silicon fluid can cause failure. I happen to be in the camp that says: "If you use silicon brake fluid, carry a spare brake switch". There is a...

Jim, I can't answer your question directly because I don't know what a passenger car jack looks like. However, I will attempt to give a short verbal description of a '56 Bird jack. Base: Has a square shaped 'hat section' that accepts the staff. It is marked with "AB-L" and "A" on...

Rich, This is a very common problem among persons using tubes in radial tires. The problem is not unique to Coker radials. Unfortunately, the tire installers do not usually inspect the inside of the new radials they are installing to make sure there are no labels inside to chafe the tubes...

Frankie, It sounds like you haven't joined CTCI yet either. There is a Calendar Of Events in their bi-monthly magazine that has a fair amount of information on this event, including registration contact numbers etc. The Pageant Of The Thunderbirds started in 1974 and it now includes all...

Brian, This re-assembly phase is a real blast isn't it? Your question about the "candlesticks" (love it), is answered in detail and with illustrations in the '57 shop manual on page 1-65. These are called Engine Steady Rests. Happy Wrenching, Tom D.

Brian, The part you're describing sounds somewhat familiar. I think this piece goes between the transmission and the 6068 rubber mount with the flanges pointing downward. I'll try to crawl under a car a little later to confirm this. You're right. This item is not shown in any illustration...

Isn't $29,500 rather optimistic? Especially when you consider that we don't know its' location, color combo, Interior trim level, Tops, mileage etc., etc. Your answer has very little credibility. Tom D.

Harley, Yup, the rebuilts cost $50 more than the new ones. Reason? The originals are somewhat unique in appearance and an experienced Bird watcher can pick it out in a New York minute. There was a pretty high attrition rate on the original motors. That is why there is a $100.00 core charge...

Tom, Everything I've ever heard about repairing heater motors can be summarized in one word: tricky. Perhaps a person who is experienced in small motor repair wouldn't be challenged, but I've always been intimidated by them. Afraid of screwing it up and ending up with a pile of junk parts...

Thanks for confirming the validity of the GF-124 part#. I doubt that you will be able to make any determination regarding the flex line condition. These lines usually disolve or delaminate on the inside. It's only an $8 part, so there's no big loss if it isn't the cause of your problem. I'd...

A thorough cleaning consists of immersing and agitating the filter element in a petroleum based solvent like gasoline or parts cleaner. Rinse the filter using the same method in a fresh solvent solution." Force drying" using compressed air is good, but static air drying is fine. Static drying...

Ford brakes were the same for about 15 years ('49-'63). If you back off the adjustment using the star wheel, the drum should slip off when pulled by hand. The only feature on the rear brakes that can be troublesome, is the retainer clip for the parking brake lever. You will probably only have to...

The filter element exactly as used in production for '56 and early '57s is the difficult part to find. This is the part inside the bowl that you're supposed to service. I have found short elements as used on '55s and most '57s and have had them cut apart and joined two together to obtain the...

This sounds like the classic symptoms of a collapsed flex fuel line. Modern fuels have a nasty habit of dissolving old fashioned rubber parts. The only rubber part between the gas tank and the carburetor is the rubber flex line that runs from the hard line on the left frame rail to the fuel...

The turn signals and stop lights are inter-related via the turn signal switch. I suspect your turn signal is not can canceling fully. Try this experiment: check for a right brake light when you have the left turn signal activated. Then jiggle the turn signal handle when it's in the neutral...

It sounds like you're describing an authentic fuel filter element. That is a super rare item especially for the '56s and early '57s that used the deeper bowl. The current replacement is a pleated paper affair. It is available from all the T-bird parts suppliers. If you want to try finding it at...

I agree. It is running just a tad warm. What bothers me is its' inability to recover after reaching an elevated temp. First of all: these critters aren't happy (in stock form) unless they're running in the 1500 - 2500 RPM range. Outside of that 1000 RPM operating range, you will usually start to...

That's great news Tom. Sounds like the installation was less traumatic than what we had with the old FOMOCO pads. Perhaps you would like to call Brent Money and give him some feed back on your experience with the pad installation. Brent is the owner of Larry's Thunderbird and I believe he is the...