New Zealn T'Bird

[SCUMDOG]

Woohoo!!! After 6 months my 1966 Town Landau has final landed in New Zealand - a long way from the USA!!.

It's metallic blue, black roof and looks GOOD!
Needs a new steering box seal (leaks P/S fluid) and has (I suspect) a burnt valve but it's otherwise pretty good.

Also need the guages made to work, drivers side window won't go up or down, centrel locking won't unlock etc so I'll be asking for ideas and answers guys.

 

[SCUMDOG]

The start....

O.K., here's the start to 100's of questions!!

On my brake-booster there is the usual fitting for vacuum, it has one large and one small hose fitting coming out of it, the big one has the hose to the manifold but the other one has a 1" length of hose attached to it and is blocked with a 1/4 or so diameter screw pushed into it, where is this smaller hose actually meant to go to??
2nd Question, what is the 'gizmo' on the inner fender directly below the master cylinder that the brake line goes into? it looks like it has a large diameter thread going into this 'gizmo', the threaded bit face towards the motor.
Hope y'all can help,
Tom

 

[boaterbob]

That extra fitting on the booster has always been capped on my 66, Don't really know why it's there. The gizmo is the brake proportioning valve, equilizes the pressure between the back drum brakes and front discs

 

[SCUMDOG]

That extra fitting on the booster has always been capped on my 66, Don't really know why it's there. The gizmo is the brake proportioning valve, equilizes the pressure between the back drum brakes and front discs

Thanks boaterbob, nice to get practical advice!!
I had guessed the 'gozmo' WAS some sort of proportioning valve, handy that it's adjustable!!

'Nother question; how do you get the drivers door trim off the door without damaging it?? - the 'lectric window does not work, before I take off the trim on the door is there any other checks to do that may show where the problem lies? (apart from fuse check)

Central locking locks the doors, but won't UNlock them, any ideas??

Tom.

 

[tbird5866]

More answers here...... The extra nipple on the brake booster check valve was used for the vacuum modulator on the transmission. Many are getting vacuum from another place. Power window problem: check the switch on the console. You can do this by lifting out the switch plate and jumping the contacts on the back side. If necessary, you remove the interior door panel by removing screws at the front edge and rear edge AND two screws in the fingertip door pull hole. With the door panel out of the way, you can use a 12 volt power source at the motor to see if it will go up and down. If the window still will not work for you, it's time to remove the motor and the regulator from the door. Harley [email:[email protected]]

 

[SCUMDOG]

Parking brake

Excuse the ignorance but where is the release for the parking brake on a '66 T'bird?
The last car I drove with that set-up was a '67 Caddy and it had a small pull-lever below the dash - but I can't see one on my 'bird.

BTW, it's called the 'hand-brake' in cars in New Zealand, the transmission is called the gearbox, the hood is the bonnet, the trunk is the boot, the turn signal is the indicator, the shifter is the gear-stick and a trailer-hitch is a tow-bar, - strange old world we live in eh?

 

[tbird5866]

As you may or may not know, the parking brake has an automatic release. Shift from neutral or park and a vacuum motor releases the brake. There is a small lever just below the dash to release the brake manually.

 

[SCUMDOG]

Thanks for that Harley, I've just got back in from the garage and had spotted a vacuum switch linked to the shifter and was wondering if that's what it was for, thanks for confirming it for me..

Just checked why the setbelt and door ajar etc lights were not working in the Safety Control Panel, the bulbs were gone in a couple of fittings BUT while doing a circuit check I discoverd both the black and red wires to a couple of the bulb-holders were live!
I have to figure that maybe only the red one should be live and the other should be earth?
Sounds like somebody has been 'playing' with by '66s wiring in the past, aargh!!!
This computer willbe going to the 'puter vets for a day or two as it's is shutting down, locking up etc so see y'all in a day or two.

 

[SCUMDOG]

Computer is working again (still not perfect).
Anyway, I've only had dealings with 385 series C-6 autos (429-460) and they have a one-piece transmission housing, the trans in my '66 has (or appears to have) a removable bell-housing and the pan looks different, do '66 T-birds with 390s come out with FMX transmissions?

 

[AllFlairedOut]

I believe you have a Cruise-O-Matic Transmission. I think some of the later 66 birds and the 428 equipped birds came with the C6 Trans.

 

[boaterbob]

It's a Cruise o matic. They were in the early 66 Birds.

 

[SCUMDOG]

It's a Cruise o matic. They were in the early 66 Birds.

Thanks guys, how good or bad are Cruisomatics compared to a C-6???

I was always under the impression that the
'C' in C-6 (& C-4) stood for Cruisomatic.

Here in New Zealand we had a FMX transmission behind some 351s and 390s (not that we ever got many 390s!!) - or at least that's what it's refered to as, is it yet another type of Ford trans?

 

[tbird5866]

Cruise-O-Matic is a FMX (medium case, I believe).

 

[SCUMDOG]

Cruise-O-Matic is a FMX (medium case, I believe).

Ahhh! Thanks for that info!
Took out wiper-motor, it's down at the local workshop being checked over to see where it is leaking from, is there any particular place they leak?
Mine looks like it COULD be the bottom shaft that works the wiper linkages.

 

[SCUMDOG]

Wiper motor is going to have to be replaced - shaft leaks so will get an exchange re-built one from the USA.

Going to fix the worn shifter detent on the steering column, the workshop manual is a bit vague on stripping the top end of the column, - any hints or advice from you guys that have doen this before??
i.e. how to get the cowl above the shifter cowl off etc. etc.

 

[tbird5866]

I'll say this: I've never seen (in 20+ years) a detent that needed replacing and it's not an easy job to do. If your problem is not staying in PARK, it's most likely a worn shift lever. Easily replaced. To get to the detent, remove the steering wheel, the shift lever, lay aside the turn signal switch, remove two nuts that hold the collar to the steering column jacket. Then lift the collar off. Then comes the JOB of putting it back together. Maybe the problem is not the detent..

 

[SCUMDOG]

I'll say this: I've never seen (in 20+ years) a detent that needed replacing and it's not an easy job to do. If your problem is not staying in PARK, it's most likely a worn shift lever. Easily replaced. To get to the detent, remove the steering wheel, the shift lever, lay aside the turn signal switch, remove two nuts that hold the collar to the steering column jacket. Then lift the collar off. Then comes the JOB of putting it back together. Maybe the problem is not the detent..

Hmm, O.K. I'll give the lever a bit of an overhaul first!!

Is it a simple matter of knocking-out the rolled-pin that holds it in place?