Panther Megathread - Live axles and dead coils

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Darchangel: Feb 12, 2009; Tell him about the blower!

Piling on the "dead coils" bandwagon. I've even had one go bad in my '05 CVPI ("random misfire", so didn't set the cats on fire). Pull the ODB2 codes, and it should even tell you which cylinder was misfiring.

# ¿ Oct 26, 2022 22:43

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# ¿ May 17, 2024 15:03

Darchangel: Feb 12, 2009; Tell him about the blower!

STR posted:

Also, if he replaced all the coils with aftermarket.... plan to get OEM ones. From anywhere but Amazon. You'll be chasing misfire codes for the entire time you own the car otherwise.

I'll take used junkyard OEM coils over brand new aftermarket, and won't go near "OEM" coils from Amazon.

There's tons of these for sale (especially P71/P7Bs, as departments are retiring the very last of them), but a lot of people are asking stupid money for them these days.

Fwiw, I�m using super cheap Amazon coils (as I recall) with no issues. So far. I honestly can�t remember whether I swapped them all or just the bad one. I�ll have to check my notes on that.

# ¿ Oct 30, 2022 22:41

Darchangel: Feb 12, 2009; Tell him about the blower!

Can confirm. When I filled the antenna hole in my roof, I managed to feather that and get it nice and smooth, but I also tried to feather the peeled spots on the roof while I was up there, and there was a bit of a reaction to the spray-bomb primer:

Might have just been too humid at the time as well.

Also missed a spot at the rear:

Actual repair came out nice:

Oh, and more paint peeled off when I removed the masking:

# ¿ Dec 8, 2022 00:29

Darchangel: Feb 12, 2009; Tell him about the blower!

I feel that.

# ¿ Dec 13, 2022 00:02

Darchangel: Feb 12, 2009; Tell him about the blower!

Raluek posted:

when people talk about waxing their car they don't usually mean as a method of paint removal

Pfffft!

Giving the Crown Vic a Brazilian.

# ¿ Dec 16, 2022 01:11

Darchangel: Feb 12, 2009; Tell him about the blower!

Cage posted:

edit: context

LOL

# ¿ Dec 21, 2022 00:49

Darchangel: Feb 12, 2009; Tell him about the blower!

Cage posted:

e: car is okay now but LOL

Huh.
Lot of wind/drifting snow?

# ¿ Dec 29, 2022 20:07

Darchangel: Feb 12, 2009; Tell him about the blower!

Cage posted:

Oops. Yeah 60 mph winds and lots of snow. Icy snow caused some belt slippage but she came out fine.

Anyone ever install a hitch on these boats before? I've had one since last year I just haven't gotten around to installing yet. Seems pretty easy? Line hitch up to frame mark holes drill holes fishwire bolts then tighten up. Any tips?

I bought it with no real purpose, but now I have plans to pick up some sort of bike hitch for it so I can finally start taking my bike places and using it.

Yeah, that's basically it. I don't think I had to drill holes on mine - it used existing holes. Mine came with a fish-wire that threaded on to the bolts to pull them through, pretty neat.

# ¿ Apr 5, 2023 18:40

Darchangel: Feb 12, 2009; Tell him about the blower!

STR posted:

Mine came with a U-Haul receiver and bag of bolts, but I couldn't find any holes that anything lined up with.

I may still have the drat thing...

My hitch was a Curt, as I recall.

# ¿ Apr 11, 2023 23:02

Darchangel: Feb 12, 2009; Tell him about the blower!

Cage posted:

This is what I have! Picked it up for $75 last summer.

Sounds about right. Got it from eTrailer or direct from Curt, I think. Huge box.

# ¿ Apr 12, 2023 21:56

Darchangel: Feb 12, 2009; Tell him about the blower!

BTW, if anyone wants it, I put the design for my license plate light camera mount up here: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:5962245
Obviously, it should fit a Grand Marquis, but I really don't know if the Town Car uses the same light housing. Also not sure about years, but probably 98-12. I don't think the Aeros used the same light.

Edit: Tasca Ford says part # F8AZ-13550-AA 98-11 CV and GM: https://www.tascaparts.com/oem-parts/ford-license-lamp-f8az13550aa

edit again: 98-02 Town Car is a different shape overall, but if the bolt holes are in the same place, and the inside protruding part the same size, it might fit there, too, possibly with trimming?: https://www.tascaparts.com/oem-parts/ford-license-lamp-f8vz13550ba

edit once more: Town car fits down a little in a recess, flange is shaped to match, but? Also 03-11 looks same as 98-02 in pictures. Not sure what the real difference is. Looks like it just may be that they don't sell the lamp separately from the whole license surround.

Darchangel fucked around with this message at 22:54 on Apr 13, 2023

# ¿ Apr 13, 2023 22:42

Darchangel: Feb 12, 2009; Tell him about the blower!

Cage posted:

Thats pretty cool! If I ever manage to get a camera maybe I could toss you various monies to print one up for me? No 3d printer

Sure, I can do that.
Hell, I just had the revelation that I could have got some clear/translucent filament and not had to have the bulbs be exposed... Possible V5 incoming.

quote:

However some more weight savings has been applied to my boat over the weekend.

If it hasn't happened, it will.
What's galling is that the only way to fix it is to strip and repaint. You can fix it there, but it'll pop up somewhere else when a chip starts getting water under it.

Kind of want to feather what chunks I've got missing and wrap the thing.
then watch 80% of the paint peel off when the wrap is removed in a few years...

# ¿ May 1, 2023 23:25

Darchangel: Feb 12, 2009; Tell him about the blower!

From the "what did you do to your car today" thread, and my own thread:

Darchangel posted:

Since I was learning to use Fusion 360, I investigated importing TinkerCAD models into it, and what do you know - since they are both Autodesk products, there is a direct path for export to Fusion 360. It works great, BTW. I exported the Crown Vic dash cam model (I posted that in here, right?), and adjusted a few things, noticeably extending some surfaces to eliminate awkward insets and spaces, and filleting a bunch of edges.

The biggest change I made was an offshoot that makes the bottom solid, for use with clear filament:

Which I then quickly implemented:

(must have missed a bit of black filament while cleaning the plate...)

It seems to transmit (and diffuse) light well just holding it up against lights.

I also just designed a gasket - easy to do in Fusion 360 by just extruding the top mounting surface of the model as a new object and offsetting the inner opening by 0.5mm:

The 3D printed TPU gasket fit great.

Assembly fit as expected in the car (I mean, why not? All I did was fill in the holes, and round off some corners.)

(yes, that little bit of black filament that snuck in annoys me.)

Light transmission seems adequate:

It looked fine in the evening, as far as lighting the license plate goes.

Next up, I wanted to change how mu phone is mounted in the Crown Vic. I have Car Play, so I don't need to look at it constantly, therefore it was mounted to my center console (prior post detailed it) but it was a little too close to the cup holders, getting in the way when both holders were used with typical American 50-gallon-drum fast food drinks. I wanted to raise it and scoot it back a bit, easily done with a piece of bar stuck the rear of the catch-all slot.
Now, I was planning on using a piece of aluminum or steel bar, but I have a 3D printer. So I whipped out a design and printed it.

First off, this was my first try at printing ABS, and the Anker hated it.
First attempt popped loose and got pushed off of the bed. Second attempt, I added a raft. It got farther, but still started to lift right near the end, so I paused it and stuck it down with blue tape:

It finished successfully.

The little stepped recess at the end is where my car mount will stick, BTW.

Here's how much it popped:

Finish is... meh.

Mount attached:

And then stuck in the console.

Obviously I measured all this up using a paint stirrer before modeling. Come to think of it, a chunk of trim probably would have worked nicely, too - but I don't have to finish or paint the 3D print! It's also really light.

I need to do some more work to be able to print ABS reliably, possibly some temperature adjustments, and definitely an enclosure. That stuff is picky. One goon suggested a draft wall that prints with the part, which is a neat idea.

edit: the camera mount is published on Thingiverse here, if anyone is interested:
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:5962245

# ¿ May 12, 2023 21:08

Darchangel: Feb 12, 2009; Tell him about the blower!

randomidiot posted:

Yeah, the remote start installers probably taped a cloned key head to the steering column under the plastic. If they did, even a basic metal key will start the car.

Some will use a programmable transponder specific to the car, but it's cheaper for them to just clone your existing key. You should assume your new keys didn't get programmed, but PATS is probably picking up whatever is closest. It's also possible your "new" keys are cloned copies if you went through anyone except the dealer.

The programmable transponder bypasses aren't that expensive. I have one that I got for a friend's wife's Escape or something, but they literally just never used the remote start before selling the car, so we never got around to installing. Cost me like $20 or something? It basically is a cloned key.

randomidiot posted:

It only checks the VATS during startup - once it's running, it's not going to shut down on you. At least not for that.

Yeah, it basically interrupts ignition (actual spark) and fuel while cranking.

Reminds me I need to get a locksmith to cut new keys from the VIN for mine. I don't have an original and the hardware store duplicates I have are worn terribly. Cop car, so no PATS. Sadly, not fleet key, either. *almost* but not quite.

edit:
Oh, lost a chunk of the car earlier in the week:

Flew off on the highway.

# ¿ Jul 14, 2023 21:10

Darchangel: Feb 12, 2009; Tell him about the blower!

Cage posted:

I can see the paint coming off in the wind...but the corner light??

glue gets unstuck, wind at the leading edge chisels at it as it comes arounf the corner of the car.

I'll just quote myself from my thread here:

Darchangel posted:

A large box appeared:

Headlights!

Fancy headlights!

From above, one of my park lights lost it's lens on the highway.

Turns out the other one was on its way as well:

First test fit:

Hmmm. Sticks out a bit with the mounts set as they are out of the box:

Bunch of trial and error to get the headlight positioned nicely, then get it aimed. An additional wrinkle is that they're all one piece - OEM is two pieces: adjustable headlight and fixed side marker - so the side piece has to line up somewhat close. The make the screw hole larger and supply a washer to facilitate some adjustability, but you've still got to get it within a certain range.

Thinking they would work same as OEM, I just put the OE-style adjuster wrench on one of the adjusters and just stared turning it. Which screwed it out of the housing...

The other two still attached:

They just screw in. No ball and socket or at least a spinning captive head. Not a design choice I would have made. At least if you're going to do this, don't put the hex on the end of the screw like it's an adjustable one. This made everything more difficult, because you have to pull the headlight, estimate an adjustment, make the adjustment, put it back, lock it back in with the retainers (at least partially), then lather, rinse, repeat until satisfied.

Along the way, of course I broke one of the mounts.

Thankfully, that one is the one the adjustments basically pivot around on the OEM, so it essentially just needs to hold the headlight a certain distance *away* from the rear of the cavity while the other two can hold it *in*. I can just leave that one there in the header, and it'll do it's job.

BTW, the original wiring was all bare wires except for that one bit of split-loom on each headlight. I added the Tesa cloth tape to make them a little neater.

H3 in the projector, and H1 in the high-beam:

Adapter harness from the OEM 9007 connector to split to the two separate bulbs, and another one to connect the 1157A in the new lights to the OE 2157 connection, plus an 1194 wedge plug to power the LED strip along the bottom of the headlight from the OE side marker connection.

Not bad light:

(both headlights are on, but the right one is the old headlight. They weren't fantastic even when they *weren't* foggy.)

Only got the one headlight in before it got dark and I got frustrated. Second headlight went in next day, a lot more quickly because I knew what to expect, and had measured where I needed to set the mounts from the other light.
Both headlights in:

I had some 1157 amber LEDs hanging around, so tried out one. They're older LEDs, and clearly lacking compared to the 1157A incandescent on the driver's side (to the right, in the picture):

They're both on in that pic...

Looking at the beam pattern on the wall of the parking garage at work this morning, looks like I need to adjust the passenger side down a bit. The driver's side I actually checked (with a marked yard stick) while installing, but the passenger side I just copied the measurements on the mounting screws. Header is apparently a little bit different side to side. It's not *too* high, but the low side of the pattern (you may recall that projectors have a stepped cutoff, lower on the left side, then stepping up a bit on the right, in the US/LHD countries) on the right is at the same height as the high side of the driver's beam. I'd like them both at a little below my hood height. I'll need to grab the tools I need and bring them with me to work - the parking garage is ideal to use to adjust them. Dark enough to see, bright enough (and cooler...) to work, and lovely flat floors and plenty of walls to facilitate aiming.

Then I guess I get to see how long these will last.
I'd love to upgrade to HID projectors. There's a site that will do customs based on Depo OEM replacements, black or chrome, with a bunch of options like better projectors, etching, colors, halos, etc., but they start at like $900. Don't want them that bad. Yet.
Might see about getting a set of projectors and building them myself. I've got the headlight housings already... two sets, even (OE chrome and the aftermarket black ones.)

edit: also may see about retrofitting the OE style adjusters to these headlights. I think I see a way to do it.

And add a couple newer photos.
In the parking garage at work:

Which is also a good place to check the beam pattern.

Little high on the right side. The low "step" on the right is at the same height as the high step for the left side - it should be at the same height as the low step on the left.
Kind of obvious looking at the beam that hits the floor, too:

Right one is about 6" ahead of the left one.

I'll take my tools to work and adjust it after work one day. Haven't really driven in the dark yet, so can't comment on effectiveness, other than it seems to light better in the parking garage.

# ¿ Jul 27, 2023 23:12

Darchangel: Feb 12, 2009; Tell him about the blower!

Bummer.

Only issue I have is that mine has a limited slip rear, and the donut is smaller than the full sized tires, so if I get a flat on the rear, I have to sap a front back there and put the donut on the front.

Update from my above post - the new headlights work fine. I'd say better than what they replaced, even when they were new.

# ¿ Sep 8, 2023 18:03

Darchangel: Feb 12, 2009; Tell him about the blower!

Lincoln Freak posted:

All of my panthers came equipped with full size spares except for my 91 Towncar. The SECOND that I discovered the doughnut in the trunk, I took the extra full size spare from my Grand Marquis and tossed it in the trunk.

Doughnuts are for dunking, not for driving, IMHO.

I have a cop car. It came with a full-sized spare, but I wanted the trunk space. I use the donut until I get home, and swap on the full-size there.
If I were traveling with it, I'd probably put the full-sized spare in the trunk for the duration.
I really like the aluminum Town Car spare I found. Much lighter.

Boaz MacPhereson posted:

FYI, assuming they did the same on the Panthers as the Mustangs, there should be a physical metal tag on one of the diff cover bolts calling out that it's an LSD and needs friction modifier on fluid changes.

It's on the door tag. It's a code, but it's there.
(if you still have the original rearend, of course.)

I need to have mine rebuilt. I somehow hosed it up changing out the pinion seal, and have a whine now. I'll probably find a junkyard rear with the same gear ratio to swap in while the shop rebuilds it, or just swap permanently if I actually fin another LSD. Or have the junkyard one rebuilt, I guess. I missed on on FB Marketplace, which annoys me. Guy did the F-100 pickup Panther chassis swap, but wanted wider tires on the rear, so had a narrower rear built, and was selling the original cop car rear...

# ¿ Sep 12, 2023 21:45

Darchangel: Feb 12, 2009; Tell him about the blower!

Oh, they reversed the alternator. Interesting.
I could really use that...

# ¿ Sep 21, 2023 17:55

Darchangel: Feb 12, 2009; Tell him about the blower!

I like this guy's Grand Marquis.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s6K3YR6Ti0Q

The exhaust sounds great, but I'm :thumbsdown:

on his lack of cats.

Too bad OBX has kinda disappeared.
Pretty much no one else makes headers specifically for the Panther besides, I believe Doug's, and those are expensive stainless headers.

edit:
Stainless Works, and $1700. gently caress. That.

edit again:
Kooks headers are $900.

Darchangel fucked around with this message at 17:51 on Sep 25, 2023

# ¿ Sep 25, 2023 17:40

Darchangel: Feb 12, 2009; Tell him about the blower!

Waffle House posted:

I have seen a few older videos about the swap; do you know offhand if it's more that they don't fit under the stock hood or that they're too wide for the engine bay? Panthers are the biggest passenger sedan with plentiful aftermarket that I could think of to chuck one in, because I'm not as much a fan of Mustangs, cool as they are.

I was aghast at how many of these motors were just sitting in trucks in junkyards. It's not EXACTLY a Terminator motor, but on a whim I emailed Ford's Performance Techline about them and their response (copy/pasted here) was:

Too tall, I think.
The only one I recall seeing had a hole in the hood for the throttle body, because of course the only intake is the tall truck intake.

Lincoln Freak posted:

The Aviator, as I recall, is based on the Ford Explorer platform, and never got the 5.4. The Navigators and the Ford Expeditions could be had with the 4.6 or the 5.4.

I am in agreement with Wolrah: The DOHC in the Marauder, the Mach I or the Cobra would be a better swap candidate than the 5.4.

Just out of curiosity, someone posted a pic of a 2010 supercharged Towncar. Does anyone know what type of gains can be had by slapping a supercharger on a stock 4.6?

Yes, Aviator is an Explorer. They did not get the 5.4, but they did get the 4V/DOHC, @ 300HP. All aluminum, too! Same as the Marauder and Mach 1.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Modular_engine#4.6

# ¿ Oct 2, 2023 22:03

Darchangel: Feb 12, 2009; Tell him about the blower!

Lincoln Freak posted:

Yup, alternators on Ford products are usually stupid easy to do. I would usually upgrade my alternator with a police package alternator from the same year, and other than an occasional pulley swap, it's usually pretty plug-n-play.

Different bracket.
Also expensive, and the "over-running clutch" alternator pulley is *also* expensive (edit: for a pulley), and can fail. Mine did, and was the source of the bearing noise I couldn't track down for a while, and also lower-than-normal alternator output, but I didn't really notice that until it was fixed and suddenly putting out more.

# ¿ Oct 9, 2023 21:44

Darchangel: Feb 12, 2009; Tell him about the blower!

Everything is fed off of the driver's master switch, I believe (so you can lock out the PW from there.)
I'm at work, so don't have the wiring diagram handy (I've never found a digital copy, so my [2005] copy is an actual book,) but check fuses under the dash AND in the engine bay. I'm not certain, but there might be one out there.
What specific year is yours?

# ¿ Feb 1, 2024 17:46

Darchangel: Feb 12, 2009; Tell him about the blower!

Cage posted:

No I didnt need that paint you can have it.

That's nothing.
Mine's not the worst, but I've got leprous spots all over the roof, a few on the trunk and also hood and front fenders. Good job, Ford.

Cage posted:

I checked all the fuses and nothing was blown

Yeah, check power at the driver's switch, I guess.

# ¿ Feb 5, 2024 21:11

Darchangel: Feb 12, 2009; Tell him about the blower!

Lights would most likely be a short to ground, yes.
Power windows could be an open AKA a break, in the wiring if it's not blowing fuses, or a problem with the master switch (everything runs through the driver's door switch.)

Problem with the interior lights is that there's like 10 of them in a civilian Panther. Overhead, visors, doors on some years, rear reading, front map. Those should have constant power going to them from that fuse, with the lights activated by grounding. I'm not sure if the cig lighter(s)/power point(s) are powered by the same circuit - that might be something to check as well. Tracking down a short can be a pain, especially since everything goes to ground in that circuit anyway if any of the lights are activated. Hinge points are a good place to check, though - as you say visors and door jambs.

# ¿ Mar 11, 2024 17:13

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# ¿ May 17, 2024 15:03

Darchangel: Feb 12, 2009; Tell him about the blower!

The paint thing is inevitable.
It's amazing how bad they managed to gently caress that up.

# ¿ Apr 17, 2024 21:10

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Automotive Insanity > Panther Megathread - Live axles and dead coils

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