Better Beaters - Building Cars and Daily Drivers

 Sometimes you just have to do the work, another installment in the never ending series. Part One.

Looks simple, right? How hard could this job be? 

When I bought this Mustang I thought that as a '96 model, parts would be even more easily available. Even more than my old '70. This has not exactly been the case, which I find kind of surprising. Luckily we have the internet. I spent a couple of hours scouring the web looking for information about my car's oil leak. 

I went to my local indie NAPA auto parts store Winchester Auto, where I have had good results with the knowledgeable and helpful staff. The counter man looked through his computerized listing but couldn't find the appropriate gasket. He was undaunted and pulled out the old printed catalogs and found the gasket by cross referencing applications used in similar 4.6 powered models. I wasn't aware at this moment that there were a couple of different gaskets used, as there had been a change made in the oil filter housing/to block designs over the production run. After watching several videos about gasket replacement I realized that what was under my car wasn't what I was seeing pictured in the videos. 

The 4.6 engine runs coolant around the base of the oil filter which aids in keeping the oil temps down. However there was also a design (pictured above) which has a more elaborate intercooler built into the base of the oil filter housing. This is even more effective in controlling oil temps. This is probably one of the reasons that these engines are known to be long lived. 

I found that this intercooler was used on the '96 DOHC Cobra motor as well as late production regular GT models. I did find a video where this intercooler was disassembled and the O ring seals were replaced. It seems that Ford treated this as a discrete item and was sold only as a unit. The diagram doesn't show the individual components of the cooler. 

The all purpose Homer bucket.

After I came home with the gasket, I jacked up the car and placed it on ramps. I like using these as they open up a lot of working space under the engine. I had placed some cardboard under the engine area. I also have a couple of large trays, 4 ft.x 21/2 ft, that used to be the tops of large storage boxes. I knew that I was going to have to drain the coolant and the oil first. The radiator doesn't have a drain petcock, I have to pull the lower hose to drain. I've done this a couple of times already and it can be messy. Luckily a five gallon bucket will fit under the car which can easily contain the deluge. 

After that I had to drain the oil. Truth be told, I haven't changed my own oil in years, at least fifteen! Oil changes are usually a pretty good bargain, costing just a bit over the materials. Shops like the idea of getting a customer's car in the shop on a lift. It often leads to sales of other services and items like tires and brake jobs. I don't like dealing with the mess, especially transferring the drained oil into a storage container then cleaning everything up. I also don't care to leave a couple of containers of waste oil in front of the house for the trash/ recycling pick up. I've always been concerned about some vandal tossing the container of oil and making a mess. Luckily, I've never had this happen.

Of course I couldn't remove the oil filter by hand. I figured that I must have some oil filter wrenches in my tool collection, somewhere. I thought that I had one that slipped over the bottom and had a fitting for a socket wrench. After spending an hour combing through my stuff, I only found a metal strap wrench, which didn't fit anyway! Then I remembered ( or at least thought!) that I'd included my oil filter wrenches in my tool donation to the Salvation Army. Another trip to Winchester Auto where I ended up buying an oil filter pliers. Forty bucks! But I needed them, and I like having the right tools. 

The oil filter pliers are on the left, the hex wrench sockets are on the right.
I bought two new tools to complete this job.

Note: Later as I was straightening out the locker that I store tools in after this job, and found my oil filter wrenches! None of them would have worked on this filter anyway.

The oil intercooler is held on by a threaded pipe that the filter attaches to, and passes through the adaptor housing into the block. It is tightened by an internal 1/2 inch hex drive. Of course I didn't have any large hex wrenches, of any type. I thought that I'd run down to the auto store and pick up an inexpensive set so that I would be ready to tackle that part of the job tomorrow. 

It was already late, almost 7 pm. I figured I'd hit the local O'Reillys. I rolled up and they were closing because they were having a problem with the computer system.

So I doubled back to Winchester Auto and they had closed a at 7 pm. Oh well, there are three Harbor Freight stores in San Jose, so off I went. I went to the closest location and found exactly what I needed for 16.00 plus tax. HF can be a real life saver! 

The area next to the steering rack mount is cleaner
 because it was constantly washed by the stream of oil!
The cylindrical aluminum item under the oil filer is the intercooler.

After draining the fluids I decided that I should clean up the bottom of the motor, cross member, and steering rack. The leak has been going on for a couple of years and there was a real mess under there! The best thing to do would have been to find a shop that could steam clean the area before I even started. Steam cleaners have kind of disappeared around here, since regulations prohibit running the waste water down into the sewer or storm drain. Back in the Day we would take our cars down to the coin op car wash and blast the motors clean, now there are signs posted prohibiting that practice. There usually isn't anyone on site to enforce this, but if the random cop caught you doing this you'd be facing a pretty stiff fine. 

I 'll bet that most gearheads my age remember this stuff.
It left you smelling like kerosene all day long after using it.

We also used to buy cans of GUNK, which was a water soluble solvent that I have used on my motorcycle engines. Spray it on, brush it, and hose off! I never liked that it didn't rinse off cleanly, leaving an oily residue on the surface. I'd wash that off with detergent afterwards. This all resulted in all the greasy, dirty water staining your driveway, as well as going down the storm drain. Not doing anything good for the environment. Probably illegal now too.

I have a process to clean off the chassis and motor that doesn't call for the use of a stream of water.

First I lay down some cardboard, then put a large tray filled with a layer newspaper under the area that I'm working on. I scrape off the thickest deposits, using putty knives, screwdrivers, and old hacksaw blades to get in the tight spots. Then I spray on a biodegradable degreaser  and let it soak in. Then I start in wiping the area down with pieces of old towel . Then it's back with scrapers and old tooth brushes. Spray, scrape, wipe, repeat. Eventually the area is cleaned off enough that repeated spraying dissolves whats left and it runs down into the tray. Yes it is messy and a LOT of work. But it does work and it contains the mess to the area under the car. I'll let the residue dry out for a day or two then put it in a sealed plastic container and put it in the garbage can. That's the best that I can do. 

The next morning I went back to Winchester Auto armed with a diagram of the oil cooler as well as the print out of an E bay ad selling an O ring kit. My counterman looked high and low, and even found the same ad I had printed out. The warehouse and affiliated supply houses didn't carry the item. I thanked him for looking then went home and called the local Ford dealer parts dept. The parts guy looked in their system and told me that the part was obsolete and no longer available. They never suggest any ideas on how to locate the needed part. Since I had already found the kit on E Bay I just ordered it. My hopes for next day delivery were shattered when the best they could offer was expedited three day delivery for 25.00, almost ten buck more than the part cost. At least basic shipping was free. 

After cleaning up the area and putting away my tools I figured that this this would be a good time to take a break.