East Tennessee Region SCCA

MikeKelly wrote:
Makes it easy to remember what was put together with any thought toward future serviceability (you don't often see that)...

I'm a bit torn on the subject of engineering with this Ford. I've only ever owned Japanese cars and see much different standards.

I feel like my truck is just held together with these. They rust up and snap making removal of, well, pretty much everything, an extra hour job. These are like consumables on this truck, lol. Not to mention the odd metric bolts that make their way in on every other component.

heh, so the same 1990 Bronco...

First time I did a front brake job on it took 3 days, probably 24 hours labor total, Haynes manual in hand.

By the third or fourth time (drove it for years) I got it down to maybe eight hours total for a front brake job.


It required complete disassembly of the 4wd hubs (down to axle stubs) in order to remove the hubs and drive the studs out of the hubs to replace the rotors (rotors mount to backside of hubs, via wheel lug studs)


So literally - they built it where I could easily replace the heater core 5 or 6 times in the time required to service the front brakes properly...


Ford's habit of indiscriminately mixing metric and standard goes back (at least) to 2.0L Pintos and Capris (about 1971)...

90civichb wrote: I'm a bit torn on the subject of engineering with this Ford. I've only ever owned Japanese cars and see much different standards.

I hear ya. The Focus ST I recently picked up isn't built like a Mazda. They definitely took some shortcuts in materials and such that Mazda and Subaru don't. We'll see how it holds up.


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MikeKelly wrote:heh, so the same 1990 Bronco...

First time I did a front brake job on it took 3 days, probably 24 hours labor total, Haynes manual in hand.

By the third or fourth time (drove it for years) I got it down to maybe eight hours total for a front brake job.


It required complete disassembly of the 4wd hubs (down to axle stubs) in order to remove the hubs and drive the studs out of the hubs to replace the rotors (rotors mount to backside of hubs, via wheel lug studs)


So literally - they built it where I could easily replace the heater core 5 or 6 times in the time required to service the front brakes properly...


Ford's habit of indiscriminately mixing metric and standard goes back (at least) to 2.0L Pintos and Capris (about 1971)...

Man, that sounds awful. I was going to take a weekend and do wheel bearings on this one (2WD twin I-beam). I may need to do a bit more research before I just dive in with assumptions again.

disneyd wrote: I hear ya. The Focus ST I recently picked up isn't built like a Mazda. They definitely took some shortcuts in materials and such that Mazda and Subaru don't. We'll see how it holds up.

Yeah, even my old 1990 civic hatchback was well thought out in many ways. The headlight retention plastic tubes on this truck are about as enjoyable as stepping on legos. I didn't know you got an FoST, ballin' status with the C6 and an ST! There's a TonyBolton jab in here somewhere. I think for my next daily the FiST will be in the fleet. I'm a hot hatch fan boy.

Muriatic acid definitely cleans rust but it also eats up cast iron, aluminum, zinc and probably other metals pretty quickly. It will eat up steel too but takes a little longer. I wouldn't use that.

jcoatney wrote:Muriatic acid definitely cleans rust but it also eats up cast iron, aluminum, zinc and probably other metals pretty quickly. It will eat up steel too but takes a little longer. I wouldn't use that.

You think a small dilution with a neutralizer is a bad idea? That seems to be the best way before going HAM and grtting the whole block dipped.

I personally would be afraid that I wouldn't be able to get it all out. When I use it I pressure wash the parts immediately and then treat with with iron phosphate because it will flash rust. I don't know what neutralizes it. If you know of something that will definitely neutralize it then it might be ok. I wouldn't send it through the radiator, it reacts with aluminum really quick. I would guess my solution is about 35:1 and it will dissolve a piece of cast iron or aluminum in a couple of days.

A basic solution should neutralize it. Baking soda solution would be one thing but I dont know about putting that in a radiator or heater core.

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I didnt read all the way back thru this thread... but back in the day.. Ford sold a solution to neutralize this condition. I cant remember the part number but there was also a TSB for it.

but that was a long time back... lol

If it were me I'd find out what John is talking about or just use a commercial flush, even if you have to do it twice. I wouldn't want to worry about what muriatic might mess up.

https://www.amazon.com/Motorcraft-VC9-C ... B008B5VTSS

???

I heart aluminum blocks.

thats it

Awesome! Just the type of information I was hoping for. I'll grab a quart of that expensive as shit elixir and bitch for the rest of my life if it doesn't work.

Crap. Thought you knew about all that Ford fixxxin stuff with modern chemistry. We used the maintenance additive all the time in the vehicles at Appalachian Race Tire.

Remind me to tell ya the story when the F700 sprung a pencil lead sized coolant leak from the head gasket when I was leaving Sebring one weekend. Glad I can laugh now!!