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Which might explain why he's a chemist and not an English teacher :-)

Those are them Yes, you found them. I always found that Vise Grip (tm) pliers tightened VERY tightly on them worked pretty well. There are a couple of flat spots that you can see if you look real closely. I just can't remember which direction you turn each side to go up or down. Leave the...

Bump Same problem, just started today. 1994 A4LD, except manual shifting doesn't work well ... the 1-2 shift comes really, really late unless I let off the accelerator. The rest of the shifts seem (relatively) okay. I know the ATF is screwed ... it's dark brown, overfilled, and it stinks --...

The upper fitting on the radiator is the return line to the transmission.

Are they really poly? They don't feel like it when you take them out of the box. Poly's very hard. This stuff feels softer than poly, but not as soft or pliable as rubber ... "thermoplastic" implies that it softens a bit as it gets hotter. Getting these things lubed in the right place (the...

Congratulations If you're reusing the old cam, the break-in period is a lot shorter and easier. You don't have to do anything special for rings any more, unless you used the cheapest possible cast iron rings (nobody uses those any more, I hope). I also echo the "change the oil (and filter)...

Great thread ... right here http://home.att.net/~metjt/wsb/html/view.cgi-photos.html-.html Pictures rock :) Non-pictorial here http://www.explorerforum.com/Singleton/web/pages/rab.html Getting the rivets out took me 4 hours, both sides, but that was before I learned how to use an...

Suspension stress is directional The goal of a radius arm suspension design is to use those arms to keep the axle perpendicular to the drive train, no matter where the non-straight-and-level force is coming from -- bumps, potholes, curbs, or even simple turns. If both RABs are worn, you could...

Probably not motor mounts Perhaps irishpilot would jump back in here and confirm what he found; but I think you're looking at radius arm bushings. If you hear a metal-to-metal noise, you'll probably need to replace the brackets onto which the RABs mount, too. They're riveted onto the frame, but...

You've got to fix the leak ... and you have to let everything dry out before you can assess damage. Ford trucks (not just EXs) are infamous for leaky windshields and some really weird behaviors. A friend of mine runs the maintenance shop for a large fleet of Fords used in construction ... he...

Body bushings Apologies for the long post I know is coming. There are 5 body bushings per side (10 total on the vehicle) on 4-doors: these isolate the body from the frame. The frontmost bushing on each frame rail is by far the most important: these affect front body height. Since the EX...

Good to know about the heater core, Walter. Thanks for the link -- it does look easy. Eh. Who needs A/C? This is New England! Where 14 F is balmy! :D

Yep. Verified. Use a meat thermometer to measure the temperature of the water as you heat it up. The opening temperature is usually stamped on the back side of the 'stat. If it's a 195 (that's what I have), it should open right at 195. It's really bizarre -- but not unheard of -- that you'd...

Smooth ride I'd attack it in this order: Tires. The more you spend, the better the ride. You want high, soft sidewalls with a somewhat soft, unaggressive tread. These will wear out fast, and may not handle weather so well. Bushings. Check those body bushings, in particular. If it's a...

Real bad idea The stock springs (fronts ... rears are out of this discussion) are what are called "variable rate" springs. They'll behave differently if you cut them at the top as opposed to the bottom, and neither of these behaviors is what you want. Heating the springs isn't recommended...

OK, I'll bite Well, first off, I hope you're (not) serious. I'll bite and answer this one 7 months later only because I was taught that the only stupid question is the one you don't ask. OK, so much for ideals :) The MAF (mass airflow sensor) is a bit of electro-mechanical wizardry which...

My turn My condenser tubes have turned into aluminum oxide, and all that R-138 has already made the trip to the ozone layer ... it's my turn to rip out the A/C system. I'm gonna take everything out (including the receiver/dryer) too. I have to do a water pump (and thermostat, and water...

Bushings are at the ends of the arms Find a front shock absorber, either side. Its bottom bushing is attached to the radius arm with a nut on a stud. Follow the radius arm rearwards. It ends at a black sheet metal bracket just behind the front wheel, fastened with a 23 mm nut. The radius arm...

Automatic hubs, perhaps? You never said where the noise was coming from. Is it from the front hub assemblies? Just because you recently replaced them doesn't mean the entire system is OK. If your noise really is coming from the transfer case or the tranny, my experience can't help you. I had...

If you're really going to part her out, I need inner & outer rocker panels for a 4-door, if yours are any good. I'd come to RI to come get them. Thanks.

Quick half-a$$ fix If you don't mind living with a rear-wheel drive (only) temporarily while you get to the root of the problem (mine was the infamous radius arm bushings & brackets), you can do this: Pull the automatic lock ring off the spindle. It comes apart into two pieces ... one has...

Excellent thread, great subject I'm taking an engine rebuild class from a true professional at my local community college this semester. He's been in the industry for 40 years, and runs the motor pool maintenance at a huge regional construction company -- they have literally thousands of...

Way cool writeup. Thanks! One thing to add from the service manual -- there are torque specs for the hinge-to-pillar bolts: 18-26 ft lbs. With that out of the way, the service manual (being written by people with an interest in selling new parts) doesn't tell us how to replace the pin, it...

Should you do wheel bearings now? Eh. If they haven't been inspected or packed in at least the last 60-70,000 miles, I'd go ahead and do them, too, just for that nice warm feeling. But then again, I do all my own work. Your brake calipers and rotors have to be pulled to get at the inner...

Yeah, right now! Yep -- from the sounds of it, your impeller is going eccentric; this will just keep getting worse if you let it go, and ultimately, it'll just stop working with no further notice. Anime4x4 gave you some good advice: replace the thermostat at the same time as the pump, flush...