trying desperatly not to junk

my beloved 1982 country squire.....ohhhh to work at making this concise.....it used to be a perfect car till I parked it to hold the space where my small motorhome sits......one thing lead to another including illness in the family and the squire remained in storage 2 years outside untouched. Christmas 2012 I had a vacation and at last drove out to at least get it to start....coaxing got it to start (302 engine variable venturi carb ) the drive back home was unbelievable and driving it around days after restored my admiration for the car....until mid January in a cold snap.....driving home after work i stopped for groceries it would NOT start.....finally did but.....seafoam the detergent seemed to get it driving again .....its dead again now acting like it has no ground UGH its incredable what it has pulled! THE BIG MAIN question please IS right next to the ignition module (the small box bolted to the driver wheel well) IS the other larger "box" looks like it is full of plastic or wax, a plug is in the center of it also attached to the driver wheel well IS that a main computor????CAN IT WEAR OUT??? Thanks to poverty I cannot afford a mechanic for a diagnosis and hoped for repair.....I been trouble shooting for 7 months now its stuck dead at my job. THANK YOU PEOPLE!!!

 

Welcome to the nuthouse! I probably have as much knowledge and experience with the 2bbl VV carb as anyone, and the sum total of my knowledge is this: Ditch it! When it works, it is a great system, but once it starts giving trouble NOBODY, and that includes the Ford Technical Call Centre, nor Ford Historic Vehicle Call Centre can figure the system out! You can go broke just trying. What may well have happened is that the diaphragm in the VV actuator has perished. It is not worth the effort of trying to get it to work. Go to a pull apart or parts store and grab the normal 2 bbl Autolite carburetor for a 1979 Thunderbird 302. It will bold right on, and the job takes about 10 minutes. It is relatively easy to set up, and should probe dead reliable. Your performance will be VERY marginally lower, but your fuel economy may be slightly higher, when it is all dialed in. If this doesn't do the trick, PM me, and I'll go through the rest of the system on the car. So you know, I am looking at buying a 1980 Colony Park right now. I've also had the VV on an 89 Grand Marquis sedan with the 351 HO, and my brother had it on his 86 Colony Park, 351HO. Another friend also had it on his 87 Grand Marquis sedan, 351HO. All were converted to normal carbs because the VV is too problematic to live with!

 

trying desperatly not to junk

TYPING LARGE ONLY TO MAKE SURE you see my reply that 1. dam blast it you are in canada and i am stateside in New jersey. tried removing the VV carb ONE bolt is way down deep a special wrench??? In better wording I worked at making it concise! honey and I savored a ride in the wagon to maine and upstate NY it roared and raced up and back oh my god if it had died up there!~ so in consulting I was t old about the VV carb the modules, and reluctors dont wear out then I merely also have a bad ground then??? well stateside t ime is 12:31 a.m. so THANK YOU for your reply THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU and I never refer to anyplace helpful as a nut house!

 

Welcome brianradomski!

 

I'll get back to you on the thread you have going in the projects area. That 4th bolt, probably the one on the passenger side, rear, is a bit tricky but no special tools are needed.

 

my gosh you know this stuff!! YES I think that nut/bolt IS in the passenger rear of the carbtr....HOW do I get into it.....thtas right you typed that you want to "catch up with me elsewhere....let me know when you're there please??? Of course i have to get the ground electrical working again 1. I have quite the mess going 2. The reluctor is in the base of the distributor?? can it does it ever need replacing?? I often wonder if THAT is my cuprit OR that electrical thing on the driver wheel wheel under the hood ???!!!

 

Brian he's clever isn't he?

 

Welcome aboard !

 

I've answered in the thread you have going in the general discussions. It is much easier to keep the discussion of a problem to one place. Otherwise you can end up getting muddled as information comes at you out of sync. Basically, anything you want to know about the wagon, pm me, and I'll be glad to answer. I think I almost memorized both the Chilton's and Hayne's manuals for these cars over the many years and many examples we' have within and without the family. We've had 6 or so of the Panther cars, plus another 6 of the late 70s mid-sized Fords, and they were the engineering starting point for the Panther. Between the lot, we've accumulated about 2,000,000 miles on these cars, so there isn't much we've not come across.

 

trying desperatly not to junk...

OH everybody it got terrable/worse and not with the car.....the girl took sick with a migrane sunday. Sunday night Dr advised her to "the ER" so sunday night to 3;30 Monday a.m. in the ER worked monday on 2 1/2 hours sleep and at my age of 57 and monday night chores chores chores and wait on her, tuesday night a night off tonight I thought of you folks so ...PROMISE I'LL CATCH UP I have to i miss my old car!!! Bless ya all!!!

 

Good luck, Brian. Migraines like that are horrible! And you're going to need time to get back together, too, after a night like that! We'll be crossing fingers for you, and waiting for the good word that you are able to get back to the old wagon. Take care.

 

trying desperatly not to junk

Honey's migrane is now reduced to a headache thanks to visit to a more specilaising DR wednesday evening and 2 "shots" later..... Again we spent maybe 7 hours in an ER I worked on 2 1/2 hours sleep Monday PLUS this heat wave I'm struggling this week ....I did read about a "projects" area.....'focus "B" focus "Bri" projects area think LOOK for it find it!

 

desperatly trying not to junk

MIKE I just saw this and WOW did you hit it perfect: "going to take time to get back together" as i just replied: ABOUT 7 hours at the ER I really worked monday on 2 1/2 hours "sleep" after work grocery shopped even if only for cold sandwiches, then tended to HER car (sits a lot battery goes down) then my own laundry so tuesday night I gave me a night off, then THIS HEAT WAVE I'm still sensitive/watching the fatigue tonight thursday!

 

trying desperatly not to junk

Are messages read and approved before "posted" here at the forum??? Before these words I posted I guess 2 "posts" and sent Mike a pm but i sure dont see the other 2 posted! And I wanted to add TO those about the variable venturi carb on my 82 wagon by saying that I 1st have to work on getting a new good ground working .....i guess at the battery": I even have electrical trouble!! I have to find out where "projects" is at this forum I guess! I have lots to learn here???

 

B: Your other thread on the wagon is in the correct place. Just start a general rebuild thread there, and cover the entire project. If you want, though, you can start a new thread for each issue you come across. PM me when you can, and let me know what the electrical issues are. Chances are I've already dealt with it on one of mine! Just as a matter of interest, I generally replace all 3 of the heavy gauge cables as a matter of course, and put in 1 gauge. That is the positive cable to the starter relay, the negative cable to the engine block, plus the solenoid to starter cable. Don't forget to change the ground strap on the back of the engine that grounds the body. As an extra, I use a double spade ended 4 gauge cable and ground the body directly to the battery as well. Over kill, but it works!