For example: The old gauge cluster had a wide speedometer that was off by upto 20mph as you increased in speed, the fuel gauge registered half when it was really close to 30%, and the temperature gauge had a C on the left and an H on the right. It was anyones guess on the exact temperature of the water at any given time.
Fast forward to the new gauge set:
- The oil gauge registers between 50 and 75 PSI consistently -- though the factory oil pump pumped oil through the engine at anywhere between 35 and 60 PSI (maybe I have a high volume oil pump down there? Who knows)
- The gas gauge (although the company asserted it worked with the stock sending unit in the stock tank) is over zealous. When it reads half, you'd better get your ass to the station because it's damn near outta gas. I suspect this is a resistance problem but who wants to drain the gas tank and remove the sending unit + float to find out? I'm not particularly enthusiastic about having to do t hat.
- The new tachometer -- able to adjust the idle speed and so forth with measurable results (in Borat speak that'sa very nica)
- The new speedometer is accurate in the odometer department and seems relatively accurate in traffic. Will find out when I can.
- The temperature gauge: my prized new possession. The damn thing shoots up to 240F on the regular. Now we have evidence we're overheating -- or do we? Keep in mind I added a fan shroud which is supposed to HELP with systemic loss of air flow at lower speeds. Or so I thought.
I drained the radiator and removed it to install the fan shroud -- but that's as far as I went. I never removed the thermostat, but I did tighten the hose at that end. In other words: The thermostat and water outlet hadn't been checked or inspected for about 4 years. Got some advice that a 180F thermostat and a 16lb radiator cap were the way to go (I *thought* I had a 195F in there, and I knew I had a 13lb Motorcraft cap). Ordered a Milodon high-flow thermostat and a 16lb cap from Summit.
The gear arrives, I pull it apart. My ``Billet" POS chrome water neck is beginning to pit and corrode on the inside. Nice. I notice I seemed to have put the thermostat in backwards when I was an amateur at this (well, I still am, but I think I replaced the water neck within the first month of having the car when I did the inaugural water pump job that was thrust upon me. Dummy.
Re-install everything, clean it up, put it back together. Seems immediately better idling -- hovering around 180F which is what I wanted to see. Go drive around a little bit...starts to creep. Come back home and sit in the driveway in gear -- the gauge is creeping up there. Not quite to the 240F mark but pretty close. FAIL.
Sit on it a few days then get back to it:
Hit the Kragen and get a non-billet-POS water outlet.
Take the thermostats in the house, boil both the new and old in water and they work as designed: start opening at 180F. OK.
Install the new water neck and gasket sans thermostat and we appear to run much much cooler than we ever have -- or so the gauge says.
Drive around low speed -- seems OK. Get back in the driveway, more creeping. At this point I've got thermometers everywhere and decide that the sending unit itself is heating up. Wrap it in some heat shield and it appears better. Next step is to re-add the thermostat and see if it makes a difference. Of interest, as well, is that the new water neck has a hole for a sending unit on top of it. Maybe its time to re-locate that sending unit which is stuck in the middle-front of the cast iron intake manifold. I should also mention that I pressure tested the whole system and it holds at a steady 16PSI so its not that. Ugh.
At this point (if the gauge doesn't improve) I'm all out of options given the equipment I have. For shits and giggles I'm going to install a box fan when its sitting in the drive way next time it creeps up -- this will tell me for certain that it's an air flow problem -- or what.
The dual electric fan setup from a 95-02 Mercury Mystique or Ford Contour bolts up with some drilling and its cheap. Maybe go that route. Aside from that I can change the water pump -- perhaps its not moving as much as it should -- but I'm running out of ideas.
On another note:
It appears since my maintenance earlier in the summer I have worn the inner tread rings of the front tires out. I wasn't sure if it was due to the strut rod issues I had -- or what. In any event, I took it to Firestone and they told me I need new ball joints and/or I have wheel bearing play. I guess new ball joints is next on the list -- but will check out the ball joints and wheel bearings first before I call BS -- or whatever.
It never ends.
I have a relay sitting on my work bench to install that'll allow me to have the trunk popping button under the dash AND the remote control trunk opening from the fob. There it sits.