jonnyluvsjazz

Hello experts! I've never been able to find locally a source for the plastic cable wrap 'stuff' that looks like electrician's tape. This is used by most auto mfgs to dress the wires in the wiring harness. It's what replaced the woven cloth material on the harnesses. Sometimes I've needed to perform surgery on the harness and fix the wiring, and I've not been able to close the incision without using electrician's tape. This stuff, as most folks know, gets sticky and gooey and ultimately falls off. Anybody know what this thin plastic wrap is called and where I might find a source for it? All my 60's and later cars use it. Thanks!

Great idea about supporting the door! I'm still stumped on where to get a replacement spring and how to do the install. Maybe a Ford guy here can offer up a suggestion? Thanks Stude8. -JLJ

I finally got good at replacing the coil springs that hold most car doors open. Now I'm facing a missing torsion spring on my 77 Ford Ranchero. And sure, it's on the driver's door. These doors are very long and heavy and not having a spring to keep it open has caused me numerous injuries to my shins and keester! The passenger side still has its spring, it's fairly long and made out of small diameter bar stock with a couple of opposing U bends. But I can't begin to tell how to put a new one in or where I might order such a replacement. Has anyone on this forum ever tackled this chore? None of the repair manuals I have adequately address the replacement of such a spring. I'm tired of my door attacking me! Thanks for the help. Jonathan Barg Houston, TX 1977 Ranchero 1960 Fairlane 500 1957 Triumph TR-3

Charles, thanks very much for your suggestion on sealing the glass to the rubber, and the rubber to the metal. Is there a brand name, or trade name for the product you mentioned? Or any ideas where I might go to purchase this stuff? I figured I'll just do this myself as it seems I can't get the kind of service I deserve. The first auto glass company with an excellent reputation wouldn't touch the car, and the smaller mom & pop place / used car dealership didn't do it right but was happy to take my $50. Again, thanks! Jonathan Barg Hot Humid Houston 1957 Triumph TR-3 1960 Fairlane 500 2 door 1977 Ranchero GT 1993 F-150

Thanks for the advice gents. I had a local glass place put it in for $50. It looked too easy! They sprayed the opening with WD-40 and slipped the glass & gasket in place. The only trouble is now it leaks worse than before! The Ford manual takls again of this PVC tape or a butyl tape that appears to go along the pinch weld and act as a secondary seal. The glass shop guy says wash the window and rubber to get the WD-40 off, let it sit in the sun and everything should close up. He said not to use butyl or other sealant on it. Really? Sounds sketchy to me... How about to you?

The question would hold true for any kind of fixed window held by rubber gasketing, but for me it's the back window of my Ford Ranchero. I know I can pay money and have a pro do this - and I might do this. But for my own edification I?d appreciate knowing from this group of experts how window glass is put in place. My application has a flat piece of glass, a rubber gasket/molding and a flat (straight) metal opening between the cab and bed. The factory Ford manual refers to placing a strip of PVC tape across the pinch weld prior to placing the window glass and rubber into the opening. Do any of you know what PVC tape was, or what it should be? When I removed the hardened (and leaking) window rubber, I found a length of black fabric (tape?) that seemed to be used around the opening somehow. Could this be the tape the manual recommends using when replacing the rear window? What in 2005 do we use for this application? Could I just install the window & window rubber minus this mystery tape? Or would the pinch weld eventually chew up the back window rubber? I just hate to go to a body shop or glass place and have them tell me I need a length of 'mi-rac-ulem' to fix my trouble and it will be a gazillion dollars, plus tax. Any advice from this august body is much appeciated. -Jonathan

I'm trolling for ideas on what sort of theft deterrent devices there might be to protect an older car. With both my 1957 Triumph TR-3 and my 1960 Fairlane if someone was a shady character they could boost either one pretty easily (easily accessible under hood areas, no roof on the TR, pickable locks on the Fairlane, etc.) I know if some slug really wants either car - it will be gone. But for the average crook, are there any devices or techniques I could use to give me at least some peace of mind? I detest the alarmed cars that go off if a train rolls by, so there must be something better and a little more discreet. This esteemed group must have faced this issue before. Ideas much appreciated! Jonathan Barg Houston, TX 1957 Triumph 1960 Fairlane 500 1977 Ranchero GT 1993 F-150

I once had a Morris Minor Pickup truck with a similar float problem. People used to accuse me of having a VW pickup... Please, it was veddy British! The solder gave way and the float was full of gas. I decided a propane flame shouldn't be used (I'm no fun) so I used my pin drill vise and a teeny drill to make a 'bleed' hole and a second 'vent' hole and let it drain and dry out. I then flowed new solder to the end caps and cut 2 small patches from sheet brass from my Dad's ship model leftovers and soldered them in place. Voila! Back in action again. Sadly, I had to sell the cute yellow pickup, but the gauge still worked! I had performed the wiring & gauge check so it all seems to be okay. I did the grounding trick and it read as FULL. So the wiring and gauge seems to be okay. So perhaps I'll drive the Fairlane around and burn up some gas and try to remove the sender without dropping the tank...Maybe a general loosening of the support straps would be enough to gain better access? -Jonathan

The gas gauge doesn't show any level in the tank and following the steps in the 1960 repair manual I've isolated it to the gas sender & float in the tank. For this Ford, the mechanism is on the upper half of the tank and is positioned behind the rear seat. I can't tell if I should drop the tank to remove the sender & float or leave the tank 'in situ' and remove the mechanism. Any thoughts from those that have tried? Also I'm thinking (uh, oh, watch out...) that the float may have a leak and has sunk to the bottom of the tank. When I turn the key to "ON" the needle on the gas gauge rises a short distance (still below the "E") and goes no further. I'm hoping at about $80 for a new float & sender that this is the only trouble. But I guess I won't know if it is a sinker or floater until it is out. What's the best way to investigate this? Oh, yes, of course the tank is completely full... 1957 Triumph 1960 Fairlane 1977 Ranchero 1993 F-150

Excellent advice fellas. Since the car is driveable, I can take it to my local auto guys to do. Also, my car buddy who's restoring a 68 Dodge Dart GT (I call it 'Dart-on-a-spit' since he's got it on a rotisserie) is a experienced restorer of hopeless Mopar cases and he's had luck doing the rope & rubber technique. I've seen Chip Foose's guy's do it on TV and it sure looks easy (Yes, I know better...) I'm a fearin' I will have some metal work to do once the window is out. Between the windshield leaking (now fixed) and the back window leaks, and having lived is Mississippi for years, I have a lot of (so far) surface rust issues. There may be a bit o' grinding to be done and some POR-15 work on the window surround. I'll be glad to eventually have a waterproof cockpit! -Jonathan

Any tips on how to remove & replace a rear window that uses a rubber gasket to hold it in place? This is a near verticle, flat window on the back of my Ranchero. The current, original rubber is leaking and causing all kinds of trouble to the interior (rust, mildew, funky smell, etc.) Dearborn Classics has supplied me with a new seal, but how to get the window out (without breaking) and even tougher - back in again - without breaking is the question. On previous restos I've never faced this. Any tips from 'the crew' here who've tackled this would be much appreciated. I've seen guys lay down in the inside and push on the window with their feet to pop the glass. That seems risky ... Jonathan Barg Houston, TX 1957 Triumph 1960 Fairlane 1977 Ranchero

Ed, you might try the Ford folks at LOVEFORDS.COM. It is an all Ford board that has a very good web site and tech info. One of them might be able to help you with a solution. Jonathan Barg 1957 Triumph TR-3 1960 Ford Fairlane 2 door 1977 Ford Ranchero GT

Frank the story on the radiator goes like this: somebody added air conditioning and installed a condenser unit in front of the radiator. Both appear to have come from a V8 Ford. This caused the whole assembly to come back towards the engine. More precisely, towards the whirling steel fan. So to accomodate the A/C, the mechanic - who actually did an okay job of it - X'ed out the water pump driven fan and went to the dual electric set up. I'm still running the 223 CuIn 6 with the column shift 3 speed. So I'm thinking I've got lots of cooling capacity. The under dash A/C unit malfunctioned electrically (blower fans) and the A/C was half un-installed. So I want to reinstall the A/C (Houston - hot, humid, bugs) and be certain everything functions as it should. The basic mechanics are good and when I bought it in San Antonio, I drove the 400+ miles back home in the Fairlane. Rock solid and lots of fun! Jonathan in Houston 1957 TR-3 1960 Ford Fairlane 1977 Ford Ranchero

3 and a half minutes. That's how long the electric fans run before quitting. So we're not talking ages & ages. But I think ultimately I'll wire them thru a relay tied to ignition on & off. So I guess it's a nit right now. The alternator conversion is working well, now that I've gotten the DA plug and the Delco unit is charging at idle and at highway speeds. Today's pain is wondering why my gas gauge stopped working. After replacing the Instrument Voltage Regulator behind the dash I got the gauges working. Now the gas gauge starts to rise off it's peg, hits about 1/16 off of "E" then stops. So I don't know if my old 1960 gauge has quit, or the sender is funky. I put a VOM on the regulator and it's working as it should. Oh well... It's just a hobby, it's just a hobby ...-Jonathan

Thanks Ron and Ken. I agree that I don't want the fans hardwired to be on when the engine's on and off when it's off. There are many cool days when at freeway speeds the fan serves no useful purpose. So having a thermostat in the water flow controlling the off & on points makes sense (and that's how it's hooked up now.) The installation of these fans is about the only workman like job that was done to my Fairlane over in its shady past. What seems odd to me is the running of the fans after the engine is shut down. Now, I will need to actually time this running period following shut down and if it's short enough I'll go with Ken and leave it alone. I can remember years ago when the VW Rabbits first came out. You'd walk by one in a parking lot and hear the buzzing of the electric radiator fan and no one was in the car. An auto with a directly driven fan or a fan clutch ceases to spin (and cool) when the engine is off. Obviously this is okay and doesn't harm the engine. But I'll time my electrics tonight and see how long they run. With a marginal battery it brought home the illogic of having 2 current hogs sucking the juice out of said weak battery for no good reason. And true, my ignition switch is pretty old fashioned and I'm reluctant to add anything to it. That's why I was hoping for advice like "Buy a relay, put one lead on this terminal, the other lead goes to the fan, bla, bla and now when the car is off, the fans remain off." But I do appreciate the advice guys!