Finally!

[hillbilly]

Originally Posted by piece-itpete

Yep, amazing. I should've bought the 'good' snapring pliers from the Craftsman store for $30 but thought, heck, I'll probably never use them again, bought a cheapie pair from Advance, broke them. Went to Harbor freight, forgot the new snapring, bought these awesomely heavy duty ones that were way too big, wouldn't fit. Went back (30 mins each way), got a set of medium ones, bent them. Got a nice set of picks from Craftsman, broke'em.

The various pliers I broke/bent are warranteed, so I be able to replace them free. Yay, useless new tools I'll carry around for the rest of my life. The picks are waranteed too but they're good, I'll use them again at least.

But all told it would've been way cheaper in time and money just to bite the bullet and buy the good tool out the gate. There's a lesson in there that I will promptly forget

Pete

So did you get that snapring out yet?

[hillbilly]

OK Pete, just incase you still fighting that thing. Do you have an old U-joint laying around? If so, pull a cap off and pluck two of the needle bearings out of it. I've found that ''sometimes'' they'll fit in the snapring holes and they are hard enough you can squeeze them with channellocks as close to the snapring as you can get them and the snapring will compress. It's a bit agravating, but it's saved me a time or two from making a special trip out of the sticks to replace a snapring plier when I wasn't planning on wasting 20.00 in gas to replace a set.

[d-ray657]

Originally Posted by hillbilly

OK Pete, just incase you still fighting that thing. Do you have an old U-joint laying around? If so, pull a cap off and pluck two of the needle bearings out of it. I've found that ''sometimes'' they'll fit in the snapring holes and they are hard enough you can squeeze them with channellocks as close to the snapring as you can get them and the snapring will compress. It's a bit agravating, but it's saved me a time or two from making a special trip out of the sticks to replace a snapring plier when I wasn't planning on wasting 20.00 in gas to replace a set.

I figured that if anyone had a work-around for this problem, it would be you. You have any suggestions on what to do when a power window decides it doesn't want to go up any more?

Regards,

D-Ray

[hillbilly]

Originally Posted by d-ray657

I figured that if anyone had a work-around for this problem, it would be you. You have any suggestions on what to do when a power window decides it doesn't want to go up any more?

Regards,

D-Ray

Is it the 80's Chevy Caprice/Impala? If so, can you hear the window motor run?

OK, if the window is level it hasn't fell forwards in the door. If it has, then you'll need a new $2.00-$5.00 clip that snaps in the top rear of the window and keeps the window held into the felt slides. I doubt that has worn out though as you would see the glass sticking up out of the door in a triangle shape when trying to roll it up. So, we'll move on.

If the window motor runs both directions, it's most likely the window tape stripped out. Though it's not a hard job, replacing window tapes can be a pain in the B-Hind to install if you haven't tackled one before.

If the motor doesn't run in one direction but is getting 12 volts from both directions of the switch, then the motor is probly shot.

If no current to the motor in only one direction, it could be either the switch or just a bad connection from the switch to the motor.

Thats about as good as I can explain it speaking in text, if it were in front of me I could easily pull the door panel & point it out in say, 5 minutes.

[piece-itpete]

Thanks HB. Of course I threw out the old u joints when I changed them

I just have to kick the *#&%$ out of my inner cheapskate and buy the good pliers I suspect.

Working in old doors, fun. If cuts are fun.

Pete

[piece-itpete]

Well I did get the seal changed, I ended up pulling the gearbox off the car and using a pair of decent quality needlenose on the snapring. Which bent, but I was able to get the tip of a compound angled pick behind it, so I could get the hook pick through the hole, and with the help of a screwdriver I ripped it out.

40 minutes start to finish. If I only knew. Heck good thing I didn't, I'd've probably changed everything I touched including the gearbox!

But now, the timing chain on the '03. Here's my post:

The timing chain tensioner warning level has gone from 'slightly noisey' to 'dang I'd better get on that'.

For those who don't know, the tensioners on Panther 4.6s from 99-03 (and others?) have a known factory defect, the plastic coating on them wears through and eventually the metal too. When I bought my car at 54k? (darn memory) last year it did have a slight ticking noise at startup and now with around 65 it has gotten worse, and more worrisome it got worse suddenly. I suspect the plastic on a tensioner came completely off, or at least wore completely through. I'll know soon enough.

I was really, really apprehensive about a 2 cam timing chain change until I read Dereck's most excellent 'TIMING THE CAMSHAFTS ON A 4.6L TOWN CAR' article over at LincolnsOnLine. If Dereck says it's virtually foolproof then it's the job for me!

Already picked up the gasket set, Fel-Pro TCS4586, around $20, and shortly I'll pick up a Cloyes 9-0387SG Multi-Piece Timing Kit, around $225:



This is the front of a 4.6 with the timing cover off, showing the chains. The tensioners are the curved bits:



A little different than the 85 (not mine, pirated):



And much more expensive The 85's cost about $40, and it was a HD model I'll never have to change again, while the chains for the 2003 are basically stock replacements.

There are upgraded timing kits out there for the 2003 but the price goes up FAST. I am open to suggestions.

I'm going to pull and reinstall the water pump, I already picked up the gasket. My neighbor has a power steering pulley puller and I'll borrow a harmonic balancer puller from the parts store.

A few questions if anyone has any idea:

Anything I should watch out for?

Anything else I should do while I'm in there?

Do I REALLY have to spend $20 on a crank bolt, and are there any other bolts I need to replace? These are some kind of bolt called 'torque to yield', use them once and throw them away.

I can understand the timing chain difference, as the 4.6 gets more stock HP and better gas mileage than the 5.0. But why the heck can't they use bolts that you take off and put back on??

Pete

[piece-itpete]

After much reading and comments elsewhere, and considering I sold my old 97 at 220k with nary a timing chain peep, I'm leaning towards just changing the tension arms. Depending on what it looks like once I rip it open.

I'm going to use the savings to change the tranny fluid on both cars. Change your tranny fluid or have it flushed - save the trannys!

Pete

[d-ray657]

Originally Posted by piece-itpete

After much reading and comments elsewhere, and considering I sold my old 97 at 220k with nary a timing chain peep, I'm leaning towards just changing the tension arms. Depending on what it looks like once I rip it open.

I'm going to use the savings to change the tranny fluid on both cars. Change your tranny fluid or have it flushed - save the trannys!

Pete

Considering your taste in automobiles, the more appropriate statement might be "Save the Whales!"

Regards,

D-Ray

[piece-itpete]

BAM!



Pete

[Charles]

Originally Posted by d-ray657

I figured that if anyone had a work-around for this problem, it would be you. You have any suggestions on what to do when a power window decides it doesn't want to go up any more?

Regards,

D-Ray

Have you tried pushing on the other end of the button?

Chas