General tune-up advice?

sc0tty8

Registered User
Well, I tried the seatch, was not much help, or, I didn't use it correctly.

I recently purchased an 89 sc.

I am not too sure about how the previous owners took car of her...

The cats have been removed, along with the resonator, still has stock mufflers.

The car has about 100800 on the clock.

The prev owner haned me some plugs with the car, stating he could not figure out how to do them. They are some bosch platnium plugs. I was told that I should never use bosch plugs...

I already suspect the car will need new plugs and wires.

I seen at texas thunderbirds they offer some sc oil, do I need to change that or add in more?

Is there a book I can buy that is geard specific twards an sc? I have one of them haynes manuals, which, has proved to be useless for my other birds.

I am also thinking I should change the tranny oil.

Basically, I don't know what the prev owners have or had not done, and would like a list of what should be done.

Thanks.
 
ok dude check it out,

if i were u, which im not, i would do the following,

1- Change AIR FILTER, remove AIR SILENCER
2- Switch from regular motor oil to synthetic, change oil filter
3- Replace Fuel Filter
4- Replace Spark-Plugs with Double Platinums, NGK if possible
5- Replace Spark-Plug Wires
6- Replace power steering fluid.
7- Replace Transmission Fluid and filter if AOD, with the new fluid add a bottle of LUCAS TRANSMISSION FIX, the best additive ever.
8- Check vacuum hoses for leaks, replace hoses that look or feel worn out, make sure to clamp hoses either with zip ties or those metal clampy thingies.
9- Drain coolant, add some new one 30 Percent COOLANT 70 Percent Water.
Before you re-add the new coolant make sure to unscrew the air tube that pops up around the alternator. If you dont know what im talking about do a search.
10- Replace Radiator Cap and Thermostat.
11- Check all Fuses to see if any are shorted Out.
12- Tighten down valve cover bolts, tend to loosen up over time.
13- Check Supercharger Oil, By the Snout there should be this Allen Bolt, i think the size is 3/8. The oil should be at the bottom of the threads of the bolt. If not go to a Chevy Dealer and get some Supercharger oil, part number 1#12345982, around 8 bucks, cheaper then FORD.
14- Top off BRAKE FLUID, if possible switch to synthetic, its better.
15- If all the above is done, Take the car on the highway and smash on the pedal, feel the SUPERCHARGED BIRD FLY, until you get busted for speeding.

hope it helps
 
darkstar_one said:
ok dude check it out,

if i were u, which im not, i would do the following,

1- Change AIR FILTER, remove AIR SILENCER
2- Switch from regular motor oil to synthetic, change oil filter
3- Replace Fuel Filter
4- Replace Spark-Plugs with Double Platinums, NGK if possible
5- Replace Spark-Plug Wires
6- Replace power steering fluid.
7- Replace Transmission Fluid and filter if AOD, with the new fluid add a bottle of LUCAS TRANSMISSION FIX, the best additive ever.
8- Check vacuum hoses for leaks, replace hoses that look or feel worn out, make sure to clamp hoses either with zip ties or those metal clampy thingies.
9- Drain coolant, add some new one 30 Percent COOLANT 70 Percent Water.
Before you re-add the new coolant make sure to unscrew the air tube that pops up around the alternator. If you dont know what im talking about do a search.
10- Replace Radiator Cap and Thermostat.
11- Check all Fuses to see if any are shorted Out.
12- Tighten down valve cover bolts, tend to loosen up over time.
13- Check Supercharger Oil, By the Snout there should be this Allen Bolt, i think the size is 3/8. The oil should be at the bottom of the threads of the bolt. If not go to a Chevy Dealer and get some Supercharger oil, part number 1#12345982, around 8 bucks, cheaper then FORD.
14- Top off BRAKE FLUID, if possible switch to synthetic, its better.
15- If all the above is done, Take the car on the highway and smash on the pedal, feel the SUPERCHARGED BIRD FLY, until you get busted for speeding.

hope it helps



Awesome list darkstar, I plan on doing all of the above this summer. Just received by Ford Racing 9mm Wires in the mail today.
 
From what i can tell air filter is new.

Any good synthetic i should get? I plan to ditch the crap fram and go wix like my v8 bird.

Anything else i need to do to conver to syn? Just change the oil?

How hard is it to drain the fluid in a 5 speed?

How do I drain the power steering fluid? Just pull a hose and let it drian?

Just snug the valve cover bolts? I did not see any oil dripping from them nor do I smell it on the headers.

The brake fluid is full right now.

What happens if the sc runs dry?

For those that are interested, here is a rear angle from drivers side of the bird.
P3210035.jpg
 
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ohh its a FIVE SPEED, hmmmm, u dont have to replace the fluid in the transmission, well for the power steering, there is the STEP BY STEP process somewhere on this board, run a search.

For synthetic, i run VALVOLINE SYNPOWER, why because they gave me a free case and a whole bunch of free SYNPOWER crap, seriously they gave me a product of each for me and my bird, they also threw in this nice hat which i wear everyday.

Mobil 1 makes a good synthetic also, upto you.

If your SC runs dry, chances are the bearings will warp and break apart everything in the inside, keep it full.
 
Well I went and got plugs, oil, filter, SC oil, no one in town had wires.

That stuff set me back 80$ :eek:

No one had the ngk dp's so I got champion. I did not put them in yet, so, if they are bad, let me know b4 I open them.

I must say, a lot of people do not understand the sc when you say I have an 89 tbird sc, I need....

1 person said is that ford or chevy :confused: , The other said that is not super charged is it? SC SC SC!!! The first person thought I said SE...

The oil change was a bit more spendy then my v8, the v8 runs dyno and oil+filter is like 12$, oil+filter for sc was like 33$ :eek:

I am guess to get to the plugs, I will have to remove both intercooler lines, and remove the air tube from the other side?
 
general tuneup

I just got my plugs and wires, had the option to get champion, declined because of past failures in the past got autolite double plat.

I think and what I read, you change plugs and wires from underneath the car, close but do-able, to bad ford did not have the openings from the side instead of the rigid frame


just my 2 cents worth..

willie
91 5sp
 
No, you don't have to remove the intercooler lines. I just replaced plugs and wires last night from about 8:00pm to midnight or so (including a couple of trips to Walmart) I did all the drivers side from underneath with a ratchet and a 3" extension. Take off the rim, slide underneath, and look past the exhaust manifold.

Then I went to passenger side, removed the intake tube, and did the one towards the front of the engine with:
two 3" extensions
one swivel attachment
one 5" extension
one wire clothes hanger
one little mirror like the dentists use
some duct tape
and hella patience
Now, was all that needed? Probably not, but I'm a guy with huge hands and a childhood spent watching McGuyver reruns. On the plus side, I did find a cone air filter in my garage and put that on while I was at it.

After that fiasco, my buddy Jon got off work and came and helped me with the last two. They're just like the ones on the driver's side with less space to move around in. So if you've got huge hands like mine you're pretty much screwed. lol

Oh by the way, I used Magnecor blue (8mm) wires and Motorcraft double platinum spark plugs.
 
I still got the champions. Use em? yah or nay?

No one in town has wires, whre can I get a decent set off the net? I am not going to wait for OEM replacement that are not much better then what I got, if I am going to wait, might as well do it myelf. :p
 
re

supercoupeperformance.com sells wires i think, and holly makes a set too cant remember how big though
 
tune-up

I used dbl plat autolites, motorcraft plugs are good also but the autolites are a lot less wallet draining. I would never put a champion bosch or ngk plug in any of my ford cars or trucks. I have had bad luck with them and would not use them. You will want to change your plugs only once don't be fooled by the name! My 91 sc auto 160k runs great with autolites. I took out bosch plugs that were in it when I bought the car 3 mo. ago also new crank and cam sensor and new spark plug wires and fresh oil and filter.
 
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