johnwartjr
Registered User
Some general questions for the experts 
Sorry for the wordiness.
Background - Car is a 95 SC Auto. Daily driven, 120,xxx miles. Stock. Had head gaskets and torque converter done by the dealer at 85k. Both front upper control arms changed within the last 5k. Tires are about 18 months old with maybe 10k on them.
Time to take care of some of the little daily annoyances of the car since I have some extra cash. I looked at the factory maintenance schedule, and noticed at 120k, I am supposed to
Changing the Oil and Filter is simple. Any comments on whether I should stick with Valvoline 5w30 and motorcraft filters vs switching to synthetic?
Spark Plugs - are Motorcraft the best bet here? Or should I look at other brands? Same question on the wires.
Belts - Motorcraft, Gatorback or AutoZone brand? The ones on the car (gatorbacks) still have some life, but I'd rather get it done now.
Is 120k about the right time for a water pump? If I'm taking all this stuff apart, might as well? Or just leave well enough alone? I need to pull the radiator to have a very minor hole fixed (put an all-metal rad in 4 years ago when the FoMoCo broke a crimp on the plastic end tank and wasn't repairable), so the hoses etc will be out of there anyways.
I'm kinda limited on tools and knowledge about cars. I've done minor tasks here and there with my dad and his level of knowledge in general is very high.
The challenge I have is getting things done but not having the car down for an extended period of time. Although I have another vehicle, it is not suitable for hauling my 6 month old and I take her to the babysitter daily, and my wife picks her up after work - so anything I tackle needs to be an afternoon or Saturday job if possible. Anything that requires advanced tools or expertise goes to the dealer. I think I'll let them do the plugs and wires as I've read changing plugs on a SC can be a real pain with the amount of stuff that has to be removed to change them.
Also have a weird sound coming from the front passenger corner when turning - think maybe the tie rods and ends are getting tired.
Any thoughts are appreciated And if you've read all of this, I appreciate that too!
Sorry for the wordiness.Background - Car is a 95 SC Auto. Daily driven, 120,xxx miles. Stock. Had head gaskets and torque converter done by the dealer at 85k. Both front upper control arms changed within the last 5k. Tires are about 18 months old with maybe 10k on them.
Time to take care of some of the little daily annoyances of the car since I have some extra cash. I looked at the factory maintenance schedule, and noticed at 120k, I am supposed to
- Change Oil / Filter
- Replace Spark Plugs
- Inspect belts
- Replace air cleaner filter
- Replace PCV valve
- Check SC fluid level
- Inspect cooling system
- Change ATF
- Inspect exhaust heat shields
- Inspect brakes
- Lubricate Steering Linkage
Changing the Oil and Filter is simple. Any comments on whether I should stick with Valvoline 5w30 and motorcraft filters vs switching to synthetic?
Spark Plugs - are Motorcraft the best bet here? Or should I look at other brands? Same question on the wires.
Belts - Motorcraft, Gatorback or AutoZone brand? The ones on the car (gatorbacks) still have some life, but I'd rather get it done now.
Is 120k about the right time for a water pump? If I'm taking all this stuff apart, might as well? Or just leave well enough alone? I need to pull the radiator to have a very minor hole fixed (put an all-metal rad in 4 years ago when the FoMoCo broke a crimp on the plastic end tank and wasn't repairable), so the hoses etc will be out of there anyways.
I'm kinda limited on tools and knowledge about cars. I've done minor tasks here and there with my dad and his level of knowledge in general is very high.
The challenge I have is getting things done but not having the car down for an extended period of time. Although I have another vehicle, it is not suitable for hauling my 6 month old and I take her to the babysitter daily, and my wife picks her up after work - so anything I tackle needs to be an afternoon or Saturday job if possible. Anything that requires advanced tools or expertise goes to the dealer. I think I'll let them do the plugs and wires as I've read changing plugs on a SC can be a real pain with the amount of stuff that has to be removed to change them.
Also have a weird sound coming from the front passenger corner when turning - think maybe the tie rods and ends are getting tired.
Any thoughts are appreciated
And if you've read all of this, I appreciate that too!