tbird help?

[ehall]

Hey fellas

Anybody know a good forum to ask for help with a 67 Thunderbird? I'm trying to help one of my old-man neighbors get his going after its been sitting for a few years. Right now its blowing a lot of smoke, Google says its probably the vacuum modulator leaking fluid into the intake and I agree, but I cant find where the modulator connects to the carb/intake. I tried asking on the top-listed tbird forum, but haven't had any luck with anything, so here I am, hat in hand, asking for a pointer. Whats the best forum for Ford engine stuff?

Thanks

 

[superdave]

http://www.hotrodders.com/forum/

 

[N8N_99xj]

Does it use a vacuum modulator at all? I have no Ford experience but I have worked on lots of Studebakers with Flightomatic and Powershift transmissions (a.k.a. Borg-Warner Model 8, same basic transmission as Fordomatic and FMX as well as other mfgr's transmissions e.g. Rambler/AMC Flashomatic) and none of them used vacuum modulators, they all had a "throttle pressure linkage" e.g. a hard mechanical linkage from the base of the throttle bellcrank to the transmission.

I could easily be wrong, and if it's clouds of white/grey smoke that would definitely indicate a bad modulator diaphragm. just thought you might want to check that before you wasted a lot of time going down a dead end.

 

[ehall]

Does it use a vacuum modulator at all?

Yeah, I can see it, in the center of the floorpan, under the crossmember. Very low-slung vehicle and I'm not comfortable jacking it up high enough to follow the hose by hand. I spent 30 minutes looking for the connection at the top and couldn't find it.

 

[heyhar]

Out of curiosity I Googled 'Does a Ford C6 Transmission use a vacuum shift modulator', and apparently they do. Tons of suggestions. I've only ever dealt with modulators on a Turbo 350 in my '78 Firebird, the Powerglide in my '65 Impala, and the one on my dad's '66 Tempest, but I'm going back forty years now. Back in the day it was common to replace it once or twice in the lifetime of a car. Prolly would be a good place to start. Otherwise it looks like you're fogging for mosquitos!

 

[GrimmJeeper]

you can get new ones at NAPA i looked them up this morning on my terminal when I saw this thread. there are a few different ones for that year dependent on what color stripe is on the back end and how many ports it has.

 

[ehall]

Yeah I want to find the vacuum line leading to the intake so I can see if its wet and also plug it to see if it fixes the smoke

 

[GrimmJeeper]

have a partner? i've always been a fan of the "you look while I wiggle this one" method :gee:

 

[N8N_99xj]

Well if you have located the modulator, unhook at that end, if any fluid comes out of the hose/tube it is bad.

 

[joe_peters]

Well if you have located the modulator, unhook at that end, if any fluid comes out of the hose/tube it is bad.

This.

 

[ehall]

I'm not comfortable jacking it up high enough to follow the hose by hand.

This too