Project 1990 country squire resto/modification by andyfanshawe

3 minute(s) of a 418 minute read

Todays job list was to find out why the parking brake pedal won't stay down. The pawl is not engaging with the ratchet teeth because the pedal doesn't come up far enough, unless it is pulled up the last cm or so with your foot! The last owner kindly emailed me to say a new handbrake cable had been fitted but had not been set up properly. He is quite right, the tension in the handbrake cable is not enough to set the pawl in position.

I am doing the brakes next, so I will do that job at the same time.

An unexpected job next. I removed the front seat (armchair!?) so I could get my head under the dash and had a look under there-just to make sure. Now, when I was driving back from picking the car up there was a bit of free play in the steering wheel. The wheel rotated about an inch and a half before anything happened, and there was a slight knocking feel through the column. imagine my surprise when i grabbed hold of the UJ at the base of the steering column and it wobbled around!

I took a video of it, so i hope it works!

big ford :: SDC10798.flv video by andyfanshawe - Photobucket

To see why it was wobbling i removed the steering column

I took the UJ off the end of the shaft and moticed it had worked loose and slightly worn away. I also noticed the UJ was symmetrical, so turned it round and put everything back. worked like a charm! Until i was bolting the shifetr linkage back and pulled it out of park accidentally (parking brake off) and the car set off down the hill with me buried under the dash :whistle: Luckily I had left a piece of wood across the bottom of the drive just in case!

The prices of the parts at RockAuto were roughly the same as the ones from USAutomotive, once the dreaded VAT etc was added on. So USAutomotive it is.

Parts ordered were: 8 platinum spark plugs, rotor arm, dizzy cap, thermostat, rad cap, oil, air and fuel filters, Alt/PS serpentine belt, intake manifold gaskets and 2 valve cover gaskets (last 2 for top end engine stripdown this winter!)

Came to a grand total of £153. Which I don't think is too bad. Oh, then ordered a radiator from RockAuto ($233) with VAT included.

Brakes next.