Professional Lurker turned Amature Member

[Ragged2Riches]

Thanks for the add! I'm excited about becoming a member of LVC. Since my purchase of my ragged out 2001 Lincoln LS in 2012, I have become quite familiar with the LVC site. Seeing as how my car was originally a New Orleans car, where it spent a large majority of its life, and owned by 5 other owners, let's just say she has been well loved kind of like a stripper at your best friends bachelor party.

My car is an 2001 LS8 with a current 172xxx miles on it. I love the car, an absolute dream to drive, but that didn't happen overnight. When I bought the car in 2012 I was completely ignorant to the problems that can occur with an LS of that mileage. The front end was shot, the rack leaked, the radio was busted, speakers blown, clock spring trashed, Dual zone climate behaved most peculiarly, rear end swayed to and fro on the highway, the Rattle that came from under the car at idle made my hair turn grey, sunroof would stick in any position it desired, the transmission slipped and jerked in between shifts, the Coolant system was full of good ole garden hose water, and the car was almost unsafe to drive at any speed. However, having owned a few ragged out cars in my life, I didn't mind. Besides, there were many like it, but this one was mine. Since every time I fired up the 3.9L DOHC Jaguar designed AJ-V8 my heart raced, and I set out to repair the car (like I had much of a choice at this point). Since then I have joined the likes of many members on this site, spending sleepless nights on rockauto buying parts, and extending business trips while waiting for parts. Since I perform industrial maintenance service on machinery, I always find myself with a trunk full of tools, which has been a blessing more times than I can say.

Now that you know about the horror story that is my 2001 LS8, don't feel so bad about yours. Below is a list of things that I can remember I have done to my ride.

Rack and pinion replaced with rebuilt unit
Front lower control arms
Front upper control arms
Front shock mounts
Replaced sway bar with late model integrated rubber bushings
Moog LCA Alignment washers
Clock spring
Temp control sensor in A/C plenum
Radiator
Upper rad hose
Lower rad hose
Aluminum thermostat housing
Degas bottle
4 Coil packs (I know, I'm cheap)
Aftermarket Pioneer radio
Aftermarket Pioneer door speakers
Front and Rear Sway bar end links (at least once)
Personally designed and manufactured rear polyurethane LCA bushings (you know the ones that die and you have to replace the whole aluminum control arm, yeah **** that)
Rear tow links (replaced, then the rubber failed, so those SOB's got welded up with some thick 9/16" washers, like the jags are, so long passive rear wheel steering)
Inner taillight that was leaking water
Rear brake rotors and ceramic pads
Transmission Filter (twice)
Transmission cooler flush
Torque converter replacement (with another used one that I was hoping would get rid of that pesky rattle, but only slightly lessened it. This topic is still open for discussion, I'm not convinced it's the problem I actually have)
4 or 5 four wheel alignments, before I figured out that EVERYTHING in the suspension was shot. Ended up doing the last rear end alignment myself after installing the polyurethane bushings and SS spacers. Got it pretty close, but it will need a pro alignment by the dealer when it comes time to put new shoes on her.)
and last but not least, let my gf drive the car for a week while i was trying to figure out what was wrong with her corolla, and the LS broke an exhaust valve spring on the #8 cylinder... ARRRRGGGHHHH!!!! that was a fun fix, $5 and 2 days later. Lucky, no bent valves, and running strong again.


Anyways, long story short, I love my car and have way too much into her to stop now. Besides, over the past 22K miles of me owning it, it gets about 27-28 MPG on the highway (Seriously) and dusts just about everything in its class on the road.

So If anyone has any questions about the stuff above let me know, cause i've probably been there.
I can make more poly bushings for the rear end if I get some interest, they work great, 2 piece design with SS backing spacers. Made them out of a 60A(if memory serves) durometer Poly, and they don't crack, squeak, or give. They offer a comparable ride to the oem design bushings, and are quiet. they have been on the car for the last 10K.

Other than that, I am in the market for a DS fender in Midnight Gray Metallic, Paint code TV. If anyone has one laying around. Also If anyone has any good info on the rattle I am experiencing from under the car LMK. I don't think its timing tensioners, and maybe I got another bad torque converter, and I am cursed.

Pictures to come of the bushings and other fun stuff!

Cheers! and happy motoring.

Sincerely,

-Ragged2Riches

 

[Ragged2Riches]

Here is the link to the bushings I made for my car. I found the sketch and can make more of them if I get some interest, message me for pricing and details. I was mistaken before, durometer of the polyurethane is 80A, not 60A as mentioned before.

Enjoy!

https://drive.google.com/folderview...dvS0s3cGYtbjdNUVVqUDc0dDd0WFctOEk&usp=sharing

 

[98lincmk7lsc]

Welcome! I hope you like it here!

We Mark VIII owners can feel your pain with the "non-replaceable" LCA bushings. We have the same thing, and the normal aftermarket companies haven't picked up on it either. I make them from Delrin with an aluminum hard-coat anodized center spacer, for the Mark's. What do you use for the Poly? I haven't done much of any polyurethane work. the stuff I have had to do with it on the lathe was fairly soft.

 

[Ragged2Riches]

Hey 98linc, thanks for the welcome!

I saw that there was a guy a long while back that had made a few sets of poly bushings for the mark VIII, but last post I had read was that he was trying to off-load them from lack of interest in them. Not sure but he may have had someone/done it himself, cast them out of poly, which is a superior way of making poly bushings. This is how all of the energy suspension/prothane bushings you get on the market for other cars are done.
I turned mine out of a piece of barstock on my Leblond lathe after taking dimensions and engineering a bushing that would be trapped and wouldn't be allowed to walk in the housing. I used an 80A durometer poly, which is pretty hard, but not so hard as to stiffen the ride greater than stock. I'm pretty sure the hydrobushings in the LS used some sort of Nylon as the bushing pressed over the barrel it pivoted against. The poly is rather gummy, so honestly machining anything softer than what I used would probably be a nightmare and would just push off your tool as you tried to cut it. Sharp tools helps a lot to make it less difficult, but it's still not quite as free machining as delrin is. I want to make another set for someone who is willing to try them, and I now have a Wasino CNC Lathe that would chew through them, not to mention I could probably get a better finish on the CNC if I had a reason to spend the money on the material.

Speaking of delrin, how does it work for the application? I've seen delrin used in many applications for bearing bushings, but I've never been keen on using it in a suspension bushing where it has to take impact and displace, even though I've seen that there are manufacturers that suggest it works. I'm sure there are a thousand different types, so I can imagine it's just about getting the right type for the application. What kind do you use?
How do the aluminum sleeves work? I was thinking that using a 6061 for the spacers and sleeves would save a ton on cost and machine time and help me get the price down on my bushings to market them, but I was afraid they wouldn't hold up. Seeing as how the control arms themselves are aluminum though, I guess if you stuck with something durable like 6061 it wouldn't be a problem. I had thought I made mine out of Stainless, but got to looking the other day and noticed my spacers were a little rusty, so I must have picked up a piece of 4140 HTSR in the shop and just thought it was Stainless, not that that makes any difference in functionality other them rusting slightly.

BTW, respect on your LSC. I've played with the idea on ditching the LS and looking for a late model Mark VIII. I really like the looks of the cars after the last update, despite that others opinions I've read may not agree. Either way, great looking car, I'm a fan!:headbang:

-Ragged2Riches