What did you do to your Mark VIII today?

Epwillis said:
2 Years, and they don't make them anymore so warranty is out of the question. I really love the air ride but its getting to the point where I've replaced the shocks twice and I might just convert and be done with it.
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Oh no! Another lost to springs...:(
 
Epwillis said:
2 Years, and they don't make them anymore so warranty is out of the question. I really love the air ride but its getting to the point where I've replaced the shocks twice and I might just convert and be done with it.
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Wow. That sucks. So far the Arnotts in my '97 are still holding air after 3 years and over 3 months of just sitting in the yard. They're going in my '95 as soon as I can find the time. Hopefully they'll last a while longer.
 
Spree said:
Oh no! Another lost to springs...:(
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Not so fast:p I think I'm gonna do new air shocks

So I pumped it up and shut switch off last night, and its flat on its face this morning. It can't be the pump because I turned the switch off correct? I heard solenoids close after it pumped up and vent is not stuck open or it would drain immediately and the rear would be down too.
 
dnsherrill said:
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I've got both: AAS on the brown car, and Eibach 1.5"s with Tokes on the white car; I don't think the ride is harsh on either; handles turns better no doubt.
The AAS set has about 20k on it; if interested I'll sell ya that kit minus rear shocks. BTW, if your gonna convert go ahead and tell Jay in SC you want stainless upper shock mounts
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I thought your white 96 was on the AAS lowered kit..that thing looks LOW. Didnt know you had the tokico shocks combined with eibachs 1.5" drop springs. How does that ride? What are you using for rear spring perches? I really want those 1.6" vogtlands but apparently they are DC'd. I've seen a few cars on those vogtlands and they don't look as low as yours. Post some pics of your car..I'd like to see its stance.
 
Put the rear height sensor from the '97 into the '95 yesterday and the rear end was still up this morning but the front end was down. Sooooooooo...looks like I'll be switching out the front air shocks tomorrow. Also I think I can snake that brake line out without bending it too much. So I'll try replacing that tomorrow also. Lots to do but I've almost got her roadworthy :)
 
Epwillis said:
So I pumped it up and shut switch off last night, and its flat on its face this morning. It can't be the pump because I turned the switch off correct? I heard solenoids close after it pumped up and vent is not stuck open or it would drain immediately and the rear would be down too.
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as far as dropping overnight, its never the pump or vent.

it could be a leaking solenoid. it could also be leaking air bags.
have you put new o rings and some like dielectric grease on the solenoids lately?

the motorcraft air suspension shock assemblies come with solenoids. or at least mine did.
 
chris2523 said:
as far as dropping overnight, its never the pump or vent.

it could be a leaking solenoid. it could also be leaking air bags.
have you put new o rings and some like dielectric grease on the solenoids lately?

the motorcraft air suspension shock assemblies come with solenoids. or at least mine did.
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Yes I put new solenoids from AAS in when the bags went in with new orings.

Just went and soaked the out side of the bags with a solution called Snoop(a leak detector that bubbles when it finds a leak) and no bubbles.........Shot some up at the solenoids too and no bubbles....

Idk what it could be at this point can they leak from the top at all?

Motorcraft ones do come with solenoids.
 
Why not just use soapy water sprayed on the springs? Just like detecting a tire leak.

Also, did you do it with the front end jacked up? If so, you probably won't find any leaks. You need to test it at normal ride height. That's where the springs sit 90% of the time and the dryrot cracks will be at the fold at the bottom of the spring at that height. With the shock extended, the dryrot cracks in the spring are closed. Just jack up the car, take the wheel off, and set the car back down with a jack stand under the LCA. That way the weight of the body will be on the air spring and it should be pretty close to normal position. Then spray your leak detector on the springs.
 
thaywood said:
Why not just use soapy water sprayed on the springs? Just like detecting a tire leak.

Also, did you do it with the front end jacked up? If so, you probably won't find any leaks. You need to test it at normal ride height. That's where the springs sit 90% of the time and the dryrot cracks will be at the fold at the bottom of the spring at that height. With the shock extended, the dryrot cracks in the spring are closed. Just jack up the car, take the wheel off, and set the car back down with a jack stand under the LCA. That way the weight of the body will be on the air spring and it should be pretty close to normal position. Then spray your leak detector on the springs.
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This acts as soapy water but it doesn't just drip right off, its more viscous so it stays on the bag.

Yes, I loaded the suspension on both sides with a jack stand and no bubbles.

Both shocks look like this at the bottom of the bags:

20130913_140805_zps9b28767d.jpg


20130913_140818_zps19ea758b.jpg


they look wet cause of the leak dector.
 
Spray some of that stuff on the top of the spring where the crimp strap is. It may be leaking there. If not, it could be leaking at the top of the shock. Do you have the new design Arnotts with the big machined aluminum cap on top or the old type that look like OEM Gen1 air shocks? If the bag isn't leaking then it may be the solenoid or you may have a leak in the line somewhere. I just don't think a 2 yr old set of air springs should be leaking yet. And my Arnotts were leaking around where the solenoid plugs into the top of the shock because the port was slightly deformed. I had to reshape it with a pair of channel locks to get it to seal. Could be lots of things. May even be bad height sensors. :confused:
 
thaywood said:
Spray some of that stuff on the top of the spring where the crimp strap is. It may be leaking there. If not, it could be leaking at the top of the shock. Do you have the new design Arnotts with the big machined aluminum cap on top or the old type that look like OEM Gen1 air shocks? If the bag isn't leaking then it may be the solenoid or you may have a leak in the line somewhere. I just don't think a 2 yr old set of air springs should be leaking yet. And my Arnotts were leaking around where the solenoid plugs into the top of the shock because the port was slightly deformed. I had to reshape it with a pair of channel locks to get it to seal. Could be lots of things. May even be bad height sensors. :confused:
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They have the machined aluminum on top, I tried putting some detector down there from the top and couldn't see anything. The solenoids were a real tight fit when I put them in new, maybe the seals went bad? I haven't touched the bags or solenoids since I put them in, so I don't see how....but maybe.
 
I had an Arnott go bad on me recently. It appears as though the strut leaked oil and the oil somehow loosened the bottom strap of the air bladder causing a massive leak. My bladders had no dry rot at all.
 
Epwillis said:
I have a brand new set arnott solenoids in the garage I'll put them in and see what happens. Can someone refresh my memory on what the big oring is for?


20130913_154749_zpse3adbc31.jpg


Maybe this?

20130913_154853_zps4242f68f.jpg
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Don't use that big o-ring. It's not for a Mark VIII. The rear bags on the town cars have those on the solenoids.
 
My guess would be a bad solenoid or the top of the strut leaking. I've seen the top leak several times on arnott struts. Possibly have a bad solenoid connector, as 97 octane just found on his car. Can't be the ride height sensors with the switch off.
 
Fixing a couple areas (like 30) , sanded down the rest with 320 grit, then I'll shoot the entire car. Gotta mud over the hood first, and still haven't smoothed out the fenders or passenger door. The door has a series of very faint dents from morons at shopping centers. For the most part all of the "major" stuff has been dealt with as far as I can tell, I'm sure Black will reveal the truth

Next week I'll be pulling the side molding, side mirrors and handles, front bumper and lights
 
Sapperfire said:
Fixing a couple areas (like 30) , sanded down the rest with 320 grit, then I'll shoot the entire car.
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sounds like a good time to relocate the gas tank filler behind rear pass corner light, then fill and sand where the door was
 
took her up to 6500 rpm on the freeway then when i let off i smelled something weird like burnjng electronics or something i gotta figure that out
 
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