66 thunderbird overheating & transmission problems

[melissa]

hello,

we just bought a ford thunderbird year 1966, drove it home for like 50 km and now we have got some problems.
The engine runs perfect but won't go in D or L , R is not a problem, it drives perfectly backwards.

we checked the engine and it came to our conclusion that the heather hose connected to the valves pull themselves vacuum. we also think that there is no coolant running from where it's supposed to go , to the radiator.

the car shuts itself down when the engine is getting too hot.

Do you have any idea what the problem could be and how to solve it ?

thanks

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[Grahamp]

Is the push away steering wheel centered and locked. If it isn’t, you will have difficulty getting the car in gear.
Your engine cooling problem could be caused by many issues . First thing to check is whether the coolant engine pump is working, is the thermostat opening, is the coolant level correct, do you have a leak, is the radiator cap on tight, it might need replacing, is there coolant in the oil, is there oil present in the radiator, have you boiled and cleaned out the radiator, have you flushed the coolant out of the engine and replaced it?

 

[melissa]

about the steering wheel, i am going to check in a minute. we are also gonna check the thermostat. radiator cap is tight, no coolant in the oil,

have not checked radiator yet. but we do have a leak, it's not oil it's coolant, and about the place where the engine is and not the radiator. it drips so it's not a huge leak , we are going to check on this later except if this could be the problem?

 

[Grahamp]

If the coolant is leaking from the pump, this would indicate failure or likely failure soon. If the pump is not working properly, this would cause the symptoms you describe. Is the belt tight on the pump, another potential cause of overheating if the belt is loose and slipping.

 

[melissa]

we found the problem for the steering wheel, the connection under the steering wheel clicks in parking and neutral , but doens't click in drive or l. so that should be an easy fix. the upper hose of the coolant system connected to the radiator is like really hot, and the lower one is cold.

 

[Dj-Dan]

You can go to a local parts store and get a florourescent dye that you can add to your radiator. Run the car for a few minutes when heater on and then use these yellow lens glasses to see where your coolant is leaking. They make the same florourescent for oil leak detection also. Just don't start throwing the parts cannon on your T-Bird. Buying parts that you think you might need.

 

[Grahamp]

The pump is shot or the thermostat is stuck in the closed position. Start by changing out the thermostat , inexpensive part, $9. If that doesn’t fix it, change out the pump, more expensive , about $80. Parts available from Pat Wilson’s T Bird Parts 973 579 2011 in NJ

 

[melissa]

The pump is shot or the thermostat is stuck in the closed position. Start by changing out the thermostat , inexpensive part, $9. If that doesn’t fix it, change out the pump, more expensive , about $80. Parts available from Pat Wilson’s T Bird Parts 973 579 2011 in NJ

I'm probably gonna sound like an idiot right now, but where exactly can i find the thermostat? Do you maybe have like a picture or something pointing it out? Because i can't find anything usefull on the internet

 

[Grahamp]

There is a small supply tank that is connected to the radiator. You have to remove this tank which is connected to the engine block via a small hose, you will find the thermostat at this junction, I think it will be embedded in the block and you will have to unscrew two bolts to get at it. Make sure you replace the gasket with a new thermostat and use sealer sparingly. Not a difficult DIY task. If you live in a hot climate and drive the car in 80 degree plus temperatures, I would get a 160 degree thermostat . The alternative is a 180 degree unit which I think is more appropriate for colder driving conditions. Buy yourself a Shop Manual for the car, available on the internet

 

[Grahamp]

Overheating in older cars is very common and if you are enjoying the current heat wave in the US, driving a Classic with cooling problems is a no no since engine damage can quickly occur. I would take this opportunity to check out the whole cooling system. You might consider removing the radiator and having it boiled out by a specialist , replace all the coolant hoses, replace the water pump if you have any suspicions about it, not expensive and as we have discussed. Flush the whole system to remove rust and scale from the block which eventually travels to the radiator and gums it up . Check your transmission coolant lines from the radiator for leaks or kinks and have a pro check the transmission radiator. You can then have confidence in driving the car in summer conditions but always check coolant levels and keep an eye on the temperature gauge !

 

[melissa]

Overheating in older cars is very common and if you are enjoying the current heat wave in the US, driving a Classic with cooling problems is a no no since engine damage can quickly occur. I would take this opportunity to check out the whole cooling system. You might consider removing the radiator and having it boiled out by a specialist , replace all the coolant hoses, replace the water pump if you have any suspicions about it, not expensive and as we have discussed. Flush the whole system to remove rust and scale from the block which eventually travels to the radiator and gums it up . Check your transmission coolant lines from the radiator for leaks or kinks and have a pro check the transmission radiator. You can then have confidence in driving the car in summer conditions but always check coolant levels and keep an eye on the temperature gauge !

thanks for all the tips. we live in belgium so no heat wave at the moment 🙂 we tried everything we could at the moment with the gear we had. stil no luck. about checking the radiator and replacing all the hoses, we are going to let an expert at vintage cars do all the work. don't want to be the one who messes up such a beautiful car , although i think the previous owner already did a great job on that... seems to be a bypass for the coolant system applied and we don't know why. works great for like 10 minutes and than the car just heats up and shuts off.
gonna be putting a lot of money in this probably ...

 

[Grahamp]

There is a bypass that allows coolant to avoid a shut thermostat but you can’t run the car for long that way. It’s a safety valve. I would buy a 180 degree thermostat for Belgium. Fixing the coolant system should not be too expensive. I have a 64 Convertible, totally restored , like new but I am always fixing things! Lived in Amsterdam many years ago and used to go to Brussels for lunch on Sundays, superlative food and chefs. But you can keep the weather!

 

[fordrodsteven]

hello,

we just bought a ford thunderbird year 1966, drove it home for like 50 km and now we have got some problems.
The engine runs perfect but won't go in D or L , R is not a problem, it drives perfectly backwards.

Do you have any idea what the problem could be and how to solve it ?

thanks

Hi, I think your transmission may be low on transmission fluid.

 

[64ZCODE]

Hi there Melissa. If you haven't got a manual already, recommend you get one. The pic below is for the shop manual for my '64, I'm sure you can find one online. Might save you quite a few Euros in the long run.

Curious how your '66 got into Belgium in the first place? They must be rare over there and real show stoppers when they cruise by.

Doug

 

[melissa]

Hi, I think your transmission may be low on transmission fluid.

Just refilled, wasn't the problem... Still won't go into drive unfortunately, i think either the pump failed or a piece broke of and got into the hydraulic pump somehow.

 

[melissa]

Hi there Melissa. If you haven't got a manual already, recommend you get one. The pic below is for the shop manual for my '64, I'm sure you can find one online. Might save you quite a few Euros in the long run.

Curious how your '66 got into Belgium in the first place? They must be rare over there and real show stoppers when they cruise by.

Doug

View attachment 4448[/QUOTE

Gonna get me one! Uhm we bougt the car from someone here who goes to america very often to buy cars, brings them here and fixes them to sell them.(hasn't done a great job on fixing i believe) so yeah, we had a few amazed looks on the drive home but unfortunately no more looks now until it drives again...

 

[Grahamp]

My best guess is that your shift problem is more likely to resolved in the steering wheel slide assembly which can lock the shift lever if it is not fully to the left. But I’m not sure whether the shift lever won’t budge into the drive position or it does move and the transmission does not respond . In which case the manual linkage may need adjustment. If you give me your e mail I will send you a description on how to adjust the manual linkage from the Shop Manual

 

[64ZCODE]

It's like driving a parade float here in the US. People smile, wave, and want to talk. Takes forever to get across town🙂

 

[melissa]

My best guess is that your shift problem is more likely to resolved in the steering wheel slide assembly which can lock the shift lever if it is not fully to the left. But I’m not sure whether the shift lever won’t budge into the drive position or it does move and the transmission does not respond . In which case the manual linkage may need adjustment. If you give me your e mail I will send you a description on how to adjust the manual linkage from the Shop Manual

My email is melissamerckx1996@***********, thanks for wanting to help me! We can put the shifter in park, neutral, and reverse, and it clicks, but once we want to put it in drive the handle is loose and shifts between d1, d2 and l.

 

[mcrick]

hello,

we just bought a ford thunderbird year 1966, drove it home for like 50 km and now we have got some problems.
The engine runs perfect but won't go in D or L , R is not a problem, it drives perfectly backwards.

we checked the engine and it came to our conclusion that the heather hose connected to the valves pull themselves vacuum. we also think that there is no coolant running from where it's supposed to go , to the radiator.

the car shuts itself down when the engine is getting too hot.

Do you have any idea what the problem could be and how to solve it ?

thanks

I am just finding out you can get antifreeze in your trany from a leak in the radiator, I am just having my trany rebuilt, sounds pausable ?