What I Did on My Lunch Hour

[Vic Piano]

Steve, sending units are readily available, the problem is getting the broken one out... As you can see in the photo…

The sending unit sheered off just above the square (9/16 open end wrench) fitting and there is not enough of the threaded part to get a grip. The brass fitting most likely has been on the car for 73 years and it is not willing to play nice and come out without a fight… Anybody got a good idea as to how to get the brass fitting out

[41ford1]

This socket might work.
http://www.sears.com/gator-grips-uni...p-00947078000P
Can you disconnect the oil line and remove the tee from the block, or is there a clearance problem?

[Shadetree]

Looks like the T must come out. You could drill the sending unit out a little and use an easy-out. But if you leave the T on the car the steel shavings will go right into your engine when you drill it.

[Vic Piano]

I'll check that socket, thanks for the info. Not only is there little to no room to get any tool down between the block and the firewall but, the Zephyr plumbing is a lot different from the Ford/Merc and, the fact that the plumbing has been on for a long, long time (the V-12 was rebuilt by the cars second owner in 1952) and I think it might be original to the car, so it's not going to be easy... what a surprise... Now, where did I put that roll of Duct Tape...LOL

[Vic Piano]

Originally Posted by Shadetree

Looks like the T must come out. You could drill the sending unit out a little and use an easy-out. But if you leave the T on the car the steel shavings will go right into your engine when you drill it.

Bud, it’s not really a "T", it is just a brass fitting for the sending unit, and the actual "T" is in the line, about an inch below where the brass fitting is. I'm not sure that I want to try and remove the fitting coming from the oil filter, to try and remove the "T" tube, that looks like I'd be opening a real can of worms... I've got solvent on the fitting so, hopefully tomorrow it will be a bit more cooperative... we'll see.

[Vic Piano]

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Success

John came over around 11:00 am today and, after discussing the various options, we took a metric socket and put it over the brass fitting. With just a little finessing it came out. Earlier I had called Joblot and ordered a new sending unit so; John and I went to the local hardware store and bought a plug for the line so we could take the Zephyr out for a test drive... We installed the plug and topped off the crank case (she took three quarts) and I backed her off the lift and out of the garage.
We had the front seat out of the car so; we enlisted two igloo coolers to act as seats and took a ride around the neighborhood. John couldn’t resist snapping this photo…

The transmission shifted beautifully and everything worked however, in my haste to go for a drive, I forgot to bleed the brakes… Everything was ok, we were only going around the block. Now I’ve got to bleed the brakes and, as soon as the new sending unit arrives, I’ll install it and we should be back on the road again.

[Byron Warwick]

Vic: You guys have just toooo much fun. Riding around in and old Lincoln sitting on Igloo coolers. We are sitting watching the snow outside and wishing we could be there as well. Yahoo!, Byron.

[Vic Piano]

Come on down Byron, there's plenty of fun to be had here in the garage... If you can, try to make it down for the Florida "Barner's Bash" in March, from the 22nd to 24th. Stay warm.

[Vic Piano]

While reassembling the Zephyr center console I realized that a spring and spring cover were missing (I guess that they were removed and discarded sometime before I got the car). The spring hooks one end to a clamp on the gear shift lever and the other end goes into a hole in a flange on the inside of the passenger side center console cover. There is also supposed to be a "spring cover".

The part numbers and descriptions of the two parts are:

96H-7245 Spring (gear shift lever to side panel)
86H-7211 Cover (gear shift lever spring) - L. H. D.

Anybody know where I might fine these parts? As always, help is appreciated. Vic

[Vic Piano]

Never mind my previous post, its lunch time so…I fixed it... I went to the local auto parts store and picked up a box of assorted springs, when I got back to the garage I measured the retracted distance, took the appropriately sized spring and bent the ends so they could hook securely to the shift lever and the flange on the driver side of the console. It works and it's very cool. The spring pulls the shift lever to the right when it is in neutral, it also help when shifting from first to second. I put the rest of the console back together, put the seat in and took her for another ride around the neighborhood…

I still have to bleed the brakes before I drive her out on the road but, that’ll have to wait till I get a helper…

[Hotrodladycrusr]

Looks like you and the garage gang have gotten along without my help the last 12 months. LOL
I'm craving pizza so I think I'll pay you a visit soon. Will keep you in the loop. Tell the boys I said "hi" and that I'm looking forward to hanging out with them soon. xoxo

[Vic Piano]

Denise, great to hear from you, I hope all is well. We'd love to have you join us for Pizza and play time and... I should have the Zephyr back on the road this weekend so you'll be able to take her on a test drive. We're holding the 2013 Florida "Barner's Bash" from March 22nd to 24th if you can make it. Stay warm up there and we'll see you soon in the Sunshine State. Vic

[Shadetree]

Vic,
I am happy it ended well. I love that Lincoln!

[Vic Piano]

Thanks Bud, That makes two of us!

[Henry/Kokomo]

Vic - next time you get in a situation like the broken sending unit (hope you never do, but...) you might try using a crowfoot and an extension to get the square headed part out. I used to have a set of 8 sided sockets which would be just the ticket. Glad it all got sorted out.

[Vic Piano]

Henry, thanks. I was thinking about getting one of those Sears "one size fits all" sockets but, John and I used a metric socket (helped it get on with a ball peen hammer) and backed it out with the ratchet... surprisingly, it came out without much of a fight. As soon as the new sending unit arrives (from Joblot) I’ll install it.

[Vic Piano]

It lunch time again so I went to check the mail box and there was a package from Joblot with the new oil pressure sending unit in it.

and now the sending unit is at home in the Zephyr.

Now for the bleeding of the brakes... And out for a drive...

[Vic Piano]

I messed with the master cylinder, pumping the pedal, to purge the air in the lines, just enough to get a decent pedal (enough to drive her up to the gas station, one mile away) so; I fed her some fresh gas, drove her home and gave her a bath.

Now I want to put some miles on her (after we do a proper bleeding of the brakes) and then start thinking about replacing the floorboards...

[Speedy Canuck]

Originally Posted by Vic Piano

What a beautiful looking dash!

[Vic Piano]

Thanks Speedy, it'll look even better once it’s painted (same color as the horn button) and the radio (the radio face plate fits into the driver’s side ash tray) and all the correct dash control knobs (they are a butterscotch color) are in place. I also have to fabricate a mounting bracket for the “road lamps” switch, and put it somewhere else, what I’m using now is a heater control bracket from a ’47 Ford.