Cougar update.

[JG300-fr8ycat]

Have done a few things since the last update, now that I have an income again.

New plug wires, distributor cap, coil, belts, hoses, HV oil pump, Motorcraft oil sending unit, water pump, thermostat, radiator, harmonic balancer, ditched the flex fan for the stock clutch fan and new carb.

While tearing it apart spun the old waterpump shaft and noticed a wobble. since replacing that and the Harmonic balancer (still had original with chunks of the hardened rubber missing) the harmonic vibration at cruise is gone and she runs smooth a silk. The Edelbrock Perfomer carb (w/mechanical secondaries) that I put on new about 20 years ago was giving me grief. I rebuilt it, tried changing jets/rods/springs, etc. but it wouldn't run the same way twice and was leaving black splatter on my garage floor. Started looking online and discovered ideally you want a carb with vacuum secondaries on an auto trans. so I dropped the money and replaced it with an Edelbrock Thunder series AVS. Man what a difference. No more black marks on the garage floor, when you get on it you can feel yourself being put back in the seat and I've gone from 10 MPG to 16.

Now it runs so good I've been driving it at least 3 days a week to work and want more but...The last 3 weeks (and the ten day forecast) in the beautiful Antelope valley where I work has been 100 plus degrees. The drives in the Morning are sweet, after work miserable. So the last thing on the list to do (AC) has become the next. have this ordered.

www.classicautoair.com...ngine.html

Also have some nice Cougar valve covers that I'll throw on when doing the AC.

Will post pics when the work begins.

[JG300-Stoopy]

Awesome! The A/C compressor looks way lighter and more efficient than the ugly old stock anvil-like unit that pretty much visually dominates the engine compartment. That's gonna be sweet.

[JG300-fr8ycat]

Here's one of the valve covers installed. Will be doing the other tomorrow after work and the new A/C parts will be this weekends project.

[JG300-Ascout]

Suuuu-weeeeeet!

[JG300-Stoopy]

Very nice!!!!!

Is that a fuel pressure gauge I see on the fuel line between the fuel filter and your new carb?

Looks like a happy 289!!!

[JG300-Ascout]

- JG300-Stoopy

Very nice!!!!!

Is that a fuel pressure gauge I see on the fuel line between the fuel filter and your new carb?

Looks like a happy 289!!!

...or 302. depending on how stock he went. 302 will give him a few more options.

[JG300-fr8ycat]

- JG300-Stoopy

Very nice!!!!!

Is that a fuel pressure gauge I see on the fuel line between the fuel filter and your new carb?

Looks like a happy 289!!!

That's a pressure regulator. Edelbrocks don't typically like anything above 6 PSI and even though I have a stock (repro) fuel pump that's supposed to be putting out 7, it's actually putting out 9.

It is the stock 302 which came with a 4bl carb and the edelbrock performer intake that I put on about 20 years ago. Couple weeks back I found a piece of paper that I wrote the mileage on when I had the motor rebuilt and discovered I only have about 13k miles on the motor.

[JG300-Ascout]

- JG300-fr8ycat

- JG300-Stoopy

Very nice!!!!!

Is that a fuel pressure gauge I see on the fuel line between the fuel filter and your new carb?

Looks like a happy 289!!!

That's a pressure regulator. Edelbrocks don't typically like anything above 6 PSI and even though I have a stock (repro) fuel pump that's supposed to be putting out 7, it's actually putting out 9.

It is the stock 302 which came with a 4bl carb and the edelbrock performer intake that I put on about 20 years ago. Couple weeks back I found a piece of paper that I wrote the mileage on when I had the motor rebuilt and discovered I only have about 13k miles on the motor.

If I had one of these lying around, I'd give it to you, just because it's the right thing to do. But I don't, so I can't.

www.cjponyparts.com/ho...HwoduyIOKQ

.

[JG300-fr8ycat]

Thanks for the offer but from past experience Holley has left a bad taste in my mouth

[JG300-fr8ycat]

Was starting to think he was full of it, just wanting to be Cool like the rest of us Cougar owners but my co-worker finally brought it in. So here's his 68 XR7.

[JG300-fr8ycat]

Currently my A/C upgrade has brought me back to this. Will explain soon.

[JG300-Stoopy]

Wild guess (probably wrong)... did the existing water pump housing not have the right mounting points for the A/C bracketry?

[JG300-fr8ycat]

- JG300-Stoopy

Wild guess (probably wrong)... did the existing water pump housing not have the right mounting points for the A/C bracketry?

Very close and I'll give you full credit anyways

The mounting points were fine, it was the thickness of those points that were off. When I bought and installed that water pump a couple months back i ran into a problem with the power steering bracket rocking back and forth on one of the "spines" (for lack of a better term), the bracket wasn't sitting flush with the bolt holes on the water pump.



Mistake #1 "I'll make it fit", filed down the spine so it was out of the way and it all worked. Since I had removed all the A/C equipment under the hood I was none the wiser about what would happen when I tried to reinstall the A/C and since it was "last on the list", that would be a few years down the road.

Mistake #2, when I installed that water pump one of the attaching bolts was stripped. "Well, it was that way before and there were no leaks so I'll leave it". Now that I am having to redo it all it's something I should have fixed but didn't and now it's getting fixed, that's why the timing gear cover is removed.

Also discovered that I'm missing a fixed pulley. Know I had it in the past but removed it since the A/C wasn't working and have no idea what happened to it. Found an NOS place in NY, $65 and it's now in my garage. There's also washers (3 total) that go between the adjustable pulley bracket and the water pump that I don't have. AMK in VA has classic car bolt kits with the original style bolts and washers which should be arriving tomorrow.

[JG300-Ascout]

- JG300-fr8ycat

Mistake #2, when I installed that water pump one of the attaching bolts was stripped. "Well, it was that way before and there were no leaks so I'll leave it". Now that I am having to redo it all it's something I should have fixed but didn't and now it's getting fixed, that's why the timing gear cover is removed.

HeliCoil or drill out and tap to larger thread?

[JG300-fr8ycat]

HeliCoil. Dropping it off at the machine shop tomorrow.

Bolts and washers came today. Will keep the originals even though they are well rusted but looks like the bolt that was in the stripped threads was incorrect, longer than what should have been the stock bolt.