TFrog, Day Seven

Sep 09, 2004 7 Replies

Picked her up at the shop, and all was well. I had heat, I had air conditioning, and the instrument pod was firmly reattached. The staff was falling all over themselves with apology and humility - always a good thing to see.



And I had gauges! Hallelujah! Jeez, must have been about a year that I've been driving without a tach, a fuel gauge, a temp gauge - the only thing working was the speedometer. The trouble was in the clutch pedal ignition lockout, I was sure of it. Whenever I pushed in the clutch, it blew the fuse for the instrument panel.



And DAMN it was good to have her back. So much friskier than that slug GT convertible, so much more nimble, so much more driver friendly. Driving her home was pure joy.



After I cleaned out all the trash (those "protective papers" and plastic sheeting), I got back in to drive back to work. Pushed in the clutch and heard that telltale click - blew the fuse for the instruments again.



So, TFrog has to go back again for Day Eight (and I'm only counting business days). I'm giving them another job, while it's in there tomorrow - the rear main seal. No problem yet, but it's sure to be a problem one day soon. Who knows? Maybe I'll pick TFrog up tomorrow night and find that the rear main seal is suddenly a MAJOR problem...



dwight (with fingers firmly crossed)


Hey Dwight... do you have a photo of the Frog up anywhere? Kate

Uhhhh... Try this:

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dwight

"dwight" wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@uni-berlin.de:

I'll bet the seal will run you at least 4 or 5 bills in labor. How's the clutch and tranny? If they're in need of anything, that would be the time while they're out of the car anyway.

Joe Calypso Green '93 5.0 LX AOD hatch with a few goodies Black '03 Dakota 5.9 R/T CC

I was raised Presbyterian. I don't care how much it costs (within reason), so long as it's done correctly.

The clutch was recently redone (pressure plate, clutch plate, quadrant, cable, etc.). The transmission is, of course, original with 171,000 miles on it. The only thing they're doing there is changing out the fluid.

I thought the rear main seal might already be a problem. Would that account for clutch slippage when starting up in 1st gear, but only once the car is thoroughly warmed up?

dwight

"dwight" wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@uni-berlin.de:

I've seen that a leaking rear main can screw up the pressure plate and/or clutch disc. If oil gets on either, it can start burning and things can start warping and/or self-destructing.

I'd get everything checked out when they drop the tranny to do the seal. If there's any hint of trouble, I'd have them replace everything. This way if there's a problem down the road, they can't blame it on "old, worn out parts". It'd be their install that they messed up.

Joe Calypso Green '93 5.0 LX AOD hatch with a few goodies Black '03 Dakota 5.9 R/T CC

Well, the good news is that I now have another mechanic working on TFrog. Not the guy who left my instrument pod unattached. Not the guy who "fixed" the electrical short, only to have the fuse blow again. This is a new guy, supposedly better versed in the area of electronic circuitry.

And the other good sign - he wanted to know if I'd be willing to sell TFrog.

I think that's a good sign...

dwight

"dwight" wrote in news:jeednVgj1bqD59 snipped-for-privacy@comcast.com:

Sounds all well and good, but I hope his ability matches his interest in the car. Good luck with everything.

Joe Calypso Green '93 5.0 LX AOD hatch with a few goodies Black '03 Dakota 5.9 R/T CC

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