Handy Short Cuts, and Addressing OEM Mistakes

I have it on good authority that the exhaust manifold-to-downpipe gasket on a ’58 Edsel Ranger will interchange with a late 90’s Nissan Pathfinder part. It’s one of the more arcane examples of what you can find on the Internet, usually by accident, but it got me thinking about how often we in the aftermarket service industry figure out ways to do things that the original equipment manufacturers never imagined. And how we also compensate for some incredible design and build quality mistakes.

The best example is RTV silicone. “RTV”, if you didn’t know, stands for “room temperature vulcanizing” and the advent of grades of the stuff that withstand exhaust gas temperatures has added a real timesaver in my toolbox. The last two times I used the stuff? On a heat riser tube on an old six-cylinder F-150 and to repair an EGR pipe on a Mustang. Both jobs weren’t worth ordering parts for this simple repair, and both would have fried conventional sealants. And the flowable silicones for windshield use are ideal for stopping leaks. I know, you’re supposed to hose it down, squirm around the floor pan and then pull the windshield, but not in my world, at least for the older machines I work on. Speaking of windshields, the new two-part urethanes are fabulous replacements for the old butyl tapes in windshield replacement. Windshield installation is one of those jobs that I’d leave to the glass shop and when I had it done on my beloved ’88 “5.0” squeaks were reduced noticeably compared to the OE sealing compound.

The latest addition to my driveable-beater-while-my-British-sportscar-won’t-start fleet is a very clean ’90 Dodge Caravan by way of AARO’s Dave Peck here in the “GTA”. It’s equipped with the legendary A-604 Ultradrive transmission and as a result, I drive it with an ear cocked, ready for the whines and chirps that everyone tells me is the death rattle of that unloved unit. “Chrysler” means A-727 and A-904 Torqueflite to me, so I asked around and yet again, it’s technician experience that replaces rumour and a legion of customer complaints with common sense. The A-604 was an early “electronic” trans which replaced the valve body with solenoids and as it turns out, it is very sensitive to ATF type. Early units say in the manual and on the dipstick that Dexron-type fluids are O.K. for top-up, but people in the know tell me that only Mopar 7176 or equivalent ATF+3 or +4 should be used, ever. Does the street-level advice work? I don’t know, but the trans has over 200,000 km’s on it and it shifts perfectly without slip, so sensible maintenance by actual bay techs would seem to be paying off here. There are plenty of other examples of techs knowing the real story behind weak vehicle systems and low-cost interchanges for pricey parts, especially in foreign cars. But I want to meet the guy that discovered the interchange between the Nissan and Edsel parts. You never know, I might need to restore a ’58 Roundup station wagon some day. But first I have to find the right interchanges for the fuel system and ignition on my ’82 Triumph TR-8. Seems the engine is the same as a ’62 Buick Skylark…