Unpleasant task

[landman]

Spent part of a beautiful Sunday morning trying to find a hydraulic leak. It drips in front of the rear right wheel. Tightened a few fittings. Don't think I found it.

[Renegade]

Good looking Mustang ragtop. Hope you find the leak.

[espo]

You might check the fittings where the plastic lines meat the brass fittings. These have a tendency to leak over time. Extended exposure of the hydraulic fluid to other surfaces is not good either.  

[Oldcarfan27]

Gorgeous 'vert, have you made a model of it yet?

If I recall, is that cylinder on the sides or the center of the back seat? If it's in the center, it's right over the rear differential. Have you also checked that diff? They're notorious leakers. Follow the shiny oil trail. Run your hands along the entire system until you feel oily or wet areas. Look there when you find it.

Also, check those plastic hoses for contact areas that vibrate and rub against sharp metal areas. It may have started to rub through. 

[Ace-Garageguy]

That is, of course, the hydraulic pump in the center of the rear panel in your photo.

There are, of course, two hydraulic cylinders on either side of the car.

The seals are well known to leak, and as already noted, the plastic lines can rub through over time.

Also as noted, wetness will be obvious at the source of the leak, but you need to have visual and physical access to every fitting, and the rods where they go in the cylinders.

Be very wary of over-tightening the fittings, too. It's easy to strip brass threads.

[landman]

37 minutes ago, Oldcarfan27 said:

Gorgeous 'vert, have you made a model of it yet?

If I recall, is that cylinder on the sides or the center of the back seat? If it's in the center, it's right over the rear differential. Have you also checked that diff? They're notorious leakers. Follow the shiny oil trail. Run your hands along the entire system until you feel oily or wet areas. Look there when you find it.

Also, check those plastic hoses for contact areas that vibrate and rub against sharp metal areas. It may have started to rub through. 

There's a thread in here somewhere.

[Ace-Garageguy]

Same system:

 

[landman]

At first I suspected the right cylinder as the drip is on that side and It has been replaced. However there is no visible wtness in the bottom of the car underneath it and feeling around showed a very small weep at the upper fitting. The oil has gotten into the passenger side well under the seat and diluted the tar in the tar paper making a gooey mess. That tells me it isn't from the cylinder as oil doesn't flow uphill. I suspect the pump itself as there is wetness under it and it could go down behind the rear seat bulkhead and spread at the bottom finding its way to a drainhole in the rear "frame" in front of the rear wheel. I ran my hand up and down the lines and they are dry. Removing the pump for inspection is easier and I might do that before removing the top well and the trunk partition to see where it all goes.

[NOBLNG]

Put a cookie tray filled with kitty litter underneath where it drips and call it a day. That is good rust-proofing!

[Oldcarfan27]

4 hours ago, landman said:

There's a thread in here somewhere.

Sure looks like your car. Diecast or plastic? Do you remember the title of that thread?

[landman]

48 minutes ago, Oldcarfan27 said:

Sure looks like your car. Diecast or plastic? Do you remember the title of that thread?

Plastic and resin.

http://www.modelcarsmag.com/forums/topic/96351-1967-mustang-convertible-repost/

 

Edited May 20, 2018 by landman

[unclescott58]

Two beautiful Mustangs. 

[landman]

14 minutes ago, unclescott58 said:

Two beautiful Mustangs. 

Thank you.

[youpey]

i hate to be the one to tell you, but that leak is a horrible problem and you should just give the car to me instead of wasting anymore time on it. 

 

the 67 is one of my favorite mustangs. you have a beautiful car.

 

[Oldcarfan27]

10 minutes ago, youpey said:

i hate to be the one to tell you, but that leak is a horrible problem and you should just give the car to me instead of wasting anymore time on it. 

Yeah, junk it before it explodes!?

[landman]

18 hours ago, NOBLNG said:

Put a cookie tray filled with kitty litter underneath where it drips and call it a day. That is good rust-proofing!

I am following Greg Hoffman's recommendations for the time being. Any further digging is for a rainy day....

[landman]

On 2018-05-20 at 12:07 PM, Ace-Garageguy said:

That is, of course, the hydraulic pump in the center of the rear panel in your photo.

There are, of course, two hydraulic cylinders on either side of the car.

The seals are well known to leak, and as already noted, the plastic lines can rub through over time.

Also as noted, wetness will be obvious at the source of the leak, but you need to have visual and physical access to every fitting, and the rods where they go in the cylinders.

Be very wary of over-tightening the fittings, too. It's easy to strip brass threads.

Bill, your friend Bill,says in the video that we’re to use atf.I have been using hydraulic oil.Can that be harmful?

[Bainford]

ATF is a hydraulic oil.

[webestang]

I have used nothing but ATF in my vert pump on my 88 Mustang. You DO NOT want to mix ATF and hydraulic oil, they are different. A buddy did that on his 87 Mustang vert and he got leaks. 

Edited May 24, 2018 by webestang

[landman]

2 hours ago, webestang said:

I have used nothing but ATF in my vert pump on my 88 Mustang. You DO NOT want to mix ATF and hydraulic oil, they are different. A buddy did that on his 87 Mustang vert and he got leaks. 

I suppose this could only happen if the mixture damages some seals. If that is possible, then it is what likely happened here, over time.

[Ace-Garageguy]

5 hours ago, landman said:

Bill, your friend Bill,says in the video that we’re to use atf.I have been using hydraulic oil.Can that be harmful?

I would use exactly whatever is called out in the service manual. 

Different fluids, though all "hydraulic" fluids, have different effects on seals. Use whatever the engineers who designed the thing recommend.

[landman]

21 minutes ago, Ace-Garageguy said:

I would use exactly whatever is called out in the service manual. 

Different fluids, though all "hydraulic" fluids, have different effects on seals. Use whatever the engineers who designed the thing recommend.

I'm going to check that tomorrow.

[landman]

Ah yup....which means I should take the pump out, drain it & replace the seals. This may take while. Can the top be operated manually if disconnected from the cylinders?

[Rodent]

Service manual says ATF C1AZ-19582-A, which I believe is Type F. I haven't had an early automatic Ford for a zillion years, so I don't know what has replaced Type F on the store shelves.

[Ace-Garageguy]

4 hours ago, Rodent said:

... I don't know what has replaced Type F on the store shelves.

Type F.  

  

6 hours ago, landman said:

...Can the top be operated manually if disconnected from the cylinders?

 

Yes.