QuestionHello,
Hopefully this isn't a question that you've answered a million times... I'm 19 and have a 1967 Ford Mustang Notch back (coupe) The car is in great condition minus a few things which I'll address now.
1) The headlights when driving will randomly shut off, this was a nice surprise while driving home at 11:30 pm from my girlfriends house. In a recent magazine article, they stated that sometimes the headlight switch can be the problem because it has an internal breaker. If this is the case, what do I do? Wouldn't buying a new headlight switch just give me the same breaker which will have the same problem?
2) The Mustang is an inline 6. It runs relatively decent however if I drive and then stop at a red light, the idle will start to slow down, and then the car will eventually die and it takes quite a bit of coaxing to get it started again. Any ideas as to where to start for the problem?
3) We bought the vehicle at a Kruse Collector Car auction, after we purchased it, we were looking over the engine and noticed that the A/C belt is missing. Would this be done because the A/C is broken? How could I check to see?
I realize that I've asked quite a few questions and hope that you have the time to answer them. Thanks for your time!
Drew
AnswerWhat a pleasure to hear from someone new to the hobby, and someone who speaks and writes the King's English! (You'd be amazed at what I get here.) I also started with a car that was built before I was born, and I only wish there had been someone I could put this sort of question to who didn't have an ax to grind or a profit motive!
You've got a great car - one that will look good and take you where you want to go for many years with good care.
On your questions: The circuit breaker is an attachment to the headlight switch - you don't need to replace the whole switch unless there is something else wrong with it. The circuit breakers are held in place by the two nuts that also hold the wires to it - if you take the headlight switch out and study it, you'll see what I mean.
The problem you're having is caused by one of two things, either one will be cured by replacing the breaker.
1. Someone may have changed the headlight bulbs from the originals for new bulbs that are brighter, but draw too much current, thus getting the breaker so hot that it trips to allow it to cool down. You'll notice when this happens, that the tail lights do not go out - only the headlight bulbs - that is the way it is supposed to work.
2. the other possible cause is that the breaker has just gotten old and tired - and is not allowing the design rating current to flow without tripping.
In either case, the cure is to replace the breaker with a new one, and if you have halogen bulbs or some other modern replacement bulbs, buy a breaker with a higher current rating. I've done that in some of my cars - the original breaker was 30 amp in my Packards, and I've changed them all to 40 amp breakers for that reason. It's easy to do.
To remove the headlight switch, feel under the dash around the switch until you find a tiny spring loaded push button on the top of the switch. Press that button down into the body of the switch while you pull out on the switch knob - the knob will come out in your hand. Now you can unscrew the bezel around the switch and the switch will drop out behind the dash - you'll see what I'm telling you about easily.
The idling problem is almost certainly a carburetor problem - it sounds like the mixture at idle is set much too rich or the carburetor has an internal leak (probably more likely). These Ford/Holley carburetors are often troublesome in that way. If you are good with your hands and have a clean, well lighted place to work, and some small hand tools, you can rebuild it yourself. Go to the auto parts store and buy a kit for it, and just follow the directions. It ain't rocket science! You need to read the directions VERY carefully, study the exploded view that comes with the kit, and clean parts with spray type carb cleaner (also from the parts store), being extra careful to blow air or cleaner spray through all the internal passages - every tiny pin hole you see is there for a purpose - make sure they are all clean. In those carburetors, the usual cause of your symptom is a leaking power valve, but do the whole carb - you'll learn a lot and be an expert like me!
The AC belt is off because there is a problem with the AC system, I pretty much gaurantee that! The most serious problem is a failed compressor. You can check this for yourself by noting that the belt pulley on the compressor spins freely without the AC turned on (or should unless the AC clutch itself is bad) but gets harder to turn when the AC is turned on (engine not running, but key and AC switch on). The question is how hard is it to turn. It should feel like there is some resistance, but there shoudl be no hard stops or clunks from it. If that is what you have, maybe the system is just out of Freon - and you're a lucky guy! Buy a conversion kit at the auto parts place (about $40) and convert it to R-134 coolant (you can't buy Freon anymore, unless you're related to Bill Gates) - and just re-charge the system - it might work for a whole summer, or it might leak out in a week. Buy the kit that includes leak sealer - maybe you'll get lucky and never have a problem again with it.
More likely, there is a problem with the clutch or compressor. When you are willing to spend $500 on it, you can take it to a shop and get it fixed.
Again, a delight to work with you - let me know how this all goes, and if I can help you again, please just ask!
Dick (who was in your shoes exactly, in 1948!)
