Budget Lincoln MKX build

[ebodell67]

Wanted to document my low buck build on the Lincoln MKX I recently picked up. I little backstory on how I came to acquire my latest project. One of my co-workers recently bought a new Ford Maverick and just wanted the MKX gone. I half joking asked him what he wanted for it. He said $200 and it's yours. So now I am the owner of a rather well used MKX. The car has 260K miles on it and are mostly highway miles as a work commuter. He has done a lot of maintenance over the ~8 years he owned the car. New CVs, PTU, struts, etc. He also did the oil every 3K miles. So it runs and shifts just fine and the motor is clean with good compression. Of course it has some issues; AC has a leak, oil light is on, front seats no longer heat, a very loud banging from the suspension. 

 

The first thing I did was detail the entire car. I know this is backwards but I am more motivated to work on a clean vehicle. I attached a shot of the car as I brought it home and then some shots after I cleaned it up. I extracted a fair bit of dirt from the carpets but overall it cleaned up very well. There is a missing CD unit on the passengers headrest (not sure what to do here, I may 3D print a little storage box or build a wood box of some sort. 

 

I have now started the mechanical work. I changed the oil and replaced the oil pressure switch (replacement was included in the sale). The switch was a bit tight and took about an hour but after I got it in the light went out and stayed out (it would go out after the car ran for a bit so I assumed it was a bad switch). 

 

Next I took a look underneath to find the banging issue. I have the three-piece driveshaft with two carrier bearings. Both bearings are shelled out with one of them completely gone and acting as a driveshaft hoop (think NHRA rules). Driveshafts are a bit pricey but I can get the carrier bearings alone for about $50. I did a little digging and I am pretty sure I can separate the driveshaft and rebuild it. I have rebuilt several "unserviceable" components in the past (it helps to have access to a full machine shop). I hope to pull the shaft tonight and get the parts on order for the weekend. After that I will check the wheel bearings (the PO thought at least one of them was bad), then tackle the AC.

 

Overall it seems like a decent car and everything works in it aside from the front heated seats and AC (I will T/S the seats at some point if I keep the car). I am not sure if I am going to keep or flip it when I am done. I am keeping the cost low regardless. This is something I bit newer than I usually work with so the lessons it will teach me are worth the admission price. I am more of a GM guy and I think the sun rises and sets on SBCs and BBCs, but my daily driver is a '92 Grand Marquis that has been stone cold loyal. I don't know much about the MKX/Edge platform but that may change as I get further into this one. 

 

So far my costs are: 

Purchase price: $200

T&L and title: $98

Cleaning supplies (I can use these elsewhere): $24.24

Oil and filter (Supertech 5W-20 and a Napa Gold filter): $37.91

Quart of 75W-140 (for the PTU): $16.56

 

So at this point I am all in for $377. Will see where we go from here. 

 

 

[1004ron]

The appearance is really good, and the interior looks un-used.

 

You sure scored a bargain of a lifetime.

[dabangsta]

Nice looking vehicle for that many miles! Hopefully you can continue to knock out the issues for cheap and your labor, and find you like it enough to keep, but either way, keep the details flowing!

 

I junked a 2000 Grand Marquis at 330,000 miles because it just had too many little issues and it became not a pleasure to drive. I sorta regret it now as the replacements have failed to live up to expectations, and I could have tackled most of the issues in a week or so (engine still purred, transmission still was shifting fine, it was starting to guess wrong what gear it should be in).

[ebodell67]

Got the driveshaft pulled out last night. All the fasteners came apart fine (I sprayed them with Free All on Saturday). Might not be the only drivetrain problem but the carrier bearings are shelled out for sure. I will see tonight how to pull the shaft apart. 

Edited August 14 by ebodell67
spelling

[ebodell67]

Last night I got part of the shaft separated. There is a splined connection on the center shaft that I was able to get apart. Took some heat and a deadblow but it finally broke free. Should be something similar on the opposite end but I ran out of time last night so I sprayed it with Free All and will try again tonight. At least I am making progress. Hopefully I will have it back together this weekend. I have two other automotive projects I am working on in parallel and have some chores at the farm to do so we will see. 

 

 

[1004ron]

I just replaced the front driveshaft on my wife's BMW X5.

BMW X5 and X6 Forum (F15/F16) - View Single Post - Front driveshaft? (bimmerpost.com)

 

Be sure to use a good molybdenum spline lube/grease when you re-install the driveshafts.

 

Amazon.com: Liqui Moly Long-Life Grease + MoS2 | 100 g | Lithium Fat | SKU: 2003 : Automotive

Edited August 15 by 1004ron

[ebodell67]

23 hours ago, 1004ron said:

I just replaced the front driveshaft on my wife's BMW X5.

BMW X5 and X6 Forum (F15/F16) - View Single Post - Front driveshaft? (bimmerpost.com)

 

Be sure to use a good molybdenum spline lube/grease when you re-install the driveshafts.

 

Amazon.com: Liqui Moly Long-Life Grease + MoS2 | 100 g | Lithium Fat | SKU: 2003 : Automotive

Thank you! I would like to think I would remember to do that but it helps to get reminded. Sometimes I get tunnel vision and neglect some of the details. 

[ebodell67]

Got the other splined joint apart this week and pressed the new carrier bearings on and the shaft back together. Second joint fought me a lot more than the first one did but it finally came apart. I used a big socket and one of the old bearings to press the new carriers on. Installation was pretty straightforward as well. Took the car out for a test drive and it drives good with no vibration. There is still a rattle coming from somewhere but the loud banging is gone. Next up is the AC. I also forgot that the third brake light is not working. Took that apart (had to drill out one of the screws) and found the connection is pretty much shot. Replacements are $50 so I am just going to directly wire it in to keep the costs low (kinda the theme of this build anyway). 

 

The new carrier bearings were $50.28 delivered to my door. So that makes a grand total of ~$427 into this one to date. The AC may cost me a few $ depending upon what I find. I hope it's not the evaporator core as I do not want to tear the dash out (but I will if I have to). AC parts seem reasonable so at least that is a positive. I will get a vacuum pump on the system and put some nitrogen and dye in it to find the leak. 

 

So far the repairs have not been to crazy and it has not fought me as much as I thought. It is actually pretty clean underneath as it has not been on much gravel in it's life. 

 

About ready get it insured so I can do more than just yard drive it. 

 

 

 

 

 

[ebodell67]

Been a couple of weeks since I have been able to work on the MkX. Over the long weekend I put a vacuum pump on the AC system and pulled it down. I was then able to inject some UV dye into it. After that I charged it with nitrogen and ran the system for a bit to circulate the dye. Unfortunately I really cannot see the connections on the compressor very well, but it looks like there is a leak at the compressor when I shine the black light in that area. I ordered an o-ring, desiccant element and expansion valve kit. I will get all of this installed and change the oil in the compressor and cross my fingers. It definitely has a leak as the vacuum drops from ~28"Hg to ~10"Hg in about an hour. Pretty much the last thing I need to take care of before it is ready for the road again. The third brake light is still out but that is an expensive part so I am going to rig up something there. 

[ebodell67]

Well, this one is on hold again. Broke a ball joint on my daily driver ('94 Grand Marquis) so that needs to get fixed first. Pretty much going to have a new front end on it when I'm done. Just waiting for the rest of the parts to show up. 

Tow was covered under insurance (fortunately). Shredded the tire as well but that was replaced with my road hazard policy. I was only going about 5-10 MPH when it let go so I could limp into a parking lot. 

 

Edited September 11 by ebodell67
remove redundant image

[ebodell67]

Finally got back on the MkX. Finished the replacing the ball joints on the Grand Marquis and finally got it aligned. Pretty much a new front end under it so it should be good for 200K+ miles now. 

 

I replaced the third brake light and got that functioning now. I pulled a vacuum on the AC for about 6 hours to boil out any moisture. It pulled down just fine and after I unhooked the pump it held the vacuum for another 4+ hours. Not sure what to think now. Earlier I injected some UV die into the system and pressurized it with nitrogen. After doing that and running the system I was never able to find a leak anywhere even though it bled down some pressure. After this time I am wondering if I just did not run the pump long enough to really dry the system out. My next step is to simply replace the Schrader valves in the high and low pressure ports, pull another vacuum and if it holds, put a couple cans of R134a in it and go from there. At this point I am more or less done with the car. I just need to add it to my insurance and drive if for a bit to make sure there is nothing else. The wife wants it so I will give it to her to drive for at least the winter and see how it works out. It has great tires on it so we might as well run it for a while. The current total I have into it, before any R134a and insurance, is $493.17. So if I can get 6 months of use it will not really cost me much. The dang thing is starting to grow on me. Always starts right up with no engine or trans noise. I have not driven it much aside from on the gravel (no insurance and I am paranoid about that) but it seems to handle just fine with no vibration or whining. Will get some insurance and some drive time in it. Few little things to look at; heated seats don't work but it may be a switch and the sunroof has a tendency to drop off the tracks. Minor things that don't stop us from using it. 

[ebodell67]

Whelp, the Lincoln is now a daily driver. My wife smoked a deer with her car so I had to press this into service a bit before I wanted to. I wanted to drive it myself for a week or so to sort out any new issues that might arise. So I insured it, charged the AC and let her drive it. After a couple of commutes the right front caliper was sticking so I had to replace that in a hurry so I could not bargain hunt for one. So with the caliper, DOT3, and a can of R134a I now have $583.03 into the car. Kinda frustrated with the caliper as I had to pay about double over RockAuto for it but I was stuck and had to buy it from a chain store (which I really do not like). 

Well, anyway it is up and being used as a daily for now. Wife's car is likely a total loss so I will take that money and start looking for another hooptie to have as a backup; 3.8L Buick, 4.3L Blazer, Ford Panther, something along those lines. Will not post much more than updates here as I have to fix a couple things on the MkX as they break. I do need to drain and fill the PTU before winter. I have the fluid just need to stop thinking about it and just get it done. 

[dabangsta]

3 hours ago, ebodell67 said:

Ford Panther

Hopefully the need for fixes lessens the posts you make, but keep working on it, and posting what you do, like improvements, how it is growing on you.

 

My Edge was a replacement for the Escape (2017, accident total loss) replacement for our 2000 Grand Marquis, which at around 330,000 miles just had too many little things wrong and it wasn't enjoyable to drive any more, but a solid car, easy to work on, and I wish I still had it or a newer(ish) one, I keep thinking about another one, but I will probably go a completely different direction with a JDM import like a kei truck or van.

[ebodell67]

Well the next little issue I have now is the torque mount (?) is shelled out. Probably explains the vibration at low speeds. It started banging and making the wife think she had a wheel about to fall off (her words). Got the part coming from RockAuto so I can get that in on Saturday and give the drivetrain a once over (again). I know with 370K miles I will be replacing parts that normally one never has to touch. Overall I am still pleased with the car. The interior and comfort features are nice, seats are comfortable. 

I did get the final verdict on the wife's car: total loss. But, I got a lot more for it than I thought I would so that is good. Trans was starting to slip and the engine was using a bit of oil. Probably better in the long run and I had performed some redneck bodywork on it when the wife backed into a tree. Lucky for me we live on gravel and it had a nice thick coat of dust so my craftsmanship was masked. 

[ebodell67]

Got the torque mount changed out. Vibration seems to be gone and the car seems quieter now. I did tighten a couple items under it as well to eliminate some of the clunks that it has. I also noticed that about every bushing in the rear end needs changed out. Not sure I am going to tackle that at this point as I don't really want to drop the entire rear end out of it at this point. I may change a few of the "easier" ones though if the parts are reasonable. 

Torque mount was a bit more than I thought it would be. I should have supported the trans when I first pulled it. Lesson learned. 

[NzP]

I had vibration on the same MKX after I installed an Amazon $30 torque arm. Than I found an OEM one for $80 and it became much better, but still a little vibration... Also I replaced a center bearing on my driveshaft(started tore) and did not apply any lube on splines, now I'm thinking how bad is that...

[ebodell67]

Well, I drove the Lincoln this past weekend much more than I have previously. There is a "small" vibration at about 20mph that goes away at higher speeds. It may be the worn out bushings in the rear, a marginal motor mount, or the driveshaft is a bit out of balance. For the time being I am just going to monitor it. My wife drives it 60-70 miles daily and tells me it's better than it was. It has rattles, but, with 270K miles it has earned them. Seems ok for now. I just want to get through the winter and early spring at this point then I can try and either really tear into it or find a replacement. My fleet is made up of older vehicles; the Lincoln is our newest car at this point. I have a severe aversion to car payments so I am not in any hurry to find another car at this point in time. I am sure there will be more repairs, but, in the 1000 miles we have put on it so far it does not use any oil and runs and shifts just fine. 

Stay tuned.....

[NzP]

I got a bad oil consumption: after 1200 miles I added 1qt of oil(((

Can't find a problem: no leaks, no blue smoke etc...

[1004ron]

Burning 1qt in 1200 miles is unlikely going to be seen in the exhaust plume.

 

Need to track down the oil consumption path, possibly a bad PCV valve etc., or worst case piston rings.

[ebodell67]

On 11/15/2024 at 4:06 PM, NzP said:

I got a bad oil consumption: after 1200 miles I added 1qt of oil(((

Can't find a problem: no leaks, no blue smoke etc...

Pull the plugs and see if they are oil fouled. As mentioned above might be a PCV. One quart in 1200 miles is not that "bad". How many miles do you have on it. My previous chore truck was a battered '73 K20 with a 350 that burned about a quart every 200 miles or so. Did this for years, I just installed anti-fouling inserts in the two worst cylinders. I would not have hesitated to drive it across the country. But, that being said I don't mind driving marginal vehicles from dubious sources. What is the worse that could happen? Would I let my wife or daughter drive one? Heck no!

[garycrist]

I have run straight 50 weight and plug anti foulers on an old Thunderbird...Little smoke too. 

[dabangsta]

And we used to use whale oil. If you have to use 50 weight or even 20w50 oil in a modern engine not on the surface of the sun (or the Middle East) it probably shouldn't be run. Can't be too stuck in the past.

 

When Ford back specced 5w20 to many cars that used 5w30, I started using it. I didn't have excessive consumption at 300,000 miles, it didn't leak, it didn't do anything it wasn't supposed to. I did go back to 5w30 because it was easier to find and I got such inconsistent fuel mileage due to no set driving pattern I couldn't say if it helped that or not. It was never noisy, never sounded like a sewing machine, no rattle at cold start, no puff of smoke after sitting.

 

I would dig into the excessive consumption, probably on the right path with the PCV.

[NzP]

mine has 121k on it only, full synth oil every 3k miles since I bought it with 104k.

I replaced a PCV with an O'Reiilys one at the time I was replacing a water pump(115k).

So many ppl say about a PCV but no one says how to check it - that's the simplest PCV ever I think: if it would be defective - there's too much pressure would come out of the oil filler neck - correct?