What's This Hanging Off My Town Car??

[martianrebel]

Help!

I have an '88 Town Car with a lot of kilometres on it (210000) and I noticed today that there is a tube hanging off the car, coming from the passenger side of the 5.0L motor and it is bent across the underside of the car at the rear of the motor, terminating right next to the catalytic converter.

I have not noticed any change in performance of the vehicle, and I do not seem to be losing any fluid. When I noticed it, I had been driving the car for approximately 20 minutes and it was not hot.

What is it???

Thanks
Terry M

 

[Dereck]

Hi Matianrebel

Sounds like a thermactor pipe, part of the smog system that blows air into the exhaust to help reduce emmissions

Regards

Dereck

 

[dynamite44]

i agree. does it resemble a small diameter garden hose? if it is, its to feed an air injected catalytic converter, which i believe all of the 5.0 town cars have. it'd be a good idea to reattach that if you've got emissions testing where you live.

 

[martianrebel]

Thanks everyone.

It definitely is the thermactor pipe.

The connection rusted out at the catalytic converter.

I tried removing it, but there's no way I can do it with hand tools and no hoist.

I'm going to bodge together a piece of hose and a couple clamps to keep it from flopping around.

Thanks again!

Terry M
www.martianrebel.com