whats wrong with it?

[marky mark]

well i just recently bought a 87 xf fairmont ghia from a car dealer in newcastle, (australia) i traded a kingswood in 4 it and bn my first ford i dont think i will driving any thing else !BUT i have had a few problems?firstley the steering makes this terrible clunking sound in which i can feel threw the floor of the car,the dealer tells me all old fords do it?????and when ever i start my car , it stalls its really hard to get to idle.the transmission leaks even after having a new pan gasket fitted ,and i get this knocking sound in the left hand back wheel when im traveling about 50kph but stops when i brake,and when i accelerate!!!.Its a good car dont get me wrong ,smooth,comfy,but lacks power for the size of the engine,maybe it needs a tune up,cause it surges a bit during heavy accelerating,and i have fitted a new air and petrol filter,and sparkys so can any one help me please. And if your wondering i paid(gulp) $4000 for it hmmmm .

[marky mark]

help me please(anyone)

[hutcho]

A clunking niose? get some one in the know to check it for u, some tyre shops do free safty checks. I can't say that a clunk in the front end of a XF is all that normal, especially not that noticable.

Stalling at Idel can u please tell me if its inject or carby??

Pan gasket leak? Can u see if it is the pan again (pan cold be bent out of shape or gasket over tightened) or is the leak from bellhousing area, extension housing, running down cooler lines or boiling out breather when stopped?

niose in LH/R wheel, I'd remove the brakedrum & see if somthing has come adrift in the rear brake assembly and is floating around in the drum. It shouldn't be a wheel bearing because it's not there all the time. sometimes a loose crown wheel bolt or a walking cross pin can make thoose nioses, but that generally sounds more towards the center of the rear?

Let us know a couple of more details & I'll try to help

[marky mark]

yes the car is fuel injected,and the leak in the trannsmission has bn narrowed down to the gear selector seal,and the clunking noise in the back is still there but bn disc all round im out solutions 4 it?

[hutcho]

check bushes in rear suspension like sway bar ect incase u've got a suspention niose, other than that I'd remove the rear cover plate from the diff & check the cross pin is still fixed in position & that all crown wheel bolts are tight. If all this look ok check in the bottom of the housing for metal pieces or fillings that may lead u to another problem.

[351wStang]

Have you checked to see if you are low on power steering fluid? Running a steering box dry can cause the gears to clunk as they slide over one another. Also it may be bad tie rod ends. The knocking you are describing sounds like a balljoint to me. Does your car have an IRS? How is the tire wear? Alot of times you can narrow down suspension problems from tire wear. How are your shocks? Shocks can make a knocking sound if they are worn out and slam shut. Good luck.