BuckeyeSVT

I don't have enough information to answer that question properly, however it appears the valve bodies are matched to the production date of the transmission itself. The RF3 and RF7 are the valve body casting revisions. And it looks like (RF3) 1995-1997, (RF7) 1998-2000 is how they break down. I don't know if you can swap them as I've never attempted it before. -Dominic

Well, cutting wires will get you into trouble. By the sound of your issues, it sounds like you blew a fuse or two. Check F34 (7.5A) in the inside fuse box and possibly fuse 25. It sounds like you took some circuits out when you were cutting or working there. They make adapter harnesses that are super cheap and prevent you from cutting wires. For someone so picky, I find it interesting you would go out of your way to cut the wires instead of just plugging in a harness adapter to wire your new radio to. Almost every parts store carries them because Ford was pretty standardized back then.

Generally a shorted VSS can cause the 452. I would start with the easy code before diving into the 628. Inspect the VSS harness for frayed or bare wires (common) and repair/replace as necessary. -Dominic

You're welcome. Happy to help. -Dominic

I believe that is referred to as an "Inlet Tube" and has the original part# of F8RZ-8290-AA. -Dominic

to FCO!

to FCO!

Hey Nick! Wow, long time! Yeah, that Viper was cool when we had the meet in Boardman.. I had entirely too much fun in that car. Yeah, things have changed a little. I now have a toddler running around, still have an SVT Contour in my life and am still active on this site (even though it's mostly quiet around here for the most part). Facebook groups have pretty much made sites like these moot, and if there was a way to transfer the information here to one - I probably would. I pay the bills and keep the lights on just so us old-timer's can shout out to each other once in a while - Or ask a question and get a solid answer. Glad to see an OG member stop back. It's few and far between anymore as most have moved on to other vehicles. Good to hear from you, and if you need something - Drop me a line. -Dominic

I would look for the Cougar one's they are easier to find as they ran until 2002 with the Bosch controller. The harness and the ABS unit are identical to the Contour and can be used with no issues. And if you find one with Traction Control, you can add that as well with just the dashboard switch after installing the unit. -Dominic

Unfortunately most of my diagrams are broken up into multiple pages. What exactly are you having an issue with? If it's the early 1998 SVT harnesses with the PATS controller vs. the later 1998 models which were integrated into the PCM - That could be your issue. Do you have an E0 with the RJL1 controller, or the later E1 with the SFG0 controller? I've personally run into this before and corrected it in another harness. -Dominic

And people wonder why the imports last longer than domestics? Scheduled service, that's what. Brake fluid changes are every 30K on Toyota's and other vehicles (our age that is).

Besides, wheel cylinders cost around $14 each.. even less on RockAuto. Is it worth it to ride around with missing parts?

I believe the spring provides tension to keep the pistons pushed out. Without it, the pistons could be allowed to retreat further than designed which could cause the shoes to slide off of the piston slots and create a negative contact situation inside the drum.

IIRC there is a spring in the wheel cylinder. Most people lose them when rebuilding as most kits only include the inner pistons and outer seals. -Dominic

On the 1995, the V6 engines were equipped with a DIS-6 module for the spark. That module has a "SPOUT" plug which can be removed to remove advance from the ignition to check base engine timing. Normally the car needs to have the SPOUT plug in, in order to run correctly otherwise the ignition will always run in fixed timing mode. The SPOUT plug is a square plug that plugs into a connector normally taped to the harness connecting to the ignition module (right side rear engine compartment). -Dominic