Couple of questions about my 'Bird

Hello everyone,

Just found this forum, and it's everything I hoped for!

Just picked up an '88 T-Bird at an auction, and the first question relates to a question posed on this forum about a month or so ago talking about belt tensioners. Would a faulty tensioner be responsible for hesitation/stumbing when I accelerate? Seems that the trans has to sort itself out as I gain speed. I know it sounds silly; it's probably a clogged fuel filter (good) or I am in need of a new tranny (bad).

Second, were all 'Birds built in Lorain, or was there a second assembly plant that built them as well? I need to learn to decode my VIN...

Any advice/suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Engine: 3.8 V-6, 4-speed auto., mileage TBD.

A bad belt tensioner would mean that your belt is probably slipping. If that is the case, the following would be affected:

alternator
oil pump
smog/air pump
air conditioning

You would have to describe the hesitation problem a little bit more...what makes you think it is the belt tensioner? Does the engine sound like it runs rough when you first take off or is the feeling that your transmission is slipping and takes a bit of effort to "catch" before the vehicle starts moving forward? Is the problem only evident when taking off from a complete stop or doesn't it happen during any type of acceleration?

Eric-

Thanks for the reply.
Turns out the belt tensioner was not the problem--just a case of a belt that had seen better days. I replaced it and all is OK on that score.

As for the hesitation, it is intermittent and occurs either from a complete stop or as I accelerate thru the gears, with a pronounced shudder at about 50 mph. I tromp down on the throttle and it drops into third, runs smoothly and then begins to shudder again at the threshhold to 4th. Trnasmission fluid is at recommended level with a normal pink color and no bad odors or leaks. I have installed a new fuel filter, and I also suspect that the car had not been driven regularly for at least a year, given the very expired plate I found in the trunk upon cleaning it, with the resulting deterioration of any old fuel in the tank. New plugs/wires/distributor cap, etc on on the shopping list, as well as a couple bottles of fuel system cleaner. Perhaps thses minor tune-up/maintenance items will cure the "Bird of it's bad behavior.

Thanks again.