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Copyright © 2009, Forel Publishing Company, LLC, Woodbridge, Virginia 

 

All Rights Reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever 

without written permission of Forel Publishing Company, LLC.  For information write to Forel 

Publishing Company, LLC, 3999 Peregrine Ridge Ct., Woodbridge, VA 22192 

 
 

1958 Ford Thunderbird Shop Manual 

EAN: 978-1-60371-008-4 

ISBN: 1-60371-008-6 

 

Forel Publishing Company, LLC 

3999 Peregrine Ridge Ct. 

Woodbridge, VA 22192 

Email address: [email protected] 

Website: http://www.ForelPublishing.com 

 

 

 

 
 
 
 

 

 

This publication contains material that is reproduced and distributed under a license from Ford 

Motor Company.  No further reproduction or distribution of the Ford Motor Company material is 

allowed without the express written permission of Ford Motor Company. 

 

 

 

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This product was created from the original Ford Motor Company’s publication.  Every effort has 
been made to use the original scanned images, however, due to the condition of the material; 
some pages have been modified to remove imperfections.  

 

 

 

Disclaimer 

 

Although every effort was made to ensure the accuracy of this book, no representations or 
warranties of any kind are made concerning the accuracy, completeness or suitability of the 
information, either expressed or implied. As a result, the information contained within this book 
should be used as general information only.  The author and Forel Publishing Company, LLC 
shall have neither liability nor responsibility to any person or entity with respect to any loss or 
damage caused, or alleged to be caused, directly or indirectly by the information contained in 
this book. Further, the publisher and author are not engaged in rendering legal or other 
professional services. If legal, mechanical, electrical, or other expert assistance is required, the 
services of a competent professional should be sought.  

 

 

Summary of Contents for Thunderbird 1958

Page 1: ...1958 FORD THUNDERBIRD FORD DIVISION FORD MOTOR COMPANY ...

Page 2: ...to or r This product was created from the original Ford Motor Company s publication Every effort has been made to use the original scanned images however due to the condition of the material some pages have been modified to remove imperfections Disclaimer Although every effort was made to ensure the accuracy of this book no representations or warranties of any kind are made concerning the accuracy...

Page 3: ...RAKES GENERATING AND STARTING SYSTEMS LIGHTS INSTRUMENTS AND ACCESSORIES BODY MAINTENANCE AND REPAIR DOORS DECK LID AND FRONT SHEET METAL INTERIOR TRIM SEATS AND WINDOWS SERVICE DEPARTMENT FORD DIVISION FORD MOTOR COMPANY MAINTENANCE LUBRICATION AND SPECIAL TOOLS 1958 FORD MOTOR COMPANY DEARBORN MICHIGAN Reprinted with Ford Motor Company s Permission SPECIFICATIONS ...

Page 4: ...and specifications contained in this manual were in effect at the time the manual was approved for printing The Ford Division of Ford Motor Company whose policy is one of continuous improvement reserves the right to discontinue models at any time or change specifications or design without notice and without incurring obligation SERVICE DEPARTMENT FORD DIVISION FORD MOTOR COMPANY ...

Page 5: ...1958 THUNDERBIRD SHOP MANUAL GROUP 1 POWER PLANT Page PART 1 ENGINE 1 2 PART 2 IGNITION SYSTEM 1 44 PART 3 FUEL SYSTEM 1 58 PART 4 COOLING SYSTEM 1 77 ...

Page 6: ...r Heads 1 30 Valves 1 32 Hydraulic Valve Lifters 1 34 Timing Chain 1 34 Section Page Camshaft and Bearings 1 34 Crankshaft 1 35 Connecting Rods 1 35 Piston Pins and Rings 1 35 Main and Connecting Rod Bearings 1 37 Conventional Flywheel 1 38 Cylinder Block 1 39 Oil Pan and Oil Pump 1 40 9 Repair Operations Engine In Chassis 1 40 Engine Supports 1 40 Intake Manifold 1 41 Cylinder Heads 1 42 Cylinder...

Page 7: ...PLANT 1 3 1723 A FIG 2 Engine Sectional View ...

Page 8: ...ted to flow directly out the exhaust sys tem in the normal manner The intake manifold has two sets of fuel passages each with its own separate inlet connection to the car buretor Fig 5 The right side of the carburetor feeds Nos 1 4 6 and 7 cylinders and the left side feeds Nos 2 3 5 and 8 cylinders The distributor is mounted at the left front of the intake manifold CYLINDER HEADS AND BLOCK The cyl...

Page 9: ...ssure on each side of the valve disc Whenever clearance between the valve and the valve rocker arm tends to be present the plunger spring ex pands pushing the plunger until there is solid contact between all parts of the valve train mechanism As the camshaft rotates valve opening the valve lifter is raised and the sudden increase in oil pressure below the plunger forces the valve disc closed and t...

Page 10: ... 1 camshaft bearing feeds No 1 main bearing and No 2 cam shaft bearing feeds No 2 main bear ing etc The oil then flows through notches or grooves in the main bear ings to lubricate the crankshaft jour nals A metering plug at the front of the main oil gallery allows any air that may be trapped in the oil to escape The crankshaft is drilled from the main bearings to the connecting rod bearings The o...

Page 11: ...urn to the front of the engine The coolant from each cylinder head flows through the water pas sages in the intake manifold and past the water thermostat if it is open into the radiator supply tank If the thermostat is closed a small portion of the coolant is returned to the water pump for recirculation The entire system is pressurized to 13 15 psi by a pressure type radiator cap GENERAL ENGINE TR...

Page 12: ...If spark plug and insert a piece of the spark plugs are not at fault check proper sized metal rod in the insula the fuel system Group 1Part 3 If tor so that it protrudes from the in the fuel system is not at fault check sulator With the ignition on and the the valve timing Group 1Part 1 ENGINE STARTS BUT FAILS TO KEEP RUNNING If the engine starts and runs for a Fuel system Group 1 Part 3 few secon...

Page 13: ...DOES NOT DEVELOP FULL POWER OR HAS POOR HIGH SPEED PERFORMANCE EXCESSIVE FUEL CONSUMPTION Determine if the trouble exists when the engine is cold at normal operating temperature or at all en gine temperatures Engine cold Check the Exhaust gas control valve page 1 30 Fuel system Group 1Part 3 Cooling system if engine reaches operating temperature slowly Group 1 Part 4 Engine at normal operating tem...

Page 14: ...in recommended specifications to restore engine efficiency and performance The Tune Up Schedule Table 2 is applicable for either a minor or major tune up A minor tune up is recommended each 6000 miles and a major tune up is recommended each 12 000 miles The reference after each operation refers to that part of the manual which describes in detail the procedure to be followed Perform the operations...

Page 15: ...old vacuum X X Page 1 13 EXHAUST Free the exhaust gas con trol valve X X Group 1 Part 1 COOLING SYSTEM Inspect the radiator hoses and engine for leaks X Group 1 Part 4 Add rust inhibitor to radiator X BE SURE TO PLACE Indicator TIP IN CENTER OF PUSH ROD SOCKET 1748 A FIG 12 Camshaft Lobe Lift TESTS AND ADJUSTMENTS ENGINE IN CHASSIS CAMSHAFT LOBE LIFT Remove the valve rocker arm shaft assembly and ...

Page 16: ...ci fications Table 3 After the valve opening is checked continue to ro tate the damper to check the valve closing VALVE CLEARANCE A 0 060 inch shorter push rod is available for service to provide a means of compensating for dimen sional changes in the valve mechan ism Valve stem to rocker arm clear ance should be 0 062 0 1875 inch with the hydraulic lifter completely collapsed Repeated valve recon...

Page 17: ...Very low Manifold carburetor or cylinder head gasket leak Needle fluctuates steadily as speed increases A partial or complete loss of power in one or more cylinders caused by a leaking valve cylinder head or intake manifold gasket leak a defect in the ignition system or a weak valve spring Gradual drop in reading at engine idle Excessive back pressure in the exhaust sys tem Intermittent fluctuatio...

Page 18: ...nd at the flexible line then release the line from the brackets on the left valve rocker arm cover and remove the line On cars with an air conditioner disconnect the magnetic clutch wire Isolate the compressor as outlined in the 1958 Air Conditioner Shop Manual 3 Disconnect the heater hose at the water pump and at the intake manifold the generator wires at the generator and the engine tempera ture...

Page 19: ...ll the oil cooler lines retaining clamp On conventional drive or overdrive units install the clutch bracket Con nect the clutch release rod and install the clutch retracting spring Install the flywheel housing lower cover 6 Tighten all the engine front sup port insulator bolts and nuts to 45 50 foot pounds torque Remove the re tainer securing the exhaust gas con trol valve then connect both exhaus...

Page 20: ...blies intact until they are to be cleaned If the hydraulic lifters can not be removed with the fingers remove the lock ring Fig 18 and the push rod cup Fig 19 and remove the lifter and plunger assembly with the tool shown in Fig 20 After the lifter is removed keep all the parts together so as not to intermix the parts EXHAUST MANIFOLD AND EXHAUST GAS CONTROL VALVE Remove the exhaust manifold lower...

Page 21: ...ool HL 1 FIG 19Push Rod Cup Removal Tool T58P 6085 A Too HI VALVE UFTER RACK 1733 A FIG 20Hydraulic Valve Lifter Removal FIG 21Cylinder Head Holding Fixture 1524 A Tool T58P 6316 A m m 1551 B FIG 22Crankshaft Damper Removal Crankshaft Sleeve Tool T56P 6362 A 1552 B FIG 23Crankshaft Sleeve Removal ...

Page 22: ...ng rod bolts then pull the cap off the rod Push the connecting rod and pis ton assembly out the top of the cyl inder with the handle end of a ham mer Avoid damage to the crankpin or the cylinder wall when removing the piston and rod Remove the bear ing inserts from the connecting rods and caps 4 Remove the main bearing caps Carefully lift the crankshaft out of the cylinder block so that the thrust...

Page 23: ...IG 26Camshaft Front Bearing Measurement Tool T58P 6266 A 1S45 A FIG 27Camshaft Rear Bearing Bore Plug Installation CYLINDER BLOCK JOURNAL SEAL MAIN BEARING INSERTS DAMPER FLYWHEEL AND RING GEAR POWER STEERING PUMP PULLEY MAIN BEARING CAPS WASHER 1537 A FIG 28Crankshaft and Related Parts ...

Page 24: ... not be per formed on newly installed seals until sufficient time has been allowed for the seals to expand into the seal grooves 6 Install the thrust bearing cap with the bolts finger tight then pry the crankshaft forward against the thrust surface of the upper half of the bearing Fig 31 Hold the crank shaft forward and pry the thrust bearing cap to the rear Fig 32 This will align the thrust surfa...

Page 25: ...E 1 21 1 546 A FIG 31Thrust Bearing Alignment Pry Crankshaft Forward M 1547 A FIG 32Thrust Bearing Alignment Pry Cap Backward m V A 1548 A FIG 34 Crankshaft End Play 1505 A FIG 33Thrust Bearing AlignmentTighten Cap ...

Page 26: ... apply a light coat of engine oil to the journals and bearings 4 Turn the crankshaft throw to TIMING MARKS FIG 38Aligning Timing Marks 1539 B the bottom of its stroke then push the piston all the way down until the connecting rod bearing seats on the crankshaft journal Install the con necting rod cap then tighten the nuts to 45 50 foot pounds torque Install the pal nuts and tighten them to 3 4 foo...

Page 27: ... then force the left side of the chain out with the fingers and measure the distance between the reference point and the chain The deflection is the difference between the two measurements If the de flection exceeds Vi inch replace the timing chain and or sprockets 4 Install the fuel pump eccentric Fig 40 and the camshaft sprocket cap screw and thrust button spring retainer Tighten the sprocket ca...

Page 28: ...ter pump pulley and fan as an assembly On cars with power steering the power steering pump is retained by the water pump retaining bolts 7 Using a new gasket install the fuel pump Install the generator brackets and drive belts OIL FILTER AND ADAPTER The oil filter assembly is shown in Fig 45 Clean the oil filter adapter gasket surfaces Apply sealer to a new adapter gasket and install the adapter a...

Page 29: ...ght film of graphite grease On the right exhaust manifold using a new gasket install the auto matic choke air chamber cover on the manifold Be sure the cover is securely fastened Position the ex haust gas control valve over the muffler inlet pipe studs of the mani fold using a new gasket on each side of the valve Temporarily tie the valve to the exhaust manifold Position a new gasket over the muff...

Page 30: ...ition the seals Start the water pump by pass hose on the intake manifold Be sure the holes in the manifold gaskets and manifold are in alignment Install the manifold re taining bolts and tighten them to 23 28 foot pounds torque working from the center to the ends Remove the distributor and the engine lifting sling and eye bolts Install the radia tor supply tank 4 Install the valve push rods in the...

Page 31: ...cup side out in each end of the rocker arm shaft 3 Install the rocker arms sup ports and springs in the order shown in Fig 50 Be sure the oil holes in the shaft are facing downward Com plete the assembly by installing the remaining two flat washers with the spring washer between them and in stall the cotter pin CYLINDER HEADS DISASSEMBLY 1 Clean the carbon out of the cylinder head combustion chamb...

Page 32: ...e lifter body Place the push rod seat in the plunger Position the lock ring in the tool shown in Fig 18 on page 1 17 then install the lock ring in the lifter body Be sure the lock ring is seated in the groove PISTON AND CONNECTING ROD DISASSEMBLY Mark the pistons and pins to as sure assembly with the same rod and installation in the same cylinder from which they were removed Re move the piston rin...

Page 33: ... i 1120 A FIG 57Connecting Rod and Piston Assembly LOCK RING PUSH ROD CUP DISC VALVE RETAINER mm A MMmM T r ier j a i we I DISC VALVE SPRING PLUNGER SPRING DISC VALVE BODY 1716 A FIG 54Hydraulic Valve Lifter AssemblyTypical OIL RING ASSEMBLY CONNECTING ROD BOLT P A y PISTON 4Mf UPPER COMPRESSION RING BEARING INSERTS RETAINER 1S59 A FIG 56Piston Connecting Rod and Related Parts mm 1 564 B FIG 58Rin...

Page 34: ...y through approximately 90 of rotation without binding The valve is closed when the en gine is at normal operating tempera ture and running at idle speed How ever a properly operating valve will open when very light finger pressure is applied to the counterweight Ra pidly accelerate the engine to make sure the valve momentarily opens The valve is designed to open when the engine is at normal opera...

Page 35: ... 59Oil Pump Assembly Ho ding fixture PUSH ROD FIG 61Push Rod Runout Runout Gauge FIG 63 Valve Seat Runout a 1531 A 1003 A 1735 A 1 509 A FIG 60Automatic Choke Heat Chamber T 3 CHECK DIAGONALLY 2 CHECK ACROSS CENTER FIG 62Cylinder Head Flatness 1729 A Seof Width Scale J mmMmmtmr S O FIG 64 Valve Seat Width ...

Page 36: ...eat width exceeds the maximum limits remove enough stock from the top edge and or bot tom edge of the seat to reduce the width to specifications Fig 66 On the exhaust valve seat use a 30 angle grinding wheel to remove stock from the bottom of the seat raise the seat and use a 60 angle wheel to remove stock from the top of the seat lower the seat On the intake valve seat use a 15 angle grinding whe...

Page 37: ...ition a dial indicator with a flat tip against the center portion of the spherical section of the tool at approximately 90 to the valve stem Move the tool back and forth on a plane that parallels normal rocker arm action and take the indicator reading without lifting the tool from the valve guide upper surface Divide the indicator reading by 2 division factor of the tool to obtain the actual stem ...

Page 38: ...h oversize stem diameters of 0 003 0 015 and 0 030 inch are available for service Always reface the valve seat when the valve guide is reamed HYDRAULIC VALVE LIFTERS The lifter assemblies should be kept in proper sequence so that they can be installed in their original po sition Inspect and test each lifter separately so as not to intermix the internal parts If any part of the lifter assembly need...

Page 39: ...nnecting rod is bent or the piston pin hole is not in proper rela tion to the piston skirt and ring grooves Abnormal connecting rod bearing wear can be caused by either a bent connecting rod an improperly ma chined crankpin or a tapered con necting rod bore Twisted connecting rods will not create an easily identifiable wear pat tern but badly twisted rods will dis turb the action of the entire pis...

Page 40: ...der bore so that it extends the entire length of the piston at 90 from the piston pin location Invert the piston and install it in the bore so that the end of the piston is about 1 Vi inches below the top of the cylinder block and the piston pin is parallel to the crankshaft axis Hold the piston and slowly pull the scale in a straight line with the rib bon noting the pull required to re move the f...

Page 41: ... following the recommended procedure BEARING REPLACEMENT The main bearing inserts are selec tive fit and do not require reaming to size upon installation Do not file or lap bearing caps or use shims to obtain the proper bearing clearance Selective fit bearings are available for service in standard sizes only Standard bearings are divided into two sizes and are identified by a daub of red or blue p...

Page 42: ... bearing has been checked and found to be satisfactory apply a light coat of engine oil to the journal and bearings then install the bearing cap Tighten the cap bolts to 95 105 foot pounds torque 5 If the rear main bearing is re placed replace the lower oil seal in the cap and the side seals The upper oil seal in the block can not be re placed with the crankshaft installed Connecting Rod Bearings ...

Page 43: ...nute cracks not visible to the naked eye may be detected by coating the suspected area with a mixture of 25 kerosene and 75 light motor oil Wipe the part dry and immediately apply a coating of zinc oxide dissolved in wood alcohol If cracks are present the coating will become discolored at the defective area Replace the block if it is cracked Check all machined gasket sur faces for burrs nicks scra...

Page 44: ...e pressure relief valve chamber Be sure all dirt and chips are removed Check the inside of the pump hous ing and the outer race and rotor for damage or excessive wear Check the mating surface of the pump cover for wear If the cover mating surface is worn scored or grooved replace the cover Measure the outer race to housing clearance Fig 82 With the rotor assembly installed in the housing place a s...

Page 45: ...nd remove the line Remove the distributor cap and spark plug wire assembly Disconnect the distributor vacuum line at the distributor Scribe a line on the dis tributor housing and manifold to mark the position of the rotor and distributor housing for installation Remove the distributor hold down bolt and clamp then remove the dis tributor Remove the radiator supply tank Loosen the by pass clamp and...

Page 46: ...OVAL 1 Follow steps 1 and 2 under Cylinder Front Cover and Timing Chain Removal in this section 2 Follow steps 3 and 4 under In take Manifold on page 1 41 3 Remove the retaining bolts from the top center of the grille and three bolts from the bottom of the grille and push the top of the grille for ward Carefully remove the camshaft by pulling it toward the front of the engine Use caution to avoid ...

Page 47: ... leakage Check the oil level and fill the crankcase if necessary EXHAUST SYSTEM The exhaust system is shown in Fig 87 MUFFLER INLET PIPE REPLACEMENT The right and left muffler inlet pipe front sections are serviced as one piece 1 Loosen the muffler inlet pipe front support clamp bolt and slide the clamp off the support Disconnect the inlet pipes at the exhaust manifolds Remove the muffler inlet pi...

Page 48: ...system troubles are caused by a failure in the primary and or the secondary circuit or incorrect igni tion timing PRIMARY CIRCUIT A break down or energy loss in the primary circuit can be caused by 1 Defective primary wiring 2 Burned breaker points or im properly adjusted breaker points 3 A defective coil resistor or con denser SECONDARY CIRCUIT A break down or energy loss in the secondary circuit...

Page 49: ...NITION SYSTEM TESTING A complete check of the ignition system includes the battery and cables coil distributor primary and secondary wiring and the spark plugs This section describes the tests for all these units except the battery and the distributor The battery be cause it is part of the electrical supply system is covered in Group 7 Part 1 Distributor testing is covered in Sec tion 3 PRELIMINAR...

Page 50: ... not exceed 0 1 volt If the voltage drop is excessive test the voltage drop of each of the following 1 Coil to distributor wire 2 Distributor primary terminal and the movable breaker point 3 The movable breaker point and the breaker plate 4 The breaker plate and the dis tributor housing 5 The distributor housing and engine ground SPARK INTENSITY Disconnect one spark plug wire at a time and install...

Page 51: ...plugs noting the type of de posits and the degree of electrode erosion The various types of spark plug fouling and the normal condi tion of the spark plug after usage are shown in Fig 8 Oil fouling Fig 8 is usually iden tified by wet sludgy deposits These are traceable to excessive oil entering the combustion chamber through worn rings and pistons excessive clearance between the valve guides and s...

Page 52: ...al Apply a coating of oil to the shoulder of the plug where the insulator projects through the shell and to the top of the spark plug where the center electrode and termi nal project from the insulator Place the spark plug under pressure Leak age is indicated by air bubbling through the oil If the test indicates compression leakage replace the spark plug If the spark plug is satis factory wipe it ...

Page 53: ...on of the distributor body and retarded by counterclockwise ro tation 5 After the ignition timing has been properly set connect the dis tributor vacuum line then check the distributor to determine if the ad vance mechanism is operating To do this hold the timing light so that the timing marks and pointer can be seen and accelerate the engine If no ad vance is evident one of the following is the pr...

Page 54: ...g is the spring that is not under tension is slack when the distributor shaft is not rotating 3 Recheck the zero point and the other two points and make adjust ments as required Next check the advance at all points listed in the specifications Operate the distributor both up and down the speed range VACUUM ADVANCE 1 Operate the distributor at 1000 rpm and zero the advance scale Check the advance a...

Page 55: ... are installed Do not use engine oil to lubricate the distributor cam Check the breaker point alignment then set the ignition timing Used Breaker Points If the gap of used breaker points is being checked use a dwell meter to test the dwell angle It is not advisable to use a feeler gauge to adjust or to check the gap of used breaker points because the roughness of the breaker points make a gap read...

Page 56: ...rely CAM LOBE ACCURACY Worn cam lobes will cause the cor responding cylinders to fire out of time and result in a loss of power Install the distributor on a test set and check the accuracy of the cam lobes following the instructions of the manufacturer If the test indicates that any lobe is worn replace the cam DISTRIBUTOR SHAFT END PLAY Remove the distributor from the engine Place the distributor...

Page 57: ... The spring loaded side of the diaphragm is air tight and is con nected through a vacuum line to the carburetor throttle bore When the throttle plates open the distributor vacuum passage is exposed to mani fold vacuum which causes the dia 1131 A phragm to move against the tension of the spring This action causes the breaker plate to advance and the points open and close earlier When the engine is ...

Page 58: ...d shaft are to be used again mark the gear and shaft so that the pin holes can be easily aligned for assembly Remove the gear roll pin Fig 22 then remove the gear Fig 23 7 Remove the shaft collar roll pin Fig 24 Invert the distributor and place it on a support plate in a posi tion that will allow the distributor shaft to clear the support plate then press the shaft out of the collar and the distri...

Page 59: ...AKER POINT ASSEMBLY CAM ASSEMBLY RETAINER DISTRIBUTOR HOUSING WASHER BUSHING p N OILER SCREW DRIVE GEAR INSULATOR GE I m COLLAR X 5 JJ RIVET bush No yx V J DIAPHRAGM L V CLAMP CONDENSER SCREW BREAKER PLATE FIG 27Distributor Assembly 8 v L WE GHT scrIw linkcsl r ng w V xx X niAPMDAr M Mnn iKir pftainikj srPFW LUBRICATING WICK CAM ASSEMBLY CLIP j DIAPHRAGM HOUSING RETAINING SCREW DIAPHRAGM HOUSING U...

Page 60: ...ng tool and the 0 022 inch feeler gauge still in stalled install the drive gear Fig 30 Remove the assembly from the press and remove the supporting tool and feeler gauge Drill a s inch hole through the gear and shaft using the hole in the gear shoulder as a pilot Install a new pin Fig 22 3 Install the weights and springs then fill the groove in the weight pivot pin with a high melting point ball b...

Page 61: ... crankshaft has not been dis turbed install the distributor using the marks previously scribed on the distributor body and engine block as guides Make sure the oil pump intermedi ate shaft properly engages the dis tributor shaft It may be necessary to crank the engine with the starter after the distributor drive gear is partially engaged in order to engage the oil pump intermediate shaft 2 Install...

Page 62: ... at the carburetor Use a suitable container to catch the fuel Crank the engine to see if fuel is reaching the carburetor If fuel is not reaching the carbu retor check The fuel pump The fuel pump flexible inlet line for a collapsed condition If the fuel is reaching the carbu retor the trouble is in the carburetor Work the throttle by hand several times Each time the throttle is actu ated fuel shoul...

Page 63: ...LITHO IN U S A FORM 7750 58 ...

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