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Topic: Familyso's beater truck issues... (Read 8818 times) previous topic - next topic

Familyso's beater truck issues...

Reply #15
Quote from: TurboCoupe50;450410
No MAP on mass air, the baro ain't gonna care...(be sure there is no vac connected to port)

Are you using the correct firing order??? Trucks went to the HO order with the switch to mass air...
But wouldn't it not want to run at all with wrong firing order? Just because it idles fine. At like 850 or so. Seems like healthy idle. But firing order being off could be the same symptoms? I'll check.
1988 Mercury cougar XR7- 302 bored .030 over, gt40p heads, F303, AlexsParts spring and seal kit, explorer upper and lower intake, 70mm tb, maf conversion, 75mm maf, fenderwell cai, 24 lb injectors, T5 conversion, bbk h pipe, Slp lm, 3.73 rear, 4 wheel disc conversion, 5 lug conversion. :D :D

Familyso's beater truck issues...

Reply #16
I've ran my car with 4 spark plugs off and more then 180* of timing off.
Quote from: jcassity
I honestly dont think you could exceed the cost of a new car buy installing new *stock* parts everywhere in your coug our tbird. Its just plain impossible. You could revamp the entire drivetrain/engine/suspenstion and still come out ahead.
Hooligans! 
1988 Crown Vic wagon. 120K California car. Wifes grocery getter. (junked)
1987 Ford Thunderbird LX. 5.0. s.o., sn-95 t-5 and an f-150 clutch. Driven daily and going strong.
1986 cougar.
lilsammywasapunkrocker@yahoo.com

Familyso's beater truck issues...

Reply #17
When you dropped the exhaust I wonder if the catalytic innards came loose and are restricting the exhaust. I had an astro van with a bad cat and it sounded perfect at idle but wouldn't spin the wheels, climb a hill, nothing.
CoogarXR : 1985 Cougar XR-7

Familyso's beater truck issues...

Reply #18
I'm not an expert by any stretch of imagination and I know more about the 2.3 than the 5.0 but I think if it were my vehicle, I would recheck the ignition and cam timing.  The low vacuum, no power, and low compression numbers across all the cylinders make me think the cam events aren't taking place when they should.

Again, I'm not an expert.  It is just what I would double check if my vehicle had these symptoms.
1986 Mercury Cougar - 2.3T/T5 swap, TC brakes and suspension and rearend, 3" exhaust, 255 lph fuel pump, Stinger BOV, Gillis MBC @ 18 psi
2003 Chevy Suburban Z71 - Daily driver
2015 Chevy Volt - Wife's daily driver

Familyso's beater truck issues...

Reply #19
The distributor could easily just be 180 off.

I agree that 130psi seems low, but as long as its the same accrossed all cylinders, the cam must be right or close, and it was installed dot to dot.
Quote from: jcassity
I honestly dont think you could exceed the cost of a new car buy installing new *stock* parts everywhere in your coug our tbird. Its just plain impossible. You could revamp the entire drivetrain/engine/suspenstion and still come out ahead.
Hooligans! 
1988 Crown Vic wagon. 120K California car. Wifes grocery getter. (junked)
1987 Ford Thunderbird LX. 5.0. s.o., sn-95 t-5 and an f-150 clutch. Driven daily and going strong.
1986 cougar.
lilsammywasapunkrocker@yahoo.com

Familyso's beater truck issues...

Reply #20
Quote from: CoogarXR;450426
When you dropped the exhaust I wonder if the catalytic innards came loose and are restricting the exhaust. I had an astro van with a bad cat and it sounded perfect at idle but wouldn't spin the wheels, climb a hill, nothing.

Srry, forgot to mention it's a brand new system from advance complete with brand new cat. Even opened it up after y pile and had same issues.
1988 Mercury cougar XR7- 302 bored .030 over, gt40p heads, F303, AlexsParts spring and seal kit, explorer upper and lower intake, 70mm tb, maf conversion, 75mm maf, fenderwell cai, 24 lb injectors, T5 conversion, bbk h pipe, Slp lm, 3.73 rear, 4 wheel disc conversion, 5 lug conversion. :D :D

Familyso's beater truck issues...

Reply #21
Quote from: Loaded87IROC;450427
I'm not an expert by any stretch of imagination and I know more about the 2.3 than the 5.0 but I think if it were my vehicle, I would recheck the ignition and cam timing.  The low vacuum, no power, and low compression numbers across all the cylinders make me think the cam events aren't taking place when they should.

Again, I'm not an expert.  It is just what I would double check if my vehicle had these symptoms.

This is a good idea. We ended up tearing the heads intake and timing cover off a second time to make sure nothing is outta whack. But all seems timed properly.
1988 Mercury cougar XR7- 302 bored .030 over, gt40p heads, F303, AlexsParts spring and seal kit, explorer upper and lower intake, 70mm tb, maf conversion, 75mm maf, fenderwell cai, 24 lb injectors, T5 conversion, bbk h pipe, Slp lm, 3.73 rear, 4 wheel disc conversion, 5 lug conversion. :D :D

Familyso's beater truck issues...

Reply #22
Quote from: Haystack;450428
The distributor could easily just be 180 off.

I agree that 130psi seems low, but as long as its the same accrossed all cylinders, the cam must be right or close, and it was installed dot to dot.


Tomorrow I'll check the distributor timing and the firing order as well.
1988 Mercury cougar XR7- 302 bored .030 over, gt40p heads, F303, AlexsParts spring and seal kit, explorer upper and lower intake, 70mm tb, maf conversion, 75mm maf, fenderwell cai, 24 lb injectors, T5 conversion, bbk h pipe, Slp lm, 3.73 rear, 4 wheel disc conversion, 5 lug conversion. :D :D

Familyso's beater truck issues...

Reply #23
Make sure when #1 is at TDC that the balancer reads 0 degrees. It's possible the balancer slipped and you are not at the distributor timing you think you are.

Familyso's beater truck issues...

Reply #24
Checked the firing order and timing for distributor. All is good to go. Balancer checks out too. Pulled codes. Got 111 then in the memory got a 122 and 332. Figured 122 is cuz we were messing with the tps unplugged key on. Egr is still blocked off so that's prolly the 332. Cleared the codes. And tps went away. Just 332 and 111 now. Gonna pick up a leak down test and test all 8 cylinders. More to come.
1988 Mercury cougar XR7- 302 bored .030 over, gt40p heads, F303, AlexsParts spring and seal kit, explorer upper and lower intake, 70mm tb, maf conversion, 75mm maf, fenderwell cai, 24 lb injectors, T5 conversion, bbk h pipe, Slp lm, 3.73 rear, 4 wheel disc conversion, 5 lug conversion. :D :D

 

Familyso's beater truck issues...

Reply #25
Did you have the heads re done? If so, could the valves be hanging open? I am wondering if the push rods are a bit too long now? Was the block decked and the heads milled not allowing the valves to completely close? Your vacuum is definitely low and your compression test seems low. What machine work was completed and please verify the rockers are allowing the valves to completely close, back a rocker or 2 off when the lifter is on the base circle of the cam and see if the spring moves. It should be completely closed on the base circle and a bit of preload should be on the lifter.