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Topic: Help! 1988 TC has no power under load. (Read 2575 times) previous topic - next topic

Help! 1988 TC has no power under load.

Pulled the TC out of the garage tonight to drive it to dinner and once I hit the road in front of my house I had no power. It just putted along. It has not been driven in 2 weeks and it ran fine the last time I drove it. There is a consistent clicking noise also. I can not find where it is coming from. Somewhere on the passenger side or around the top of the engine. The car will idle rough under 1,000rpm and revs freely but once you put it in drive and put a load on it there is no power. I am stumped!
1971 Camaro Blown 640ci
1988 T-Top Mustang
1980 Mustang coupe
1988 Thunderbird TurboCoupe
And a purple mini van! :burnout:

Previous Thunderbirds:
1988 Sport

Help! 1988 TC has no power under load.

Reply #1
check your intercooler hoses and all vacuum lines. including the big plastic one that comes off of the upper intake

Help! 1988 TC has no power under load.

Reply #2
All the vacuum lines seem to be fine.
1971 Camaro Blown 640ci
1988 T-Top Mustang
1980 Mustang coupe
1988 Thunderbird TurboCoupe
And a purple mini van! :burnout:

Previous Thunderbirds:
1988 Sport

Help! 1988 TC has no power under load.

Reply #3
I found my problem....check this out...When I pulled the valve cover to find my clicking noise this fell out in my hand...




Check the cam lobe out



And the throttle body gasket could be my idle issue...

1971 Camaro Blown 640ci
1988 T-Top Mustang
1980 Mustang coupe
1988 Thunderbird TurboCoupe
And a purple mini van! :burnout:

Previous Thunderbirds:
1988 Sport

 

Help! 1988 TC has no power under load.

Reply #4
I wonder what caused that to happen?

Help! 1988 TC has no power under load.

Reply #5
It's rare, but has been known to happen.  Sometimes the HLAs fail.

Swap in a Ranger roller cam and followers, and replace the HLAs, and you'll be back in business.  Throw on a new timing belt and tensioner while you're at it.

Not a major performance upgrade, but an upgrade nonetheless.
Long live the 4-eyes!  - '83 Tbird Turbo - '85 Marquis LTS - '86 LTD Wagon

Help! 1988 TC has no power under load.

Reply #6
DO NOT try to use the roller followers with the stock cam major damage will occur.

Help! 1988 TC has no power under load.

Reply #7
Thats pretty much what happened to the original motor in my TC. Was at the track though. One of the HLAs took a  and gave me a dead cylinder. Drove it 45 miles home like that and the headgasket went with two miles to go.

My stock cam was very worn out too, probably from my use of synthetic oil lacking ZDDP, but could have also been the mileage on it.
93 Festiva L, 193k miles, BP+T/G25MR swap, T3 50trim .48/.42, SRT FMIC, Capri electronics/Rocketchip, 2.5" exhaust
bests: ET 12.86, MPH 110.25, 1.92 short
02 Subaru Impreza WRX, 129k miles
97 Subaru Impreza Outback Sport, 236k miles

Help! 1988 TC has no power under load.

Reply #8
Timing belt is new but since I have it off I might as well replace it.
What year Ranger do I need to look for? Going to buy this stuff new so it does not have to be done again.
1971 Camaro Blown 640ci
1988 T-Top Mustang
1980 Mustang coupe
1988 Thunderbird TurboCoupe
And a purple mini van! :burnout:

Previous Thunderbirds:
1988 Sport

Help! 1988 TC has no power under load.

Reply #9
89-93 with the DP heads

You could get away with used though and never have any problems.  Grab a new Ford valve cover gasket while you're at it.

The 94+DP Lima Rangers cam can be used as well, but you need the earlier followers, as the later valves are smaller diameter, and the followers are notched accordingly.

90-93 2.3 Mustangs used the same cam/followers as the Rangers.
Long live the 4-eyes!  - '83 Tbird Turbo - '85 Marquis LTS - '86 LTD Wagon

Help! 1988 TC has no power under load.

Reply #10
Thanks! You tha man!
Unfortunately I am going out of town for work the next 2 days but when I get back I should have it all together. Guess I could do a write up for the tech section with pictures and all that good stuff.
1971 Camaro Blown 640ci
1988 T-Top Mustang
1980 Mustang coupe
1988 Thunderbird TurboCoupe
And a purple mini van! :burnout:

Previous Thunderbirds:
1988 Sport

Help! 1988 TC has no power under load.

Reply #11
i guess i should have looked my cam and followers when i put my head on.. if this  happens to my TC, kiss that motor GOODBYE!

Help! 1988 TC has no power under load.

Reply #12
Dont take long to pull the valve cover and check them. Would be good insurance. Glad mine didnt let go on the highway which is where I was headed with it.

Got a ranger roller cam tonight, gonna hit the junkyard and buy a complete ranger head for spare parts and to get the followers out of it.
1971 Camaro Blown 640ci
1988 T-Top Mustang
1980 Mustang coupe
1988 Thunderbird TurboCoupe
And a purple mini van! :burnout:

Previous Thunderbirds:
1988 Sport

Help! 1988 TC has no power under load.

Reply #13
Quote from: Live Fast;347637

Got a ranger roller cam tonight, gonna hit the junkyard and buy a complete ranger head for spare parts and to get the followers out of it.

If you get lucky, and that Ranger has the stock, Ford valve cover gasket with the steel core around the perimeter, grab it.  They are pretty much infinitely reusable, unlike the other aftermarket ones.
Long live the 4-eyes!  - '83 Tbird Turbo - '85 Marquis LTS - '86 LTD Wagon

Help! 1988 TC has no power under load.

Reply #14
Yeah it had one of those rubber type blue ones.
1971 Camaro Blown 640ci
1988 T-Top Mustang
1980 Mustang coupe
1988 Thunderbird TurboCoupe
And a purple mini van! :burnout:

Previous Thunderbirds:
1988 Sport