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Topic: Car won't start all of the sudden... (Read 8748 times) previous topic - next topic

Car won't start all of the sudden...

Reply #45 –
Here's the update. I just got home from taking the car on a 60 mile trip. It ran well. The TFI was what I swapped, and it seems to have fixed the issue.

I had stated that there was almost 40psi of fuel pressure from the beginning. I knew that wasn't it. I know it can get plenty of air, so that wasn't it. I had an ignition switch in the drawer, so since it's free....I swapped it. No dice.

I checked a spark plug and saw fuel on it. SO, in my mind, I first thought that there was no spark, or, not enough to burn the fuel. I had a spare TFI module, swapped it and then quit. It was too cold to go any further. THAT is when I was seeking ideas of where to look in case this didn't fix it when I went back to the car.I wanted to eb somewhat informed when I got back to work. Last night, the car started, idled fine, and I shut it down. Restarted it, checked the timing, seemed good to go. This morning, I went out, started it, ran good so far, so, I took her for a little 60 mile road trip. No issues except a little smoke under heavy acceleration.

The more I think about the smoke issue, I remembered a friend saying a week ago that it smelled lie oil. He was driving behind me. I had some oil in my upper intake. I think the py baffle in my passenger side valve cover is allowing oil into the vacuum hose that goes to the throttle body. SO, I'm going to fab a new baffle. I may delete that hose. I have seen many Stang guys that delete it with no issues. I will study on that. AT that point, I'll decide whether or not I want to add a new baffle or delete the hose. Today, I'm done. If the weather allows, I'll see about it tomorrow.

As soon as I have the time and tolerable weather conditions, I'll jack the car up, install the new O2 sensors, readjust my exhaust pipes and re-tighten them, then prepare to polish my Explorer upper intake.


I appreciate you guys chiming in when I have asked for assistance and/or advice. I would do the same for any of you at any time, even if the question has been asked a hundred times. So for now, The Bird seems pretty happy.
'88 Sport--T-5,MGW shifter,Trick Flow R intake,Ed Curtis cam,Trick Flow heads,Scorpion rockers,75mm Accufab t-body,3G,mini starter,Taurus fan,BBK long tube headers,O/R H-Pipe, Flowamaster Super 44's, deep and deeper Cobra R wheels, Mass Air and 24's,8.8 with 3.73's,140 mph speedo,Mach 1 chin spoiler,SN-95 springs,CHE control arms,aluminum drive shaft and a lot more..

Car won't start all of the sudden...

Reply #46 –
Quote from: V8Demon;442728
But it's winter...  We HAVE to argue!!!!! Lol!  I should be fixing up the Lincoln, but it's too cold and I'm currently the sickest I've been in at least a decade... Not to mention half my house is under renovation..... I hate winter....

I'm a little testy myself, what with first getting sick, then the temps dropping to somewhere between 10 and arctic f*cking blast. Today it got to 35* and guess what, my knee has been acting up, and today is swollen and hurts like hell to bend it, or to stand. #nevergetaheadatthisrate

I've also got shiznit-tons of wood to cut, and brush in a pasture to remove...ughh.

Quote from: vinnietbird;442729
I had some oil in my upper intake. I think the py baffle in my passenger side valve cover is allowing oil into the vacuum hose that goes to the throttle body.

Unhook that vacuum line at the TB end, cap the nipple or fitting or whatever it may be, and try again? If it is the smoke issue, you know you'll need to fab a different baffle.

Is this the plate thingy on the bottom of the lower? I've heard of this before, but never really figured out the cause of it...
'98 Explorer 5.0
'20 Malibu (I know, Chevy, but, 35MPG. Let's go brandon, eh)

Car won't start all of the sudden...

Reply #47 –
Yeah, the baffle is in place on the lower intake. But the one in the valve covers is . No sides to it. I think oil gets up there, and under higher acceleration, I THINK it sucks more oil at that point into the combustion chamber, and like magic, it smokes.
'88 Sport--T-5,MGW shifter,Trick Flow R intake,Ed Curtis cam,Trick Flow heads,Scorpion rockers,75mm Accufab t-body,3G,mini starter,Taurus fan,BBK long tube headers,O/R H-Pipe, Flowamaster Super 44's, deep and deeper Cobra R wheels, Mass Air and 24's,8.8 with 3.73's,140 mph speedo,Mach 1 chin spoiler,SN-95 springs,CHE control arms,aluminum drive shaft and a lot more..

Car won't start all of the sudden...

Reply #48 –
That sounds likely.
'98 Explorer 5.0
'20 Malibu (I know, Chevy, but, 35MPG. Let's go brandon, eh)

Car won't start all of the sudden...

Reply #49 –
I hope so.
'88 Sport--T-5,MGW shifter,Trick Flow R intake,Ed Curtis cam,Trick Flow heads,Scorpion rockers,75mm Accufab t-body,3G,mini starter,Taurus fan,BBK long tube headers,O/R H-Pipe, Flowamaster Super 44's, deep and deeper Cobra R wheels, Mass Air and 24's,8.8 with 3.73's,140 mph speedo,Mach 1 chin spoiler,SN-95 springs,CHE control arms,aluminum drive shaft and a lot more..

Car won't start all of the sudden...

Reply #50 –
Vinnie, i would swap the pip as well. They should be swapped in pairs.

Glad you got it though.
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

Car won't start all of the sudden...

Reply #51 –
I have a few spare pips in the drawer. I can do that......if I can come up with the spare 4 seconds. LOL.

I've never heard of swapping them in pairs before. I've been working on these for a looooong time, and still learning. Without extreme peer pressure from Kitz, though.....I'd still be driving a mostly stock running Bird. LOL.
'88 Sport--T-5,MGW shifter,Trick Flow R intake,Ed Curtis cam,Trick Flow heads,Scorpion rockers,75mm Accufab t-body,3G,mini starter,Taurus fan,BBK long tube headers,O/R H-Pipe, Flowamaster Super 44's, deep and deeper Cobra R wheels, Mass Air and 24's,8.8 with 3.73's,140 mph speedo,Mach 1 chin spoiler,SN-95 springs,CHE control arms,aluminum drive shaft and a lot more..

Car won't start all of the sudden...

Reply #52 –
Is there a TFI module number that would be considered the best one?  Does it matter if it's for an AOD or 5 speed?
'88 Sport--T-5,MGW shifter,Trick Flow R intake,Ed Curtis cam,Trick Flow heads,Scorpion rockers,75mm Accufab t-body,3G,mini starter,Taurus fan,BBK long tube headers,O/R H-Pipe, Flowamaster Super 44's, deep and deeper Cobra R wheels, Mass Air and 24's,8.8 with 3.73's,140 mph speedo,Mach 1 chin spoiler,SN-95 springs,CHE control arms,aluminum drive shaft and a lot more..

Car won't start all of the sudden...

Reply #53 –
Yes and no. many aftermarket TFI units are consolidated. But originally Ford had 2 different modules. Push start and non push start. 5 speeders had the push start ones and autos had the NON push start units. Hope this helps
I spend money I don't have, To build  cars I don't need, To impress people I don't know

HAVE YOU DRIVEN A FORD LATELY!!

Car won't start all of the sudden...

Reply #54 –
Would a TFI module be just fine with a 5 speed?
'88 Sport--T-5,MGW shifter,Trick Flow R intake,Ed Curtis cam,Trick Flow heads,Scorpion rockers,75mm Accufab t-body,3G,mini starter,Taurus fan,BBK long tube headers,O/R H-Pipe, Flowamaster Super 44's, deep and deeper Cobra R wheels, Mass Air and 24's,8.8 with 3.73's,140 mph speedo,Mach 1 chin spoiler,SN-95 springs,CHE control arms,aluminum drive shaft and a lot more..

Car won't start all of the sudden...

Reply #55 –
Quote from: vinnietbird;442729
The more I think about the smoke issue, I remembered a friend saying a week ago that it smelled lie oil. He was driving behind me. I had some oil in my upper intake. I think the py baffle in my passenger side valve cover is allowing oil into the vacuum hose that goes to the throttle body.

My black cougar has the same basic setup V8Demo's does. But a stick not an auto.
I haven't yet done a compression/leakdown check. Blew an HG being an idiot. Had the head shaved, lucky. Saw some lines I could feel with my fingernail in most of the cylinders. Nothing ugly though, IMO. I'm also not an engine builder. I suppose everything should be perfect right? If everything was done correctly and the engine not abused. I think it pulls like it should. But I have significant smoking of some type under hard acceleration. Usually only beyond 3-4K RPM. I *know* there is a good deal of blowby/pressure. And once, last summer I allowed both VC breather hoses I have, just dump out on the ground. Got some oily mess on the front suspension. But it seemed like there was no smoke. And this persisted for a few miles after hooking everything back up. And then it went back to normal.

Not sure what 10:1 or more compression *should* do for blowby, and I have no idea *what* rings are in there. It does have Twisted Wedge pistons. Claimed 10:1 by the previous owner. Who knows. But I got plenty of oil in the intake before I bought Ford Racing VC's, and now significantly less, but not eliminated.
1987 20th Anniversary Cougar, 302 "5.0" GT-40 heads (F3ZE '93 Cobra) and TMoss Ported H.O. intake, H.O. camshaft
2.5" Duals, no cats, Flowmaster 40s, Richmond 3.73s w/ Trac-Lok, maxed out Baumann shift kit, 3000 RPM Dirty Dog non-lock TC
Aside from the Mustang crinkle headers, still looks like it's only 150 HP...
1988 Black XR7 Trick Flow top end, Tremec 3550
1988 Black XR7 Procharger P600B intercooled, Edelbrock Performer non-RPM heads, GT40 intake AOD, 13 PSI @5000 RPM. 93 octane

Car won't start all of the sudden...

Reply #56 –
I'm going to go ahead and fab an oil baffle for the passenger side valve cover and see what happens. I have nothing to lose but a little time. If it helps, great. if not, well, we'll see what happens.
'88 Sport--T-5,MGW shifter,Trick Flow R intake,Ed Curtis cam,Trick Flow heads,Scorpion rockers,75mm Accufab t-body,3G,mini starter,Taurus fan,BBK long tube headers,O/R H-Pipe, Flowamaster Super 44's, deep and deeper Cobra R wheels, Mass Air and 24's,8.8 with 3.73's,140 mph speedo,Mach 1 chin spoiler,SN-95 springs,CHE control arms,aluminum drive shaft and a lot more..

Car won't start all of the sudden...

Reply #57 –
http://351winsor.com/joel/Ignition_Systems/tfi2.html

Here is a tfi and pipe testing procedure.
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

Car won't start all of the sudden...

Reply #58 –
I bookmarked that.
'88 Sport--T-5,MGW shifter,Trick Flow R intake,Ed Curtis cam,Trick Flow heads,Scorpion rockers,75mm Accufab t-body,3G,mini starter,Taurus fan,BBK long tube headers,O/R H-Pipe, Flowamaster Super 44's, deep and deeper Cobra R wheels, Mass Air and 24's,8.8 with 3.73's,140 mph speedo,Mach 1 chin spoiler,SN-95 springs,CHE control arms,aluminum drive shaft and a lot more..

Car won't start all of the sudden...

Reply #59 –
Vinnie,

Do you have the stock oil filler cap or a breather?  Is your PCV system still intact?

Darren

83 351W TKO'd T-Bird on the bottle


93 331 Mustang Coupe - 368 rwhp