5.0 piece of crap

[xile]

I bought an 87 GT 5.0 from someone over a year ago in Feburary. Little did I know how stupid this person was. He ghetto rigged a lot of stuff in the car. This was my first mustang purchase so i was excited and the money was free so I didnt bother to check the car out much I just took it for a test drive and it ran fine. I know the guy hacked the electrical because the electrical problems in it are numerous and I know little about electrical so I dont know where to begin on that part. He also put 24 lb fuel injectors on the car which I know makes it idle fast. Also I get a lot of smoke from the exauhst sometimes there is none other times a lot comes out and its embarassing sitting at a stoplight. Is this because of the 24 # fuel injectors on it. My dad says its the piston rings need to be replaced and thats whats causing it. But now I have this problem where my car seems to be flooded or doesnt get enough gas. It will like loose a lot of power but if u push the gas all the way down to the floor it will pop and all the power will come back. Also recently after i would shut off my car when i go to start it back up it wouldnt start it would crank just wouldnt fire up. you could let it sit there for a couple hours and it would start or if you pushed down the gas when you started it it would help it start up. I fixed this by replacing the spark plugs and the plug wires. I also put a new o2 sensor in it. I put this in Friday and the car started fine and all that but now the problem with it being flooded/or not gettting enough gas is constantly there and it backfires A LOT now and I have hardly any power unless i press the gas to floor. Today I went to go get the mail and i started it up and it would start up but when it would come back down to idle it would just die out. I would give it gas and it would run but when the rpms went down and it started to idle again it would just putter out. Can anyone give me any ideas why this is. IM tired of it running so crappy on me I dont even want to drive it. Thanks

 

[Michael Yount]

If the smoke is blue, it's burning oil - could be from a number of sources (rings, valve seals, valve guides, etc.). The first step should probably be to pull the error codes out of the computer and see what they tell you. Also, if the car still has the speed density fuel injection system, the 24# injectors are gonna cause all sorts of problems. You'd either need to convert it to mass air, and put in an maf calibrated for the 24's, or put 19's back in it. Good luck - sounds like you've bought yourself a handful there.

 

[xile]

ok

Ok about the smoke being blue is it like really blue or like a white blue. Cause the smoke now is like white but I dont think it has much of a blue tint to it. Also could the fuel injectors be whats causing the backfire and it it being flooded or whatever. I drove it for a year without the backfiring problem or the loss of power but now its really bad.

 

[87'GTstang]

If the smoke is blue, it's burning oil - could be from a number of sources (rings, valve seals, valve guides, etc.). The first step should probably be to pull the error codes out of the computer and see what they tell you. Also, if the car still has the speed density fuel injection system, the 24# injectors are gonna cause all sorts of problems. You'd either need to convert it to mass air, and put in an maf calibrated for the 24's, or put 19's back in it. Good luck - sounds like you've bought yourself a handful there.

LOL sounds like my 87 gt!!!
Most of the time the thing that causes/end up being the source of a car burning oil and puffing it is worn piston rings. I currently have this problem but only at about 5000 rpms. But like michael said, worn valve guides and the seals just happens as a result of high mileage. Also on the 24 pounders, do as Mr. yount says as well. One thing you may be overlooking which can also be a byproduct of the fuel injectors is that your car is running too rich and when you shut the car off, you have an automatic flood waiting for next startup.
I know it sounds stupid but when I first got this 87', I've spent a lot of time and still am converting things back to the way it would have come from the factory
It's amazing what past idiot owners will do to a car sometimes

 

[strtracer442]

Black smoke is excess fuel
White smoke is water
Blue smoke is oil

You should also do a fuel pressurre check, you may be having regulator problems on top of some others. I would also do a cylinder compresssion test to get an idea of the basic condition of the motor.

 

[5.0Stanger]

Since this is your Stang, I don't know if it's your first one, I'd replace the 24lb injectors with stock 19lb injectors. The white smoke is most likely the result of the oversized injectors. You should be able to get a set of new 19lb injectors for around $200+/-. If you don't have a repair manual, get one. It sounds like you'll need it.

 

[87'GTstang]

Black smoke is excess fuel
White smoke is water
Blue smoke is oil

You should also do a fuel pressurre check, you may be having regulator problems on top of some others. I would also do a cylinder compresssion test to get an idea of the basic condition of the motor.

Yep, sounds like too much fuel pressure if that ends up being the case.

 

[xile]

Black smoke is excess fuel


You should also do a fuel pressurre check, you may be having regulator problems on top of some others. I would also do a cylinder compresssion test to get an idea of the basic condition of the motor.

How can I do a fuel pressure check and check the compression. I dont know everything about cars but I do know some and It seems like imma be learning a hell of a lot from this one.

 

[strtracer442]

You will need to buy or rent a compression tester and a fuel pressure tester, also get yourself a Haynes or Chiltons manual for your car, they will have the instructions on how to do basic testing.

 

[iwashmycar]

Def too much fuel, because when you slam the pedal to the floor when starting it actually stops the flow, so then it starts.

 

[88stangmangt]

guy i bought my gt from used caulk on the back of the intake to fix a vaccum leak.

 

[xile]

Hmm

Ok It starts up now the thign now is it constantly backiring and the loss of power until i punch the gas.

 

[xile]

So does anyone have an idea why it backfires all the time now and looses power unless is slam on the gas, or is that why I need to check the compression and fuel pressure.

 

[jrichker]

You will need to buy or rent a compression tester and a fuel pressure tester, also get yourself a Haynes or Chilton manual for your car, they will have the instructions on how to do basic testing.

This is some of the best advice you’ll get. Do the simple tests first to get an idea of the basic condition of the car’s engine.

You need to take a systematic approach to fixing you car’s problems: doing so will save lots of money and time. Throwing parts at a problem just makes you poor and tired. Buy a Chilton or Haynes shop manual, or better still, both manuals. Read up on what you need to do, get the parts & tools you need, and then just do it. The Chilton manual is better for emissions & tune up, but the Haynes is better for other things.

First, fix the things that you can see are obviously wrong, like the 24 pound injectors. Do a complete tune up with plugs, wires, cap, rotor, fuel & air filters. Wash the engine down with some mineral spirits or kerosene and then drive it & look for leaks. Fix the leaks and change the oil, wash it down again if it needs it.

Once you have changed the oil & done the simple tests & tune up, do some of the more complex testing. The tune up will fix some of the performance problems and shrink the symptom list down to a more easily managed size.

Don’t let the engine control computer intimidate you. It can tell you what is wrong with the engine if you take time to understand it. If you take some time to read the Chilton manual or better still, Ford Fuel Injection & Electronic Engine Control 1988-1993 by Charles Probst :ISBN 0-8376-0301-3, you be fixing you problems quickly and easily the first time.

The computer’s ability to track malfunctions will be a big help, but do the tune up & fix up stuff first. They will clear some of the diagnostic fault codes the computer will store.

Here's the link to dump the computer codes with only a jumper wire or paper clip and the check engine light, or test light or voltmeter. I’ve used it for years, and it works great.

See http://www.troublecodes.net/Ford/
OR
See http://www.dalidesign.com/hbook/eectest.html for more descriptive help
OR
See http://www.mustangworks.com/articles/electronics/eec-iv_codes.html

 

[Mustang5L5]

First thing i would do is go in the classified and buy some 19# injectors. Install those, reset the computer and drive it and see if a lot of the rich problems go away. Then take it from there

 

[Ranchero5.0]

Dude, you need a friend who knows stangs to get you going in the right direction. Where are you located?

Jamie

 

[ALMOSTFINISHED]

If you are still running speed density and have bigger injectors it will cause it to run way to rich, if the problem has gotten progressivly worse but used to not do it when you got deeper into the throttle, to me it sounds like your map sensor has gone on you. the map sensor stands for manifold absolute pressure, you have no vacuum when you go full throttle which is when it seems to run better, i think it is that. Just my opinion...good luck

Nick

 

[5.0Stanger]

First thing i would do is go in the classified and buy some 19# injectors. Install those, reset the computer and drive it and see if a lot of the rich problems go away. Then take it from there

Seems like there's a person here that agrees with me on the injectors.

Xile,
Before you go spending money on tune-up parts, test what parts you can test to determine if they're faulty. Without knowing what you're willing to spend on some of the replacement parts, it's hard to tell you what to replace.

If are planning on keeping this car for many years, get the Ford repair manuals from www.helm.com. They can supply you with the correct information, instead of part of the information. I have the thick Chilton manual, and have found it to be missing or misinforming on some procedures. The factory manuals should help you with the tests you may need to perform.

Making sure everything is securely connected underhood is the cheapest thing you can do to find or fix a problem. Be sure all of the vacuum lines are in tact, because the plastic lines that Ford used tend to get brittle and crack. If an electrical connector is not securely connected to a sensor, a false reading could be sent to the computer. A plug wire that's just sitting on the plug will not let that plug fire the way it should.

When you start buying parts, you may not want to put someone's used parts on your car without checking them out. With fuel injectors, they will get gummed up where the fuel runs over time. A rebuilt and flow tested set of used injectors may be cheaper than a new set, and would be more sound than just a used set. This goes for intake manifolds, heads, etc. If you end up replacing any sensors on your car, go with new Ford parts.

Hope this helps you out. Since you this is your first Stang, your first post was missing a list of what was or wasn't modified. That information can help to determine the best course of action.

 

[Michael Yount]

As several have mentioned before, here's the place to start -- "The first step should probably be to pull the error codes out of the computer and see what they tell you."

Do that before you do anything else - follow jrichker's links above, or take it to an AutoZone and they'll usually pull them for you for free.

 

[cjman15]

buy a new motor