• Community Forums
  • The Welcome Wagon

500 dollar 86 LX convertable 3.8 issue

  • Thread starter Thread starter 500dollar86
  • Start date Start date Jul 4, 2021
5

500dollar86

New Member
Jul 4, 2021
2
0
1
Ithaca mi
Jul 4, 2021
#1
  • Jul 4, 2021
  • #1
Newly registered. Not sure where to post question, so just throw it out there.
86 Stang 3.8 will start, idle. Sometimes rough idle, other times sounds ok. Give it gas, wants to die right away.
Previous owner gave up on it. Fuel lines were rotted. I broke them in half effortlessly. Replaced all. New tank, pump, filter, tps,coil,dist. Cap,plugs,wires. Have new injectors and throttle body gasket. 5.0 swap future plans if I can't get this going.
Previous owner could get it to go a mile or 2, then would have to relieve shrader valve, then it would another mile or so...until he got it home and parked it under the trees.
I will be at least the third hand trying to get it down the road. Maybe i will fail as well, but gotta try before deciding to swap out.
 

General karthief

wonder how much it would cost to ship you a pair
5 Year Member
Aug 25, 2016
27,874
10,543
203
polk county florida
Jul 4, 2021
#2
  • Jul 4, 2021
  • #2
Not too many 3.8 V6 members around here, that engine was used in the 83-86 mustangs, dropped then picked up again in the early 90s with some changes.
CFI was available on some, is yours CFI?
This may help you some,

FourEyedPride.com - 1986 Ford 3.8L EEC-IV CFI Training Manual PDF Available

http://foureyedpride.com/picstopost/CMSarticle/3pt8_1986.jpg While V8s may get the bulk of the attention in the Fox world, FourEyedPride has always made a point of supporting all the power plants Ford installed in the Early Fox cars. To that end, we will continue to work on acquiring factory...
www.foureyedpride.com
 

KRUISR

10 Year Member
Apr 16, 2015
1,806
903
143
Jul 4, 2021
#3
  • Jul 4, 2021
  • #3
Back in the day I had an '83 hatch with a 3.8. It was a 2 bbl carb. It ran like crap when I bought it ($500). It would start, idle/run REALLY rough and stall as soon as you put it in gear. I ended up replacing the long block and all was good. When we dug into the old engine to see if we could determine why it didn't run right, we found the cam had snapped in the middle. The car was basically running on the front half of the engine only. Later I swapped in a 302 2bbl/AOD from a mid 80's Crown Vic.
 
Reactions: 2Blue2
5

500dollar86

New Member
Jul 4, 2021
2
0
1
Ithaca mi
Jul 11, 2021
#4
  • Jul 11, 2021
  • #4
Thought i had it solved. Massive carbon buildup leading to egr. Had to chisel it away, then dremel tool. Replaced gasket, which was shot. Hah, still no good. Wont even stay running. 5.0 swap if i can't get it figured out. 3.8 is kicking my ass
 
S

StockerStang

Member
Mar 19, 2024
21
7
13
Nova Scotia, Canada
Jun 1, 2025
#5
  • Jun 1, 2025
  • #5
Soooo, what is the conclusion???
 

General karthief

wonder how much it would cost to ship you a pair
5 Year Member
Aug 25, 2016
27,874
10,543
203
polk county florida
Jun 2, 2025
#6
  • Jun 2, 2025
  • #6
StockerStang said:
Soooo, what is the conclusion???
Click to expand...
He ain't been back since July 2021 soooooo
 

Noobz347

Stangnet Facilities Maint Tech... Er... Janitor
Admin Dude
Jan 4, 1985
42,977
21,156
234
Box behind Walmart
Jun 5, 2025
#7
  • Jun 5, 2025
  • #7
Will add it to our side project:



Available soon!
 

nickyb

I gotta say i never painted my nuts, Never Ever
15 Year Member
Apr 3, 2009
2,979
1,626
153
nevada
Jun 6, 2025
#8
  • Jun 6, 2025
  • #8
Crickets.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

K
Engine 2000 Mustang GT - Fuel issue post-blown spark plug repair
  • kenster1092
  • Feb 26, 2026
  • SN95 4.6L Mustang Tech
Replies
4
Views
326
SN95 4.6L Mustang Tech Mar 10, 2026
kenster1092
K
8
Engine Rough idle and aggressive sputtering when accelerating
  • 88vertible
  • Aug 13, 2025
  • Fox 5.0 Mustang Tech
Replies
4
Views
1K
Fox 5.0 Mustang Tech Dec 13, 2025
Jarhead67
J
Engine 1990 LX 5.0L EFI Mustang Fuel Management Problems - HELP!
  • 5.0LXStanger
  • May 25, 2025
  • Fox 5.0 Mustang Tech
  • 2 3
Replies
45
Views
2K
Fox 5.0 Mustang Tech Jul 11, 2025
5.0LXStanger
L
2004 Mustang GT issues after bolt-ons added
  • Leo090
  • Nov 1, 2024
  • SN95 4.6L Mustang Tech
  • 2
Replies
21
Views
1K
SN95 4.6L Mustang Tech Jan 24, 2025
Leo090
L
Place to Avoid: Jamison Auto Group in Gulfport, MS
  • D Durden
  • Oct 20, 2025
  • 1965 - 1973 Classic Mustangs -General/Talk-
  • 2 3
Replies
45
Views
2K
1965 - 1973 Classic Mustangs -General/Talk- Feb 4, 2026
nickyb
Share:
Bluesky Email Share Link
  • Community Forums
  • The Welcome Wagon
Menu
Log in

Register

  • Forums
  • What's new
  • Media
  • Resources
  • Contact
  • Sponsor
X

Privacy & Transparency

We use cookies and similar technologies for the following purposes:

  • Personalized ads and content
  • Content measurement and audience insights

Do you accept cookies and these technologies?

X

Privacy & Transparency

We use cookies and similar technologies for the following purposes:

  • Personalized ads and content
  • Content measurement and audience insights

Do you accept cookies and these technologies?