87 SD hesitation in low rpms

[svtpower]

87 SD hesitation in low rpms. Looking for some help Update with pics

I just bought an 87 LX 5.0 with 88,000 miles on it. It has an offroad H, flowmasters, 3.73s and a smog delete. The smog delete looks like it was done right, the holes in the back of the head have bolts threaded into them and an aluminum dummy pulley where the pump was.

It was sluggish from idle - 1500 rpms and when shifting during the test drive, but I got a good deal on it and figured it just needed a tune up.

I pulled codes and found a KOEO 67, which I guess is nothing.

I changed the fuel filter and the spark plugs yesterday, seemed to run a little better but same problem.

I have new spark plug wires and cap and rotor coming. Will change those tomorrow.

I tried to clean the IAC with some brake cleaner, it had some carbon in it, kind of hard to clean it out but it's better than it was.

I bought a highflow catted H-pipe to take care of that horrible raw gas smell (daily driver) and a cold air intake, neither of which I have put on yet.

Symptoms:

My low end torque sucks, hesitation off idle and when shifting into gears.

Has stalled out on me a few times coming up to a light.

Popping out of tailpipe when cold at low rpms. Lean?

Any ideas guys? My last 2 stangs were modulars, it's been awhile since I owned a 5.0.

bad O2 maybe?
Injector problem?

I checked the firing order and the #1 plugwire does not go to the spot marked #1 on the distributor. It's at about the 1:00 spot if you are standing infront of the car looking back toward the motor. All other plug wires follow the normal pattern and seem to be in the right order though.

The car pulls really hard at upper rpms...

 

[BK_CAULEY]

I just bought an 87 LX 5.0 with 88,000 miles on it. It has an offroad H, flowmasters, 3.73s and a smog delete. The smog delete looks like it was done right, the holes in the back of the head have bolts threaded into them and an aluminum dummy pulley where the pump was.

It was sluggish from idle - 1500 rpms and when shifting during the test drive, but I got a good deal on it and figured it just needed a tune up.

I pulled codes and found a KOEO 67, which I guess is nothing.

I changed the fuel filter and the spark plugs yesterday, seemed to run a little better but same problem.

I have new spark plug wires and cap and rotor coming. Will change those tomorrow.

I tried to clean the IAC with some brake cleaner, it had some carbon in it, kind of hard to clean it out but it's better than it was.

I bought a highflow catted H-pipe to take care of that horrible raw gas smell (daily driver) and a cold air intake, neither of which I have put on yet.

Symptoms:

My low end torque sucks, hesitation off idle and when shifting into gears.

Has stalled out on me a few times coming up to a light.

Popping out of tailpipe when cold at low rpms. Lean?

Any ideas guys? My last 2 stangs were modulars, it's been awhile since I owned a 5.0.

bad O2 maybe?
Injector problem?

I checked the firing order and the #1 plugwire does not go to the spot marked #1 on the distributor. It's at about the 1:00 spot if you are standing infront of the car looking back toward the motor. All other plug wires follow the normal pattern and seem to be in the right order though.

The car pulls really hard at upper rpms...

RED FLAG.. pull all the wires of and re-attach them yourself. make sure you start on number one and work your way around. the firing order is, 1-3-7-2-6-5-4-8. that might be the entire problem.

 

[93lxdm78]

Yes check your firing order first if thats not it I would replace the IAC with a new one.

I got mine for 50 bucks at auto zone and its perfect never stalled since I tried cleaning mine but it just helped

 

[svtpower]

FAST

Thanks for the FAST reply!

What I meant that all the plug wires are in the correct order. It's almost like the distributor is turned like 45 deg or something.

So you still think I should just take them all off and put #1 to the spot marked #1 and then put the rest on in sequence?

 

[BK_CAULEY]

Thanks for the FAST reply!

What I meant that all the plug wires are in the correct order. It's almost like the distributor is turned like 45 deg or something.

So you still think I should just take them all off and put #1 to the spot marked #1 and then put the rest on in sequence?

yea, and it wouldnt hurt to go ahead and pull the dizzy make sure its Top dead center on the compression stroke, reinstall it with the #1 on the tip of the rotor. it wont take but just minute. and an easy was i have found to check is to stick a small stick or rod of some sort in and when it pushes it out as far as it ca and before it starts to drop you pretty much have found TDC.

 

[svtpower]

hmm

Ok, now talk to me like I am an 8 year old.

I have done brake jobs, shocks/struts and plugs but never anything directly engine related.

So let me get this straight...

You are saying I should pull the #1 spark plug out, put a dowl in, put the car in neutral, put a breaker bar on the crank pulley and turn the crank until the dowl sticks out the farthest, then pop the top off the distributor and check to make sure it's pointing to the wire that's going to the #1 right? Then....what? I remove the entire distributor and turn it? I feel pretty dumb here, I don't know how to remove it? Anything I need to watch out for here? I can just pull it out, turn it and put it back in? I just don't want to mess up my motor.

I really appreciate the help.

 

[BK_CAULEY]

Ok, now talk to me like I am an 8 year old.

I have done brake jobs, shocks/struts and plugs but never anything directly engine related.

So let me get this straight...

You are saying I should pull the #1 spark plug out, put a dowl in, put the car in neutral, put a breaker bar on the crank pulley and turn the crank until the dowl sticks out the farthest, then pop the top off the distributor and check to make sure it's pointing to the wire that's going to the #1 right? Then....what? I remove the entire distributor and turn it? I feel pretty dumb here, I don't know how to remove it? Anything I need to watch out for here? I can just pull it out, turn it and put it back in? I just don't want to mess up my motor.

I really appreciate the help.

there is a 1/2" nut theat holds the dizzy clasp down. undo it and pull it off. and if the dizzy is pointing to #1 leave it alone, but if its not pick straight up on it until it pops out. set the rotor to point towrds the #1 plug (helps to mark it with a marker) and put it back in the hole. and if it turns a little bit then rotate the dizy until it lines back up. and its no big deal man, thats what we are here for.

 

[svtpower]

will do

Thanks again for all the help.

I will give this a try when I get home from work and report back.

 

[svtpower]

hmm

Ok, I am stuck. Here are a few pics of what I found.

Pushing the car in 5th gear I got to where the straw was sticking out the farthest from the #1 plug hole. I noticed it was almost exactly where the 0 line was on the balancer.
View attachment 377334

Here is where the #1 plugwire goes currently.

View attachment 377335

Here is where the rotor is pointing when the balancer is at 0 and I think the straw is sticking out the furthest.

View attachment 377336

So I now take off all the sparkplug wires and move them around starting at where the rotor is pointing? Or do I need to move the distributor?

 

[svtpower]

also

Edit, for anyone who searches for something in this topic.

I changed the plugwires and cap and rotor and took out the #1 plug and put a piece of paper towel in there, then I unplugged the coil wire and got in the car and cranked it for a split second and went out and checked intil the towel was blown out of the spark plug hole, then I took a look at the balancer and it was at almost exactly 0, I popped the top off the distributor and the rotor was pointing exactly where it should be to my #1 plugwire. My last picture must not have been on the compression stroke.

Still no low end power though...


One other thing I just remembered that I thought was strange.

Even after a 30 minute drive the temp gauge reads just below the first mark. It only moves like half a mark from the bottom ever. This car has a stock radiator too.

My 88 use to read pretty hot all the time.