95 5.0 is super slow! Why? Please help!

Can't really answer your question without knowing history of car. Assuming all is good (sounds like it), here is my experience with stock automatics. Won't spin by just punching the gas. Had a '90 LX 7up auto and the stock gearing was awful for bottom end. Passing gear was great...take off not. Look at changing the rear end gear. That's my 0.02 without knowing the car. Others will tell you the mods to make to get you where you need to be. I've left all my cars stock except for the '65 I'm working on now. The 90GT 5 speed is bone stock with only 14,400 original miles on it. She's a beauty.

OOOOOO, you posted twice your gittin the bant!!!
Just kiddin, read my other response in the talk section, oh and welcome to the net!!!

The problem is I hear a lot of "like it should", etc. etc.

What are you expecting exactlya nd what do you have to compare it too?

My 95 Auto vert isn't all that quick either. It gives a little stuff in the seat and it's fun, but it won't break them loose from a stop, and it's not all that fast. I think they ran15's to 16's in the 1/4 stock. Verts aren't the lightest cars around and the gearing isn't exactly for go when stock.

If you wanted fast, you should have gotten a gutted tin-top. Drop tops sure are nice for a cruiser though.

mattyurdaddy said:

HI!
So I just picked up my first 95 5.0 covert, AODE.

What do you think?

Click to expand...

I think that's your problem right there.

yea gears is a must. 3:73's or some 4:10's will really give you a punch. Stock aods are dogs. Might be a good idea somewhere along the line to do a shift kit and converter in that thing. It takes money...

I replied to this earlier but my post is now gone, but anyway throw some 3.73's or 4.10's in there and it will wake up considerably.

It's a vert, it's an AODE, has stock gears and it's a '95 which is heavier to begin with than a '93 or older.

It's worth checking the timing. I've seen a F350 with a 460 where some jackass set the timing at 10* ATDC instead of BTDC. It was a dog.

Jeff

Bump the timing.

converter and a shift kit...then toss in some 4.10's and it will be an animal...a whole different car. 1000 bucks and it will be WAY faster.

That's about on par for an SN95 Vert with an AODE.

How much difference in highway MPG does the 4.10's make?

I might have to use my 95 to commute to work on occasion (about 4 weeks out of 8) and that's 135 miles r/t on the freeway.

Man I hate this drive

95 gt

Gears are a must. I have a 94 5speed with 3.73 gear, aluminum driveshaft, and other mods to engine. The gears and the driveshaft really freed up horsepower. You will need a speedo tooth gear. Let me know, I have an extra one for the 3.73 if you go with it.

Generally the rule of thumb is that in a 4spd AODE you want a numerically higher gear. INstead of 3.73's you should go with 4.10's. I have 3.73's in my car and it made a world of difference and i still pull 25+mpg on the highway @ about 2500 - 2600 rpm at 75-80

Find out what shape the engine is in before you start chasing rabbits and spending money.

Do a compression test:

Only use a compression tester with a screw in adapter for the spark plug hole. The other type leaks too much to get an accurate reading.Your local auto parts store may have a compression tester to rent. If you do mechanic work on your own car on a regular basis, it would be a good tool to add to your collection.

With the engine warmed up, remove all spark plugs and prop the throttle wide open, crank the engine until it the gage reading stops increasing. On a cold engine, it will be hard to tell what's good & what's not. Some of the recent posts have numbers ranging from 140-170 psi. If the compression is low, squirt some oil in the cylinder and do it again – if it comes up, the rings are worn. There should be no more than 10% difference between cylinders. Use a blow down leak test (puts compressed air inside cylinders) on cylinders that have more than 10% difference.

Dump the codes and see what the computer says is wrong… Codes can be present without setting the Check Engine Light.

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.mustangworks.com/articles/electronics/eec-iv_codes.html

IF your car is an 86-88 stang, you'll have to use the test lamp or voltmeter method. There is no functional check engine light on the 86-88's except possibly the Cali Mass Air cars.

Codes have different answers if the engine is running from the answers that it has when the engine isn't running. It helps a lot to know if you had the engine running when you ran the test.

Trouble codes are either 2 digit or 3 digit, there are no cars that use both 2 digit codes and 3 digit codes.

For those who are intimidated by all the wires & connections, see http://www.actron.com/product_detail.php?pid=16153 for what a typical hand scanner looks like. Normal retail price is about $30 or so at AutoZone or Walmart.

Or for a nicer scanner see http://www.midwayautosupply.com/detailedproductdescription.asp?3829 – It has a 3 digit LCD display so that you don’t have to count flashes or beeps.. Cost is $35.

WalMart may have the above LCD display scanner for less than $35.

Post the results and I will try to help you fix any codes you get.

Compression is good and no codes: then look at some of the other items already suggested.

it will always be slow, verts are heavy and the auto is no help, you can put 410 gears in it ,but a NON vert with gears will clean your clock