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  • 2.3L (N/A & Turbo) Tech

About to kill the svo!

  • Thread starter Thread starter Mr. Rustypwnz
  • Start date Start date Feb 12, 2006

Mr. Rustypwnz

Advanced Member
Jun 1, 2005
1,761
63
69
indianapolis/ valdosta ga
Feb 12, 2006
#1
  • Feb 12, 2006
  • #1
I was driving my 84 svo when I pulled up to a stop light and it shut off, and now it wont idle under 2k. It has a brand-new kirban fpr on it and it has perfect fuel pressure. The idle motor has been cleaned and the vam also. No vacuum leaks, nothing wrong as I can see. Still the same! Mods include, accel coil, gillis valve, k&n on vam, fpr, 86 svo turbo (water cooled), full tune up, stinger downpipe, some more things I cant remember.
Anybody got a clue to what is wrong with this thing? It will be GREATLY appreciated.
 

Dr_EluSivE

Founding Member
Apr 24, 2002
2,155
0
56
Central Illinois
Feb 12, 2006
#2
  • Feb 12, 2006
  • #2
slow95gt said:
I was driving my 84 svo when I pulled up to a stop light and it shut off, and now it wont idle under 2k. It has a brand-new kirban fpr on it and it has perfect fuel pressure. The idle motor has been cleaned and the vam also. No vacuum leaks, nothing wrong as I can see. Still the same! Mods include, accel coil, gillis valve, k&n on vam, fpr, 86 svo turbo (water cooled), full tune up, stinger downpipe, some more things I cant remember.
Anybody got a clue to what is wrong with this thing? It will be GREATLY appreciated.
Click to expand...
check the timing belt, might have slipped a tooth, i would also have the TFI tested.

Dr.
 

Mr. Rustypwnz

Advanced Member
Jun 1, 2005
1,761
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69
indianapolis/ valdosta ga
Feb 13, 2006
#3
  • Feb 13, 2006
  • #3
Checked the timing, and the mark on the cam gear is off about 7-8 teeth to the left than the three pronged marker right below it. It is supposed to be aligned to one of the three right?
 
1

140cilx

Founding Member
Sep 7, 2001
2,385
0
0
GA
Feb 13, 2006
#4
  • Feb 13, 2006
  • #4
It's highly likely you found your problem. I'm suprised it's running that way. Does it have any power? It should be dead in the center of the middle "prong" - although those are just plastic and junky imo. Don't know why Ford gave us plastic parts to find TDC for everything.

If you weren't at the lowest point of the state, and me at the exact opposite end of the state I'd help you out.

Sometime get out the level, take the cam cover off and find the true TDC of the cam, mark it on the front of the head so you can ignore that plastic marker.
 

Mr. Rustypwnz

Advanced Member
Jun 1, 2005
1,761
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69
indianapolis/ valdosta ga
Feb 14, 2006
#5
  • Feb 14, 2006
  • #5
Well I set the timing today, pulled the belt off and turned the cam to the center of the three marks. try to start it, nothin, crap. I have also checked the distributor which looks to be in the right position. I just have a feeling I am not doing this right. Im going to go through the whole process again and see if I screwed up somewhere.
 

Mr. Rustypwnz

Advanced Member
Jun 1, 2005
1,761
63
69
indianapolis/ valdosta ga
Feb 15, 2006
#6
  • Feb 15, 2006
  • #6
well I know that I am doing it right now, but I think I am setting it wrong. I've have it at 10 deg. left of the tc mark on the crank marker, and at the tc mark. Both have not worked. Any suggestions to where I should set it at?
 

SVO1

Lord of The somethin' somethin' somethin', hell, I
Oct 25, 1999
4,592
1
0
Lord of uh, hmm what was it again?
Feb 16, 2006
#7
  • Feb 16, 2006
  • #7
TDC on the crank, center mark on the cam pulley mark, and the rotor should be dead at the #1 tower on the dist cap.
 

Mr. Rustypwnz

Advanced Member
Jun 1, 2005
1,761
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69
indianapolis/ valdosta ga
Feb 16, 2006
#8
  • Feb 16, 2006
  • #8
alright, I got everything perfect, timing and distributor. But it still dosen't want to idle. and when I hit the gas, it really dosent want to idle. Basically all it does is: I start it the rpms go to about 500 and it dies, all in about 1.5 seconds. I'm ready to push it off a cliff, If I dont fix it tomorrow, it's going to the shop. Has this ever happened to any of you guys? If so how did you fix it?
 

SVO1

Lord of The somethin' somethin' somethin', hell, I
Oct 25, 1999
4,592
1
0
Lord of uh, hmm what was it again?
Feb 16, 2006
#9
  • Feb 16, 2006
  • #9
Make 100% sure the Intercooler connectors have not moved at all or have any holes. Also check the Vam-Turbo hose to make sure there are no tears.
Check the TPS Voltage, and TPS wiring.
On my 84 The wiring had gotten pretty bad and it would idle at ~2500 after slowing down from crusing (like on the highway). I put a new connector on it, and put a new TPS in it and it ended the problems.
 
T

t3-svo

New Member
Apr 18, 2005
76
0
0
Mooresville NC
Feb 17, 2006
#10
  • Feb 17, 2006
  • #10
My car one day just didn't work after i parked it at work. It drove fine on my lunch barake. I went back out to it after work and it didn't start at all. I got the car towed to my mechanic and he said it was my battery cables!!! He replaced one of them and it ran fine. This past week my car was idleing bad.... really bad. I left it at home and checked it out later. Turns out it was the other battery cable that was not replaced from before!! But after i replaced the cable it was al fine. Check that while your at it and if you are getting spark.
 

Mr. Rustypwnz

Advanced Member
Jun 1, 2005
1,761
63
69
indianapolis/ valdosta ga
Feb 17, 2006
#11
  • Feb 17, 2006
  • #11
I GOT IT RUNNING!! The stupid hose going from the vam to the turbo was split wide open. Got that fixed and started it and now it is boosting at idle, only about 1-2 psi but when you hit the gas it goes to full boost (20 psi). So I almost know it is the wastegate, with side exhaust exiting under the drivers seat it feels like a blower at about 200 mph. But im pretty sure its the wastegate, anybody have any other suggestions?
By the way, thanks to everyone that has replied it has been very very helpful.
 

Mr. Rustypwnz

Advanced Member
Jun 1, 2005
1,761
63
69
indianapolis/ valdosta ga
Feb 18, 2006
#12
  • Feb 18, 2006
  • #12
Allright everybody, thank you for all the feedback to my question. Last night I got it running and it wasn't running right. Then I saw the coolant coming out around the base of the head, holy crappin crap, blown gasget. So mr. felpro is going on with arp studs to fix this.
Thanks again, everybody.
 

Scones

Member
Sep 9, 2004
62
0
6
Halifax, Nova Scotia
Feb 18, 2006
#13
  • Feb 18, 2006
  • #13
slow95gt said:
I was driving my 84 svo when I pulled up to a stop light and it shut off, and now it wont idle under 2k. It has a brand-new kirban fpr on it and it has perfect fuel pressure. The idle motor has been cleaned and the vam also. No vacuum leaks, nothing wrong as I can see. Still the same! Mods include, accel coil, gillis valve, k&n on vam, fpr, 86 svo turbo (water cooled), full tune up, stinger downpipe, some more things I cant remember.
Anybody got a clue to what is wrong with this thing? It will be GREATLY appreciated.
Click to expand...

you never mentioned which eec you are running. are you running the factory 84 EEC, or have you made (IMO should have been the FIRST upgrade) got an LA series eec out of an 87/88 Tbird Turbo Coupe? Along with the brown top injectors...?

My 84 GT Turbo had similar problems on occasion, and we couldn't figure it until years later, those 84 eec SUCKED (EVEN SVO ones). Go to turboford.net, they sell these LA series on there all the time. Go for an LA3 (best IMO), unless you drive an auto than go with an LA2.
 

Scones

Member
Sep 9, 2004
62
0
6
Halifax, Nova Scotia
Feb 18, 2006
#14
  • Feb 18, 2006
  • #14
slow95gt said:
Allright everybody, thank you for all the feedback to my question. Last night I got it running and it wasn't running right. Then I saw the coolant coming out around the base of the head, holy crappin crap, blown gasget. So mr. felpro is going on with arp studs to fix this.
Thanks again, everybody.
Click to expand...

If you're lucky, you only blew a head gasket....however, if you were running it hard and hot, and she leaned out on you the heads on these 2.3Ts crack very easily. Crosss your fingers, I'm crossing mine.
 

Mr. Rustypwnz

Advanced Member
Jun 1, 2005
1,761
63
69
indianapolis/ valdosta ga
Feb 19, 2006
#15
  • Feb 19, 2006
  • #15
Still got the stock te computer in there with the stock green tops. I know that I couldnt have cracked the head, because when I got the timing fixed, somehow the wastegate got stuck shut or open (which ever makes it boost) and when it was idling you could hear the turbo pretty loud. So i pulled it into the garage and parked it there, it was sitting in the driveway about 4-5 feet away. and then yesterday I started it up and backed it out and there it sits. I'm going to rip the engine apart today and see what happens. Oh yeah, the pos e3 is hairlined cracked. If the head is cracked Ill try convince the parents to buy me a powerhead or if a miracle happens maybe an esslinger?
 
R

ratrapp2

New Member
Jun 24, 2005
121
0
0
Feb 24, 2006
#16
  • Feb 24, 2006
  • #16
i've got a crack free e6 if you need one.i'll ship it to your door for $40 if you need it.
 

Mr. Rustypwnz

Advanced Member
Jun 1, 2005
1,761
63
69
indianapolis/ valdosta ga
Feb 24, 2006
#17
  • Feb 24, 2006
  • #17
Cool, im going to need one soon, so ill keep you posted on it.
 
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