Bad timing, running hot , need help!

[1Fine89stang]

Hey guys , i just bought my second stang. Its a 91 lx with trick flow heads cam and intake. 4.10 gears , long tubes , full exaust, 5 speed. When i bought the car two days ago the guy said it needed to be timed. It is popping through the manifold really bad and just generally running crappy. It also has a bad ground and pretty weak battery. I messed with the timing a little and it ran great up and down the street , then it started popping through the manifold , back firing , and bucking. I want to know if this could be more than timing? It also feels like there is a bad u joint or something , when you tap the throttle it clunks. I need help quick because i HAVE to have it running for the weekend for a trip. Thanks in advance.

 

[1Fine89stang]

I also forgot to add that the car is runnign really hot, like 220. I put in a 180 degree thermostat and i thought that would help. I know that the car has a lot of potential, its super clean and all the engine work has less than 10k on it and the guy i bought it from showed me a time slip for 12.50.

 

[v8only]

wow. Hope he wasn't trying to offload a carfull of problems on your hands.

First things first.

1. pull codes. This may tell you everything.

2. Flush the radiator...if this doesn't help your cooling system issues, pull the radiator and have it rodded out. (guessing that your clutch fan is working)

3. Give it a tuneup. This means plugs, wires, cap and rotor.

4. while you're in there, check tps voltage.

5. I'd also pull a vacuum reading, and possible a fuel pressure reading off the shrader valve if you continue to have problems after all of the above.

I had popping through the manifold when all my plugs were so black from a run rich problem, that after I fixed the rich conditions, the plugs were too fouled to fire right, and it popped through the manifold, .....which could indicate a lean condition if you're spark system is ok. Just throwing out different ideas.

you can really buy a basket case when you get into a pre built car

-what cam did he install?
-which injectors are he using?
-which maf is he using? Is everything calibrated right?

 

[1Fine89stang]

Everything is done right on the car. Its a trick flow heads cam and intake package , so everything is matched. MAF and injectors are matched. The car ran great before the distributor swap. Today i fixed the timing and wow , its like a completely different car. It was still bucking when i would put it in gear and just try to cruise , so i checked the tranny fluid, EMPTY. so i filled it up with mobil one synthetic. A lot better , but still bucking. Put it on the lift and the pinion bearing is completely wasted , so the rear is getting re-built right now , as well as the entire car being checked for details.