car running lean with 30 lb injectors UPDATE

[mrmustangman357]

If you read before, my buddy's lincoln LSC 5.0L has been running lean. His setup:
stock 5.0 block .040 over
heavily worked E7s (port, bowl, etc
Trick Flow .560 cam
mass air conversion with the stock A9l computer

I tell him to try to get the plugs to read black first, as a previous poster suggested, we dialed in 56 POUNDS OF pressure at idle, then ran it twice wide open through two gears, kill the motor than check the plugs, bone white

As I mentioned earlier, he'd pull a plug out and it looks bone white like brand new. It is an autolite 25 plug. I tell him to swap one plug with my splitfires in my 89 5.0, which is more or less stock. We go cruising with his one plus in my car and one of my plugs in his. Mine are a perfect ash color. We go cruise for 20 minutes to burn in the plug on his motor (with 50 LBS of fuell pressure) than he runs it wide open through 2nd gear again, kills the motor, and checked the plug. I do the same for my car. I pull his plug out of my car and it is still boney white, and my splitfire in his car is still ashy. I'd have figured the plugs would burn off and read good after that much driving and the WOT action. Timing is set at 13. We are going to try to pull the codes (need a test light) again with motor running and see where it is at, as well as I may take my fuel pressure gauge with extension and my wideband O2 and see exactly what its doing. He also has a set of champion plugs that are 2 stages colder to try out. wish us luck

 

[BK_CAULEY]

im lost are you asking for help? lol

 

[2000xp8]

Are you saying you are running 50lbs of fuel pressure with that combo with 30lb injectors? That's way too much fuel, it would probably run fine with 19's.

Are you running the correct meter to be using 30's?
Before you bother messing with anything else, at least downsize the setup to 24's.
Realize that 30's are capable of supporting 400rwhp+ NA, and that combo is probably over a 100 short of that.

 

[mrmustangman357]

In my old thread, I explained that the guy is strapped for cash and he had to trade down his trick set of heads for some worked E7s. We are trying to get the combo running good until he can step up on the heads later. He has a C&L mass air meter with the correct sample tube.

 

[2000xp8]

Oversized 30's and a C&L meter on that combo are probably never going to let the car run right.
If he's broke (and i do understand that) i'd put 19's and a stock meter in, they should be dirt cheap.

 

[FastDriver]

Plugs being white does not necessarily indicate that he's running to lean. People get carried away reading plugs sometimes.

http://www.dansmc.com/Spark_Plugs/Spark_Plugs_catalog.html

 

[jrichker]

Dump the codes and see what the computer says is wrong…Codes may be present in the computer even if the Check Engine light isn’t on.

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. You watch the flashing test lamp or Check Engine Light and count the flashes.

See http://www.troublecodes.net/Ford/

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.

89 through 95 cars have a working Check Engine light. Watch it instead of using a test lamp.

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 Wal-Mart.

Or for a nicer scanner see http://www.midwayautosupply.com/pc-7208-90-equus-digital-ford-code-reader-3145.aspx – It has a 3 digit LCD display so that you don’t have to count flashes or beeps.. Cost is $30.

 

[FastDriver]

http://www.dragstuff.com/techarticles/how-to-read-plugs.html

That's an article on plug reading that I actually agree with. That's how I was taught to read 'em. Note the portions of the plug that the guy reads. The ground for heat range, the ring for fuel, and the porcelain for pre-ignition/detonation.

You can also see preignition and det on the ground strap even though he doesn't mention that.

 

[vristang]

Pull the codes as mentioned by JRichker...


Why do you have the fuel pressure so high?
Was there a problem you were trying to correct?

Drop it back to ~40, reset the computer by disconnecting the battery for 15min, and drive it for a day or 2.
(this will reset any learning the ecu has done while running 50psi)
Then check for codes again

jason

 

[mrmustangman357]

We disconnected the batt and reset fuel pressure to 38 with the vacuum line pulled. I routed a fuel pressure gauge into the car when we rode and topping out in 3rd gear the pressure only dropped to 35 psi. Is this okay? we didn't get the chance to dump codes when it started raining, but we checked the pressure and it seemed okay, but the car is slow. with his setup:

stock 5.0 block .040 over
heavily worked E7s (port, bowl, etc
Trick Flow .560 cam
mass air conversion with the stock A9l computer
also, ported cobra upper and lower intake
3.73 gear
race AOD trans with a stall
our cars weigh the same
He couldn't even keep up with my stock 2.73 geared 89 mustang. We will pull the codes soon and he said he may have a line on the 19 lb hardware, so we'll see where it does. expect next post to have a lot of KOER codes