Hey whats up! More 2.3 power needed

Got an update for you guys on my plan for a head gasket. I'm gonna stick with the felpro 8993, id much rather my gasket blow than my motor, and the reason it blew was my own mistake. So I don't see why I should change to something that will last longer than my rods and block
Good plan! IIRC, you have a lot of miles on the bottom end. Since you had your head shaved previously, I'd have the machine shop check for straightness first. If it's good, don't shave it again cuz that'll only raise compression which you don't want in a turbo application.
 
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Good plan! IIRC, you have a lot of miles on the bottom end. Since you had your head shaved previously, I'd have the machine shop check for straightness first. If it's good, don't shave it again cuz that'll only raise compression which you don't want in a turbo application.
Yea! Had the head shaved a little bit, not too worried about it I don't plan on doing anything crazy. Previous machine shop did a really crappy job, fed it through their machine way too fast.

As for the bottom end, I have stock crankshaft main caps connecting rods and pistons, I got new Ring's rod bearings, and main bearings and my crank polished

I'm also not planning to run more than 18 PSI of boost, it's what the little red line started at on the boost gauge in the Thunderbird I pulled it out of, same thing with the engine rpm, 6,000 is the most I'll go, started at 5900 at yellow and turned red at 6200 it seemed. So, im not goin past 6000 lol
 
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So, im havin an issue, i foxed the head gasket and got it running, set my timing to 10° advanced, with the spout connector out. When driving around, at about 3000 rpm, the engine sputters and just sits there for a second or so, then sputters some more and takes off with the boost kicking in ect, while its at 3000 rpm, my check engine light comes on, and goes off at about 2500 when deceleratin or 4000 when accelerating, my boost guage i have reads about 10-13 psi, thats the max im pusing it for the next couple hundred or so miles, gonna let everything break in and cook in fixed an oil leak at my turbo drain, metal felpro gasket not good. Cut ma finger, and leaked. Made my own out of some mr.gasket stuff, sealed up and survived a heat cycle.


ANOTHER NOTE:

I THINK, part of my issue with my engine sputtering at 3000 rpm, is my rubber elbow i have between my turbo and vam, it caves in when i open the throttle, i feel it may be happening when the turbo is trying to do turbo things. My wide band sensor comes tomorrow so ill be able to tell if im running rich or lean, and i currently don't know my fuel pressure, forgot to buy a elbow with my guage




ANOTHER DANM NOTE:

when car is idling for a period of time, more than a minute or two, and you blip the throttle, the car dose not return to idle (1000 rpm) wont return below 2000 rpm. Boost guage thats hooked up via vaccum tree dose not read boost when idle issue is present, about 10-15 poumds of vaccum
 

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Guys, im afraid of this new motor. Its not my N/A 2.3 im used too. Im afraid to trust it, partially because i blew a head gasket goosing it, and partially because im not able to see my information while im driving, yes i got a boost guage, but im not able to focus on that and drive at the same time, atleast were i have it taped, its insanely loud because i dont have an exhaust yet, cool, but a lil excessive, im learning a new beast, and this beast is, well, a beast. I got some kinks to work out, but i wish there was just a green light that came on saying your not gonna have any issues as long as you just do this. I know i did evreything right, it sounds bad ass, it feels bad ass, and it makes me happy. It just also spooks me, im not as familiar with it as my N/A 2.3 i guess ill have to learn to trust it the same way.
 
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DANM ENGINE, ALWAYS SOMTHIN! drove around for about 45 minutes, runnin good, runnin great, has that issue around 3000 rpm, but then. I get on the highway, im in 4th gear makin 8 psi not mashin on it, just gettin to higway speed. Nothin more than ½ throttle, and all the sudden. Smoke out My exhaust. Car didnt run different, just, blew some smoke out. Didnt all day, but it did in 4th gear at 8 psi, when i got to a stop light i saw a lil puff of smoke consistently coming out by my valve cover beather, and it sorta went away whem I got home, 3 blocks later. Saw a tiny bit of smoke from a stop sign



EDIT: portion of smoke is coming from the valve cover breather, its not alot of oil, but enough to come out and drip down the block, i dont think its blow by, i out my finger over the hole, not blowing super hard, but theres a lil bit of air coming out. Oil still comes out of the exhaust pipe upon hard acceleration and deceleration, but only momentary
 
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Here's a video of my issue, i fixed my rubber intake hoses that were collapsing under vaccum, got everything plugged in, but my check engine light comes in and makes the car run like doo doo, i thought fuel pressure, but it goes off and the car runs good, so, what do you guys think? Bad vam? Throttle position sensor? O2 sensor? Fuel pressure? Spark plug gap? (Somone tell me proper gap, my hanes manuel dosent have it listed for the turbo 2.3) Let me know what you think! And yes, i have no exhaust and its loud af, i got a down pupe that comes out by my tranny crossmember and thats it, so im not too worried about back pressure. I also tried hooking up my blow off valve, it works! But it stalls the car and never closes once it opens

Vid of my issue! Also, starts losing vaccum for boost at 3000 rpm, forgot to hold up the boost guage


Update: somone on facebook said it could be the nox sensor, and somone else said it could be the TFI module, if so, i have a known good one of each from my n/a motor


 
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First thing is run codes! That'll give you an idea what to look for. Are you running all Motorcraft parts? Plugs, rotor, cap, wires, TFI module? For some reason these motors respond favorably to Motorcraft parts.
Factory plug gap is .034. If running 15-22 lbs boost, plugs should be gapped at .028.
I dont plan on running more that 18 psi unless its clear its safe too, i havent pulled codes yet, and im running motorcraft plugs, and a duralast cap wires and rotor. Brand spankin new. The tfi is probably sketchy, its the original to the engine and it my be iffy, ill swap it with a known good motorcraft one tonight. Ill gap my plugs to .028 see how that helps
 
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Got my codes! Theres about 12...

1
82
84
81
82
84
10
22
41
58
63
66

One of them is a lean condition, low voltage to tps, and ones for the vam ones for the egr solenoid. I gotta check the rest and figure more out. I believe its a fuel issue.

What do you guys think?
 
Are these like 5.0 codes? I never pulled codes on a 4cyl. Code 41 is your lean code isnt it?
I believe so, I plugged my OB one rear into the port I'm by my fire wall on the driver side, and then I just wrote down whatever numbers the code reader flashed at me, they're all in order. I'm going to get out my book of codes and figure out what they are

And yes, I believe 41 is my lean code