is it missing or something else?

BlackVert

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Nov 16, 2004

#41

• Nov 16, 2004

• #41

l.groves said:

You forgot to read the whole message as stated. Did you check your running VOLTS?? With everything on-lights-stereo-AC and Fan(in the car)-in drive(if auto)with e-brake on. You have to have power to make power. Should read 14-15 volts as stated in the manuals. Mine read 13.2 until I rebuilt the ALT. Don't do a quick reading and don't check it when it is cold.

Click to expand...

Sorry. I should have said this ... logging with the TwEECer, the battery voltage is typically between 13.875 and 14.125. Sometimes at idle it drops to around 13.25 (pulleys I guess) but once the revs get over 1000, it jumps back to around 14.

 

BlackVert

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Nov 16, 2004

#42

• Nov 16, 2004

• #42

l.groves said:

You left out "while checking, close the garage door and all your problems will go away."

Click to expand...

good one!

Here's some more info I wanted to mention: Tonight, I pulled the SPOUT connector off for the first few miles of the drive home. It ran even worse the whole time, cold and warm; the same kind of missing/hesitation/stumbling, but much more pronounced. After I put the SPOUT connector back on, it was back to the "normal" hesitation.

Does that change anything? I'm thinking TFI.

 

l.groves

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Nov 16, 2004

#43

• Nov 16, 2004

• #43

There you go. Jump in that thing and put in a new voltage regulator. You need those volts up there at idle or things start happening. ooohh terrible nasty things. Sorry I think the allergy meds have warped my brain. Rare form tonight. Florida, where everything blooms all year round.

 

BlackVert

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Nov 16, 2004

#44

• Nov 16, 2004

• #44

l.groves said:

There you go. Jump in that thing and put in a new voltage regulator.

Click to expand...

where is the voltage regulator located, is it easy to get at/replace, and how much does a new one cost?

 

l.groves

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Nov 17, 2004

#45

• Nov 17, 2004

• #45

In the back of the alternator. 30-50 dollars. Buy a HAYNES.

 

BlackVert

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Nov 17, 2004

#46

• Nov 17, 2004

• #46

i logged battery voltage with the TwEECer again this morning to double check my memory from september. it actually hovers around 14.25, not 14.0, which is in the acceptable range.

lunchtime today will find me pulling spark plugs ...

 

BlackVert

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Nov 17, 2004

#47

• Nov 17, 2004

• #47

I was just researching some more. When I pulled the tfi to check the connections, I put dielectric grease on the connections, but I did NOT put any grease on the back of theTFI when I put it back in the heatsink. I am going to try that first.

 

BlackVert

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Nov 17, 2004

#48

• Nov 17, 2004

• #48

might it be the cats?

how does a car run when the cats are going bad?

is there a certain smell to the exhaust?

 

l.groves

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Nov 17, 2004

#49

• Nov 17, 2004

• #49

Did you check the voltage with everything on and in drive if you have auto? You made sure it was warm too when it does it's thing? Try checking the voltage at the battery to make sure you are getting proper readings also. Remember mine was 13.2 then went up to 15.2 after the change and with power pulleys on too.

 

BlackVert

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Nov 17, 2004

#50

• Nov 17, 2004

• #50

l.groves said:

Did you check the voltage with everything on and in drive if you have auto? You made sure it was warm too when it does it's thing? Try checking the voltage at the battery to make sure you are getting proper readings also. Remember mine was 13.2 then went up to 15.2 after the change and with power pulleys on too.

Click to expand...

yes, it was completely warmed up and the problem was occurring when the voltage read 14.3.

i had the headlights on. i have a manual tranny.

i can compare the voltage across the battery to the voltage reported to the TwEECer. i'll post later after i do it.

fwiw, i also completely disconnected the TwEECer and drove it around. still the same.

also, i pulled 2 plugs and they looked good. a little carbon, but not much at all.

i'm getting close to shelling out the $140 for the dealer to do an iglition diagnostic test.

 

l.groves

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Nov 17, 2004

#51

• Nov 17, 2004

• #51

Wait to see how the increased fuel pressure does. There seem to be a lot of NA motors on here that are running better on a higher fuel pressure. What size injectors do you have?

 

mytight95

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Nov 17, 2004

#52

• Nov 17, 2004

• #52

replace the da** tfi...............you have replaced everything else............voltage regualator is n't gonnna cause a stumbling in my opinion. maybe if the battery was really weak and not getting enough spark......


jason

if i had a spare i'd send it.

 

BlackVert

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Nov 18, 2004

#53

• Nov 18, 2004

• #53

l.groves said:

Wait to see how the increased fuel pressure does. There seem to be a lot of NA motors on here that are running better on a higher fuel pressure. What size injectors do you have?

Click to expand...

stock injectors. i haven't increased the fp yet...

 

BlackVert

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Nov 18, 2004

#54

• Nov 18, 2004

• #54

i replaced the tfi today .....

god this sucks. i'm about to give up. i can't continue replacing good parts and hoping that fixes it.

upping the fp before i go home...

tonight i'll try to read whatever codes there might be.

assuming that the fp thing doesn't work and there are no codes, it's going to the dealer for a $140 ignition diagnosis test.

 

l.groves

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Nov 18, 2004

#55

• Nov 18, 2004

• #55

After I bumped mine up and ran it for a few days, I tried to trick the computer and turn the pressure back down but a few days later the surging idle and stuff started to come back. I just changed out the valve cover gaskets with those new rubber/metal/rubber gaskets since those lifetime ford gaskets do not seal with the stock valve covers. Re-torqued the lower intake and notice there are no marks on the valve covers from the 1.7rr's. Had to bump the fuel pressure back up high since the battery was reset and no problems again... Good luck..

 

BlackVert

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Nov 18, 2004

#56

• Nov 18, 2004

• #56

i did not have time to increase the fp before going home.

but on the way home, all of a sudden it started feeling better. it still was stumbling, but not as much. when i swapped out the tfi and it didn't fix it, i put more dielectric grease on the original when i put it back in. there was already grease on it from before, but i put more on. i wonder if that had anything to do with it being better ...

the other that occurred to me is the gas. i have been using exxon regular (87 octane) all along. with winter coming, don't they add something to the gas to help emissions? i wonder if that is messing me up ...

i'm low now. i am going to fill it up with 93 octane tonight and put in some of that additive to take the water out of the gas.

if it was bad gas all this time ...

 

l.groves

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Nov 18, 2004

#57

• Nov 18, 2004

• #57

LOL...

 

BlackVert

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Dec 17, 2004

#58

• Dec 17, 2004

• #58

i think i found it. the plug wire closest to the firewall on the passenger's side seemed loose, so i put some dielectric grease in there and reconnected it. this morning on the way to work i was unable to make it happen.

 

Slow5.0

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Dec 18, 2004

#59

• Dec 18, 2004

• #59

Had same problem here around 3000 at wot, it looks like I hit NOS button on mine, it pull hard, but thing go away , do you have bigger cam

 

BlackVert

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Dec 18, 2004

#60

• Dec 18, 2004

• #60

Fixed finally!

the plug wires fixed it! specifically, the one closest to the firewall on the passenger's side. it was loose. after i fixed that (thursday), it hasn't happened since. i even went back to 87 octane gas, and it is still fine.



now i can finally install the 70mm t/b and the 80mm maf!