Need some help/ideas where to look....

[GeLsTaNg215]

Alright well i'm trying to figure out what would cause my car to feel like it has no torque whatsoever. I have 3.73 gears, short shifter and the clutch is fairly new as well and no matter how hard i shift the tires will not chirp not even going from 1st to 2nd. At first I thought it was maybe my driving, but then I tried driving my friends 5.0 with stock gears and I could bark the tires with ease. Plus I can bark the tires in my girls lil 5spd neon haha 1st through 3rd with no problem and that thing is dog slow and no torque so im pretty confident with my driving. I really dont know whats wrong, The clutch isnt slipping or anything. Could the trans. be going or something be broke I dont know about? What could I look for that might be the problem. Any help or ideas would be great, Thanks.

 

[Bladez5_0]

Check your compression? Timing?

 

[srothfuss]

How many miles on your 5.0L? Your motor is probably tired

 

[GeLsTaNg215]

117k on the motor, how much do rebuilds with labor and everything usually go for?

 

[hessian]

try fuel injector cleaner, there is a type taht is like an aerosol can that you attach straight to your fuel rail behind that alternator. also check your fuel filter by your gas tank. well, the first, easiest, and cheapest thing to do is to check your timing. sounds like your motor could possibly be really retarded.

 

[Dbeck002]

basic tune up if not done already.

Too much traction? lol im not sure, hope this helps.

 

[GeLsTaNg215]

Had a tune up not to long ago. lol and i dont really have anything creating traction.

 

[Dbeck002]

You need to dyno it to find out whats going on for sure...


If you have the money get a wideband O2 kit. LM-1 or LC-1 with a megasquirt and find out what the car is really doing as far as A/F goes.


You might be running really rich and bogging down a lot.

 

[srothfuss]

A basic rebuild of the bottom end usually under 400 for labor and 400 in parts (new pistons, bearings, etc) It would be a good time to rebuild your stock heads or save up for a set of aftermarket pieces.

Check your timing. 10 Degrees is stock, 12-14 degrees will help a little for the time being.

 

[grey5.0beast]

I don't remember you saying it but did you have a traclok rebuild when you did the gears. You could only be spinning one tire.

 

[GeLsTaNg215]

The gears were already on the car when I bought it, so im not sure if the trac lok was rebuilt. But im pretty sure im not leaving one wheel peels. Would a dead trac lok make it feel like theres no kick in the pants when I shift though?

 

[90mustangGT]

Weak fuel pump, clogged fuel filter, kinked fuel lines, bad regulator, dirty/fault MAF sensor, TPS sensor out of range??? Just a thought, but like said before, I would check the timing first, then go from there. Did you try to read codes???

 

[sunil6784]

another vote for dumping the codes...

its helped me a few times for a starting point

 

[jrichker]

Dump the codes and see what the computer says is wrong…

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.

See http://www.troublecodes.net/Ford/
OR
See http://www.mustangworks.com/articles/electronics/eec-iv_codes.html

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.

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 Walmart.

Or for a nicer scanner see http://www.midwayautosupply.com/detailedproductdescription.asp?3829 – It has a 3 digit LCD display so that you don’t have to count flashes or beeps.. Cost is $35.