(Warning: Long-winded reply ahead!)
Oh, I haven't logged all those 230+k miles on there, myself. That's how many miles are on the chassis, itself; the kid I bought the car from was clueless as to 75% of what all had been done to the vehicle before he got hold of it, and a lot of what I've been finding out of it has been through a lot of amatuer detective work ... one thing being that the car was originally born with an AOD and 2.73 granny gears. Whomever did the swap on this car did a VERY thorough job with the trim, pedals, and whatnot.
After discovering the reason why I have no CEL showing up is because SOMEONE YANKED THE WHOLE ASSEMBLY OUT FROM BEHIND THE FREAKIN' DASH (doh!), I finally pulled some codes today and came up with this weirdness:
- 67 = Clutch switch circuit failure OR Neutral Drive Switch (NDS) circuit failure, circuit open, or A/C input high
- 41 = HEGO (HO2S) sensor signal out of range / always lean
- 91 = HEGO (HO2S) sensor signal out of range / always lean OR Shift Solenoid 1 (ss1) circuit failure
Okay, the HEGO or HUGO or LEGO or whatever codes ... those I can try to remedy by swapping back in the stock airbox and seeing if maybe the cone filter setup is freaking out the MAF. If not that, then ... *sigh* ... it looks like I may be dumping $75 into a pair of fresh O2 sensors.
The shift solenoid thing (I hate it when one code means, like, four different things in the book) is possibly attributable to the above mentioned AOD-to-T-5 swap, so no biggie, if that's the case - it's probably just looking for stuff that no longer exists in the drivetrain after the swap. Fuel injectors are all firing nicely, and the plugs don't look out of the norm.
But what gives with the clutch switch code? Far as I know, the clutch switch pretty much only serves as a safety lockout to keep you from starting the car while it's engaged in gear and/or to raise the idle just a tad when you depress the clutch (at least that's what it does on my FrankenStang, anyway).
Distributor shaft was nice and tight when I was fiddling with the cap/rotor the other day. I think the premature wear in this case might be due to a combination of it being a cheap-azz AutoZone part (sadly, I'm not all that proud of some of the crap we sell) and/or the recent Arizona Monsoon weather we've had, what with all the high humidity and such lately. Accel cap's getting slapped on first thing tomorrow.
About the MAF unplugging test ... I recall seeing a post not too long ago (might've been on the Corral) saying it was a major no-no to go unplugging that while it's running. I'll give the wires another cleaning when I swap the stock airbox back in tomorrow to see if that affects the lean condition.
The lean-running codes pretty much rule out a lack of spark, so it looks like it's a fuel delivery issue. The pump's not making any funky noises and it's surely not original, as the tank and surrounding hardware has all the telltale signs of having been dropped and fiddled with at some point, though I've no idea if it's an OEM replacement or an upgraded pump they decided to plug in (although it would've been nice if they'd bothered to reconnect the fuel level sending unit
). I'd sooner swap distributors and re-time the motor before I go dropping the tank and prodding around that thing anytime soon, as I've already done a full tank/strap/pump/filter/sending unit replacement on my previous '89 notchback ... NOT FUN.
But something to keep in mind, nevertheless, if all else fails.
I feel like I'm FINALLY seeing a bit of light at the end of the tunnel ("Ah see the light! Ah see the light! Hallelujah, bruthas and sis-tahs! Yes-ah!"). Y'all have been a tremendous help thus far with the suggestions! The King of Lies may yet be evicted from my engine bay...