Satan causes intermittent power loss/bucking?

I'll poke around for it in Friday (next day off) and see if I can locate/clean it. I've already done the braided stainless ground that runs from the driver's side cylinder head to the firewall. Is this other one on the passenger side, kinda behind the fuel pressure regulator? Don't recall seeing another one there when I had everything pulled off to do the injectors last time, but I wasn't really dealing with ground wires back then, either...

SUSPECT UPDATE:
- Coolant Temp Sensor?
- MAF?
- TPS?
- Overlooked ground wire(s)?

Well, the reman dist didn't cure the symptoms, it only got me back on the road again ... which I certainly can't complain about, having been sidelined for a week.

The ground for the ECU is clean, as well as the braided stainless ground off the cylinder head, the one near the starter solenoid, the ones for the battery, and also the two up front along the radiator brace.

Verified that every fusible link in existence under the hood is in good working order yesterday, too.

Scratching grounds off the list and adding the IAT on there. Haven't touched that one, yet. Might sound silly, but am I going to need to wrap the threads on it with Teflon, being that it's a brass fitting going into an aluminum intake?

'Kay. Well, both grounds - the one near the solenoid and the other right under the ECM - have already been cleaned and gooped with a little dielectric. Figured if I'm gonna be doing all this, anyway, I may as well go the full mile, so I loaded up on a new TPS, IAT, and coolant temp sensor. Plugging them in tomorrow morning. If it works, huzzah, and if not, I'll keep the old ones for spares ... along with the twenty or so other sensors and whatnots I have spares of in a little box in the back of my car. Emergency stash.

Replaced the TPS and IAT this morning. The old IAT did need replacing for sure, as it was so black and caked with nasty tar-like goop that it couldn't have been getting a good reading of anything, anyhow.

Nevertheless ... no change. Same symptoms. I still have yet to put in the coolant temp sensor I have laying around, as well as the new fuel pump (which I'm now just planning to do as an upgrade, anyway ... 155 lph Edelbrock should suffice for future mods). Again, fuel pressures when I've measured them have been good, but I can never seem to catch it when it's having one of its little hissy-fit moments to see if the pressure's dropping then, or if it's some other gig causing the problem. Car still alternates between feeling utterly gutless and then to having plenty of "bowlssss" (as they pronounce it on The Sopranos).

So, new list of the moment:

- MAF
- Fuel Pump
- Coolant Temp Sensor

My code reader won't allow me to pull any KOER codes until I have an "all clear" code available for the KOEO reading - if there are any trouble codes stored in the memory, it won't take readings for an engine-running test. Haven't pulled codes yet after replacing sensors yesterday, but that'll be next on my list of to-do's.

Timing's at 12*. The ENTIRE ignition system is new: cap, rotor, plugs, wires, distributor (reman unit, see prior posts for that headache), coil, fusible links, and ECU relay. Just about the only sensor I haven't yet replaced is the MAF; already done the TPS, IAT, EGR position, and O2 sensors. Replaced every inch of vacuum hose in existence. Replaced EGR valve, IAC valve, hosed out the intake with Seafoam and (Deep Creep) intake spray, changed out every fluid and filter in the car (yes, even the PCV valve and screen), replaced the entire exhaust system (except the headers, themselves). I've installed mechanical gauges, and all readings of temp, volt, and oil are perfectly good.

So ... unless it's the MAF or fuel pump, by chance, then the only thing left is ... well ... Satan. I guess. Or something. And stuff. Um, yeah.

GOOD NEWS!! (finally!)

Although I still haven't had time to put in the new pump n' stuff, I decided to take advantage of our extra holiday employee discount where I work, and thus managed to pick up a new MAF (housing, sensor, screen, and all) for a mere $58. Plopped it in there right away, and ... *GASP!* ... I haven't had a hiccup or loss of power since! Been three days now, still chewing my nails and waiting for it to come back ... but I'm really, REALLY sure that this was the final silver bullet/holy water/blessed crucifix/garlic/rosary/Bible/magic-relic-of-choice to finally exorcise the demonic presence from within the confines of my engine bay!

First off, there's the obvious mileage issue: 250k+ miles on what looked to be the original MAF? Hmmm. Secondly, my old MAF was missing the screen on the front of the housing. And lastly, it was the last of two remaining parts in the entire frickin' engine bay that hasn't been changed out, tested, adjusted, cleaned, or otherwise ruled out (the other being the EGR vacuum solenoid on the passenger-side fender).

Car pulls like a mofo, purrs like a happy kitten at idle, and I'm hoping my mileage will get a bit of a boost, as well. Santa brought me the bestest present of all, and fifteen days early, at that! ... 'cause, y'know, he felt sorry for me, or something.

Also used my discount (and my 15 hours of overtime pay from last week) to invest in one other mandatory accessory: the all-important, standard-issue Autometer Monster Shift-Lite tach. Oh yes. I am a happy, happy camper, now. Very, very, very happy. 'Tis peanut butter jelly time, indeed.

Once again, many, MANY thanks to all of you who've offered suggestions and info to me throughout this crusade. My goal in this was that I could resolve the whole problem without having to submit to my temptation to just haul the beast over to a Ford stealership and have them rape me for a few hundred bucks, only to find out it was something I could've changed out in five minutes, all along. I love you guys. Seriously. You rock. :SNSign:

To recap, in the hopes that I may somehow help others by saving them from blowing hundreds of hard-earned dollars, here are the things that it turned out NOT to be (although many of them, in my case, needed changing due to general old age):
- Distributor ($75, OEM reman ... which failed and left me stranded)
- Plug Wires ($40, Accel Spiral)
- Plugs ($16, Motorcraft)
- Cap/Rotor ($20, Accel)
- Ignition Coil ($35, MSD)
- IAC ($35)
- TPS ($25)
- EGR Valve ($75? Can't remember)
- EGR Valve Position Sensor ($40?)
- ECU Relay ($10)
- Full Seafoam and Deep Creep Treatment ($10)
- IAT ($20)
- Extra Negative Battery Cable ($10)
- BAP Sensor ($40?)
- Timing Light to check/set timing ($40)
- TFI Module ($40)
- Fuel Pressure Gauge to rule out fuel pump ($30)
- Fuel Pump w/Strainer ($110, Edelbrock 155 lph)

...and finally...

- MAF ($60, OEM reman)

est. Total Dollars Wasted on "Operation Satanic Possession": $731
Number of Replies in This Thread (so far): 110
Hours, Beers, and Brain Cells Wasted Throughout Operation: Countless
Labor Hours Saved/Wasted by Not Paying a Pro Mechanic to Diagnose/Change Out All of the Above: (I dare not even TRY to put a number here)
Moral of Story: I am an idiot with more credit card debt than common sense.

Yeah, it was the whole unit - sensor, aluminum housing, screen, even the little red rubber booty for the plug - and the normal cost was $76 through my store (Autozone) plus a $60 core ... but, since I was able to just swap it out right there in the lot, and I had that extra discount this weekend (which coincided with everyone getting paid on Friday ... hmmmm...), it came out to about $58 total with tax.

No bucking, no surging, no power loss ... no Satan! I was having a sneaking suspicion that the missing MAF screen might've been part of the problem, since it seems that anything I ever did to modify anything ahead of the MAF would make it do some odd things. (Ex: Putting a cheap-o cone filter setup on there made the car really jerky at parking lot speeds, but going back to the stock FRAM and airbox setup smoothed it right out.) Unless there's really THAT much of a gain to be had from a K&N panel filter, I suppose I'll just stick with the stock junk with only the silencer removed. Don't wanna anger the MAF gods any more.