Serious Problem..? Car Being Towed As I Write This..

[acoddo]

1990 mustang GT. just finished heads, cam, intake upgrade about 2 months ago.

So I took the train to pickup my mustang and drive it 6 and a half hours south today. Only problem was about 4 hours into the drive, the car started to just barely shake a bit, a strange lurching, shake thing until ultimately it shut off on the highway that felt like it was coming from the engine compartment. Rolled it off the the side of the road, some white smoke was coming out of the left exhaust pipe. Not a huge amount but noticable, and only the left side. No smoke from the engine, no leaks that I could see... Not sure exactly what's wrong. I just put a lot of money into this car and now this seems absolutely horrible. When I tried to turn the car back on it "started" but the engine was very weak and off and it died after a few seconds again. More white smoke out the left tailpipe. Help me !

 

[General karthief]

Head gasket problem?
Did it run hot?

 

[acoddo]

Head gasket problem?
Did it run hot?

The cars temperature gauge always seems to just barely go past the first or second line from the bottom at any given time driving the car. Not sure if it's ever worked properly. There shouldnt be a temperature issue though it has the Edelbrock water pump upgrade and a brand new mishimoto radiator.

 

[General karthief]

Are you going to take it back to the shop that did the work?

 

[acoddo]

Are you going to take it back to the shop that did the work?

Unfortunately the shop that did the work is too far away. I moved. And I don't trust the guy, he was always sketchy. I'm having it dropped off at a speed shop I looked up.

 

[Mustang5L5]

Head gasket or lower intake gasket slipped

 

[90sickfox]

Sounds like head or intake gasket. Did you check the oil to see if it looked normal ?

 

[acoddo]

Update, the shop called me this morning and said that it started right up this morning and there were no crazy symptoms like there were last night.. they are going to do a full lookover the engine and find out if anything with the H/C/I was done incorrectly. they were able to tell me that the car was running very rich and needs a tune. they also said they detected a vacuum leak and "detected a slight miss" (???). They are going to run a compression test and test the coolant for exhaust. Anyone have any idea what may have happened last night when the car quit on me after a 4 hr drive? It's weird to think that it was just overheated because there was no smoke coming from the engine bay at all when i pulled over, just the car not able to run, little bits of white vapor coming out of the left tailpipe. really strange. I told the shop to go ahead and switch out the 19# injectors for the 24# injectors, MAF and better fuel pump that i had in the trunk that I never had installed yet. Hoping once the injectors and fuel pump are upgraded, a tune can fix whatever problems I was having. More to follow.

 

[FoxMustangLvr]

I find it hard to believe that you're running rich with your HCI combo and anemic 19# injectors unless you increased your fuel pressure. Typically good advice is to fix a current problem before making modifications elsewhere that could create more problems but that seems to be too late now. A vacuum leak could make the engine stall or nearly stall, if I remember correctly a TFI can cause no start issues from the TFI getting too hot, engine starts right up once it cools down.

 

[acoddo]

I find it hard to believe that you're running rich with your HCI combo and anemic 19# injectors unless you increased your fuel pressure. Typically good advice is to fix a current problem before making modifications elsewhere that could create more problems but that seems to be too late now. A vacuum leak could make the engine stall or nearly stall, if I remember correctly a TFI can cause no start issues from the TFI getting too hot, engine starts right up once it cools down.

It's possible I'm running rich because we installed an aeromotive fuel pressure regulator a couple of months ago and it's probably not sending the correct pressure.

 

[Boostedpimp]

My money's on the TFI module... unless you have a MSD box then i'd try by passing that junk with factory and see how it is.

 

[88LXSleeper]

I had problem like that with TFI, use a Motorcraft or a Dyna mod not auto parts store junk. Autozone one car ran like crap, Dyna mod in mine for three years no problem.

 

[revhead347]

I find it hard to believe that you're running rich with your HCI combo and anemic 19# injectors unless you increased your fuel pressure. Typically good advice is to fix a current problem before making modifications elsewhere that could create more problems but that seems to be too late now. A vacuum leak could make the engine stall or nearly stall, if I remember correctly a TFI can cause no start issues from the TFI getting too hot, engine starts right up once it cools down.

Not at all improbable. The stock 19s will run out of flow at 5000rpms wide open throttle, not crusing down the highway at double nickel.

Kurt

 

[FastDriver]

It's not your injectors. Don't throw parts at the car and add complications until you fix the actual problem.

Since there was white smoke, my money is on a head or intake gasket like the others already told you.

The TFI could cause it to cut out, but would not cause white smoke. However, it is cheaper, and worth a shot, but surprising if it did it that suddenly after 4 hours of driving. Typically the TFI has issues immediately when it warms up if it's bad. The white smoke in the exhaust is an indication of burning coolant, and it's accompanied by an almost sweet smell. After a build, you should retorque head and intake bolts that can come loose when gaskets compress and a few heat cycles. I think I just made the same mistake on my car, and I'm burning some extra oil. New gaskets on the way for me. Good luck!