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  • 1979 - 1995 (Fox, SN95.0, & 2.3L) -General/Talk-
  • Fox 5.0 Mustang Tech

trouble after cam install.

  • Thread starter Thread starter fredD
  • Start date Start date Apr 17, 2012

fredD

Member
Apr 3, 2012
6
1
13
maryville, tn
Apr 17, 2012
#1
  • Apr 17, 2012
  • #1
Installed a e303 cam. I am not sure what the problem is. Quick description, mass air conversion, cobra intake, 70mm throttle body, 19lb injectors, 1.6 rr, ecam, headers, x-pipe, flowmasters. The car idles good, but when I accelerate it begins to cut out and act as if it is flooding out or something. I changed plugs, plug wires, and cleaned my cap and button up even though it really did'nt need it. Changed out my injectors and that helped some, but it still seems to bog down when I try to accelerate. Any idea's?
 

mob

the guy who hits on his mom
20+ Year Stangneter
Oct 3, 2003
2,566
136
104
Dallas, TX
Apr 17, 2012
#2
  • Apr 17, 2012
  • #2
Stab the dizzy right? Check the timing?
 

fredD

Member
Apr 3, 2012
6
1
13
maryville, tn
Apr 18, 2012
#3
  • Apr 18, 2012
  • #3
I marked the distributor before I put the cam in and put it right on the mark. I thought I might have been off a tooth or something, so I moved the wires to the left one and would'nt start. So I went to the right one and it still would'nt start, so I am pretty sure it is where it needs to be. Any other idea?
 
8

86gtriceeater

Member
Aug 4, 2006
316
0
17
Whitewater, WI
Apr 18, 2012
#4
  • Apr 18, 2012
  • #4
The teeth dont matter. Turn your crank pulley by hand until it lines up then stab your dizzy so the rotor lands on the #1 cylinder. Should fire right up
 

jrichker

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Mar 10, 2000
27,512
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Dublin GA
Apr 18, 2012
#5
  • Apr 18, 2012
  • #5
Putting the distributor back in and setting the timing.

Putting the distributor back in is fairly simple. Pull #1 sparkplug, put your finger in the sparkplug hole,
crank the engine until you feel compression. Then line up the TDC mark on the balancer with the pointer on the engine block.

The distributor starts out with the #1 plug wire lined up at about 12:00 with you facing it. Align the rotor to about 11:00, since it will turn clockwise as it slides into place.

Align the distributor rotor up with the #1 position marked on the cap, slide the distributor down into the block, (you may have to wiggle the rotor slightly to get the gear to engage) and then note where the rotor is pointing.
If it still lines up with #1 position on the cap, install the clamp and bolt. If not, pull it out and turn 1 tooth forwards or backwards and try again. Put the #1 spark plug back in and tighten it down, put the clamp on the distributor, but don't tighten it too much, as you will have to move the distributor to set the timing. Note that there is no such thing as one tooth off on a 5.0 Mustang. If it doesn't align perfectly with #1 position, you can turn the distributor until it does. The only problem is that if you are too far one way or the other, you can't turn the distributor enough to get the 10-14 degree optimum timing range.


Setting the timing:
Do not try to set the timing without a timing light. You'll never get it right.

Paint the mark on the harmonic balancer with paint -choose 10 degrees BTC or 14 degrees BTC or something else if you have NO2 or other power adder. I try to paint TDC red, 10 degrees BTC white and 14 degrees BTC blue.

10 degrees BTC is towards the drivers side marks.

Note: setting the timing beyond the 10 degree mark will give you a little more low speed acceleration. BUT you will need to run 93 octane to avoid pinging and engine damage. Pinging is very hard to hear at full throttle, so it could be present and you would not hear it.

Simplified diagram of what it looks like. Not all the marks are shown for ease of viewing.

ATC ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' '!' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' BTC
---------------- > Direction of Rotation as viewed standing in front of the engine.

The ' is 2 degrees.
The ! is TDC
The ' is 10 degrees BTC
Set the timing 5 marks BTC. Or if you prefer, 5 marks towards the driver's side to get 10 degrees.

To get 14 degrees, set it 7 marks BTC. Or if you prefer, 7 marks towards the driver's side to get 14 degrees.

The paint marks you make are your friends if you do it correctly. They are much easier to see that the marks machined into the harmonic balancer hub.

At this point hook up all the wires, get out the timing light. Connect timing light up to battery & #1 spark plug. Then start the engine.

Remove the SPOUT connector (do a search if you want a picture of the SPOUT connector) It is the 2 pin rectangular plug on the distributor wiring harness. Only the EFI Mustang engines have a SPOUT. If yours is not EFI, check for a SPOUT: if you don’t find one, skip any instructions regarding the SPOUT
Warning: there are only two places the SPOUT should be when you time the engine. The first place is in your pocket while you are setting the timing and the second is back in the harness when you finish. The little bugger is too easy to lose and too hard to find a replacement.

Start engine, loosen distributor hold down with a 1/2" universal socket. Shine the timing light on the marks and turn the distributor until the mark lines up with the edge of the timing pointer. Tighten down the distributor hold down bolt, Replace the SPOUT connector and you are done.

The HO firing order is 1-3-7-2-6-5-4-8.
Non HO firing order is 1-5-4-2-6-3-7-8

 

fredD

Member
Apr 3, 2012
6
1
13
maryville, tn
Apr 26, 2012
#6
  • Apr 26, 2012
  • #6
Fixed the car, was'nt the timing. The mass air sensor was bad, replaced and runs great! Thanks for the replies
 
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