Why Cant It Break Loose?

dubbsix

Member
Oct 18, 2006
347
2
19
Katy,TX
Still trying to figure out the gremlins with my 94Gt. It runs and drives smooth, has a relatively smooth idle and doesnt hesitate on sudden acceleration.

The symptom: Just feels like a dog. If at a stop light and i floor it.. wont break the tires loose.

What I've done:
New plugs
Cap n rotor
Scanned for codes(nothing found)
Checked fuel pressure: 39/40 PSI (hose off)

I have not checked timing. I need to get underneath and clean off the balancer.

Anything you guys know of to help find this lost power? Or is the 5.0/Auto just that slow?
 
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It's in the gearing. I'll guaranty that if you put in a 4:10 differential gear set you will easily light the tires. That and a shift kit and you will chirp if not spin the tires going into 2nd.
 
I would be willing to bet money that's it your tps. It's pretty simple to dial in , but you'll need a voltmeter. I just did it the other day ( had the same symptoms) and it literary changed the car. There's all kinds of guides to walk you thru it online just google it. BTW.. I have the auto in my 5.0 and if it's setup right they can be just as good if not faster then the manuals. And that's coming from a diehard manual guy.
 
Verify your timing, and particularly pay attention to the stock crank dampener. They have a tendency to wear over time and begin to wobble, thus causing timing to be off. On a stock car I would try the timing at 12-13 degrees to see how it responds.
One other tid-bit you might look into is cleaning the MAF element. Over time, this as well can get dirty and make the car feel sluggish or at times run/idle rough. I used two methods; Q-tip with electronic parts cleaner, by spraying the Q-tip with the cleaner, and gently brushing the MAF sensor till the small metal filaments are clean. Second method you could use, is rubbing alcohol.
Other than that, yes an auto 94 GT in stock form is quite a dog.
 
Verify your timing, and particularly pay attention to the stock crank dampener. They have a tendency to wear over time and begin to wobble, thus causing timing to be off. On a stock car I would try the timing at 12-13 degrees to see how it responds.
One other tid-bit you might look into is cleaning the MAF element. Over time, this as well can get dirty and make the car feel sluggish or at times run/idle rough. I used two methods; Q-tip with electronic parts cleaner, by spraying the Q-tip with the cleaner, and gently brushing the MAF sensor till the small metal filaments are clean. Second method you could use, is rubbing alcohol.
Other than that, yes an auto 94 GT in stock form is quite a dog.

I have already cleaned the MAF using the electronic sensor cleaner spray. I really need to check timing and look into the TPS
 
I have already cleaned the MAF using the electronic sensor cleaner spray. I really need to check timing and look into the TPS
Like I stated before the TPS made a huge difference on my car and it was free and only took 10 min. I have found this to be a pretty common thing on rough running vehicles especially fords
 
Verify your timing, and particularly pay attention to the stock crank dampener. They have a tendency to wear over time and begin to wobble, thus causing timing to be off.

A bad balancer won't affect the timing. What you see though with a timing light may be wrong if it has slipped and/or if someone altered the timing not realizing the HB may have slipped.

On a stock car I would try the timing at 12-13 degrees to see how it responds.
One other tid-bit you might look into is cleaning the MAF element. Over time, this as well can get dirty and make the car feel sluggish or at times run/idle rough. I used two methods; Q-tip with electronic parts cleaner, by spraying the Q-tip with the cleaner, and gently brushing the MAF sensor till the small metal filaments are clean. Second method you could use, is rubbing alcohol.
Other than that, yes an auto 94 GT in stock form is quite a dog.

If the HB is good then adjusting the timing a couple of degrees (base is 10* from the factory) will add a bit more get-up and go. The MAF element is fragile so if you are physically touching it be careful and don't leave any fiber behind from the Q-tip.
 
I have already cleaned the MAF using the electronic sensor cleaner spray. I really need to check timing and look into the TPS
The one volt crap is urban legend. Our cars didn't come with an adjustable tps. One has to "whaller" out the holes where the bolt holes to achieve said one volt. How many miles are on it? She might just be tired man.
 
The one volt crap is urban legend. Our cars didn't come with an adjustable tps. One has to "whaller" out the holes where the bolt holes to achieve said one volt. How many miles are on it? She might just be tired man.
Hahahah it is one of the moreimportant sensors for the proper performance of your car expecially down low in the rpm rang
 
He never stated wether or not the tb was stock, if it's not stock then yes there's a pretty good chance that the tps could be the root of "some" of these problems. I know this because I have experienced this twice once on a buddy's car and once on mine. You could be surprised it really can make a world of difference if it was not set properly to begin with. And in both situations both of the 5.0's were experiencing a lot if not all of the symptoms he listed. My .02$
 
@90lxwhite is correct. Dialing in your TPS is an urban myth I'm sorry to say. The ECU zeros out the TPS sensor every time your car starts. Trying to dial it in to within a specific range with a digital volt meter is pretty pointless. The only thing you should need to check with your TPS is that it operates with a smooth, consistent travel and hasn't any jumps or flat spots in voltage during its operation.

The sad fact of the matter is that the SN95, 2.73 geared AOD equipped mustang was among the slowest made of the era.

Beyond bumping up the timing a little, the only thing that's going to get it up and moving in a hurry is a gear swap. For a car that still does any measurable amount of highway driving, a 3.55- 3.73 rear end swap, a decent shift improvement kit and a fair sized plate style external trans cooler should be a mandatory performance application.