Bright Blue 94 Mustang GT

[Chenn2389]

I got everything back together. I filled up with gas and through in some Lucas octane boost. I am feeling engine vibrations starting at about 3k and up. It not super bad bad definitely shaking the dash caused my instrument lights to go out assuming plugs or grounds came loose. It does it in neutral and in gear with clutch in so its definitely not the drivetrain related. I am assuming its misfires or pinging. I double checked all the vacuum lines, I rechecked my fuel pressure is at 39 psi. I pulled my plugs and measured gap it was close to .050 on the motorcraft plugs they had a bit of the orangish coloring from running octane boost which is normal. I switch to autolite 3924 plugs, and gapped them to .035. Took distributor cap off cleaned it up. No change. MAF and IAC and all the temp sensors are new. Only thing I can think of is that I got a shitty tank of gas, or when I cleaned the TB when I switched out the IAC some break cleaner got into the TPS and now its bad, gonna do a voltage check on that to see if its bad tonight. Any one else have any other ideas on why it would randomly start vibrating like that. I ran the codes, I have the 02 sensors detecting lean condition for a second but it goes away. New engine has less than 250 miles. I am thinking the car is in limp mode. Anyone have any thoughts?

 

[Chenn2389]

I believe my misfires have to be mechanical, or leaking head/intake gasket at this point. I replaced the coil, cap, rotor, plugs, wires. I checked and reset the fuel pressure. I put noid light on the injector harness at all the injectors. The injectors were flow and bench tested before I installed them. I verified the PIP is working and advancing the timing on the distributor. I took the TPI in and it bench tested good at AutoZone. I pulled the KOEO codes and its not throwing any codes. I pulled my EEC and checked the board for any burnt up spots, recleaned the pins for the connections on my moats chip. I checked the TPS voltage and insured its good. Only things I haven't tested are the O2 sensors, which are brand new motorcraft, and the MAF. I unplugged the MAF at idle and the car died. I am not sure if that's normal.

I couldn't get the car to run the KOER test or cylinder balance test.

 

[Chenn2389]

I pulled my upper intake manifold. I checked the lower intake manifold bolt torques and they were not to spec or some of them backed out. I looked in the runners and there is noticeable oil entering between the heads/intake. There is coolant as well as far as I can see at the #1. Valves are noticeably wet with oil and discolored. I can’t take a decent picture. I’m guessing I don’t even have a rms leak. I just a significant lower intake manifold leak. Probably both. Also, the pcv is new and it is fine, no oil in the vacuum line from the pcv to the intake.

Anyways the engine builder assembled the engine including the lower intake manifold. He had to fly cut it a bit on the mill to get it to align perfectly. Mismatched edelbrock heads with trick flow intake. At this point I should probably pull it and have him tear it down and go through it. Too hot to drive it in AZ so idc if I lose 3 more months at this point.

 

[Chenn2389]

So I called the engine builder today, Told him about the lower intake gasket not seating well and the bolts backing out. I remember he had to machine the lower some to get the bolts to line up with the heads. I am guessing its off slightly and not pinching the gasket properly. I am taking the car over tomorrow and hopefully this is the issue with the misfires. I am also guessing this was enough of a vacuum leak to cause my hanging idle as well.

 

[Chenn2389]

Dropped my car off last friday.... still waiting....

 

[Chenn2389]

Finally picking up the stang tonight. There was issue with lower intake not sealing up and ruining gaskets. Hopefully she running and idling well and my pinging from lean condition is gone. If all is well a burnout video will be coming in hot.

 

[RAU03MACH]

ON MINE IT NEVER SEALED 100% I installed a 3/8 spacer and 2 gaskets top and 2 gaskets bottom
just to make a good seal it had pits in it and when i had a machine leve at a machine shop , they took to much and thats where my spacer comes in , plus it helps clear the 92 valve covers

 

[Chenn2389]

ON MINE IT NEVER SEALED 100% I installed a 3/8 spacer and 2 gaskets top and 2 gaskets bottom
just to make a good seal it had pits in it and when i had a machine leve at a machine shop , they took to much and thats where my spacer comes in , plus it helps clear the 92 valve covers

I am talking the lower intake to the head seal, not the gasket between the upper/lower. Granted that seal looked fuel soaked too.

 

[RAU03MACH]

ok , ya mine was the lower intake, top part

 

[Chenn2389]

I got the car back. The lower intake issue is fixed. Car still had issues running lean and idle surging in between gears and coasting with the clutch in. I swapped in my spare walbro 190lph fuel pump and put on a motorcraft fuel pressure regulator instead of my BBK adjustable one. This solved 85% of the running issues.

Now I am having issue with hesitation at highway speeds. I think it may be due to a weak alternator not being able to supply enough current to the HEI distributor and MSD coil. It’s like I’m losing spark or have weak spark. I also can hear significant whine noise in lower gears like 1st and 2nd.

What size alternator should I run with a 331 stroker with upgraded fuel pump, upgraded hei distributor and msd ignition coil?

 

[ttocs]

a voltage problem is one of the few things the stock gauges will show if it is not keeping up. AT highway speeds you should be seeing a solid voltage no matter where your at in the throttle.

 

[Chenn2389]

The car is getting the rear main seal replaced today as well as checking the cam/freeze plug or the oil pan gasket for the leaks that causing my clutch to slip and burn oil on the xpipe.

Having the car tuned remotely using the moates quarterhorse on Friday by Adam from Pops Racing.

Excited to finally get this thing dialed in and will have the software and hardware to make tuning adjustments myself.

 

[Chenn2389]

Well… 3rd rear main seal later and it finally stopped leaking. What a pain in the ass that was.

Been working remote with Adam Marre live tuning with the quarter horse. Got the fuel dialed in pretty well and been safely doing wot pulls up to 5k rpm. Tomorrow going to finish dialing fuel in on the top end and then add some timing and then smooth out the part throttle cruising. It’s already running 100x better. My hanging idle with clutch pushed in and between gears is gone. No vibration or hesitation any more. Just all around running like it should and I couldn’t be happier.

Stay away from Ted Jenkins at tuning Innovations he would not even be bothered to help figure out some bugs in the tune he sent me. Blamed every component on my car but his tune. My car and all the sensors worked fine.

 

[joemomma]

Interesting that you had bad luck with Ted - I've heard mostly positive things about them online (except for you and a couple others here).

Glad you got it sorted out - that hanging idle is a pisser. Mine does it too, although I'm pretty much stock with the exception of exhaust.

 

[Chenn2389]

Interesting that you had bad luck with Ted - I've heard mostly positive things about them online (except for you and a couple others here).

Glad you got it sorted out - that hanging idle is a pisser. Mine does it too, although I'm pretty much stock with the exception of exhaust.

Fun fact Adam taught Ted how to tune, and they no longer keep in touch cuz Ted is only in it to make a quick buck through the mail and doesn’t follow through to see the car finished.

 

[Chenn2389]

Wrapped up the tuning with Adam Marre. Man the car is really ripping and running good. I need to upgrade to a 200a alternator and replace my cooling fan. It’s drawing too much current and the high speed isn’t kicking on. It’s new stock replacement from summit but it’s junk. Gonna order the one on CJ pony parts I verified that’s the correct one. I’m also gonna change the routing of some of the vacuum. Once I get that taken care of Adam gonna touch up the tune and add a bit more timing and smooth out the idle. I’m at 27 degrees total timing right now. The fan not kicking to high speed had it running hot 210 degrees, and the fan ran continuously and was giving us fan wash at idle. So excited, almost ready to put the interior back together.

 

[ttocs]

are you sure its the fan that isn't turning on high and not the ccrm?

 

[Chenn2389]

are you sure its the fan that isn't turning on high and not the ccrm?

I don’t use the ccrm. I have a Dakota digital controller and it’s good. Last summer the stock fan burned up and melted the plug I replaced the wiring and the relays. The shitty fourseasons cooling fan only had one speed I’m guessing they sent me the v6 one, or just defective.

 

[Chenn2389]

I got my fan wired into the ccrm. Flushed the coolant out, running 25\75 mixture with water wetter. Swapped out the heater cross over pipe with the 79-85 elbow and heater hose kit from 5.0resto. The car is officially leak free and running cool.

I put on a 200a alternator upgraded all my grounds to 4ga, put in new alternator power wire and starter wire also 4ga. The new alternator came with a defective voltage regulator and was running like crap so I went back to the 130a for now until I can get it warrantied. Car is running great about to finally put the interior back in.

Need to go down a belt size. It’s squeaking when I rev with no load. My tensioner barely putting tension on it at all. Bypassed the smog pump so I don’t have the stock belt size and the parts store didn’t have the next size down in stock.

Burn out video coming soon.

 

[ttocs]

I got my fan wired into the ccrm. Flushed the coolant out, running 25\75 mixture with water wetter. Swapped out the heater cross over pipe with the 79-85 elbow and heater hose kit from 5.0resto. The car is officially leak free and running cool.

I put on a 200a alternator upgraded all my grounds to 4ga, put in new alternator power wire and starter wire also 4ga. The new alternator came with a defective voltage regulator and was running like crap so I went back to the 130a for now until I can get it warrantied. Car is running great about to finally put the interior back in.

Need to go down a belt size. It’s squeaking when I rev with no load. My tensioner barely putting tension on it at all. Bypassed the smog pump so I don’t have the stock belt size and the parts store didn’t have the next size down in stock.

Burn out video coming soon.

did you get a good quality brand name HO alt or just an ebay no-name special? I got the no-name special probably 15 years ago and it lasted all of 5 months for me before the regulator crapped out. I took it in for repair and the guy said that the actual internals of the alt were upgraded/HO but the regulator they used was not just junk but cheap JUNK as he put it.