some big problems

Speedstang302 · Mar 16, 2010

im trying to figure out if i should just replace my heads or the whole motor needs to be replaced..i've been fighting leaking valve cover gaskets for a few days now. heres some of the things its doing

-hesitation
-detenation (pinging under load)
-very slow rev
-very rough idle, shakes entire car, exhaust etc etc
-only smokes out of one exhaust tip.
-unplugged each coil pack, drivers side did nearly nothing, passengers dropped idle way down but didnt stall
-check'd the plugs, all have alot of black build up, just changed the plugs 500 miles ago, along with new wires

trying to see if the cams got bad lobes, i got a bunch of bad valve seals or i have the start of bottom end problems..i was going to do the pi swap..but its not worth putting it on if my bottom ends gone..

any suggestions, questions, tips anything!!!!

duff daddy · Mar 16, 2010

the plugs, do they look ashy? or oily? or what, maybe a pic. As far as the other issues, you need to find out why this car is running bad, if you disconneced a coil pack and it didnt effed ohw it was idling, then that starts to point your issue out. It brings that its a misfire youre feeling, but you need to find out why its happening. Its going to take time, check the oil and see how fast its burning it. and go fomr there

Jrgunn5150 · Mar 16, 2010

I highly doubt you have bad heads or cam lobes (they are billet steel and only run on followers, other things would fail catastrophically first).

First thing's first, has your intake been replaced?

Have you gotten the car hot enough to be concerned about headgaskets?

Have you checked everything for leaks, stuck PVC, dirty EGR, etc?

Leaking oil out of one tailpipe isn't much of a sign since these car's do have crossovers on them, so who knows where the oil is coming from.

Speedstang302 · Mar 17, 2010

no its leaking oil cuz of the valve covers are leaking a good amount, i've kept good track of that and it has dropped almost 4 quarts in a few days. so the engine isnt burning that trust me, cuz its clean oil on the ground.

there is an ashy build up on the plugs.

also just to let you guys know..i pulled off the pi heads w/ comp cams to send them out to be check'd for leveling..i needed the car running so i put my npi heads i was having the issue with before back on..its my dd. but i ran into this problem before, on my very first start after running seafoam through the system. the intake was replaced with a pi one right after the issue started..first idea was the injectors and rails..but not so much. its never gotten above 200* since i've owned it...egr was clean when i did the pi swap, replaced the pvc, iac, tps all when i did the pi intake. also new ngk tr55 plugs set to .54" gap and frpp 9mm wires...

pp_puncher · Mar 17, 2010

So, you took off the PI intake and comp cams....and put npi heads and ??? cams.....I'm sure you are running into some tuning issues and possibly a dead drivers side coil pack.

duff daddy · Mar 17, 2010

Im confused as to what exactly is going on here

DropTopPony · Mar 17, 2010

Did you use NEW head gaskets when you swapped the NPI's back on?

Marvin97 · Mar 17, 2010

when you did the pi swap did you install bigger injectors or a different mass air meter? if so it could be dumping too much fuel and fouling out you plugs. As far as the valve covers leaking, why haven't you replaced them? You said you have done a head swap twice on this car, just change the valve cover gaskets.

Jrgunn5150 · Mar 17, 2010

DropTopPony said:
Did you use NEW head gaskets when you swapped the NPI's back on?

And head bolts.

Speedstang302 · Mar 17, 2010

alright to clear this up..i ran into problems..landed some pi heads and comp cams..but never thought to have the heads checked before i put them on. so i just sent them out a couple days ago..my sig is exaggerated...i had the npi stuff off..but never got the pi stuff on. so i put the npi stuff back on cuz its my daily driver..i work at a lincoln dealership so i get stuff at cost so i did pick up a 2nd second of factory head bolts and head gaskets. and put it all back on.

the coil packs are fine, they all give off great spark when i pull a boot off of it when running, checked all 8.

i never installed then i had 24lb injectors and the 85mm maf put on and tune'd with a hand held tuner long before the pi install start. the valve cover gasket's are now replaced and not leaking. its not burning oil..drove it all day and no leaks. i set the tuner back up to stock, then reprogrammed it...no difference..still throwing out codes for bank 2 running rich, and bank 2 running under efficiency threshold.

pp_puncher · Mar 17, 2010

maybe drivers side upstream 02 sensor?

Speedstang302 · Mar 17, 2010

alright pulled all the plugs...took a few pictures..ill get up in the morning and take a few videos to show a few things..

Speedstang302 · Mar 17, 2010

alright so tonight before i pulled the plugs i ran the dtc's..

came back with

p0113- intake air temp circuit high input
p0118- engine coolent temp circuit high input
p1000- vehicles needs more time to read (or something like that)

okay well the coolent one is due to the fact i didnt tap for the 2nd sensor yet on the new pi intake. and the intake temp one is due to the fact i forgot to re-install the sensor on the cold air before the maf.

so i checked the plugs after that while the motor was cool. then took it out to give it more running time to read. came back 20 minutes later and it through the p1000 code at me again, and obviously the coolent one. but no intake one cuz i connected the sensor..

problem is. after the seafoam crap.. it ran codes for the following

p0430- catalyst system efficiency threshold (bank2)

p0174- system too lean (bank2)

why are those gone now...but i still have 0 power. its like its playing with me now, cuz tonight on my 20 minute drive, i pulled out of a stop light gave it between 1/2-3/4 pedal and thinking it would do its normal not really go anywhere, then hit 3k rpms climb a little but stop accelerating at 3k..but no it pulled a decent amount harder (compared to before but no where near where even a stock npi should be) all the way to about 4700rpms. so i was like wtf..so i free rev'd it..hit 5k. then again...about 4500, then one more time 4000, then again 3200ish....then went to take off from that stop light and it bogged and almost stalled..in had to slip the clutch from 2000k rpms. all those rev's...not me stopping at that...the car not climbing rpm's with pedal to the floor!

i swear something's screwing with me. i pulled the 24lb injectors, and maf and put the stock units back in...reset tune completely back to factory...no difference.!

dutman98 · Mar 18, 2010

I was having a very similar problem. I just fixed my stang!!! I see in your sig you have some msd ignition componets. I had msd coil packs and wires. Heard they flake out easy so I ordered motocraft plug wires and motocraft coil packs. No more stumble no more hesitation and backfire problems. Hope this helps and good luck. :thumbsup:

Speedstang302 · Mar 19, 2010

yeah it i check'd that thanks...i still had my factory coils that were in good condition and factory wires..but i just got rid of my msd coil's and frpp wires..and went to screamen deamon coils and livewires..but same conditions with all three setups

Speedstang302 · Mar 21, 2010

alright since its nice out today, i've decided to check the compression on the car today. between the plugs being in relatively good condition, coils and wires and plugs being good..if i cant find anything bad out with comp test...im wondering..

could my cats be plugged..i bought the basssani catted x-pipe and the guy said it only had a few thousand miles on it, it looks clean but the cats are kinda rusted. also said the o2's were relatively new also. if the cats are plugged and o2's fouled could i be getting the symptoms i am but with no codes anymore to do with the cats/o2's?

Lee12609 · Mar 24, 2010

i dont see plugged cats causing a rich condition.

the seafoam probably ruined your o2 sensors, but even disconnecting the o2's altogether wouldnt have this much affect on your car.

can you datalog (not sure what programmer you are using).

almost sounds like a dead MAF to me, but you say you swapped it, are you using the same electronics in both housings or do they have their own electronics?

Speedstang302 · Mar 26, 2010

Lee12609 said:
i dont see plugged cats causing a rich condition.

the seafoam probably ruined your o2 sensors, but even disconnecting the o2's altogether wouldnt have this much affect on your car.

can you datalog (not sure what programmer you are using).

almost sounds like a dead MAF to me, but you say you swapped it, are you using the same electronics in both housings or do they have their own electronics?

im using a superchips programmer..but now its not pulling any codes besides the one for the coolent sensor i havent drilled for yet and p1000 for needing more running time to read for codes...anyway to reset this for it to check for codes again..i've tried deleting the codes..but nothing

and i put the stock maf back on for now..and my pro-m maf has its own connector seperate from my stock one...no difference.

i honestly dont know what to do. i cant tell if its cats/ o2's...bad coils/wires or something to do with fuel...im so sick of the elmination game...wtf are these computers good for if they cant push out codes to tell you wtf's wrong with it..im almost ready to rip the 408w out of my wrecked 92 and but it in this f'in thing and go back to carb'd