What the crap is happening?

[Venomous94Cobra]

Hey guys Merry Christmas, ive got a problem with my 94 cobra, firt of heres what the car has in it, rebiult 302, stock heads, stock intake, believed to be a B303 cam (the prevous owner said it was for sure a ford racing cam just want sure wich one, im going off the sound of the idle compared to videos ive listened to) long tube header (with a decent exhaust leak) o\r x pipe and flowmaster catback, msd distributor and accel wires. NO THERMOSTAT.

Ok heres the problem, driving ive noticed that the CEL would pop on for a min or so and go back off every once in a while, but no noticable change in the car. Well tonite im driving and while just cruising in 5th gear i feel the engine start to stumble or mis, so i downshift to fourth and can still feel it, there wasnt any power when i tried to accelerate especially past 3k rpm. it did this for about a mile and seemed to get worse at times. I pulled over and tried to rev the engine and saw it really didnt want to rev strongly, Shut the engine off and started back up and ran fine again, for about 2 min and then started doin it again, so i continued driving and it went away on its own and then came back about 10 miles later, also it used a quarter tank of gas in about 18-22 miles while all this happend, any suggestions? thanks guys and sorry about the long post just trying to be as clear as possible.

Also ive been driving without a thermostat in it for about a month now, it was like that when i bought it, so while driving the engine temps are on the "N" in NORMAL so i know its running rich all the time. and yes i just bought a 180degree thermostat to install was also gonna change the plugs since i figured they might be fouling out from running rich and may be whats causing my problem.

 

[Win]

Have you done all the Normal Mait stuff??? Have you changed the Cap and Rotor on the dizzy?? Has the dizzy been changed recently??? Fuel Filter??? Fuel Pump???

 

[Venomous94Cobra]

i havent done anything yet, its pouring down rain here unfortantly, but all the parts are supposed to only have 30k on them, and the prevouse owner is a friend of mine and i remember him getting it rebiult with new fuel pump, but im gonna change the filte, dizzy cap and rotor button anyways, but 30k miles shouldnt be anything on those parts.

 

[CC'S95GT]

clean the MAF and IAC too.

 

[Win]

Just check it all do all the simple stuff first.

 

[2002BLGT]

Has it ever had a PIP sensor or a reman distributor in it ?

 

[Venomous94Cobra]

What's a "PIP" sensor? And it has a msd distributor in it. Thanks again for helpin me out

 

[Paul]

You should do the thermostat and other stuff you've already told us you think is wrong, plus run your codes, then come back to us.

 

[CC'S95GT]

the pip is the thingy inside of the dizzy that tell the computor when the fire the plugs.
Your prob could very well be the MSD equipement you have. There are way more people who have problems with the MSD distributor than those who like it.

 

[95 svt cobra]

You know, sometimes simple shit can be the biggest pain in the ass because people overlook them. Do your basic maintenance stuff, including a fuel filter change. You would be surprised how many people i know that have had similar issues with their cars, go around changing sensors to no avail, only to change a filter and bam. car runs fine. good luck, i know that shit is frustrating

 

[Venomous94Cobra]

yea thats usually all it is, just much harder to tell on pre obd2 cars, ive actually ordered a bumch of maintinance shit like MSD dizzy cap and rotor, MSD wires, Motorcraft copper plugs, motocraft fuel filter, and gonna be cleaning the maf tomorrow at work since my maf cleaner is there, like i mentioned before i have an exhaust leak on the right bank and my headers look ancient, i know there long tubes but i can tell what brand or if they even had a brand on them, so im thinking about just ordering a new set of BBK LT's and those will have knew gaskets also so i should be set. you guys are awesome thanks for jumping in and helpin out, im actually a mechanic myself but its alway nice to have others opinions, hope yall had a great christmas.

 

[95 svt cobra]

You can buy new exhaust gaskets dude, you dont have to order a completely new set.

 

[Venomous94Cobra]

i know i dont but my headers look like complete trash and have other exhaust leaks im thinking at some of the welds, but there really rusted and pitted looking, im pretty anal about my cars to, i like em to look as well as they perform especially under the hood.

 

[QIKGTS]

You can buy new exhaust gaskets dude, you dont have to order a completely new set.

Especially considering that the header gaskets supplied with most sets are paper junk...

 

[Venomous94Cobra]

what about the bbk headers? i havent seen any others in LT's that are as good of quality for the price?

 

[95 svt cobra]

I have BBK's on my car, ceramic coated. They have held up really well, not pitted at all, there is a little bit of rust where the flange is bolting up to my H pipe, but my car sits real low and thats from driveways and speed bumps. In vest in a good set of header lock bolts cause they will walk out

 

[Hoseitdown]

could be o2 sensors too. same stuff with my car happened to me.

 

[Venomous94Cobra]

yea ive heard alot about the header bolts backin out, i found the lockin bolts awhile back at jegs i was gonna do them with the new headers.

As for the o2 sensors, to be honest that crossed my mind also especially since ive been driving it every day and its been runnin so rich.

 

[john#21]

have you pulled the codes yet?

 

[Venomous94Cobra]

no how do you pull em on these cars?