I have a 97 F150XL 4x4 a few days ago i was driving and i started to lose power i had to take it out of overdrive just to maintain 60mph by the end of the day it took a good 45 seconds to a full minute to get up to 10 mph. I have been told it is the catalytic converter i was wondering if anyone knew anything else that would cause this it has a lope when stopped at a light but is fine when in park it acts like its flooding when I take off from a stop but the faster i go after taking off the flooding feel goes away and just seems like a lack of power. That morning i put on a EGR vacuum solenoid and an o2 sensor. If you could help I would greatly appreciate it. Thanks

 

Sounds like a clogged converter to me

 

I think that's what I got is a clogged converter, with a twist. Read my other threads.
I'm still trying to work out the bugs in my newly rebuilt engine and today I drove it around the block a few times, ran really rough and could not go any faster than 10/20mph, drove back to my garage and looked up under the drivers side and the drivers side converter only was red hot glowing.....it had been making noises from the start.
Passenger side seems ok. Also, only on the drivers side the spark plugs are coated with black soot, so I have something strange going on. Still looking. You can fix the converter but before I do I want to know what made them go bad in the first place.....got to fix that first.

 

To 97; the red hot converter was burning raw gas and drove the Cat temp over 1000 degrees.
That is enough the melt the internal structure and block the converter from passing exhaust hence no power.
By all means find out why a number of cylinders on that back lost ignition before replacing with a new Cat assembly..
You likely need at least the front Ox sensor now along with the Cat.
Good luck.

 

Black soot on all four spark plugs on the DRIVERS SIDE only....pushing unburned raw fuel into the converters - wouldn't this suggest that there is NO spark on the drivers side only?
Sorry, I think I hi-jacked the other guys thread.
thanks for your reply bluegrass

 

IF there was no spark at anytime how do you think the cats got hot enough to burn raw fuel and get hot enough to start that action to begin with?
Best at this time you check the coil drivers and harness. If any drivers are faulty you are in for a PCM change and programming plus the cost of Cats.
The $s are piling up.
With a known problem like this do not keep running the truck if the Cats may still have some life left.
If the Cats are damaged or even later a code 420 or 430 shows up, you have to replace the side indicated and the front OX sensor.
I have been there already. Benefit from my experience.
Good luck.

 

Good point, I can find some used cats or exhaust and change those out. What do you mean coil drivers?
Is this something I maybe caused by missing something? Also, I forgot to mark where my spark plug wires were located from original so I just used the 1 thru 4 passenger side and 5 thru 8 drivers side and then looked at the numbers on the coils and matched them up.
Would it matter if their matched a little different from original position?
thanks

 

97 are you kidding us about just guessing on plug wire position on the coils?
No wonder you have problems and burned the cats up!
The ignition has a fire order like any other motor.
The PCM grounds the coils one at a time in that fire order.
The injectors are also in a fire order to inject fuel well ahead of ignition in the same order. You can't change this unless you cross up the injector plugs.
Man you done did yourself out of a lot of money. A yard cannot 'legally' sell you used Cats.
Good luck with it..

 

Ok update on my truck I crawled under the truck and found that the previous owner has already cut the cats of so I have no clue has to what could be wrong with it now any suggestions would really help. Thanks

 

The muffler could be plugged from the failed cats.

 

OH MY GOD….I’M embarrassed

How could I have missed this So, I went back to the start….back tracked as it were, starting with the SPARK PLUG WIRES and their correct location. This is the only connections that I did not mark….you know A TO A, B TO B, .etc. I somehow had #6 and #7 wires BACKASSWARDS. Realigned them, started the truck and it ran as good as new.
I mean, I’m thinking in my head, I can pull a frickin motor, tear it down, interrogate the geometry, reassemble, put everything back together correctly (WHICH IS NOT EASY), but I can’t even get the humble little spark plug wires located correctly?
Leave no stone unturned. Oh well, it’s running and that’s good and I learned how to check,
Fuel pressure, 02 sensors, wires (ohms), intake manifold/radiator pressure check for leaks etc.
By the way, I came up with a EASY way to check the fuel injectors for SPRAY AND FUNCTION, I’LL share it later.
Bluegrass, thanks for your input and anyone else.

 

ok since z 97ford1's truck is fixed can someone help me with mine i have checked the fuel pressure get 31psi when its idling and around 40 on revving it up haven't tried it under a load when ignitions turned off it drops slowly to 10 psi it has no cats no vacuum leaks that i can find there is a hose that goes to the throttle that is about to fall apart other then that i cant find anything else wrong with it

 

First, you should begin your own thread.
What issue are you having and what is the base info on the truck?
We get the fuel pressure check and a bad hose.
What else is there you need help with?
Good luck.

 

This is my thread i started it lol it is a 97 f150xl 4x4 i cant figure out why it wont accelerate past 45 mph sounds almost like its flooding when i push on the gas and has a lope when it idles

 

Ok sorry about that.
I came in at the end from an e-mail notice and didn't look at the beginning.
.
Fix the deteriorated hose so that is not a suspect.
.
Without cats, are you getting any codes such as 420 or 430 Cat efficiency indications?
Should with out the cats in place and good.
To test for muffler blockage, remove the muffler connection and do a drive test.
Are the OX sensors hooked up? If not the motor will run rich and codes set for that.
Next is to look at live data with a Scanner to see what may be out of normal running areas of the tables.
Have to chase it till something shows up.
Good luck.