I've got an '89 Bronco with a 302, only engine mods are JBA headers. Recently it's been behaving sluggishly and developed a whistle, which changes in tone when the gas pedal is depressed. Also, it knocks when accelerating up grades. Upon shutting down the engine, it lets out what sounds like a breath of air, and makes a ticking noise that almost sounds like valves moving (starts rythmically, then slows, then stops, as if many things were ticking, then less, until none). The breath and the ticking were first noticed right after a service to replace a header gasket and repair some cracking in the header where it meets the exhaust pipe. At least two (maybe more, havent checked yet) of the spark plug wires are discolored and cracked thru at the boot on the spark plug end. Could that be related? Also, there is a known exhaust leak from the EGR tube, leading from the EGR into the intake manifold. Any thoughts would be appreciated, thanks. I have also posted this in the 1980-96 trucks forum.

 

the slugness sounds like if your cats are getting pluged up.

I have a whistle on my bronco with a 302. thought it was the open air cleaner. ran her with out the air cleaner attached to see it that was the problem. but it wasn;t. I do kow I have a cracked exhause manafold. That has to be where the whistle is from. some where between 2000-3500 rpm's is my whistle.




If it is still running. you didn't try hard enuf!