Well,

I got everything finished up today, fired it up.

Ran - but doesn't run well. Having problems with the TPS. I'm using the throttle body off the 89, which had a burnt TPS plug somehow. I swapped the TPS off the 393 and put it on there to use. It was working fine then but apparently isn't now. The engine sounds good but wasn't controlling idle well and had a hesitation when flipping the throttle open.

I'm getting a bad connection in the TPS connector and when I get it to show me voltage, it's showing 4.92v at idle and almost 5v at WOT. I'm going to get another TPS and see if that fixes the problem - if not it's alil wiring problem in the connector.

I havn't put my exhaust on yet, just running headers and the bassani Y-pipe...oh boy did that sound nice

I think once I get this TPS in order it's gonna be ok. Can't wait to drive it like normal again

 

Put the new TPS in and got good voltages, set it.

Truck runs and drives great but feels as those it's skipping in part throttle cruise. I can see blips of lean on the a/f gauge when it skips. Not sure if maybe the wires are arcing or why its skipping but I'd think if it were arcing then it would happen at random RPM. This only happens at part throttle cruise. Runs great on the acceleration...sounds nice and has decent power to boot. Feels as though it has the power I was expecting given the changes.

 

So the nightmare continues...

This thing isn't running well either. I checked my TPS for voltage spikes with no luck, it's working fine.

I checked my computer codes and on the KOER I got code 18, "SPOUT circuit open or spark angle word failure."

My SPOUT connector is in tact, not really sure what that is about.

My buddy has an 89 mustang 5.0 5 spd that I'm going to grab the computer from. I'd like to swap it into my truck at some point and see if it's any different.

I could also have a vacuum leak.

It runs rough, I can't easily hold a steady RPM with it either. If I take the throttle in my hand and move it off idle and hold it in that one position, the RPM will drift up and not stay with what throttle position I gave it.

It doesn't run like the 393 did, you can tell this motor is fine but something is wrong with engine management.

Getting really tired of this stuff.

 

is the IAC new? i would say vacum leak as well. sorry your having so much trouble justin. trying your friends ecu would be a real good idea and wouldnt take to long to swap out and try. Let us know

 

Yea the IAC is new within like 3 years - only about 15k in those 3 years lol. I havn't ever got any codes related to IAC so I think it's safe to say it's fine. This truck is starting to catch back up on overall mileage for its age since it hasn't been driven.

His car is a junkyard car pretty much - no interior except seats - no glass - only drivetrain left. It runs and moves that's about it. I asked if I could use the computer and he said yes - I may try to get it from him for little or no money. I'd like to keep it as it's probably an A9L computer which is valueable and he doesn't know it. Those computers arn't rare yet but it would be nice to stock hold a few if ya can lol.

 

maybe run some seafoam thru it and then replace the spark plugs. see if that helps out at all.

 

The seafoam is ment to clear out carbon and stuff right?

What bugs me is that it ran fine in my other truck - it just had a minor vacuum leak and exhaust leak. The engine was fairly clean inside - no excessive amounts of carbon in the combustion chamber or piston area. I cleaned out the lifter valley and the tops of the heads are pretty clean. They both had a little gunk but now are pretty good.

I don't know what the source of my vacuum leak would be - its got new intake gaskets and I took the care in installing them to make sure they were lined up right and torqued down right. I don't really feel like going through re-setting that crap again so I hope that isn't it. It's got a new gasket between the upper/lower and the TB gasket is good. Those would be the major sources of vacuum leak.


Can I test the vacuum to see if I actually have a vacuum leak or not? I have a vacuum pump/gauge...my grandfather and I attached it to the canister purge valve fitting on the throttle body and got a little under 20 inches of vacuum, it was kind of slightly sporatic.

There is a noticeable whistle type sound that you can hear from it, my grandfather was leaning towards that being part of a vacuum leak. I've got to break out the stethoscope and pinpoint the location of it.

 

My 351w has about 128,000 miles on it and I got a rock-steady 19-20" Hg on the vacuum gauge the last time I checked it. To me, that seems reasonable for an engine with this mileage.

I also have that whistling that I haven't been able to trace. It must be vacuum leaking and I have assumed it is the intake gasket but haven't had time to change it. It's on the to-do list. Probably what is behind the high NOx I got last time it was rejected....

Good luck.

BTW, how's you make out with that expired inspection sticker ticket you appealed?

 

I had a good story and the magistrate didn't give a crap. I had probably the most legitimate reason to drive w/o an inspection sticker. I had the paper from the dyno that says I went 1 day before I was pulled over. I had proof I got an inspection within 12 hours of the ticket - most of which were from them being closed. I gotta pay the fine and now have a surcharge on my insurance. It'll cost me about $600+ over 6 years. I explained my story to him and he even commented that it was long winded...I told him I agree there is a long story here but this is really what happened and I have the proof to show it. He asked what my background was, they looked it up and saw my previous ticket. I got caught in one of my other trucks w/o a sticker and I said that I was at fault and paid that. He made the decision within 2 minutes to find me at fault.

I didn't get it inspected because it technically had a legit sticker - it was still within 6 months of expiring. But because of the transfer of ownership it's not legal and they make you re-test it. I know it wouldn't pass so I never went. Can't believe that cop ripped me a new one like he did. Not like I was being a jerk to him.

I couldn't believe it. I had pretty much the most evidence and reason to fight that and I still lost. I don't know how you'd even win one - maybe if you didn't have a record for it. Jerks.

 

Unfortunetly thats the direction most traffic cases go, in the courts favor.

 

For what its worth, I had an intermittent problem with ignition advance. Traced it to a broken spout wire. The wire was broken INSIDE the isulation and was intermittently making contact. Check the spout voltage in and out at the designated points on the harness back by the ecu and the igintion control module. Just a thought.

 

You might be on to something there.

I am working on it today, my first step was to set #1 TDC and check timing. I moved the truck and left the key on by mistake, I went to go after the SPOUT connector to remove it and heard an arc near the coil. It was the same sounding arc I had when I was trying to start the truck.

When I was going to start the truck, I left the coil wire off the coil so that I could turn it over and get some oil moving first. I didn't need to prime it and felt that would be a good idea. But when I had the key on, there was an arc between the tip of the coil and I think the ignition wire going to the coil, possibly the negative. So I decided that was dumb, plugged the coil wire back in and unplugged the 12v to the coil - truck wouldn't start. I thought I fried my MSD box like once before. I checked for fuel and spark and I had both. It took a lot of cranking before it finally kicked and ran.

Now, if I touch the spout connector with the key on, something arcs over by the coil. I'm going to go see if I can find where it's arcing, but it doesn't arc unless I touch/fiddle with that spout wire.

Might be on to something here - that could be disrupting spark to the plugs.

 

I found the source of the arc to be at the coil wire to the distributor, the MSD cap holddown interfered with snugging it down right. I took the cap holddown off and put the coil wire on the dizzy and the arcing went away, but I'm still going to investigate. I'm trying to time it right now - I put white marks on the damper before and I can't see them when I'm trying to time it. Either they're not able to be seen because they're white or something is really wrong with the timing. I pulled the #1 plug and felt that the piston was up when the balancer was on 0. The dizzy is pointing to the #1 cyl when the balancer is on 0. So those check out unless I'm making a mistake here. I put some red paint on the dots instead to see if I can see those with the timing light. We'll see what happens now.

Just missed being able to edit that last one lol.

 

Hmm. This has been interesting...


I just put 50 miles on the truck and it's ah...running fine. lol...It idles a little low but I can fix that by adjusting the stop screw and the TPS.

I think the skipping while cruising has been cured by a spark plug wire or the coil wire problem. I'm not getting any more arcing when playing with the spout connector, I think it was arcing where the coil wire plugged into the dizzy.

So it's not skipping anymore while driving. I havn't been able to time it because I can't read the marks on the damper, but I've retarded it so it doesn't ping when I floor it. I've got to get some good marks on there and time it right.

I think I made a mistake in my previous post though...

Correct me if I am wrong, but if I put the damper on 10 degrees, that's when the rotor should be pointing towards the #1 right? I shouldn't be putting the damper on 0 and setting the rotor at #1...otherwise my timing would be off. Correct?

I did a perfect burnout for the first time in a long time, and I did a 3/4 donut for the first time in a long time. Horray!

I might run this thing with about 14 or so degrees of timing and 93...thing runs real strong with the timing advanced. I was impressed. This thing has ***** with it setup this way, definitely better than the stock SD setup in the 89.

The weird thing is that I am still getting code 18 out of my computer during the KOER. This time it was also in the CM after driving it long enough. I'll have to look into that.

No more signs of a vacuum leak...

 

Cool, Justin! Yes you are right, put the damper on 10* and align the rotor with #1. It is just a ballpark alignment tho, so get your timing marks marked and use your light.
Hmmmm, seems odd to have the code 18 when it is running fine, seems to me it would cause timing errors and poor running.