When you get into visual inspections, those aftemarket cats are a big red bullseye. Some exhaust places refuse to put them on.

The only cleaning I do for my engines is a good run up the RPM range every week or so.

I took apart a 360 I had in my '74 highboy - I got it with 120K on it from my brother, it had over 250K miles on it when I took it apart. It was spotless.

And that was without trying to get the best brand-name gas.

What as the one thing that 360 went through all the time? 5000RPMs

 

If running the RPM range keeps the engine clean then I'm in good shape. I usually don't shift till atleast 4000 and other times over 5000. I've only found the rev limiter once and it sure did leave a sick feeling in my stomach for a second when I thought the engine had just bought the farm.

 

As my grandpap would say, "Go blow the sut outa that thang!!!"

 

You know, I think I remember the Ford Owner's manual actually recommending running the engine at high rpm at least once per tank of gas to help keep the engine clean.....

 

I'm sure we've all got behind the little car, suv or Buick which sees a lot of grandma driving. As soon as they push it on an on ramp or up a hill soot and sulfer spew out the back. Taking the motor over 5,000 rpm every tank should definatly help remove the gunk.



I personally have never tried seafoam and won't use anything similar in my V10. In the winter and every now and then in the summer I will add "Nox Ice" to the gas to help remove any water in the system. With all the alcohol in the gas now days it tends to attract moisture more quickley and go bad.

Too many additives will actually cause deposits, especially on the spark plugs. I used to add Marvels Mystery Oil every tank in my 74' F-100 to help lube the valvetrain and keep the gas fresh. I cut the amount down after seeing the reddish color on the insulator on all the plugs. (I changed them every year) Just be carefull what you add

 

I know this thread is old, but need some help and looking everywhere I can. 2002 V10, 178k miles. Was missing, code showed #10. Changed the COP on 10 and did all the plugs. Still missing.

Codes then showed 02 sensor (but which one?!). When I did the plugs I broke off one of the clips that holds the wire onto the COP, so it's been loose. Drove that way for couple hundred miles. Went around and tightened all the bolts holding the COPs in place (can't seem to get those little buggers tight) and made sure all connections to all COPs were solid, including the #8 that is broken. When I started it up it was like it sneezed out a bunch of black crap out the exhaust pipe - I still can't get it off my driveway. What was that? Then it idled smooth (yay!) and drove like my old truck again. BUT only for a while. Missing again. Was intermittent for about a week, but after today it's officially missing again.

(1) What can I use to hold the wire onto the COP? I've tried to find the replacement for the little plastic clip, but no luck.

(2) What was that black sneeze all about? Carbon?

(3) Now it is also speckling a little water out the exhaust (slightly oily or some kind of residue, though the scent is not strong).

(4) What else could be causing this intermittent missing problem? When it isn't missing it runs fantastic.

 

I would bet you have a failing o2 sensor which is causing your engine to run rich. That has clogged up your cat slowly and you just put enough pressure in front of it to blow the build up out. Get a your computer checked for soft codes, visually check your o2 sensors and replace the ones that are gummed up, then put in a new cat.

i bet that will fix your problems

 

Thanks - is there any harm in replacing the 02 sensor(s), but not the cat and see if that works or do you think the cat is toast? And is the code check something I'll have to get from the dealer?

 

Schooner 45, please start your own thread for this.

 

I did first thing this morning - thanks.