86 engine vibrates BAD!
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More Turbo
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 543
Likes: 7
From: Tulsa
86 engine vibrates BAD!
Hey y'all:
I just replaced my 2.9's original heads with new ones from WORLD, but all the old running gear is stock. I torqued everything to spec and did my best to ensure that valve lash was perfect. I replaced or cleaned my o2 and temp sensors and everything should be great.
-The engine vibrates so god-awful bad and you get dizzy sitting in the truck. It goes away when at slightly higher RPMs but comes back when I let off the gas. -Now this is all in Park/neutral, keep in mind...
I've checked the timing at various places; advanced, strait up, retarded, and it doesn't seem to matter.
Any thoughts?
Thanks!!!
ps... the exhaust is smelling a little raunchy of unburned gas too...
I just replaced my 2.9's original heads with new ones from WORLD, but all the old running gear is stock. I torqued everything to spec and did my best to ensure that valve lash was perfect. I replaced or cleaned my o2 and temp sensors and everything should be great.
-The engine vibrates so god-awful bad and you get dizzy sitting in the truck. It goes away when at slightly higher RPMs but comes back when I let off the gas. -Now this is all in Park/neutral, keep in mind...
I've checked the timing at various places; advanced, strait up, retarded, and it doesn't seem to matter.
Any thoughts?
Thanks!!!
ps... the exhaust is smelling a little raunchy of unburned gas too...
Posting Guru
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 2,155
Likes: 1
From: sunny fla sometimes windy
You left something unhooked maybe? Did you replace or clean the O2 sensor and
how did you clean it? The wire end of the o2 sensor needs to breathe if you put
tape or dielectric on the wire end take it off or it will never read right. How are
all the vac lines? How long did the truck sit while it was being worked on?
how did you clean it? The wire end of the o2 sensor needs to breathe if you put
tape or dielectric on the wire end take it off or it will never read right. How are
all the vac lines? How long did the truck sit while it was being worked on?
Former ******
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 4,901
Likes: 2
From: Salt Lake City, Utah
Rough running is usually a sign of misfire. Look at the spark plugs and plug wires. Also make sure they are all securely attached and that none of them are crossed. This seems to be confirmed by the smell of gas. The engine is not burning the fuel in one or more cylinders.
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More Turbo
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 543
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From: Tulsa
i checked the order of the plugs and wires they looked to be in good condition but you never know... I guess I'll just put some new wires on since the plugs are brand new platinums. would the thing even start if it were somehow 180* out? It did sit for 2-3 months while I worked on it, so I guess the gas could be getting nasty too...
Lead Driver
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 7,868
Likes: 9
From: Rhode Island
On my 2.9, the injectors needed cleaning, and I had to replace most of the connectors on the injector harness.
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Elder User
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 620
Likes: 0
From: Ishpeming Mi.
It sounds like you are a tooth off on the distributer. I had to pull mine off to replace the ignition module [thanks to the Ford beancounters 
] and I had one hell of a time getting it stabbed right again. Your symptoms sound identical to the headache I went through.
Mine was an '86 2.9 also.
When you find out the answer please post the solution and close the thread. Final answers are music to our eyes.
] and I had one hell of a time getting it stabbed right again. Your symptoms sound identical to the headache I went through.Mine was an '86 2.9 also.
When you find out the answer please post the solution and close the thread. Final answers are music to our eyes.
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Posting Guru
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 2,155
Likes: 1
From: sunny fla sometimes windy
Gas line dryer, fresh gas top off and a bunch of lucas fuel treatment!! Say 2 bottles of
heet and 2 of iso heet, Some low octane gas topped all the way to the filler neck to
dilute the bad gas, and that whole big bottle of lucas fuel treatment. If gas sits for
90 days it is starting to turn bad unless you used Sta-bil!! Ideally draining the tank and checking for rust or growth in the tank would be a good idea. The plug wires
should be around 5000 ohm per foot if they are close don't waste the money on
new wires.
heet and 2 of iso heet, Some low octane gas topped all the way to the filler neck to
dilute the bad gas, and that whole big bottle of lucas fuel treatment. If gas sits for
90 days it is starting to turn bad unless you used Sta-bil!! Ideally draining the tank and checking for rust or growth in the tank would be a good idea. The plug wires
should be around 5000 ohm per foot if they are close don't waste the money on
new wires.
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More Turbo
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 543
Likes: 7
From: Tulsa
while we're on the subject of the distributor... Why is it that ford decided to make that dam* thing so hard to get in strait? If you don't line it up just so, then it wont fall into place; but even then you could be a tooth off... The electrical systems on all the trucks of this year are trash in my opinion. I had an F250 that was just as bad. I cant tell you how many modules, pickups, coils, and wire splices I went through. It's just an over complicated mess! -ok, I vented.
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More Turbo
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 543
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From: Tulsa
Back again...
Still the same problems... I've replaced or checked the wires, plugs, every sensor I can think of, but the EGR stuff (cause the EGR is gone), and adjusted the timing once again. I'm at my wits end. There's obvious loss of power, poor fuel mileage, and now it's dying at every other intersection. I need answers guys. Any thoughts? My buddy thinks the dis. is 180 out, but I don't think it'd start at all then. I'm thinking maybe an over tightened rocker arm, but I don't know....
Lead Driver
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 7,868
Likes: 9
From: Rhode Island
Take off the cat, see if it runs better.
I'm stil placing my bets on a sticking fuel injector. Get one of those 1 gallon buckets of super carb cleaner that have a little metal mesh bowl inside them from your auto store of choice, get a gasket kit while your add it for the plenum gaskets, since they will probably tear. Pull all the injectors, remove the rubber o rings from both side of the injectors, and let them soak overnight. Dry em off real good with an air gun from an air compressor, just don't let the cleaner get on you! it burns !
I'm stil placing my bets on a sticking fuel injector. Get one of those 1 gallon buckets of super carb cleaner that have a little metal mesh bowl inside them from your auto store of choice, get a gasket kit while your add it for the plenum gaskets, since they will probably tear. Pull all the injectors, remove the rubber o rings from both side of the injectors, and let them soak overnight. Dry em off real good with an air gun from an air compressor, just don't let the cleaner get on you! it burns !
Last edited by Lead Head; Jan 9, 2008 at 10:52 PM.
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 1,344
Likes: 12
From: Sioux Falls SD
Just to update incase you did not read my thread.
My #1 fuel injector had an electrical problem, some times it would work and most times it would not.
So I would tend to lean that direction too. If the dist. is 180 out it would be very obvious when you look at the rotor position with #1 at tdc on compression stroke. The rotor shoud point to #1 pin on the dist. cap.
My #1 fuel injector had an electrical problem, some times it would work and most times it would not.
So I would tend to lean that direction too. If the dist. is 180 out it would be very obvious when you look at the rotor position with #1 at tdc on compression stroke. The rotor shoud point to #1 pin on the dist. cap.
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More Turbo
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 543
Likes: 7
From: Tulsa
Thanks ya'll that's pretty helpful. There's acually a good chance it could be a stuck injector. Last night while messin' with it with the engine off and ignition on, I swear I could hear one hissing... Not sure, but I'll definately check it out. -couldn't be the cat... Cause there isn't one. I was worried the EGR stuff being removed might be the problem. Whoever had this truck last was apparently an engine massacist...
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More Turbo
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 543
Likes: 7
From: Tulsa
well I cleaned the injectors, checked my electrical connections and made sure timing was 100percent. Still not working right... I;m starting to think fuel pressure regulator or TPS. It seems like it's running way too rick, and as far as I can tell i've got spark to every cylinder. Now, once it's heated up it's takin to dying at every intersection. I still smell gas and it only runs smoother when the gas is pushed in. I don't know anymore, I'm 'bout to give up.