Engine cuts out around 3k

[SmokinStangGT]

Hey guys i got my car running and everything is brand new, but somthing is still just screwing up. When i am driving the the road and i bring the rpms up around 3k the motor wants to kinda sputter and seem like it is misfiring and there is some poping thru the intake as well. now i put on all new ignition things except the coil.... I have 9mm wires, new dist. and cap, and new TFI. I messed with all of the timing and tired to set it everywhere but it doesent seem to help really. what could be causing this, and how should i fix this problem?? Also i am about to just take it to the shop and have them work on it but i dont need to spend anymore money and i just need a list of things i can look for.
-THANKS!

[richd]

My guess would be to try a new coil (or borrow a friends).

Have you checked the KOEO and KOER codes?

Good luck,

Rich D.

[Conman]

I would pull the codes

and another thing to think about is fuel pressure. Check the pressure and also you could get a lean code through the computer if it is bad enough

I just had a hell of a time with my car and it was the fuel pump

just more things to check before you start spending money

[tmoss]

If the hall effect sensor (the ignition trigger insides your distributor) is going bad it will cause that kind of symptom. Doesn't sound like you replaced it yet. You must pull the distributor and press of the cam gear to replace it.

[richd]

Hmmm...he said he has a new distributor and cap so I thought the hall effect sensor would be new. Thinking about it he probably meant rotor and cap being he doesn't specifically mention rotor anywhere.

If you get a new hall effect sensor, pressing the gear off is a pain in the arse even with the right tool. I'd recommend having a shop do it or just buy a new distributor w/o the TFI module (since you already have one).

Prices at NAPAOnline:

hall effect sensor $40
Having a shop replace the sensor for you probably $10-$20?
Rmfd Distributor $82 - $104 (cast iron or steel gear)

[Mountain Main]

I have never heard it called that. Ford calls it a PIP. Some people call it a stator. I Thought mine was going bad? If you hook up a Multimeter to your stator/PIP and rotate the distributor you can check to see if it is working. That stator is the thing that the TFI Modula hooks up to. The stator is a B**** to get back together. I tried pressing all parts to the distributor and I broke my distributor.

Instead it was the connections in my wiring harness. My suggestions is to reground all grounds to the wiring harness and clean all the connectors on the wiring harness. I would buy a really small pipe brush and two bottles of electrical cleaner. I would clean all the connectors and lightly use the very small pipe brush. After doing all of that I would buy some dielectric grease and grease every connections including the 60 pin connector to the ECM. Grease lots.

The real problem with fuel injection that gets older is electrical connections start to go loose and get nasty.

[SmokinStangGT]

yea i do have the new distributor (that has the new hall sensor)and i will try to get the coil replaced to see if that could be causing any problems.... also how do i check the codes on my mustang... i have trying to figure that out for a while.. thanks!!

[richd]

Look for an e-mail from me for the code checking procedures...

[RPM427]

The first thing I would check, before all that, are the plugs, especially the 2 most rearward plugs. I was having problems with oil being sucked down through the PVC into the intake, and fouling the two rearward plugs causing the same problems you are having. So check the plugs, even if you just put new ones in.

[SmokinStangGT]

Thanks for the advice... i will pull the plugs and see what is going on and how did you fix the problem??? Thanks

[SmokinStangGT]

could there be any way that the incorrect gapping on the spark plugs be doing this????? I pulled them and the gap was at .036 and mustangs call for .054 gap... now i regapped them and they are about .055 or so and it runs better but it still sucks and the plugs at the ends were only burning around the tip and the top was not burning at all... What could this be from and could this be doing anything?? also the plugs smelled of a strong gas oder and they looked like they could need to be replaced even tho they only have 8 miles on them?! could any of this be from the coil going bad or maybe any sensors?? I cleaned all of the sensors out and i cleaned the tin pin connectors, TFI cable and the spout plug.... Also could this be vaccum related because all of the hoses are stock? please help i need stuff that i could check for and if anyone has any experances with this please tell!!! -THANKS

[SmokinStangGT]

anyone help please?!! also i have a list of stuff that could be wrong with my car, and this is all of the stuff that i have not changed or gone through....
-TFI modual (its new but i re greased it good)
-Timing(tried to set it but still no luck)
-head gaskets(brand new just 8 miles on them)?
-valves bent?
-fuel filter dirty?
-fuel pump?
-vaccum hoses(i think all are good but some need clamps)?
-MAF sensor broke?
some other little stuff i left out that i already did but these are what i could think that could be causeing this problem... please give advice!!!! THANKS

[RPM427]

You could have really dirty or imporperly operating fuel injectors as well casue poor atomization of the fuel air mixture. Spend a couple buck and get a bottle of fuel system cleaner, that might do the trick. If not, you can take the injectors out, inspect them and test them. If you haven't changed your fuel filter in the last 20,000 miles, do it now. That could also be your problem. As for my fix, I Plugged the PCV valve, and was running a breather, it worked out good.

[Coupe50h]

"tried to set timing"
Dude, pull your spout, and set timing with a light.
you have to have the car running at operating range before you diagnose anything.
if your fuel pump was weak, it would probaly die, or your plugs would indicate lean.
If you havent replaced the coil, do it, i suspect it's something ignition related.

[SmokinStangGT]

hey everyone i think i found the problem... ready.... i got 11.5:1 compression in all cylinders but one! Number 1 had no compression so i pulled the head and it was the intake valve taht got bent!! that would explain poping in the intake and the crappy driving and what i think happens is the intake valve is open and the fuel gets in the air intake and gets ignited and causes the intake to have no fresh air in it and that is really bad cuz i have no air goin to the cylinders!!! man well i will buy a new intake valve and replace it vuz it has a .040 gap in the valve to head and that is pretty big gap! wow everyone tahns for eh help and i am still going to replace the sensors and the fuel pump just so i know it is good!! Well ill keep you all updated thanks!!

[PKRWUD]

So many comments, so little time.

That's an awful lot of compression for such a small cam. What are your intentions?

I would replace the coil anyway.

How the hell did you bend a valve in 8 miles, and why only one?

How did you determine that you had 11.5:1 compression in your other 7 cylinders, or were you just making a point?

How can you have so much time and money into this engine, and not have the timing set? Do you not know how, or is there some other problem?

You have a new engine, and an old fuel filter? Trust me when I tell you a new filter would be money well spent.

You could replace your vacuum hoses for about $15 and a half day, and that includes time to run and buy the hose. I'd do it if I were you.

If you don't know how to check for codes, this website has an excellent set of instructions. It's an Australian site, but everything still applies.

Good luck.



Take care,
~Chris

[93GTDIN]

I agree with chris, the whole situation sounds a bit fishy. 12:1 is ridiculously high compression, and when your engine wont rev past a certain point, one possible cause is it could be losing compression.

Question: DId you assemble this motor, or have a shop do it? If you did, did you line up the piston ring openings, or stagger them, or were they file fit rings? Is your head gasket of the correct bore size for your cylinders? Did you use pushrods of the correct length?

Another possibliity is lack of fuel.

Question: Are you using an adjustable fuel pressure regulator? If so, what pressure are you running? did you use your original injectors, and if so, did you check to make sure the o-rings were intact? Have you changed your fuel filter (in tank and out of tank filters) recently?

I would personaly tend to rule out spark as an issue, because spark issues will generaly be seen at all RPM's, not just above 3 grand. Unless of course, your timing is WAAAY off. Make sure you are taking your timing reading off of the #1 cylinder. I've gotten it mixed up with the #3 many-a-time.

good luck.

dino

[SmokinStangGT]

To Chris--- ok fisrt the valves floated and about 4000 the number one intake valve spring lock shot off the head and put a hole in my intake so i put the new springs on the valves with the valve spring tool that you can use without pulling the heads... so i checked the compression with a compression tester and found the results of anywhere of 11.4:1-11.6:1 in all cylinders but nuumber 1 so i pulled the head and the vavle was bent..... i picked up a new valve and am putting it in today..... anyway i have the right head gaskets... i do know how to set the timing BUT not knowing that i had a cylinder down when i went to set the timing made it seem like i didnt know what the hell i was doing. I went with the biggest comp. cam that i could so i didnt have any vaccum problems and i liked the powerband. I replaced the fuel filter before the rebuild about maybe even 200 miles before the rebuild BUT i didnt know if the filter was bad from sitting in the winter. The coil was going to be replaced the same day if my compression was fine and i still am going to replace it with an Accell.-Thanks for the help!
Now to Dino-- I have about 11.5:1 compression in all cylinders but number one where the bent valve. I have been wanting to replace the fuel pump soon and i am not running a feul pressure regulator... I built this motor and made sure all of the ring gaps were opposite of eachother and i know all of the injectors shold be good and the o rings were all on. Ill put the new valve in and tell u guys how it goes... THANKS!

[PKRWUD]

Interesting. Okay, a few more comments...

Why did you build an engine like this, and not install new valve springs? You are very lucky that you only damaged one valve, and that the piston didn't get hurt.

It's not possible to determine an engines compression ratio with a gauge. There is only one way, and it's through math. When you perform a compression check, you are only checking the cranking compression, not the compression ratio. They are two different things.

A cam with .501 lift is small/average, even for an otherwise stock engine, but for one with 12:1 pistons, it's tiny. You could have gone significantly larger without much of a vacuum problem, and even bigger if you added a vacuum canister. Just food for thought for your next project.

On a side note, Dino is right about a spark problem usually effecting the entire rpm range, except when it's a coil that's failing. Coils can be a real PITA sometimes, especially for something that is really so simple.

If I were you, I would pull both heads, and have all the valves checked. Then I would install some new springs so the valves didn't float again.

But that's just me.

Take care,
~Chris

[93GTDIN]

In my experience, an AFPR makes tuning alot easier on a built motor like yours.

I also agree with chris on the cam you could have gone bigger, and better springs are a MUST on a motor like yours. Let us know how it goes.


Good luck

dino