This is topic Unknown Power Loss in forum Tech Talk at Northern California Ford Owners  .


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Posted by SoSick93 (Member # 11099) on :
 
Hey ford owners, got a 1993 hatch GT, stock (rebuilt) motor + bolt ons, about 4 months did an oil change, spark plugs and wires, well a few days later, walked out to my car, turned it on and i noticed the idle seemed a little different. Didn't think much of it (maybe a little cold), started to drive it to about 20mph and it instantly felt all wrong. It seemed as if my power was cut in half. The feeling of driving it feels like a bad miss fire, and when you step on it, its slow to react and sounds like it has a dead cylinder. Very hard to explain the feeling. I have flowmasters to dumps and it sounds like marbles are in my mufflers. AND on top of it all, it all of a sudden got a (slight) lifter tap also. So my first ideas where to recheck all plugs and wires, make sure everything was snug and fitted and it was. So then I started looking to more ignition problem, thinking the rotor or cap was bad, replaced it with one i knew worked fine, it wasnt that either. So i turned to my buddy who knows more than I about 5.0s and he said to look at the fuel system. So we checked fuel filter, pump and injectors. Replaced injectors with working stock ones, new filter and a new pump. Still no luck. While replacing all this stuff, probably running like 60% power. So then I went to last resort and took it to a ford mechanic. His code reader told us cylinder 4 wasnt firing, so we swapped the plug (even though it was fine) and the code went away. Then it said EGR wasnt functioning, so we cleaned it and it definitely works fine. The code still gives us it but the EGR works and is cleaned. So then he suggested looking at the gaskets in the lower intake to make sure none ripped and that the cylinders weren't mixing between each other (thinking from the rebuild that it wasnt done correctly or whatever, but all the gaskets were perfect and brand new), and he did a compression check and all the cylinders had normal compression. So basically he told me everything I already new. So now I ask you stang owners to please help me with ANY ideas, thoughts, anything. Im willing to hear all ideas, definitely something im missing. I don't think its in my motor to be honest, it had 160k, then got a rebuild, now with 30k miles on it. I dont do sideshows or whip donuts everywhere, a hard launch here and there but no abnormal abuse it couldnt handle, like it literally happened all in one day. Went to be with a working car, woke up with it just all bad. I dont have a lot of money to continue to replace things so i hope we can narrow it down. I will post a video soon to show its idle and try to capture how it drives as best I can. My buddy and i swapped the wires with some MSD and a MSD cap and a brand new ford racing rotor, rechecked the timing and its still at 10 degree timing.Currently the car is running at 80% power, now finally puts your head in the seat but wont spin tires. The MAF is clean and functioning fine. The fuel pressure is normal. Been working on vacuum lines and making sure there are no leaks (long process, tons of hoses)and working on checking for any loose ground wires. Found one loose but didn't change anything. So please help me with this, I love my car and the last thing I wasn't to see is it go for less than half of what its worth if worse comes to worse. Another description of the feeling is it idles good now but wont hold a steady 2k RPM hold, kinda flickers. And the power loss is noticeable when put on a load (accelerating) and doesn't drive comfortably at say 40mph, kinda jerks back and forth a little. Thank you, and again, ANY ideas i will try and consider. Heres a little list of whats on my car
(stock motor, rebuild)
K&N CAI
BBK equal length headers
offroad x pipe
flows
flex fan
new thermostat
A/C delete
(not that thermostat or the fan make any difference, just trying to tell you what has been worked on around the motor.)
Let me know with any questions that might help you form an idea!

[ December 21, 2011, 10:06 PM: Message edited by: SoSick93 ]
 
Posted by Stangn5oh (Member # 10875) on :
 
Sounds like head gasket or timing. I know u only 30k and already checked timing. Do a compression check then.
 
Posted by 89foxstang (Member # 5908) on :
 
When you unplug the spout your at 10deg and when you plug it back in It changes correct? Your positive you have the firing order correct? Have you checked for play in your distributor? With what your explaining it sounds like an ignition miss (jerking , fuel usually is more like a sluggish feeling) lmk if you checked all this
 
Posted by Jaejae5.0 (Member # 7958) on :
 
burned plug wires [patriot]
 
Posted by triple b (Member # 8763) on :
 
clutch lol you had multiple problems but i bet ur new motor fried that clutch on those hard launches
 
Posted by copcar (Member # 10113) on :
 
Considering you had just done plugs I would argue a bad connection at the plug or you broke one or two plugs and the spark is arcing inside the plug or from a crack in the porcelean to the block.
 




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