Is it Springs or HLA's???

I think the car's almost there. There's *hopefully* just one last thing I think I need to do and it'll be running tip top. I figure it either has to be incorrect springs or something's up the the HLA's.

As I've said before if the car sits for more that 10 minutes or so it takes several seconds to start and runs on 3 cylinders for like 30 seconds before it smoothes out. After it gets running on all 4 it stays running on all 4.

So since she's all broken in now I've been driving it a bit harder. When it gets up to probably 3800 RPM it looses a lot of power no matter how much boost it's got going in. If I back off on the gas and shift at that point I don't notice any difference in the way it runs. If I let the RPM's keep climbing any higher, after I let off the gas it runs like doo doo for anywhere from say about 5 seconds to 25 seconds. How long it runs poorly seems to depend on how high I let the RPM's get. It sorta feels like it's running on 3 cylinders again during that time and it eventually recovers on its own. Doesn't stall either.

I'm nowhere near being a mechanic, but that seems like valve float to me? But I don't think that would explain why it has this hard start issue. I know for sure that while I'm trying to start it it's spitting unburned fuel into the exhaust. I can live with a hard start for a while, but the power issue I need to take care of as soon as possible if they end up being unrelated.

I could really use some opinions on this. I don't want to just replace crap on a hunch. By the way, I don't have any idea about what parts were used in this engine as far as HLA's or springs. Cam is a Lunati 32904 - .460 lift, 278 duration.

Thanks fellas!

Sir the springs on the 2.3 ford have a very bad habit of loosing tension. With your cam i would think a double spring may be necessary. Or a higher rate single. The 2.3 ford engine needs more spring tension. The TURBO puts pressure on the intake valves and works against the spring tension. With that said i do not think your cold start problem is spring related. Have a good morning Sir.

brian, if i start my 87 and get on it hard before it gets hot its feel like it drops a cylinder and the vac ready go to like 10-12. it will run like this for a 20seconds to a minute. i can get to to stop if i start getting on it more.. not going high in rpms but not just cruising. if i start it and either go full boost within a few mintues it will stall afteri let off the gas. feels like a broken timing belt. aka no compression. my boss told me this a 2.0,2.3 engine thing when the springs and HLA's go bad. a few months ago i also noticed that it wont rev over 4500 when in gear.. it literally stops dead at that rpm. i shift and then once it hits 4500rpm it stops.. like a rec limiter..
i have a set of stock springs and HLA's to put in. its an all stock engine other then a boost valve and K&n.
hope this helps you.

If it runs like poo for several seconds after a high rpm excursion, that sounds like a weak spring(s) to me. Are these the same spring that were in the car when it sat for many years?.

I'm also inclined to think the starting issues may be a different problem

Rplace em both (HLA's and springs) at the same time and hit the road! Get that stuff off of BJL if money is tight... otherwise go to boport! You can use an air compressor with the appropriate fitting or a long piece of nylon rope to hold the valves up while doing the springs. Also get the esslinger tool to do the springs. makes things alot easier!

This is the motor I bought from someone on this board which had been rebuilt already, but never put back in a car. I was told that it sat unused for something like 2 years before I bought it off of him. So I don't know what springs are in there or whether they were new or not. I assumed they would have put in new springs of the correct type at the time.

The starting problem does seem pretty unrelated. Well... one thing at a time. I suppose I could get new springs from Lunati.

Are there different "grades" of HLA's or are they all the same for the TC's? What I mean is are there heavy duty and standard duty HLA's or something like that? I've never heard anything like this. Just thought I'd ask.

I didn't think about Boport. I'll have to check them out about the springs too.

try these...

http://www.speedwaymotors.com/23-Ford-Dr...,3240.html

Sir you are wasting your money replacing your HLA'S. If they do not make noise they are fine. The proof that they are operating correctly is simple. They are holding the valves open with the week springs. The springs have to work against boost pressure and also the HLA'S pressure. The HLA'S are hydraulic and push up on the rocker with great force. That is how they work. They stay pumped up with their internal valving but also have a preasure pushing back on the valve springs. Once the valves FLOAT the HLA'S take up the slack and the valves stay open a slight bit. This is felt by either a rev limit or in serious conditions a miss in the cylinders. The 2.3 valve springs are marginal at best and a double spring should repair that engine. Good luck sir.

5.0 pointed out a good choice of dual springs for your application

There are different brands of HLA and different width oil bands for use where the HLA have been shimmed beyond a certain amount.