need a little help ;) (long)

Hey again,
Well, after much contemplation, I've decided to just restore my car. I just want my baby back the way it was!! lol
Anyways, so here's whats wrong with it, maybe I could get some help....
Problem #1:
The car runs really rough. Like missing. Very noticeable when the car is idling (shakes). I replaced the plugs & wires, cap and rotor are new, timing is dead on. I took it to a mechanic (who I DONT trust btw :-D) and he said he did a compression check and the #2 cylinder is at 60, while the others are around 135. Burnt valve? Maybe a bad ring?

Problem #2:
The transmission is slipping in higher rpms. When I get on it a little, it acts as if I am pushing in the clutch. The clutch was replaced about a year ago, before the car was mine, but was driven hard, and Im not sure the mechanic did a good job. Any ideas?

those are the main probs....here's some smaller probs...
Pinhole in the heater core, some noise underneath, both front and rear end (probably wheel bearings, ball joints, ect worn out), bad switches for the dash lights and headlights and stuff.
Well, thats all I can think of, other than that she's PERFECT!! lol
All sarcasm aside, I love my T-Bird and want her fixed, please help!
Damn Skippy

P.S. I am a complete neophyte, so any suggestions should be detailed and have a parts/tools list :-P
Thanks a lot!!!!!!

Problem #1 sounds like the headgasket is blown.

Problem #2 sounds like a clutch. If it's a stock replacement, and it was driven hard (REALLY hard), then it could be out already. Or it may not have been broken in when it was installed, or possibly they didn't resurface the flywheel (that's not good LOL). Hope this helps.

Rick

Originally posted by 86tc:
Problem #1 sounds like the headgasket is blown.

Problem #2 sounds like a clutch. If it's a stock replacement, and it was driven hard (REALLY hard), then it could be out already. Or it may not have been broken in when it was installed, or possibly they didn't resurface the flywheel (that's not good LOL). Hope this helps.

Rick

#1 I agree

#2 I agree

See, we are so easy to get along with LOL !



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Dan Eaves
88TC 5spd, Crower 5.5" Sportsman Rods, Short Wiseco Pistons bored .030" Over, Ported Head with Polished Combustion Chambers, Gutted & Polished Upper, Ported & Polished Lower, Polished T/B, Ported E6, SVO T3 .63AR Turbo, Bosch Bypass Valve, 3" DP w/No Cat, 2 1/2" DynoMax single cat back w/DynoMax Super Turbo Muffler, RR Cam, K&N in Fenderwell, Gillis Boost Valve, Centerforce I Clutch, Removed A/C, Polished Wheels, Polished Valve Cover, Polished Crank and W/P Pulleys, Walbro 255LPH HP Pump, Kirban Adj FPR, and the DAMN Heater Core is new too !

http://www.geocities.com/wot_turbo/WOT.html

NATO MEMBER (Vice Chairman...if it's a vice...I deal with it)

Problem #1, same thing with my car. Turned out to be a bent valve. Made it idle rough, and also rounded the cam lobe off after not doing anything about it for too long. Don't know about the running rough though, after a certain rpm, my car ran great. So, having said that, I would have to agree that the loss of compression is probably the head gasket like the others said.

Problem #2, Stock clutches can wear out really quickly. My new one only lasted for 2 weeks once, and I had it put in from the ford dealer. I was really hard on my car in stoplight races and doing burnouts and that sort of thing.

Smaller Problems, the headlight switches are easily replace, but you'll have to be more specific on what your problem is.

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Kev
88 TC 5spd
Black body, red leather
K&N in front of the radiator, bypassed BCS at around 17 psi, polished throttle body, 2 1/2 dynomax ultraflow mandrel bent duals. 255 lph fuel pump.
87 TC 5spd
Gun metal gray body, blue/gray cloth
K&N
Bypassed BCS

Hmmmm....if my oil is not frothe...and has no water in it, does that mean the head gasket is ok? I also do not see any leaks in the car whatsoever. How would I check if I have a bent valve? Would that cost me an arm and a leg, and is is something I could fix myself, or have to send off, ect?
As for a couple of the smaller probs....
The switches....well, one day, I went to work, and my light switch got stuck in the "on" position. I was late, and had no idea what to do, so I tried to force it off, and it snapped. The other switches no longer work and my dash lights ceased working after that. I can still use my auto lamps though.
There is a great article on replacing the heater core, so I dont need any help with that (yet! ) and Im gonna go through the front end and rear end once I figure out whats goin on with the rest of the car. I just need help with the way its running....hope its not something extremely serious. Anyone have any idea as to why that knocking sound is present until I push in my clutch?

Thanks in advance for your help [Image: wink.gif]

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1987 Turbo Coupe
K&N Stock replacement
150,000 miles
formula 1 tint %15
Centerline Wheels 17"
Kenwood Excelon Deck with MASK. Boston Acoustics speakers all the way around

I just went out and cleaned my IAC with brake cleaner. It was filthy as hell, but it made no noticeable difference in the way the car ran. It doesnt run better in Higher RPMs, I can still tell its missing, although it still accellerates to 15psi in first gear (all other gears slip). I also noticed a ticking coming from possibly underneath the valve cover. I had a sticky lifter once in my Dodge daytona, but it was slower and changed with the RPMs. This little ticky seems to be constant. Still couldnt find any leaks or anything of that nature.
???
:-|

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1987 Turbo Coupe
K&N Stock replacement
150,000 miles
formula 1 tint %15
Centerline Wheels 17"
Kenwood Excelon Deck with MASK. Boston Acoustics speakers all the way around

dayum....
I went out to try to remove my EGR, and Im having some troubles. Should I take it all the way off? 'Cause it says in the tech section that there are two bolts to take it off....well, I got those off ok, but then there's that tube that comes from it...and I cant seem to get that off. Should it come off, or should I clean it while still attached to it?

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1987 Turbo Coupe
K&N Stock replacement
150,000 miles
formula 1 tint %15
Centerline Wheels 17"
Kenwood Excelon Deck with MASK. Boston Acoustics speakers all the way around

I'm not a pro like these guys on here but the ticking could be your fuel injectors which would be normal and as for the tube(I'm guessing the metal one about an inch round that goes into it)you can disconnect it.Little pain in the ass for me but I got it.Its a tight fit there with little room to get it off.

I had to use a monkey wrench to get that damn big metal hose off of the EGR, but it finally came loose. The clicking sound that you are talking about, does it go away when you push in your clutch? If it does, then it is probably a bad throw out bearing, my car has that too. I don't know how to diagnose the bent valve that I had. A mechanic told me that my car idled rough probably because of a bent valve. Then the car went dead on a cylinder, took the valve cover off and 3 of my cam lobes were rounded off, one of them on the bent valve, and a rocker had broken too. The mechanic was right, I just didn't listen and now I'm having to pay for it. Hope you get it figured out.

Originally posted by Dan E:
#1 I agree

#2 I agree

See, we are so easy to get along with LOL !

[Image: biggrin.gif]

Originally posted by DamnSkippy_87:
Hmmmm....if my oil is not frothe...and has no water in it, does that mean the head gasket is ok?

Not necessarily. It all depends on if it blew between two cylinders, or it blew between a cylinder and a water jacket. (I think I said that right.)

Rick