North American Turbocoupe Organization



Same old problem...still no solution
t-bird88 Offline
Senior Member
#1
As some of you know, I have been having a problem with the motor...and that is no power.

Well, here I am, weeks later and the turd still has no power.

Here is what I have done to this point:

1. Lowered the fuel pressure from 50# to 42#.

2. Pulled the plug on the knock sensor.

3. Added 2* ignition timing...then later subtracted 4* ignition timing...total setting right now = 8* (It was pinging really bad at 12*).

4. Even tried a different I/C with a blow off valve on it, still nothing. The car would die just about everytime I came to a complete stop, or pushed in the clutch to slow down.

5. Changed out leaking cam cover gasket.

6. Played with boost settings (max and min boost) and weird things happened at max boost (it acted like I had floated the valves in the motor when 25# hit...but it did pull at 18#: anything higher and it would start that damn stuttering/lag crap again and would not pull. The boost is set at 16# now and it acts like the world is tied to the rear end of the car.

I am going to check the voltages on the ECT/ACT/VAT later in the week (more than likely, next week Wink ).

Would messing with the cam timing help any?

Any other ideas? Thanks for the ongoing help.

Jim B :banghead: .
Gunmetal Grey 88 TC!!!!
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Pete D Offline
Administrator
#2
What is the vacuum at warm idle?

Have you checked cam timing? What kind of cam?

When does it ping - light load or heavy load?

Check those sensor voltages. Check the referenc voltage too. I'm having a pinging problem on mine and my initila check showed low reference voltage. I haven't traced it down or doubl checked it yet but it may relate to the issue for me.
Pete Dunham


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Pete D Offline
Administrator
#3
What is the vacuum at warm idle?

Have you checked cam timing? What kind of cam?

When does it ping - light load or heavy load?

Check those sensor voltages. Check the referenc voltage too. I'm having a pinging problem on mine and my initila check showed low reference voltage. I haven't traced it down or doubl checked it yet but it may relate to the issue for me.
Pete Dunham


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Hwyman Offline
Member
#4
I dont know, Im just throwing this in. But have you looked at the trottle cable, they are very picky.
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V6TBird87 Offline
Posting Freak
#5
I have something for you to look at.

Grab yourself an analog volt meter from radio shack. I picked one up for 15 bucks. Now, on your VAM, probe the black wire with a white stripe, and the white wire with a black stripe. Set the meter to do a continuity check. While hooked up, slowly open the door of the VAM, and slowly close it, all the way closed. If the meter drops significantly, there is a dead spot.

This method has its advantage because if you use the vehicle to power the VAM, and use the VAM signal to power the meter, at the low voltage range, such as 1 volt and below, you may not notice a drop. When you do a continuity check, the needle will be pegged untill there is a loss of contact.

I was trouble shooting an issue with my car for a month, to find out my VAM was bad using this method. Its worth a shot, and youll find quite a few uses for an analog meter.
2018 Mustang GT
1988 Turbo Coupe, 5-speed

aka Tbird232ci
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gregpro50 Offline
Member
#6
I dont know if this will help you or not but my car had a loss of power and boost problems and I changed turbos and damn near tore apart the engine only to find the exhaust pipe was plugged with a piece of the converter that broke off. Mine was pinging too but it stopped after I unplugged the exhaust.
'79 Indy pace car T-top
'81 Cobra
'81 Cobra T-top
'82 GT T-top
'85 ascMcLaren coupe
'86 SVO
'98 Lincoln Mark VIII LSC
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servingGod Offline
Member
#7
I'd say the fact that it is dying whenever the clutch is pushed in it may be either a vac leak, possibly cam timing, or have you tried the idle/tps adj yet? Would def look at exhaust if not already done.

http://www.turbotbird.com/techinfo/Idle-...e2005.html

James
88 TC 5-speed maroon, all options, plus t3/t4 hybrid, 255 pump, RR, Centerforce DF with weight fingers, MSD tfi coil.
88 TC 5-speed Black, all options.
88 Thunderbird LX 5.0 All options except Leather.
87TC Parts car five speed all options.
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t-bird88 Offline
Senior Member
#8
Pete:
Vac at idle 18-20"
Ranger Roller set at 0* (straight up)
It would ping under load (it really does not do it now with the boost backed off to 13#, but it is gutless at this point)

Hwyman:
That is one thing that is going to get chainged here in the next few days.

V6TBird87:
I will see about getting one from my dad and see what happens.

gregpro50:
I have not had a cat in my car for better than a year now. The guy at the muffler shop, just cut the old one out and welded in a straight pipe in its place.

servingGod:
I have the SC TPS on there that I modded to get to work. It reads at 0.95V shut and 4.61V WOT.

Jim B Big Grin .
Gunmetal Grey 88 TC!!!!
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servingGod Offline
Member
#9
what fuel are you running and wheres the fuel switch set to?
88 TC 5-speed maroon, all options, plus t3/t4 hybrid, 255 pump, RR, Centerforce DF with weight fingers, MSD tfi coil.
88 TC 5-speed Black, all options.
88 Thunderbird LX 5.0 All options except Leather.
87TC Parts car five speed all options.
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t-bird88 Offline
Senior Member
#10
servingGod...I am running the highest octane that I can get around here...91. And currently the fuel switch is in Reg mode, in premium the damn thing pings hard under a load.

Jim B Big Grin .
Gunmetal Grey 88 TC!!!!
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