[Shotimes] Valve lash done.....but car seems weaker now.

Mon, 24 Feb 2003 09:02:19 -0800

I got a '90 manual for my '91 when they were on sale for $28 :-) The diagram 
is correct, although not the easiest to follow. Just remember that positions 
5 & 6 on the coil pack are reversed from where logic would say they would 
be.

-Ron Childs   '91

>From: Donald Mallinson <dmall@mwonline.net>
>
>Bruce,
>
>Understand that the Chilton's and other manuals that have the wrong wiring 
>for early SHO's got THEIR informatin from the HELMS manual!  The 89 manual 
>has the wrong wiring diagram.  I am not 100% sure if that was corrected in 
>90 and later HElm's manuals, maybe someone could verify that.
>
>Don Mallinson
>
>Bruce Malachuk wrote:
>>I used the helms manual for the plug wires, but I'm gonna check them again
>>just to be sure. My rear head had very very little oil in the plug wells, 
>>so
>>little that it barely made it up to the hole for the plug itself. I also
>>cleaned them really well, but I'm kinda thinking that perhaps some of the
>>dielectric grease I put on the ends that plug into the coil might be
>>hampering the spark? Marc Randolph made mention about that black cannister
>>on the back of the intake, and I know it is hooked up, and the secondaries
>>close upon start, but perhaps it died somehow when I removed the intake, 
>>or
>>there is corrosion in the line. That canister is easy pull off and make 
>>sure
>>there isn't any corrosion. Is there a way to test it with a multimeter? 
>>I'm
>>gonna start reading my taurus electrical/vac book in a second, but maybe
>>someone's seen this before. I nearly forgot the IAC myself this time too,
>>but the idle is better than it was before the valve lash.
>>
>>There is 1 of 3 things I'm hoping it could be, that canister, the gap in 
>>my
>>manifold to y-pipe, or the computer/running on loads of berrymans to start
>>with. But first I need breakfast before I start on this. Any other
>>suggestions?
>>
>>Bruce
>>
>>----- Original Message -----
>>From: "John Weidenbenner" <johnjweid@earthlink.net>
>>To: "Bruce Malachuk" <bmalach1@nycap.rr.com>; "SHOtimes"
>><shotimes@autox.team.net>
>>Sent: Saturday, February 22, 2003 8:18 AM
>>Subject: Re: [Shotimes] Valve lash done.....but car seems weaker now.
>>
>>
>>
>>>Two items come to mind.
>>>
>>>Double check the plug wire positions on the coil pack. The top of the 
>>>coil
>>>pack has numbers printed. The Chilton's Taurus manual has a misleading
>>
>>wire
>>
>>>location illustration. Maybe the plug wires were damaged during handling
>>
>>or
>>
>>>the plug end is severely oil soaked?
>>>
>>>You checked, but check again to see that the secondary runner controls 
>>>are
>>>hooked up. If not hooked up properly, the secondaries will stay open at
>>
>><4k
>>
>>>rpm giving lesser performance.
>>>
>>>The computer has it's own ground wire next to the battery. It has an
>>
>>inline
>>
>>>connector so you can disconnect. Disconnect and wait 5 to 10 minutes
>>
>>before
>>
>>>reconnect. Start car and let it idle to "reboot itself".
>>>
>>>I usually forget to hook up the IAC valve electrical connector when
>>>replacing the manifold. Is idle ok?
>>>
>>>A gap in the exhaust connection big enough to stick your finger in would
>>
>>be
>>
>>>really loud!
>>>
>>>John W.
>>>----- Original Message -----
>>>From: "Bruce Malachuk" <bmalach1@nycap.rr.com>
>>>To: "SHOtimes" <shotimes@autox.team.net>
>>>Sent: Saturday, February 22, 2003 2:08 AM
>>>Subject: [Shotimes] Valve lash done.....but car seems weaker now.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>>Ok so after winning records for being the slowest mechanic in the world
>>>
>>>and
>>>
>>>>nearly killing my father with flying shims of anger I got the valve lash
>>>
>>>done.
>>>
>>>>Everything is in spec now, or tightened up to the low end of the spec.
>>>
>>>Most
>>>
>>>>were at the high middle to end of the specs.
>>>>
>>>>My valve covers are back on, everything is tq'd to waht the helm's book
>>>
>>>says,
>>>
>>>>I RTV'd the plug wells, and I fixed my leaking valve cover bolts with
>>>
>>some
>>
>>>RTV
>>>
>>>>as well. BUT there is just one problem...The car seems weak now, like no
>>>
>>>push
>>>
>>>>you back into the seat kind of acceleration like it had prior to this
>>>
>>>endevor.
>>>
>>>>Now I know the secondaries are closing when I start the car, and i'm
>>>
>>>fairly
>>>
>>>>sure that they ar opening ontime, but something just feels weak. There
>>>
>>is
>>
>>>no
>>>
>>>>oil in the plugwells now, and the little that was there wasn't even up
>>>
>>to
>>
>>>the
>>>
>>>>bottom of the sparkplug boot. The wires are the original ones, just
>>>
>>cause
>>
>>>I
>>>
>>>>don't have the cash for new, but at 73k I really don't NEED to have them
>>>
>>>yet.
>>>
>>>>Plugs were new 2k ago and I pilled them to check the gap and to see the
>>>>condition of them. My intake was fairly clean but I still used maybe 1/3
>>>
>>a
>>
>>>can
>>>
>>>>of berrymans on the runners and the chambers on the heads. Now I know
>>>
>>that
>>
>>>4
>>>
>>>>of the 6 sets of valves were closed and I had a little b12 on each valve
>>>
>>>to
>>>
>>>>help breakup the cone of carbon on the back of the valve. but the car
>>>
>>>started
>>>
>>>>up with minimal sputtering. Oil is flowing like it should and the engine
>>>>sounds normal. I did clean the coil pack and put a little dielectic
>>>
>>grease
>>
>>>on
>>>
>>>>all the ends, I'm wondering if that might be causing spark problems.
>>>>
>>>>Tomorrow in the rain/sleet/snow I'm gonna reset the comp. Clean any
>>>
>>extra
>>
>>>>dielectric greas I can off the coil pack. Make sure the secondaries are
>>>>opening @ 4k by bliping the TB linkage. If none of those things fix it,
>>>
>>>I'm
>>>
>>>>thinkign I'm gonna have to pull the intake off again and double check
>>>
>>the
>>
>>>>plugs. The car dosen't buck, skip or misfire, it just feels like someone
>>>
>>>put a
>>>
>>>>rubberband around it's nuts. I did notice that there is a sizeable gap
>>>
>>in
>>
>>>on
>>>
>>>>the rear exhaust manifold where it meats the y-pipe. I can stick my
>>>
>>finger
>>
>>>>into it, and there is a plate there rattling around. but I knew there
>>>
>>was
>>
>>>a
>>>
>>>>leak back there for a while.
>>>>
>>>>Anyhow I need any thoughts, suggestions, whatever as to what I might be
>>>>missing. The engine feels like it runs fine, albeit quieter, but there
>>>
>>is
>>
>>>no
>>>
>>>>push you into the seat acceleration like before. Is there any way to
>>>
>>reset
>>
>>>the
>>>
>>>>computer without losing power to the rest of the car? I thought there
>>>
>>was
>>
>>>some
>>>
>>>>kind of wire that ran from the batt to the comp?
>>>>
>>>>Bruce
>>>>94 Opal Frost MTX
>>>>60k 1/2 done @ 73k
>>>>_______________________________________________
>>>
>>>_______________________________________________
>>>Shotimes mailing list
>>>Shotimes@autox.team.net
>>>http://www.team.net/mailman/listinfo/shotimes
>>
>>_______________________________________________
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