Ford put a new engine in my SC, now it won't start

OKThumper

Registered User
Motorcraft had a oil filter that failed, they stepped up and paid for a new engine. The dealership put in a new long block and now the engine starts fine sometimes but hits hard the rest of the time. Ford has replaced the starter, DIS module, cam sensor, crank trigger, air flow sensor, battery, cables, checked the ECM, the starter draw, the battery amp output, engine ground, and a whole bunch of other stuff.

Anybody got any ideas?

When it hits hard at start up it acts like there is too much initial timing. After several attemps to start it when it does start it blows black smoke, is this residual gas in the cylinders from the no start condition.

The dealership has had my car for almost a month, I am having withdrawals.

HELP!!!!

Thanks
OKThumper:( :( :mad:
 
Did they align the cam sensor correctly using the tool? Alot of the times they put in the cam sensor 180º off.

Al
 
Wow.........

What did the filter do??? Suck up the innerds in the return?

Mighty nice to see they will step up to the plate!!
 
DIS module is not grounded properly

I had this exact problem a year ago and no ford tech was able to solve it. I learned the hard way. Rule #1 for the SC; the dis MUST be fully grounded and i don't mean just screwing down the dis on the original mounting surface. That unit has a two pole ground setup. It also causes that thing to malfunction due to the intense heat at the mounting location (a bad design by ford). i ended up adding wire extensions and moving the dis to a cool place near the firewall on the passenger side. i also grounded the unit fabricating a bracket that connected both sets of the dis ground (4 mounting holes) and soldered it to a 16 gauge automotive wire, connecting the other end to the engine block (just used the old dis mounting location with a screw).

After i did that i never, ever had any starting problems since- it turns over fast and consistent every time. absolutely no idle problems either.

Randy-
 
Thanks guys

hytork, I will pass that along, don't think it is the problem, but who knows the dealership has tried everthing else.

Thumper, give it back, it was my name first, had to go to OKThumper because you stole my handle. Just kidding! I got the handle about twenty five years ago when I was driving tow trucks for a living, now I am known as Thumper at the local radio controlled car shop at which I race.

PS I use Thumper on RCCars.com

Garmo, The filter had a manufacturing defect in it. A hole up by where the end is crimped on. It was sealed with sealer when new but 47 miles after I put it one the heat and pressure got to the sealer and blew it out. 75 MPH on cruise and the oil light comes on and the guage is at zero, not good. Spun two rods and one main.

OKThumper:D :D :D
 
Guess what

I got the car back.........finally. Only took a month to the day to put the engine in, two plus weeks of which was spent on trying to get it to start right and run.

Thanks to al35thsc for the correct answer, the cam sensor was not timed correctly. My question now is did they time it correctly or did they just fool around with it until it would start. It seems that the fuel milage is way off what it was with the worn out engine, from 26-27 mpg to 23 24 mpg.

I found clamps not installed on fuel return lines, loose bolts, over torqued intercooler nut, and a ton of other rattles and stuff wrong. Got charged for parts that were good when it went in and somehow went bad when in their care. They bent the thermostat housing (the thermostat slipped when the tech air wrenched it on) $161, they broke the belt tensioner $150?, basicaly just screwed up all they could to run the bill up. I fought them on the housing and tensioner and won but they still billed me for them, so I fought them again and won, it was taken off the bill.

Ever time it is started or turned off the engine or some thing bangs on the bottom of the car, and it sounds like there is something in contact with the underside of the car when accelerating, you know that funny rumbling sound of transfered vibrations form the engine.

Also a question I was charged $20.00 for a intercooler seal, and all I can see is teflon tape wrapped around the bells on the tubes. Is this an acceptable seal for the application?

Oh well I guess I am lucky just to have it back so I can fix all of the ailments.

I think I could have gotten a better job done by a bunch of monkeys (untrained at that).

Thanks for all the help for the past posts.

Thumper:D :D :D
 
No answer yet?

Wow I am surprised, last time I asked a question on the board I got a lot of good info right away.

But no answer on the intercooler seal thing.....maybe everybody is forulating a good answer.

Thanks
Glenn

PS a lady form the dealership called today to ask if I was satisfied with the service I received. A half hour later she was sorry she asked, I was very polite, she did not do the job and she did not cause any of the problems, she was just collecting info for the service manager. I think she may be considering a new career field at present time.:p
 
Pictures

Lets see if I can post a picture of the bottom end.
 

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No.. That is the WRONG way to apply the tape.

The tape goes around the seat on the Intercooler tubes where they meet the intercooler flange. Specifically, the flange is a male fitting on the intercooler itself. The seat is the female part on the upper and lower intercooler tube. The tape sticks to the center of the face of the female fitting and overlaps each end by about 1/4".

ICSide- > > - IC Tube side. ( tape goes on this face)

Then the intercooler is mated to the tubes, and the 2 nuts EVENLY (but not overly) tightned. Hopefully, the seat where the lower IC tube meets the intke plenum was done correctly, or it too will need to be retaped.

If the tubes are not sealed, the car will either run rough at idle or stumble under boost.
 
IC Gaskets

If you decide to fix the IC tubes yourself. Ask TBIRD88 about the IC Gaskets. There are 4 of them and they work unbelievable. Reusable and seal like a charm.

Anthony
 
Re: Guess what

OKThumper said:
Ever time it is started or turned off the engine or some thing bangs on the bottom of the car, and it sounds like there is something in contact with the underside of the car when accelerating, you know that funny rumbling sound of transfered vibrations form the engine.



Just my .02 worth... that rattle you are hearing.. sounds all too familiar to a rattle I had...

Thought it was the Transmission at first (manual) sound just like all the insides of the transmission were bouncing around.. under load..

Turned out the be the insides of the Cat. Converts. had come loose and bouncing around... Gutted the 1 cat.. and the noise went away..

Karl
 
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