What's going on?

35th T-bird SC

Registered User
Just started my car for first time since rebuild. First off my oil pressure is good. It's at the O in Normal. It won't stay running unless I give it gas. I don't have all the exhaust on yet, just down tubes from the manifolds. I don't know if that would be a problem. I have about 19 in. hg of vacuum at idle when it does idle. It also feels hot but the temp gauge hasn't moved. I don't like not knowing the temp. The top radiator hose feels hot but the bottom hose is cool. Shouln't it be the other way around until the thermostat opens? This has me all nervous now. The gas is old, been sitting since Nov. There is so many things that could be wrong. I also here a whining noise about a second after I shut it off. Practically everthing is new on this engine. You name it, it's been replaced except various sensors, like IAC, TPS, water temp sensor. Please help.
 
The same thing happened to a buddy of mine, he put an engine from a 1989 into his 1993, and the main engine wireing harness plugs didnt match up, so he wasnt getting any readings from the guages, Since you dont have the rest of the exhaust on, it may be causeing you engine to die cause you dont have enough backpressure to run your o2 sensors.
 
I was just trying again, no balancer wobble, it's new. Runs horrible. I used the cam synch tool to put the cam sensor in. I noticed on the coil pack it has a 1,2,3 on one side and the other is not in order, it's like 4,6,5 so that's the way I hooked the wires up. I pulled the IAC harness when it was idling and it just surges so it looks like that is doing it's job. It wouldn't be a vacuum leak if i'm getting like 19in on the dashboard gauge would it? It has a new timing chain and the marks on the sprockets were lined up right. Older gas wouldn't make it run this bad would it?
 
It could be the old gas. My 35th had a hard time starting and idling the very first time I tried to start it this year. It died like three times until it finally would stay alive. It was also very hesitant when I would just touch the gas. So I let it run for like a 1/2 hour and it helped out a bunch. Put some new gas it and it has never come back. It wouldn't hert to put some fresh gas in it.

Shane
 
I'll try to put new gas in this weekend and get the exhaust on. I'm using autolite double platinums plugs with new wires. It's on ramps now. Would the incline have anything to do with it? It seems like I hear air from the firewall area behind the plenum but my vacuum on the gauge is 19 HG at idle. Maybe I didn't get the plenum to intake manifold bolts tight enough because I had a hell of a time getting to that back one closest to the firewall. Got a 1/4" drive on it, that's all I could fit back there.
 
The lack of exhaust is not the problem, despite the myth about engines needing backpressure. Engines NEVER need backpressure. Could be stale gas but I doubt it, my lawnmower starts just fine after setting for 6 months.
That hissing sound you hear near the firewall is a vac leak, despite what your gauge says. A vac leak has to be real bad to show up on the vac gauge.:) ;)
 
O.K. thanks, I'll guess I'll be pulling off the cowl and check those bolts to the lower manifold and everything else too. What is that whine I hear a second after I shut it off?
 
Also I didn't think the engine needed back pressure I was wondering about the EGR tube not getting filled with nox from the lack of back pressure, What do you think?
 
I think the whine is the SC slowing down. On my old car the SC top had a vac leak and when I would shut the engine down it would whine.

Shane
 
my car (when it still had te engine in of course) would make a whine or kind of a hiss noise when you would turn the key off, was this a vac leak??? sounded like it was from the back of the engine, but i didnt know if the system stayed pressurized or was supposed to bleed off. maybe when i put it all back together it will be better.
 
Is it normal for the top radiator hose to be hot and the lower one to be cool? This after running for 5 minutes and no movement on the temp gauge. Checked the sender and the wire is plugged in.
 
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