car running horrible under slightest throttle

Casey Weikert

Registered User
okay let me start out by saying I just had 3.73 gears installed in my SC today. When they picked up the car it ran real good that day. Now under the slightest throttle and boost it misfires terribly like it is running on 5 cylinders. I had a problem of rough running late last year and I installed the teflon upper IC gaskets that I think Tbird88 makes (I purchased them from Mike Albee)
all seemed well...till tonight.
Mods to date: dual exhaust no cats, raised top, super coupe performance intake, 73mm MAF, and now the gears.
I replaced my MAF with stock and received nothing. May 2002 just before World Ford Challenge 5 I replaced plugs and wires with Ford PP plugs and Magnecore wires, plugs and wires have at the very most 25,000 miles on them. I think my raised top may not be sealed correctly??? how do I check for a leak there?
LAte last year the car threw a check engine code at me and it was the EGR valve. That is only an emisions thing right? Presently the CEL will come on and go off on the highway after 20 minutes. Tonight it does not come on at all. Last year I also had to replace my alternator and when I did I got in a hurry to drive it and did not allow the tape gaskets to sit for more than a couple of hours......so now the teflon gaskets. I said after the alternator if I had any more problems with this car I was going to put it up on my car lot or ebay and sell it.. I am so frustrated with this damn thing I am ready to sell sell sell. I love this car and I love the Sc community, I have made alot of friends here over the years.
Thank you very much in advance I know someone will know what to do.
Casey
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If the CEL light came on and even if it then went off, there is a stored code. Check it and get back with us.
 
when my car did that, one of the plug wires was loose. be careful, it looked like it was on, but i pushed on all of them and sure enough that last one popped on a little more. no more problems.
 
Casey I feel your frustration on these cars as when mine goes down I too think about selling it. But once it is fixed, that idea is the farthest from my mind.
Like TBirdSC said, check for a stored code and post it. Like Red said, check the plug wires as they can pop up just enough. We can help BEFORE you start throwing parts at it. Check the collar nut on the SC top and make sure it didn't back off which they do now and then. With the car running at idle, do you hear any clicking (Spark plug jumping spark) noises? Or a hissing noise coming from the SC top area? Pop the throttle while your under the hood and listen for anything peculiar. Those white IC gaskets that TBird88 sells are awesome as I have had to reuse them at least 4 times, with no leaks yet (Crossess his fingers). Also did anyone pull your spark plug wiring order off the coil? Cause some old manuals have firing order listed incorrectly..Main thing is check the obvious and definately pull the codes and post back.....
 
at idle car runs perfect. Down the highway with cruise set it runs perfect as well. With car in park rev it as hard as I want it is fine. Put it in gear bring it some boost it misses bad. I changed the plugs myself and did them one at a time.... I had the car at the strip and ran a 14.8 in 2003. Plugs were in 2002.
Not that I think this matters but 2 weeks ago I did spray throttle body carb cleaner thru the MAF. I did put the stock MAF in last night still runs crappy. I'll go check the collar nut now. How do I check the SC top for leaks??
 
Jackpot Jackpot Jackpot!!

Funny. One spark plug wire was hanging there doing nothing. Now how do you suppose that happened? Anyway the car runs perfect now. Wow what a difference the gears made.
Jeesh, to think I was ready to sell the car again over a plug wire.
Thanks guys. I feel like an idiot.
 
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