Wont stay running. What to check?

[Bksrt8]

K so my 88 lx coupe will not stay running. I dont know a whole bunch about the motor but i do know its got an Edelbrock Performer upper and lower intake, 1 7/8" long tubes, it has a 70mm TB and has a MAF, it IS NOT speed density anymore. Its also got a B cam and an MSD cap and rotor with a Motorcraft shaft and MSD coil. Its also got 30lb injectors. It SEEMS to be over fueling and it wont idle very long. Ill try and get a vid today if i can. I know the timing isnt ideal but i cant get it to idle long enough to get a light on it. What should i be looking for? Its kind of acting like its got a vacuum leak but i cant find anything.
Thanks in advance!

[Ponyryd]

Any of these mods new, or has it been running fine until now?

[Bksrt8]

The previous owner did most of it i believe, i havent really done much other than put a battery in it

[Bksrt8]

The previous owner did most of it i believe, i havent really done much other than put a battery in it. The previous owners friend was messing with something in the distributor and it was running awesome and then apparently when he tried to fire it up to load it on the trailer it was running like shit and stalling

[ZR]

Vid might shed some light, not sure from your description.

[Bksrt8]

The battery im using didnt last long enough to get it started. Ill let the battery charge overnight and by the time im able to walk again tomorrow I should be able to get a vid

[Intmdtr]

Is the MAF calibrated to the injectors? And have you confirmed the firing order is correct?

[Bksrt8]

I have no idea if the maf is calibrated...ill ask the previous owner. I havent checked the firing order yet...ill check asap

[ZR]

Nothing runs better vs ditching the calibrated MAF and going with an SCT and a tune.

[Ponyryd]

^On a fox?

Definitely need to do some basic checks on this, meaning fuel pressure, timing, firing order, spark kv.

[Bksrt8]

Apparently the car had some sort of piggyback chip...might still be there. Ill have a look tomorrow.

[Bksrt8]

K well i didnt make it outside today....WAY too hung over. I didnt leave the bed except to piss 3 times. I JUST made it to the couch before falling back asleep and now its 530. Note to self: stop fuckin drinking!

Whats the procedure for calibrating the maf to the injectors?

[Ponyryd]

Procedure is buy a matched set, lol, unless it’s a C&L meter with an interchangeable tube, in which case just get the correct tube to match the injectors.

[Bksrt8]

Ok so, ive never had this happen before in my life but heres a little story lol: I went to work today and found out that they had changed the batteries in my forklift and left the old ones behind. Dont really think theres anything wrong with them myself but buddy from CAT told my supervisor that they werent charging. Anyway, i took one, cleaned it all up, topped up the electrolyte and stuck it on a charger for about an hour. I stuck the battery in the mustang and wouldnt you know it, she fired up and actually idled not too bad after about 15 mins. The timing is off...infact the distributor wont turn clockwise any further and if you turn it counter clockwise itll shut down. My timing light is a joke so i have no idea where my timing is actually at. But it runs!! It sounds pretty damn good too...i gave it a couple shots of throttle to about 5k and it sounds strong although it does have a pop sound in the exhaust once in a while. So anyway, im happy for now, just gotta focus on getting a floor in it now.

[Screw]

^^ 5000k rev my old mechanic called it the Eyetalian tune-up

[Ponyryd]

Sure, a battery can cause poor running, but it’s pretty clear your distributor is out a tooth or two....

[Bksrt8]

Its out for sure, but you think its THAT far out?

[Ponyryd]

Yup. Easy to check, bring it to tdc with the cap off and take a look where it’s pointing, should be at #1 with the module wiring harness pointing at around 5-6 o’clock.

[Bksrt8]

Its out for sure, but you think its THAT far out?

[Bksrt8]

Sorry i double posted. Youre saying bring the motor to tdc and check the rotor after?

This distributor shit is not my thing...not used to them. Diesels dont have them lol

[Ponyryd]

It’s pretty easy, #1 is at the rear, it’s marked on the cap, make a mark with a sharpie on the cap seating ring of where #1 is on the cap, turn the engine over by hand (I forget the size, 13/16 or 21mm I think) until the rotor points at #1and the crank pulley points at the 0 position on the timing pointer-left lower of front of engine, if it lines up with the distributor cranked balls-deep, then yea, it’s out a tooth or two. Remove and reset it in the correct position, hold down for the distributor is 1/2”.

[Bksrt8]

Oh awesome, ill check it out when its not -30 lol. Thanks! It will idle ok now. I had to rearrange my driveway due to a broken brake line on my rover and the car sat and idled nicely for probably 20 mins....then i stalled it cause my 5 speed game is weak and the battery is so shit that it wouldnt fire it back up. So a few things require improvements.....baby steps.

[Ponyryd]

^You sure its charging?

[Bksrt8]

Its not charging very well. It reads 13.6 when its running its just really weak and doesnt like to hold a charge

[Ponyryd]

13.6 is fine, just making sure it’s not running off the battery alone, low voltage can cause running problems.

[Bksrt8]

I think that was my main issue...that and the stupid air filter....looks more like a block off plate than a filter lol

[5.4MarkVIII]

Popping from the exhaust would also indicate not firing in the correct order. (Distributed as mentioned)

I have not delt with the old 5.0 for a few years but wasn’t there a common cam change that required a different firing order? HO vs non HO or something like that?

[Ponyryd]

Yes, 351 cams are used in the 302 H.O. engine which changes the firing order to the 351 order (obviously). I hate to admit it but I got caught with this one time last year, I was installing a comp cam, trick flow heads and Edelbrock intake on a buddy’s 85 Gt. It was running terrible during break-in, and after what seemed like racking my brain forever I figured I’d try the 302 non-h.o. firing order and it was all good.......well I took out a 351 cam, but the comp cam he got was a 302 firing order.
I doubt that’s the issue here though as any distributor massaging won’t change the firing order so it will always backfire.

[Bksrt8]

Its got a b cam but id imagine it would use the 302 firing order

[Intmdtr]

I don’t want to sound like an ass, but are you sure you know what is installed in the car? Or just going off what someone has told you? It’s going to be awfully hard to help you diagnose anything if the info you provide isn’t correct....

Just stating a point, going by your pro 5.0 post....

[Bksrt8]

Im going off what the previous owner says...i would assume hed know what he put in there!

[Bksrt8]

I havent really spent a ton of time with it ill be honest, ive just not had the time. What i know for sure is that it has and Edelbrock performer 5.0 upper and lower intake. Bbk 70 mm tb and maf tube....the actual maf sensor says ford on it. Its got an msd coil and rotor/cap. I believe its got Ford Racing wires. For sure it has long tube headers and a bbk x pipe...ive seen them with my own eyes...in all likelyhood it has a Pro 5.0 shifter being that i just removed a pro 50 shift lever lol

Thats what i KNOW is there, the rest is a suprise. Your guess is as good as mine...i can only go off what the previous owner says

[Ponyryd]

Is the housing the maf is mounted on smooth top and bottom, or is it necked down and ribbed?

[Bksrt8]

Im sorry ^ Ill get you an answer soon...i forgot all about this post lol

[Bksrt8]

This^https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180116/ce0e66a33b1cf9216c46441fd53cdb86.jpg

Sent from my LG-H812 using Tapatalk

[Bksrt8]

Also not sure where this goes.https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180116/059c211a0f39f74312aacf17cb339067.jpg

Sent from my LG-H812 using Tapatalk

[Ponyryd]

Need to see the bottom of the maf. That little wire should go just behind and below the p/s pump to the oil pressure switch.

[Minaccia]

See red circle.

https://i.imgur.com/s3h7a20.jpg?2


That little wire should go just behind and below the p/s pump to the oil pressure switch.

[Bksrt8]

Perfect thanks

[Bksrt8]

Is this helpful?https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180117/66340c20686c9337169dd0cd1212c5fa.jpg

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[Ponyryd]

Looks like a C&L, likely a 73mm, that sample tube is removeable, it matches the injectors. But is there something hanging off the actual maf sample pins? A better pic would help but from here it looks like a small half-moon shaped piece of something.

[Bksrt8]

I dunno what that is....ill try to get a better pic tomorrow

[Ponyryd]

Could just be from the pic, maybe something with the flash.

[Bksrt8]

Looks kinda like a little pine needle but yea it could be the flash...who knows