Quote:
Originally Posted by BroncoJoe19  I also have been away, and if this is a part of an ongoing thread, I missed it or don't recall, at any rate, did you pull codes?
Stalling at idle can be MAF or MAP related, vacuum leaks, coil pack problems bad grounds, or other issues.
I know that you have been around the block a bit, what are your thoughts? What have you already ruled out? |
Funny, Funny Graybeard...
BroncoJoe: Oh my god, I might as well write a book about the things that have been done to it. It's hard because there is a long list and I am the third guy on the "chain of communication"
NOTE: This post has some stuff bolded for lazy readers.
The guy I talk to is the owner, whom gets the info from his mechanic. The owner is a transmission guy... not as good with engines, but apparently the mechanic is pretty darn good. (Mechanic's doing the work on it to my knowledge) Monday i am driving up to the garage again, because their elite "technician" will be in from his vacation, and everyone thinks that if anyone, he may be able to figure this out. I really do not want to go to the stealership, but as a last resort I may have to
.
Anyway, there are many posts leading to this...
(Before the blow) Wierd Startup problem
http://www.ford-forums.com/ford-wind...ing-issue.html
Engine blow:
http://www.ford-forums.com/ford-wind...ig-issues.html
Still blown
...
http://www.ford-forums.com/ford-wind...-new-life.html
The plan to get back on the road:
http://www.ford-forums.com/ford-wind...-windstar.html
And of course this post.
Anyway. I've been working on this issue for a while. And I can safely say my basic diagnostic skills are pretty decent, but I cannot figure this one out for the life of me. After I got the engine installed, I drove it home. I didn't notice anything odd besides a rough feeling under load at a low RPM. Although It seemed to be fading away, and It soon disappeared. During this point I noticed this stalling issue, only it was bad. It happened constantly, even out of gear. Maybe two days later I took it on a 400 mile trip (200 mi each way). I noticed (200 miles away) In my grandpa's driveway, that the
IMRC valves do not hold vacuum. When I plug up the vacuum and m[/b]ove the valves by hand, the van would run like butter. I then went on the hunt for this part. (all the autostores wanted outrageous amounts for it, junkyards have none, I ended up taking the best price of i think $160 from rockauto). After I installed it, the engine was running great for a little while. But soon after (i presume) the computer re-adjusted and the problem returned, though not nearly as bad.
It only happened in gear now. I think the installer looked at it a bit, he swapped the
coil pack, crankshaft pos. sensor, and I think checked the
TPS... Nothing
. So I picked it up and took it home (I need a third car around). I came home from work one night (couple days later) with a feeling. Some sort of supernatural gut-feeling to check spark plugs at midnight (signs of an obsessed gearhead: screw the midnight snack, check the spark plugs!)... I spent two hours reaching for plugs to find that my installer never gapped the plugs
. (He explained the block came with the plugs installed, and they assumed the plugs were gapped) After that, the engine had a lot more power, ran a lot smoother, stop sounding diesel-like... But it soon stalled again. The issue is getting less frequent, but still as annoying. I later checked the TPS myself (good), and the PCV, other major vacuum lines, and checked one spark plug: running a bit lean (The old engine's plugs told me that it ran a tiny bit lean too if I recall correctly). I got pissed off and took a small break from the issue, just driving and listening for signs... near-nothing. I assumed Idle... old IAC valve, I bought Motocraft IAC valve and instaled it...breaking a bolt inside the plenum
(Just FYI: F67E-9F715-AA was replaced with F67E-9F715-AC... same part, just revised twice since Sept. 1997). The idle was a lot smoother, less hunting for the correct RPM (sign of running lean, although the old engine Never stalled...EVER). I drove around for a while, with a grin on my face. Till I found myself in the left turn lane, green arrow... asshat honking his horn, because the windstar desides to take a crap next to the manhole under me.... Shift into neutral... slowly rolling forward, and fire her back up...
I then dropped it off at the installer, whom he went through the list... MAF, TPS, CPS, Fuel pressure, "thorough" Injector tests, sadly some other guy had to have his windy temporarily parted out instead of what I presume should have been just a tranny fluid flush. This is what I was told:
Crankshaft position sensor was reading 4 lines instead of 7, re-calibrated and the sensor is now is working properly (It was replaced earlier). The van now "behaves different, the RPM no longer dips, it now just hesitates. He also simultaneously swapped "every sensor they could possibly think it is, including the
PCM... and my van stalls/hesitates, while the other one runs perfect. He has determined they need this elite technician to look at it. He suggested that the only thing left is a defect in the engine. He said that the
valves or valve springs may not have equal amounts of spring force. (I forget the wording he used, but I suppose he has a point...except for the fact that this motor should have NEW valves, valve guides, valve springs, etc.)
As of last night, I was driving (remember, the spacer is limiting the throttle body from closing completely) and at one light, I was sitting there... RPM at a steady 850... light turns green *Déjà vu*... that asshat is behind me again. After that the van was back to the way it was before I had the installer do his thing. I also smelled a tiny bit of burning oil
Luckily the oil smell was just the WD-40, to lube the new threads I finally did for the IAC (I used lube to tap the metal-filled epoxy). I decided to poke around under the hood for a tiny bit. I think I hear a leak around the plenum above cylinder number 2, I plan to investigate this (spray starter fluid tomorrow)... I also plan to install my injector O-rings eventually, even though they should be fine.
I am open to any suggestions, as I really don't want to rent the van off to people for an eternity. I need to get this problem out of the way so I can then waste my money on aesthetics
.
EDIT:
They have NOT replaced (my suspicious partslist)
• O2 Sensors (supposedly tested, but I think they are weak/misreading)
• TPS
• Anything in the EGR system, incuding cleaning the EGR pasagges on the intake.
• Alternator (showing weak signs... I don't like junker parts)
• Battery (gonna be done anyway before winter...showing signs)
• Injector O-rings (sitting on my desk)
