Engine may have died.

[Codeman]

Well I was driving home from work. I just picked my car up from getting hi flow cats welded in. Make it about 3 miles down the road and all of a sudden the car starts ticking and stalls and won't run. I pull over to the side of the road and it will idle but idles rough and is ticking. I eventually get the car towed home. I pull off the exhaust thinking that the exhaust may be restricted. Start it up and it still runs rough and ticks and won't run. I then check my fuel filter. I removed it and poured it out and it was kind of dirty but I figured what the heck. I blew through it and it seemed like it was somewhat plugged. So I put it back on hoping that it was just plugged. Fire up the car and I can barely keep it running and can hear a good ticking from the passenger side. I check and the oil is full and doesn't smell like coolant or anything. So tom I am going to bring home a compression tester and fuel pressure tester just to see what is going on. I want to just check fuel pressure just to make sure that it is not something simple like that. Oh and I forgot I added 2 gallons of gas to make sure and it doesn't matter. I am pretty sure I broke a something in the valve train. Or else I don't know if the timing chain slipped or jumped a tooth. I am going to check compression tom and let you guys know.

So this is more of a story but I was in the process of buying a complete TMA turbo kit and something came up so I had to spend part of that money. So i passed on it. I then today had this happen. Luckily I didn't buy the kit. So if there is something wrong with the motor I am going to just buy a used 3.8 and retune the car to stock. And in the meantime just build up this motor with a 4.2 crank and goodies. I have a ported upper, windstar, and cam. I also have some heads that I am going to be porting.

To me though it sounds like I have a bad cylinder because it will run but it ticks and dies out if you hit the gas. I will see I guess. I am fricken nervous waiting to figure out what is wrong. I am hoping I just broke a pushrod or something simple. It is a bad time getting married in 3 weeks and super crazy with that stuff so the car will be tough to get time to look at.

 

[JTsStang]

Sounds like a spark plug wire may have come loose. You can check fuel pressure with your sct tuner using the on device data logging or regular datalogging with a laptop. Pressure on the rail is "pressure drop across injectors". Good luck man.

 

[Codeman]

I hope that is what it is. I just checked the wires at the cap and they were all on. And I also pulled one off to make sure there was spark but I was assuming there was since it would idle, just not very well. I don't think it is related to fuel I just want to make sure to eliminate everything first. I will check fuel pressure tonight. If that is fine I will check to make sure all the plug wires are tight. If there is good spark I will pull the plugs and read them. And then it is just left to check compression and see.

 

[Codeman]

Well I got some time today after work to check out my car. I thought it sounded like something broken in the valve train. I pulled both valve covers off stupidly and arrogantly and found nothing. I found that the valves moved fine. I then checked compression and all of the cylinders had 160-170PSI of compression. So I am assuming the motor is fine. I am wondering if it may not be fuel related. Because it is like it starts leaning way out and that might be spark knock I am hearing. I was looking at the inertia switch and wondering if that was something to do with it, I thought ford had some problems with them. I am bringing home my fuel pressure gauge from work tom. I am going to see if the pump is just not putting out pressure or if pressure drops once I start the car. I have 2 of the 3 elements it must be that I am loosing spark or losing fuel but since it is leaning way out I am assuming I am loosing fuel. Because if I was loosing spark it would go way rich.

Also if it is the fuel pump what is the PN for the Focus pumps? I figured I might as well upgrade it since I will probably be running some power adder down the road. Also does a ford dealership usually have the pumps on hand?

Thanks.

 

[kobudo]

You just replaced your cats. The shop would have had to cut the originals out and weld in new ones, right? Check your front O2 sensors out, along with the wiring. Also, any codes yet? Any chance the ticking was an exhaust leak tick?

 

[Codeman]

I didn't have any cats in there before just a straight pipe. And it is not an exhaust tick I can hear it in the lower intake. I just think it is a tick from spark knock due to not enough fuel and it leaning out. I thought it might have been something with the cats but it drove fine for 3 miles or so after getting them put in. I am going to check fuel trims today after work and fuel pressure and volume.

 

[V6procharged]

just out of curiousity, did you have the rear o2s disabled without cats? now that you have them, did you enable them?

 

[kobudo]

You just replaced your cats. The shop would have had to cut the originals out and weld in new ones, right? Check your front O2 sensors out, along with the wiring. Also, any codes yet? Any chance the ticking was an exhaust leak tick?

The exhaust shop still messed with the midpipe. I would definitely check the O2 sensors for damage/problems -- and mostly the front O2 sensors. They can make the PCM pull or add fuel. The rears mostly just verify the function of the cats. Unless you had the O2s turned off in a tune before.

 

[Codeman]

I had the rear O2s disabled without the cats yes. And I put on SLP hi flow cats and did not have any bungs welded in the rear since I figured hi flow cats would still set a CEL and I still have the rear O2s disabled. I don't understand how that would make a difference? I mean basically it is just tricking the PCM into thinking the rear O2s are working. And the car drove fine for like 3 miles. I will have to check and see if there are any codes for that? I just don't think it would set. I understand your thinking that the computer may get messed up.

EDIT: And the only thing I could think would be the car went to test the rear O2s while driving and that may have screwed it up but now the car has been sitting and it still won't run. I am going to check fuel pressure tonight. I did look at the front O2s and they looked fine they were not damaged and the wires looked fine, and I just replaced them like 3 months ago.

It is just weird to me. It has to be something with fuel because the car is running lean and leaning out. So either the pump can't keep up due to a weak pump or restriction such as fuel filter or else one of the inputs to the PCM is telling the car to lean out and that is what is causing the issue. Now if that is the case and I find a code and clear it the car should run fine until the code goes to test because the PCM won't see that there is anything wrong until it performs the self test of that system and it will be reset after the code being cleared.

 

[kobudo]

Okay. Yeah I was talking about the front O2 sensors, not the rears. I have seen aftermarket exhaust work screw up O2 sensors, but it has always been something mechanical, like the exhaust shop leaving a few hangars loose and the wires getting smashed and grounding out against a metal underbody part.

I am still thinking that it's something the exhaust shop did. Hell, they may have managed to bend/pinch a fuel line under the car somewhere somehow. That would lean the car right the hell out.

 

[xtreme 2]

yea if the car ran right before, get it up on a lift and inspect everything.

If there is ANY damage around the work area, take it to the shop (Better yet, take it to the exhaust shop and tell them the problem) and make them fix/replace the problem areas.

Do you have any CELs?

 

[Codeman]

I looked at it tonight. I did not have any check engine light..... I checked fuel pressure and it was low. i then figured I will check to make sure I don't have any codes that just are not setting a check engine light. I found a P0340 for the camshaft position sensor. I pulled up the procedure for checking it on alldata but ran out of time tonight to check it. I am hoping to check it after work. I am wondering also if you have to replace the sensor should I get the whole synchronizer assembly? I see that some of those even come with the sensor on top.

 

[kobudo]

I wouldn't worry about replacing the whole assembly. On a personal car, I would just test it by disconnecting the negative for a few minutes and resetting the pcm that way. If the code doesn't return, the code was caused by a temporary dog fart.

 

[Codeman]

I cleared the code and it came right back. I also tried retuning the car with the tune that was in it and it does the same thing. I am going to go through the diagnostic chart on alldata tom. I am hoping it is either a wiring issue or else the sensor itself. I looked in the chart and basically it is either wiring, sensor, or the pcm. to me it is likely the sensor. But i don't want to spend any money buying an new sensor and it not work.

 

[kobudo]

I cleared the code and it came right back. I also tried retuning the car with the tune that was in it and it does the same thing. I am going to go through the diagnostic chart on alldata tom. I am hoping it is either a wiring issue or else the sensor itself. I looked in the chart and basically it is either wiring, sensor, or the pcm. to me it is likely the sensor. But i don't want to spend any money buying an new sensor and it not work.

Sounds good. Let us know how it goes.

 

[Codeman]

Well I think it needs the whole cam synchronizer assembly. I bought just the sensor and put it on and it did not change. I am going to return that. I disconnected the connector from the cam sensor trying to see if there was a fault mode built into the pcm. The vehicle will idle with it disconnected not very good but it does. I am assuming it won't idle good due to the cam I have in the car and the built in fault mode is prolly for stock. When you plug it in, the vehicle just dies. I am ordering a cam synchronizer tonight from oreilly's and going to be here tom. I also am ordering the install tool for installing it correctly. I am hoping this fixes it. I just want my car back!!!!!!

 

[Codeman]

Well I went to replace the cam synchronizer assembly. I found that it would spin like 180 degrees the old one while it was in the block. I removed it and found that one of the teeth was chipped. So I assumed I should just put in the new synchronizer. I installed it and found that it would still spin. I ran out of time to look but started the car and found it missing and not running. I am guess I either sheared the key and the gear is spinning for the synchronizer or else I sheared some teeth off!!! EITHER way I am ticked because I have to remove the front cover. I hope it is just the key cuz ford would be 5-10 days for the gear.

 

[Codeman]

Well I looked at the gear today and all of the teeth are sheared off the cam synchronizer gear that goes on the front of the camshaft. I called ford and they can get one for tuesday. My question is what would cause that gear to shear off? I am very concerned about it happening again. Also I am worried cuz all the metal pieces and shavings. I am going to install new timing gears, and chain. Could the syncrhonizer have siezed and that sheared the teeth or else could the broken tooth on the synchronizer have caused it to slip and shear off the teeth? I am going to try to stay up late tuesday night and pull the whole front cover and get it all done.

 

[Codeman]

UPDATE: Well yesterday my parts came in. I pulled the front cover and found that the tensioner was broken and I am thinking that is what caused the cam synchronizer gear on the cam to slip. I found a tensioner at a local auto parts store thankfully. I put in a new tensioner, time chains, and timing gears, also put in the cam synchronizer gear on the front of the cam and new cam synchronizer with sensor. I had some issues installing the synchronizer and had to do it twice to get it right. The car runs now thankfully!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Norrisrn]

Nice glad you found the problem!!!! Now back to that Turbo kit!!!!!!