I cant seem to figure out what is goin on with my 5.0.The cars spits and sputters for at least 15 to 30 minutes after being started.The engine has been rebuilt 2 weeks ago the fuel pump and filter have been replaced.Better yet these r all the parts i have replaced and yes the car ran like this before the rebuild.tps sensor,fuel pump and filter.plugs,wires,cap and rotor,k&n air filter,timing chain,water pump and the starter.It has to be a sensor because everything else mechanical is new or nearly new any advise?Check engine light is not on

 

im noob to workin on cars mostly
but cant you take it down to autozone to check and see if the sensor is misfiring or w/e even if the check engine light isnt on?

 

What has been done to the car as far as mods go? (cam, intake ect)

Have the injectors been cleaned or replaced?

Does it run fine after it gets hot?

I want to say its a fuel trim issue, assuming everything was put back together correctly or maybe the distributor is off

 

The only mods on the car is bbk shortys,bbk h-pipe minus the cats with flowmasters.It has 3.73 gears and i took the smog off during the rebuild.I would say it runs a hell of alot better after about 15 to 20 minutes when it warms up,but still has the occasional studder.the injectors were not touched during the rebuild we left them in the intake with the fuel rail attached as one piece during disassembling.As far as the fuel trim issue what do u think it could be.the pump and fuel filter were replaced about 3 months ago.As far as the distrubuter is about an inch off of where it was originally when it was put back in.Timing the car is a nightmare.The recommended setting is 10 but on mine it wont run barely unless its at 15 so thats where it is set right now.

 

as far as taking it to autozone thats a no go they only pull codes on 95's and above.

 

well you have to unhook the SPOUT connector before you time it. The picture in my haynes says its a one wire connector attached to the ignition module wire harness, the picture I've got is for the 94-95 model but its over by the air cleaner. That adjusted the base timing, the computer controls the advance and all.
I'd try that if it were me

 

Thanks for the response but i did unhook the spout first then set the timing and hooked the spout back up.Not even 20 minutes ago i was out there tinkering with the car and it ran fine.Just out there plugging the holes for the smog pump on the back of the heads. I came home then went back out to the store and the damn thing sputtered the whole way there.

 

test your injectors? those stayed you said, so they may have been causing the stumble and still are now.

 

Could the distributor be off a tooth then? Is the gear worn or much play in the shaft?
Have you checked the 02 sensors?

 

as far as testing the injectors i put a screwdriver to the injectors and listened for ticking and all of them were so im assuming they r working.Theres no play in the distrbutor shaft.As far as being off a tooth i dont have a clue.The engine was at top dead center when the shaft was reinstalled.AS far as the o2 sensors when the engine was out we couldnt even get the sensors out to look at them.The only conclusion we came up with was to cut them out,install a new section of pipe,and drill new holes for the sensors.Only problem was it was sunday and the guys shop i was at lives about 45 minutes from anything so getting more pipe was not an option at the time because the car had to be out of the shop so his race car could go back in it.

 

Well you could try this if you wanna be sure
http://en.allexperts.com/q/Ford-Repa...5-0-timing.htm

o2's can be a bastard to come out, short of cutting the pipe, you could try soakiing it in penetrating oil for a day or two, and heating the pipe with a torch before trying to break them loose. They make special sockets for o2's but if you were gonna change them anyway I'd cut the wire and take an impact gun

 

thanks for the link im gonna try to set the timing one more time before i try and get the o2s out.Is there a way to check the o2 sensors without taking them out?

 

well I dont have the diagram on me but here is some random info, I dont know how old they are, but if they're stuck, then odds are they need to be changed anyway
http://www.asashop.org/autoinc/june/Tech2tech.htm
If I remember right, should be 4 wires, one of them should be the signal wire, the others are either power or grounds, I think, but if you do change em out, they are delicate and from what I was taught, a dropped sensor is a bad sensor, and they're kinda expensive so, be careful

 

thanks once again for the advise im gonna try and test the o2s after work tommorow

 

I want to thank everyone who replied to my postings.Found the problem it was the distrubtor off by a little bit and bad o2s.About the only damn thing not replaced in my search for the problem.Now i have another question? Thought it had 3.73 gears according to the guy i bought it from and as it turns out apparentley not.How hard is it to replace the gears and what is a good gear to put in a daily driver?I dont hit the highway much unless im going to the lake and thats only 10 minutes away so no big deal.

 

I wouldn't even touch the gears take it to a pro Mechanic,I would say go with 3.73s,but its just your choose?

 

yeah if you've never done it before, I wouldnt try it. Gotta get the bearing preload right and make sure the pinion depth is right. Like bigtex said, its up to you, most people would say 3.73's or 4.10's

 

so you found the problem. i am facing the same problem, what do you mean the distributor was off by a lil bit. are you talking bout the timing, or the teeth on the bottom of the distributor. let me know.

 

When the distrubitor was put back in it wasent installed correctley so the teeth on that was off.Hate to say it but abaout a week later the car seems to have its problem back.After it sits for any period of time and then started and ran it studders for another 10 minutes then it runs like a raped ape.I dont have a clue anymore.

 

do you think that it could be the ecu on that car. is your car standard or auto? what year is it?
i have changed every sensor and redone all the gaskets and checked all vacuum lines and still didn't find anything. i am thinking that maybe it's the computer. but i don't know. don't have the money to dish out on a puter!