**HELP NEWBIE**

[qwickymart]

Okay; I was wondering if anybody could help me out here... On the freeway in 4th, I will dump the GAS, and it feels like it is struggling at 4,000rpm. I mean, it used to KICK IN THE SECONDARIES AT 4,000RPM and pull to like 5500 at least, now I don't want to put it up there because I feel something isn't right?

At idle, I also hear a clicking noises coming from the engine, like valves hitting or something(I think I psyched myself into assuming the valves...) please read on...

BONE STOCK SHO, 118k mi, mtx, driven light by adult.

I drive my car by the book, but when I wanna get up on it, I expect to have those 225horses in my favor.

RECENTLY:
I had a $5,000 bill from ford to replace engine/tranny mounts, install new radiator, perform 60k, etc... etc...

I had a new clutch installed(not the ford clutch, a cheap LUKE clutch), I got my car back, and it CAN'T PEAL OUT... I blamed the clutch, but they(tranny shop) said it wasn't a factor. possibly the engine.

PROBLEM:
I feel like I have lost my SHOS POWER... I originally purchased the vehicle with 88k on the engine, it now has 118k with no problems... I floor it and drop the clutch, it barely chirps the tires...

On the freeway in 4th, I will dump the GAS, and it feels like it is redlining at 4,000rpm (like stated above) It feels like it isn't getting enough gas or something possibly? or the valves are out of adj?

HELP ME OUT FELLAS@!!!

any suggestions?

<small>[ November 02, 2002, 02:25 PM: Message edited by: qwickymart ]</small>

 

[DavidT]

First off, welcome to the forum thumbs_u . You have come to the right place. Secondly, never take your sho to a Ford dealer! You would do a better and more thorough job yourself, and save lots of $!
Ok. look at my sig. You describe a similar problem I had. Have you had lots of power lost? Possibly one of your cats got broken up.?. and you have a restriction in your exhaust. Another proven killer of power loss is if the timing is off.
I'm not sure about your clicking noise. There are very knowledgeable people here. They can probably give you much more possibilities to consider. Good luck!

 

[qwickymart]

Hey, I was thinking that it might be a broken cat or something?

I also forgot to mention that I smell like a burning radiator fluid smell... Or something like that coming from around the engine possibly...

What did you have to do to fix that problem?

 

[DavidT]

RECENTLY:
I had a $5,000 bill from ford to replace engine/tranny mounts, install new radiator, perform 60k, etc... etc...

This makes me wanna cry shoot squint
Oh yeah. I couldn't chirp my tires period UNTIL I had my exhaust fixed. All of a sudden, my sho ran like a beast. Check your exhaust. Midas can do a backpressure test for under $20 (where I live, anyways)

 

[jthomas68]

I understand you`re new,so no harm done,but please read this for the future,thanks.

http://www.shoforum.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=18;t=000972

 

[DavidT]

Midas chopped up my catback until they found huge chunks of broken up cats lodged in my pipe right at the end of the resonator (just before the pipe makes a 90 degree right turn just before the gas tank)
Here is the test:
Disconnect the y pipe from the catback. (2 bolts) Once it is disconnected insert 1 bolt back in (with the pipe offset from the resonator) this is to keep the res. supported so it does not drag the ground. Caution your sho will be LOUD. Take it somewhere where you can rev it to about 3K rpms. Drop the clutch. It should launch awesome... Drive it so the secondaries open up. If you have the problem I had, it will drive like a beast at high end.
This is what I was advised to do because my sho had no power. I procrastinated, but finally did the test. I couldn't believe it. So I took it to Midas.
Of course, I don't know about your sho. Mine is catless. If your restriction is in the cats, then this test will not help.
Midas should be able to diagnose it. Word of advice. If they do test your cats and they are blocked, have them also check the flow more towards your mufflers. If I would have done this, I would have saved myself a lot of TIME.

 

[qwickymart]

BUT I DO HAVE THE CATS... I HAVE A STOCK 92 SHO.

Is there a way to test with cats? and is it going to be expensive?

I called midas, he said a backpressure check will only tell us how much pressure they put out or something, he said it wouldn't tell us if it is clogged?

WHAT IS HE TALKING ABOUT? OR IS HE RIGHT?

 

[DavidT]

Yes, the cats can be tested. It cost me $16 to check BOTH cats.
When they test the airflow (backpressure), they are looking for a reading of a certain number. If it is off, that should determine if there is a problem.
When I suspected I had a problem, but was not sure of the source, I took it to Midas to check my cats (I had them then). They drilled a hole in them and inserted the probe/guage. By the reading, the tech said I definitely had blockage. I thanked him and thought I found my problem. I had them removed, but there was no change in power, sound, or anything... I took it to the dyno... 99 max HP eek! .
SO that is when I disconnected the y pipe and found my sho's POWER! I then took it back to Midas. They did the test again (this time in the resonator) and the reading STILL revealed a problem. That is when they chopped up the exhaust and found the culprit.