serious shudder in drive line, please help!

[MaDDaDDaM]

There is a severe shudder any time I attempt to apply any power to the car. It jerks back and forward violently. I have no idea what the problem would be, but I hope it is possibly a simple engine problem and not anything to do with the transaxle. I don't think that is the case because I can put the car in gear and it will run fine. But as soon as I apply power, it seems as if the engine chokes and temporarily siezes up or something. It violently shudders and jerks forwards and back almost like it does when a person is trying to learn to drive stick for the first time. Again, I can put it into gear and gently give it some gas from about 2-3000 rpm, but if I go much higher than that, or if I press down significantly on the peddle, it starts shuddering again. Any insight into this problem would be greatly appreciated, as this is my daily driver, and being immobilized will totally screw me. :jpshakeh: Thank you! Addam.

 

[uSHOslow]

sounds like a possible clutch problem, however I'm sure the more experianced folks will soon chime in.

 

[slickn56]

Spark Plugs and Wires

Your car sounds like its misfiring. Your spark plugs and wires are most likely real old. If you remove one of the wires I bet it will be covered with oil. You will most likely need to tear apart the top of the engine and change out the plug well seals, plugs, and wires.

 

[MaDDaDDaM]

I've heard that oil my collect around the spark plugs, but tear apart the entire top of my engine? Are we talking intake, valves, and basically the entire head??? Please God nooooo !!! Can I just replace my plugs and wires?

 

[clintonk]

This happened to me in my '90 several years ago. One of the rear plug wires had popped off the plug, but was still making contact. Moderate acceleration was enough to jar it loose, causing it to buck.

Clinton Knight
'90 White 196K
'95 Green 60K

 

[slickn56]

explanation

Well to do the plug well seals you will need to take the intake off the engine and then remove both of the valve covers. The plug well seals go into the valve covers.

 

[NetNinja]

Not that bad

It will take you an entire saturday(If you have never done this before) to replace the valve cover and spark plug seals. Go to Autozone and get yourself the Fel-Pro VS50378R Runs about $71.00. This is the gasket kit you need to replace the Valve cover gaskets and SparkPlug seals and a couple of other gaskets if you are so inclined to replace them.
Most likley you are going to need to replace your spark plugs and Wires. I reccomend getting the Motocraft wires. www.rockauto.com
I hope you have some tools. Also make sure you have a 5mm T handle allen wrench or a 5mm hex key socket to remove the valve cover bolts. Be careful not to strip the heads or cross thread them when putting them back in. Clean off the threads with an old tootbrush and put some anti-sieze on the threads when you are ready to tighten down the valve cover.
It's not that bad.

 

[JAY93SHO]

A mechanic I am not but it may also be your fuel filter...when you give gas above 2-3000k rpm it shutters/dies you may be losing your fuel pick as well. Dont qoute me I could be wrong but it might worth looking into

 

[MaDDaDDaM]

A friend told me that if I was simply having a misfire, I would not have a serious shudder. Instead the engine would run rough, and I would hear the misfire of one plug. He thought it might be my fuel pump and that it's not the lack of spark but the lack of fuel that is causing the problem. what do you guys think?

 

[JAY93SHO]

I know for sure a bad plug would defintly make a popping or small explosion sound depending on the severity of the foul. It makes more sense to me that it is in your fuel system somwhere, filter, pump...check em out and see if that is where your prob lies

 

[slickn56]

MaDDaDDaM, check your plug wells for oil....even if the wires and plugs are new or newer, they will get ruined quickly if there is oil down the plug wells. Ive owned over 6 shos, and almost everyone of them needed plug well seals and plugs and wires. If you are sure your ignition system is up to ***** then start taking other guess, but Ive had the same problems with my 89 sho, it would be terrible to drive, I would try to accelerate and it would buck.

 

[MaDDaDDaM]

The plugs and wires were just changed about 6,000 miles ago. But at the same time, I understand settling oil can still do damage to them. If the electrical is fairly new, would it be more probable it is the fuel delivery system first?

 

[slickn56]

It doesnt sound like a fuel pump problem, since when those die, you will see signs. Like when my fuel pump went out, the car would die after being ran for over 30 minutes. And after it cooled down it would start up again. It could be a fuel injector problem, and that could be tested by running the cylinder balance test, but if this were the case the car would idle funny.