Slow SHO

[Brians_VT_SHO]

Hey all,

After having my Cats plug up last week I finaly got her back on the road today, but I still have a problem..... No power. Unless I have some pieces of the catalyst blocking the exhaust some where, I think I may have hurt my motor. It starts fine and idles well. I get a little smoke on startup if it's been sitting a while (valve stem seals I know) but it acts like a standard 3.0 Taurus rather than a 3.2 ATX. I hit the throttle and it doesn't bog down but just never makes any real power. All I can think of is a piece of catalyst is hung up in a pipe or in a muffler somewhere. Any other Ideas? I'm beginning to think I got hosed on this car. I've owned it two and a half weeks and I've been able to drive it ONE day!!!!!

Also is there a rev limiter thet kicks in when the car is in park???? I could only rev it to 4,500 rpm in the driveway but she went up to 6,000 fine on the road.

Brian

 

[SHO_Diehard]

Yes, the car is trying to prevent you from hurting the trans in neutral.

You might try disconnecting the exhaust from the y-pipe and securing it, then taking the car for a drive. Suggest you get some hearing protection beforehand.

For starters, you could also check the codes and check the plug wells for oil.

 

[SHOtimer]

What is the 60k history on the car? Your MAF may be dirty.

Doug

 

[Brians_VT_SHO]

I've got no clue on the 60 K history. I'm planning on having Dr Tweak do one on it sometime this summer. It also runs rich (the reason the cats plugged up to begin with) I checked the thermostat and it has the proper one with the 2 jiggle valves and I checked it in a *** of water and it opened at 190 deg. Perhaps the MAF could be causing this. It sat for a long time outside and may be dirty. Whats the best way to clean it?? It starts and idles great but on the road it feels like a regular 3.0 (vulcan) SLO. It ran great prior to the front cat plugging up (the cat material actualy started to melt) I opened up both cats and chopped out the catalyst but it hasn't run right since.

On another front. I started up the My 93 SHO parts car today. I know the tranny leaks and I saw a small steady stream of ATF running out of the tranny when it's running. the stream looks to be coming from the front, just a little to the left of center. I can't see it any better until I get some more ATF so I can get it on my ramps. any ideas as to where that leak is? it doesn't look to be the pan. And with ATF in it it engages and moves.

Brian

 

[firstgen89sho]

Sounds like it could be your trans cooler lines leaking, causing the stream of ATF that you are seeing

 

[silversho89]

This is the way i clean my MAF, i was taught this buy a friend so some may do it differently but this way seems to work for me.

Pull the screws off the top of the MAF sensor and inside their should be one or two(its been a while since ive had to do this so i dont remember how many).

Get a Q-tip and a can of Enviro-duster. Spray a little enviroduster on the tip of the Q-tip.

Now you need to be very careful when cleaning this as the wire(s) are very sensitive. For this reason only use the little cotton hanging off the tip of the q-tip. Put it very lightly on the wire(s) and in a twirling motion, clean them off.

Its relatively simple and only takes a few moments to do.

Hope that helps,

Rob

 

[Denny]

You said you chopped up the convertor material? Did you replace the cats with straight pipes or are the shells still in there without catalysts? If you chopped up the insides then it won't run right unless you put in a new convertor or straight pipes.

 

[DavidT]

I agree with Sho Diehard.
If you want to find out for sure whether or not broken up cat. pcs. are lodged in your exhaust thus reducing power, then a sure way to find out is to disconnect the Y pipe from the catback (single pipe). Go out for a test spin and hit WOT (5K-7K rpms), you will know the answer immediately.
I know this form experience. My old 90 mtx had this problem. A previous owner gutted the cats. Soon after I bought it, I had it dyno'd (99 fwhp)
I had a FULL 60K service, and that didn't help.
Someone suggested to me about disconnecting the Y pipe.
My car literally felt like it went on about a 75 shot of nitrous
So I went to Midas. They proceeded to chop up the catback. A glob of catalyst the size of a baseball was lodged in the pipe that starts to bend around the tank.
If disconnecting the Y pipe is a problem for some reason, Midas can do a backpressure test for about $25... a simple procedure.
Good luck!

 

[Brians_VT_SHO]

getting it apart at the tail end of the cat may be a problem... This is a Northeast car. But I can do a quick chop of the exhaust behind the flex and see what it does. Also from there I can poke around to see if there is any peices forward of that point. Also thanks for thtip on the tranny leak on my parts car. if it's something simple like cooer lines it's worth fixing up. the engine seems very strong in that one

thanks

Brian