Fricka fracka ricka racka Ford

Why the hell can't Ford build a car that lasts 200,000 miles?!?

Regular readers know that TFrog ('93 LX 5.0) has been in the shop lately for a rough idle and difficult starting when cold. We've started with the mass air sensor and worked up to the idle air bypass, which (I'm sure) helped with the air flow but did not cure the problem.

Now TFrog is in for the annual inspection, and has failed emissions miserably. The fact that I've complained before about the gas smell coming through my exhaust pipes may have been a clue, so I'm not all that surprised.

The mechanic now tells me that the intake manifold gasket seal was leaking, which may account for the bad idling (TFrog has no problems when the RPMs are up, only at lower revs). And, over time, that has taken out one or both of my catalytic converters.

GOD DAMMIT!

The car only has 199,450 miles on it, so there's no reason that I should have to spring for new cats. Aren't these covered by warranty or something?

Ach.

They need to finish the repairs on the gasket seal and give me my damn car back, 'cause CFrog goes in on Monday for the transmission overhaul and shift kit. Once that's done, TFrog can go back in for the new cats and re-inspection.

Meanwhile, I have to find a suitable H-pipe that fits my beautiful Dynomax Ultra-flo cat-back system...

dwight

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Reply to
dwight
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May I suggest a nice Bassani catalytic X pipe.

Reply to
WindsorFox[SS]

Yea, that could be it. It's definately on the fuel/air side (not spark) with the symptoms you describe. Is everything else fresh/new on the intake side -- EGR/throttle-body gaskets?

A gassy smelling exhaust on a modern car is something that can't go on too long before the cats will give it up.

Replace the cats NOW or your engine will be the next thing to give it up.

lol

Get the idle worked out first or you'll kill your new [expensive] cats. I suggest, at this point, to just gut your existing ones and use those to get the engine (until the engine is) sorted out.

See Fox's reply.

Dwight, now might be a good time to send a sample of your oil in for diagnosis. Nearing 200K, I'd give your car a complete physical and an oil diagnosis is just what the Doctor would order. It'll give you an idea of how much life the ol' girl has left in her. That way you can sorta plan for any additional repairs that might be in your 5.0's future.

Patrick '93 Mustang 110K

Reply to
NoOption5L

Oh, hell no. Everything is original, and this is the first time the engine's been opened.

I don't have a choice. I have to replace the cats before the 31st, in order to pass emissions. I'm looking forward to the day I qualify as a "classic", so I don't even have to worry about the emissions. That day is fast approaching.

Yeah, I know. So far, TFrog has been a magic car. I mean, I do try to keep up with maintenance, but it's been the most forgiving car I've ever owned. The mechanic was actually surprised to learn that I still had the original cats onboard at almost 200,000 miles. And TFrog has always passed emissions with flying colors, before this year.

Good news. The manifold gasket seal was replaced, and I picked TFrog up tonight. As advertised, it started right up, smooth idle, and everything seems fine. It even cured the clutch shudder I had starting up in 1st gear (especially uphill). An amazing change. Makes me wonder how much torque I was losing with that leaky gasket...

Interesting thought. TFrog is still running strong, still frisky. I know that 200,000 is a serious milestone, though, and that 5.0 won't last forever. There's a nice new crate 302 in TFrog's future, so I'm not overly concerned with getting another 100,000 out of this engine. Another, say,

30,000 would be just fine. I'm looking forward to having a fresh engine with 50% more horses.

dwight

Reply to
dwight

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?item_no=BE-BX5092R3%20%20%20%201&comp=LRS Stock headers, matching up to a 2.5" Dynomax Ultra Flow cat-back. You think this would be right?

dwight

Reply to
dwight

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Hmmmm. Stock headers wouldn't be "long tube", would they? And they're probably not shorties, either. How 'bout this one from MAC?

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?item_no=MAC-CH37991%20%20%20%201&comp=LRS duh-wight

Reply to
dwight

Good deal!!

If your car was running fat, probably quite a bit.

It would be interesting.

I've been think about sending in a sample from mine. It's really not that expensive and it can tell you a lot.

What have you replaced so far? A fuel pump, TPS sensor, coil... what?

Me too! With the factory HP races going on, we need 'em bad! Patrick A not so fast anymore 1993 Cobra

Reply to
NoOption5L

Still spun the tires at 45 in 2nd gear...

Oh, man...

Lessee...

Radiator, wires, fuel pump, air pump, couple of alternators, a few water pumps, three heater cores, threw on a K&N, took off the K&N, cat-back exhaust, 32 tires, 5 batteries, front light assemblies, and now wondering about that lifetime warranty on my now-leaking Konis. Other than that, not much.

I'm really looking forward to it. And I keep looking forward to it. I thought I'd have had one installed by now, but now I'm house-poor and it's bumped back another year (or two) while we pay down some debt. But I'm a patient man, and TFrog ain't goin' nowhere.

dwight

Reply to
dwight

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I keep answering myself... Called Dynomax and got the part number for their H-pipe, that should hook right up to my UltraFlow setup with minimal effort.

"High flow performance converters", gimme a break.

dwight

Reply to
dwight

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Wait. How do you have stock headers connected to a 2.5" H-pipe? The stock exhaust is 2.25". Also, I paid the same $369 for mine but it is stainless, not aluminized. I have the Mac shorty headers with 2.5" outlet, SS Bassani catalytic X pipe and 2 chamber Flowmasters. I had 2.5" stock pipes out the back but put dumps on it when I didn't drive it daily anymore.

Reply to
WindsorFox[SS]

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That won't work, that is for long tube headers, the stock are shorties, and they are 2.25" outlets.

Reply to
WindsorFox[SS]

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There's a difference. The high flow cats actually do flow far better than the stock ones.

Reply to
WindsorFox[SS]

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I don't. I have stock headers, connected to a stock exhaust until the cats. Cat-back is 2.5" Ultra Flows.

The Dynomax H-pipe that I'm ordering is supposedly "direct fit", and they were well aware that I had that 2.5" cat-back, so I sure HOPE they know what they're talking about. Guess I'll find out Tuesday or thereabouts...

dwight

Reply to
dwight

Dwight,

If you're still us>>>> dwight wrote:

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Reply to
Michael Johnson, PE

This is a no-brainer, when it's "crate engine time", but I wouldn't waste them on the current setup. Interesting comment, "the only shorty headers that will fit with GT40P heads." That's good to know, if true.

dwight

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Reply to
dwight

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To add further, in the case of the Mustang 5.0, it is possible to open the exhaust up to much, causing loss of low end torque by going to too large a pipe, even with stock Cat's.

Reply to
Ironrod

I'm rapidly closing on 300,000 miles on my 88GT, and it still is running quite strong. The best advice I can give anyone who owns a 5.0 is "If it ain't broke don't fix it, & if you have to fix it put it back the way it was" This is especially true of the exhaust. The "restrictive" stock 2.25 inch pipes & staggered length mufflers work better than any of the aftermarket stuff out there. (It took me three separate exhaust systems & close to $1000 dollars to figure out that little nugget of information.)

Reply to
Ironrod

2.5" isn't all THAT big a step up. But I really prefer the baritone sound, as opposed to the original tenor.

I notice, now with the Dynomax H-pipe, a more "gurgly" sound coming through the pipes. Like a guy with a phlegmy throat. That's cool.

dwight

Reply to
dwight

Yeah but that's a simple fix, just add a blower.....

Reply to
WindsorFox

Trust me on this one, there are a few long uphill grades on the freeway where I live that used to require me to downshift at 75mph in order to maintain my speed. Since I've switched back to the 2.25 mufflers I now can pull them in 5th gear.

(I'm not sure about this next bit, but I was told that you can flow twice as much gas through a 2.5 pipe as you can through a 2.25. So upping your pipe diameter just 1/4 inch could slow your flow {velocity} much more than you would suspect.)

Reply to
Ironrod

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