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Rough running

hogan0181

CEG'er
Joined
Jun 11, 2010
Messages
82
Location
Lancaster, PA
I could use some help. I have a 99 CSVT. I pulled the engine to replace all the gaskets and clean the engine and bay up. It took me about a year to do (I had to tear down my old garage and build a new one). I got the car back together, but it wouldnt start. I would crank on it and it sounds like it wants to pop back through the intake. After adding almost 8-10 gallons of fuel, the vehicle starts and runs very rough. (Imagine a carbuerated V8).You can def smell unburnt fuel coming from the exhaust, so I don't run it too long. The serp belt pops off. What I am wondering is, Could stale fuel be the concern or a stuck open injector from the stale fuel?
 
I am by no means an engine guru. But even to my untrained eye, having the serpentine belt pop off and the smell of unburnt fuel leads me to think something serious is happening. Did the sparkplug wires get plugged in to the correct cylinders ? Do you have a code reader ?

thanks,

Mad Dog
 
Ya, thats the problem. I have checked multiple sources for firing order and checked multiple times. The wires are correct and new with new plugs, coil, all gaskets. I didnt touch the timing when redoing the gaskets and it ran fine prior. Only 1 code for upstream o2 which i replaced and cleared codes. It seems like it is dumping fuel to me. I am stumped on this.
 
Are any of the accessories on the serpentine belt locked up ? Perhaps if one is locked, then that would cause the belt to pop off while putting a serious drag on the engine. There are people here far better than myself in diagnosing this.

Mad Dog
 
Pull the new plugs and see if any of the tips are wet, if so you have fouled them somehow, they either need new again or they need to be degreased to be bone dry before they will work properly and if engine is flooding they will simply wet again. Wet plugs fire shorted spark down the side and create incomplete combustion. A fuel pressure check may reveal a leaky injector. With 8-10 gallons of new fuel it would be hard for stale to mess things up, not enough of it by volume.
 
How is your oil? How far "into the gaskets" did you get? Did you clean into the heads? Clean into the lower intake manifold?

If you washed down the cylinder walls, you may not have compression on every cylinder.
 
I didnt break down the head gaskets or timing Since there was good compression prior to pulling the engine and replacing the other gaskets. I dont think I can diagnose any further at this point since my dog ate my only key. I bought 2 keys and have to get them programmed.
 
Not sure what happened for the longest time I could not log in. My username and password mysteriously started working again. So update. It was still running rough, now I have no power whatsoever with the key on and am very convinced that it is electrical. Once I get the other contour off of my lift in the next couple of weeks, I will start working on this one again. I bought the sport as a donor car, but decided to put a few bucks into it and clean it up to run it as a daily driver.
 
Make sure that the three wiring plugs on the rear valve cover are completely seated. Also what shape is the wiring harness in?
 
I found intermittent opens under the fuse box in the fuel pump circuit fuse 14, a vacuum leak, a bad pump, and no ground on the relay. I believe once I find a good harness at the yard and replace the pump my problems will be over for a little while. I had to put this on the back burner for a little bit, but now I am back on it and hoping to finish it up in the next 30 days.
 
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