hellbilly934

ok, i'll give it to ya in an itemized list. yeah...the problems are that numerous!

1) my fuel mileage decreased overnight (literally) from approx. 260 miles/tank to less than half that, @ approx. 120 miles/tank!

2) the smell of raw fuel in the exhaust is bordering on terrible!

3) reverse is a b!tch to grab because it grinds...almost like the clutch isnt engaging!

4) there is a clanking noise when the clutch is disengaged when upshifting.

5) low-end torque has decreased by half. it almost feels like launching in 2nd gear!

6) i cannot maintain a level speed cruising speed or slow down in gear because the car starts to shake violently...as if it were about to stall. the RPMs are normal, but the clanking starts again in time to the shaking! WTF?!


ok, guys & girls! as you can see...i need help here! anything you might have to offer would be helpful! thanks in advance!

HACKGT350

how hard is it to start the car in the morning or after its been sitting for a little bit? as for reverse you need to put it in a forward gear before you put it in reverse its not a syncronized gear. the clanking noise sounds like you might need some u joints

hellbilly934

it's never a problem to crank, even after sitting for days @ a time. the reverse issue started fairly recently, along w/ most all the other problems. yeah, it's always been the most difficult due to no synchros...but it's very problematic as of late. as for the clanking & shaking...i was thinking u-joints too, just wanted other opinions to back-up my theory.

haromaster87

Yep. It's best to put it in fifth and then just slip down into reverse. However, you shouldn't have too all the time. Just sometimes with a little clanking into reverse, you need to go into fifth first.

brentloftis

Fuel exhaust is a sign of running rich...... my initial guess is vacuum leak(s), if you don't already have one, invest in one of these and follow your vacuum lines.
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=41966
If you can't get a stethoscope then a long run of rubber hose will also help.
If there is no issue with the vacuum lines then cleanand check IAC & MAF
What is the year?

hellbilly934

i've checked all vacuum lines & they all seem to be fine. it's an '86

brentloftis

86... MAP Sensor.........How is the idle at start up?

hellbilly934

idle's fine...cold, but i have noticed a slight variation when @ running temp

brentloftis

Ok, I am fried right now, been a lot of work andbad ford weekend but my thoughts right now are leaning toward MAP sensor, O2 sensors, cylinder misfire, orpossible timing but not likely. Can you do the good ole KOEO\KOER test and see what codes are stored?
http://myshifter.com/joel50/EECTEST.html

hellbilly934

i'll try but as you probably noticed...i'm not terribly mechanically inclined. lol! thanks for your help, i'll let ya know how it goes