NoGo95GT

A couple months back I purchased a 95 Mustang GTS with N/A miles. It has ran great. I have had 0 problems with it, other than it leaking oil. But the check Engine lights has always been on leading to insufficient EGR circulation. I basically just ignored it. However, on Saturday, I was coming home from work and all of a sudden, the car started running like crap. It's idle was real rough, there was a knocking noise coming from low rpm about 1500 rpm+, almost like it was pinging and at idle you can smell a strong scent of sulfur coming from the cats(rotten egg smell). Also, my spark plugs are a light red. I have since done my best to eliminate any possibilities. I dumped out the fuel tank(thought my car was sabotaged when I was at work; long story), and examined it for any water in it. I replaced the fuel pump(had an extra one) fuel filter and blew out the fuel lines. I replaced the harmonic balancer , dumped the oil and cut the oil filter looking for any shavings. Nothing! I popped off the valve covers to see if the the pushrods or one of the rockers was loose. Everything looked fine. What baffles me is how the car started running like crap out of the blue when it was running great. And the sulphur smell really has me leaning to the EGR. The question I have is has anyone had an EGR failure like this. I know I should not have neglected it, but at the time I never thought really thought of it. Any insight would be greatly appreciated. Thanks guys!

Tony71502

Run codes? Check for cracked vacuum lines which prevent the EGR from operating.

NoGo95GT

Codes have been run various times and all vacuum lines are where they are supposed to go. Only code I have gotten is insufficient EGR. Thanks for your reply. I am hoping it's nothing internal. That will be a real pain. I plan on swapping my good EGR from my red mustang into this mustang later today. We'll see how it pans out.

Tony71502

If your getting an egr code, it's probably a bad egr component.. :P

NoGo95GT

I know, I know! But, I just can't see an EGR valve causing all these problems. But then again, if it stays in an open loop, maybe there's something to it.

Tony71502

A malfunctioning EGR will cause slightly higher emissions due to higher combustion chamber temps... but I don't think it would have those symptoms either.

Have you checked your timing? Either your compression is too high from carbon deposits, your cc temp is too hot, or your timing as too far advanced. Otherwise I don't see why it would detonate.

NoGo95GT

Timing is spot on. I bought a new harmonic balancer as well just to make sure there's no slop. Also, the car is not detonating. It's more of a knocking sound than anything. I see that a malfunctioning EGR may not cause the problems, but what about a failed EGR? I am currently in the process of swapping EGR's in. thanks for your response man.

TrimDrip

a knock kind of like a tick when you hit the gas?
Does it do it when in nuetral or not under load?

NoGo95GT

I wish I could explain this more. it's more of a knock. At idle it does not seem to do it as much. But when you put any load on it, you can really hear it. I also just threw in my other EGR and........ the problem still persists. Luckily I have eliminated pretty much every possibility. it looks like I am going to tear down the motor and see what the problem is. Chances are I am going buy a cheap short block and reuse my stock H/C/I from my other car since every thing is newer. So if worse comes to worse a freshened 302 will go in this current motors place. Although the engine ran great prior to this, it did run a bit warm, leaked oil; but did not burn it, and the guy I bought it from said it had about 130,000 miles, which I believe is much more.

TrimDrip

sounds like a bearing

if it is not using oil, you could just go through and put bearings and rings in

that is what I am going to do if it needs to come apart