Color by WEASEL

I need some help regarding my wife's 95 GT 5.0. I am listing what is the trouble and what I have done. I am miffed. I could use some proffessional opinions PLEASE! The car starts, idles, and runs, faily fine; but seems to lackpower. The engine shakes and shutters at about 1000 to 1500 rpm, like it's running on 6 or 7 cylinders. Well, average highway speeds with overdrive are continually in that range. Very frustrating. The car has about 190,000 miles on it. Driven 80 miles to and from work daily. Been a great car until recently. Engine light has come on and off. Taken it in to check and places like Auto Zone and Advance Auto can't read the codes. Pep Boys wants 85 bucks. Now what I have done. I installed a new fuel filter, plugs, wires, cap, rotor, fuel pressure regulator and EGR valve. Compression is 160psi across the board which I was happy with. Timing might be an issue and maybe I need a chain or it jumped time, but I dont know. With the "plug" out, I can barelyget it to spec at 10BTC and keep it running. It wants to be like 20 or 30 to run. Put the plug in and it smooths some, but not at the 10, but the 20-30 range. I almost have to do it manually to make it smooth. I can't seem to get it exacly right. Any ideas? No oil in water, water in oil, and good compression so I dont think valves or head hasket. I have not installed a new fuel pump, but filter and now a regulator are new. It has pressure and I hear it run anyway. Before I take it apart and put in a timing chain, I want opinions...PLEASE! I dont want a stupid sensor to be the problem after I go to the effort of putting in a new timing chain. Sure, 190,000 miles, it can benefit, but I want my problem fixed! HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It is my wife's baby. She has a subtle sleek body kit and it is pearl black. She calls it DARKHORSE. Thanks for your help, everyone.

Colorado_Mustang

Sounds like a timing chain or even the distributor itself. Since the dizzy is easier to change, you could start there.

You can also check how many degrees of slop your chain has in it by turning the crank and seeing how far it turns before moving the rotor in the dizzy. You would start by turn the engine backwards about a 1/4 turn. The only negative is that this can jump a very loose chain.

Color by WEASEL

Thanks for that. I am putting in a timing chain and gear set. Hope it fixes it, if not, oh well. It's not that overly difficult and I'll have a new timing chainin an engine with good compression, so tear down does not seem likely. Any other ideas would be helpful. Or confirmation, difference in opinion, whatever. Thanks in advance.