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93 xlt Vacuum & hard start

greyboxer

Member
Joined
January 29, 2007
Messages
27
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City, State
Prud'homme,SK
Year, Model & Trim Level
1993 XLT
Hello everyone and thanks to all for invaluable insight and advice. In recent months I've run into several problems and always seem to find an answer somewhere on here.
Lately I've had 2 issues that seem to be related and I haven't been able to chase them out. 1-The truck never starts on the first hit of the ignition. I turn the key to Start let it turn over for a second or two, release, then hit it again and the truck will fire as soon as I hit the key. But it always takes two shots.
2- About 3-4 times in the last couple of months when hitting it the second time, the vacuum tree/octopus (whatever you want to call it) has blow 2-4 vac lines clean off, and I mean just totally blown them away.
Why?
It's fine once it's running, except my idle is lower than it should be (it's an auto) it's at about 7000rpm idle in park/neutral and dips to 4000-4500rpm in gear w/brake. But it never loses a vacuum while running, only at start.
Tomorrow I'm changing the oil from my winter 5-30 to summer 10-30, I'm trying synthetic this time and running an engine flush first. Might this help or is it totally unrelated? Thanks in advance for any insight/advice. I'll quit rambling now.
 



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Hey Grey,
You sure about those rpm numbers? That sounds a little high for idle. I'm about 1000 - 1200 at idle here.

Blowing off vacuum lines? That's odd as it is a negative pressure & not positive. Maybe the hoses are worn or just not connecting properly?

Walter
 






Hey Grey,
You sure about those rpm numbers? That sounds a little high for idle. I'm about 1000 - 1200 at idle here.
Walter

Sorry, I added 1 too many 0's, 700rpm idle and 400-450rpm in gear with brake. Yeah I suppose that would've looked a tad high :)
 






Sorry, I added 1 too many 0's, 700rpm idle and 400-450rpm in gear with brake. Yeah I suppose that would've looked a tad high :)


With gas prices up here in Canada, ya wouldn't want to sit too long in traffic with a 7000 rpm idle :p:
 






you're not kidding :D I'm thinking I might have to claim bankruptcy after my next fill!!!
 






Vaccuum lines blown off the tree are extremely common on Gen 1 Explorers, and nearly always caused by a bad tranny vaccuum modulator. Search the forum.

The rubber connectors also stretch with age and do not seat well, I believe these are dealer parts.

Mike
 






Also, just as helpful information, if the auto parts store you buy your modulator valve from can't find one listed in their computer, tell them that you need one for an '88 Bronco II. They use the same one, and for some reason that's the only way I could find one down here. Hope that's helpful!
 






Thanks Mike and MayJan! Yes I did start doing some searching on the modulator but I never would have, had I not been steered there. Never in a million years would I have suspected the tranny had something to do with the vac lines blowing apart. But I guess that's why I keep my day job and only work on my own stuff! :D I can't find anyone crazy enough to actually pay me to work on theirs :confused:
 






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