Help! Problems After Engine Install

[badge49]

As a couple of the guys on here know, I recently got a little carried away wheeling and ended up hydrolocking my engine and bending a rod. I drive a '97 4X4 with a 4.0L OHC. Since the milage was a little high on the old engine I opted to drop in a new, used 4.0L OHC out of a '98. I had a local shop do the work, but have had problems ever since. After about 1000 miles I now have: gas cap warning light always on (fuel pressure loss, but where?), burning smells comming from heater vents occasionally, very rough idle despite multiple MAS cleans, irratic electrical flow (alternator?) when idling, a spark plug wire that arcs (you can hear it) despite different coils and wires, and "bogging" down of the engine during acceleration when already moving! I'm lost...I've researched, tried different fixes, and checked everything I can. Does anyone have any ideas? I had none of these problems before the install...even with a bent rod!

 

[badge49]

Well, no one on here helped me, but I took the truck in and got good new back from the shop: The alternator lead was loose and was causing it it heat up and burn up, so that's a quick fix. The arcing spark plug wire was due to a cracked plug, another easy fix. The bogging down of the engine and rough idle is due to a shot MAS sensor from all the crud going through it when it was under water and the missing plug. Good news is I have all the replacement parts on hand and can get all my problems taken care of in one afternoon! Thanks to those who looked at my post, if anyone else has problems like mine, send me a message...I'm becoming an expert at small problem fixing!

 

[Papa]

Sorry to hear about your hydro lock and your problems with the new engine but thanks for writing back and letting us know what you found. We all learn from the experience of others.

 

[410Fortune]

wow I totally missed your post! hahaha glad you got it all fixed

 

[h2osurf]

so what was causing the burning smell in the heater vents?

 

[badge49]

The burning smell coming from the vents was from the boot and wire insullation burning up around my alternator's output lead. It was getting super hot from vibrations (and because it's pretty much toast after being under muddy water) and was buring up everything around it. I lnew it was getting hot, but didn't think the fire resistant electrical boot would actually burn up!