Hesitation when going uphill

[IronCamel]

I was out test driving my '94 after finishing replacing the water pump and a few other bits when I found a semi-new problem. I have been getting really random times where I suddenly get a huge amount of engine hesitation. It feels similar to what you would get from running with a couple of blown spark plugs (or something like popping the clutch while it's running). It has happened maybe twice before and started doing it right before the water pump blew so I figured it was something caused by the overheating.

The cooling system now works fine, but the hesitation is still there and I can reproduce it by simply driving uphill (about a 30 degree incline or more). If I shift out of 2nd gear and into 3rd it's fine. I don't know if it is the RPMs causing the issue, or if my second gear is starting to go.

What are some things that can cause this sort of thing that I should check before I start stepping into something really expensive like dropping the transmission?

 

[IronCamel]

I did some more testing today and was very happy to find that the transmission seems to be in great shape aside from needing a fluid swap. So far I pulled the plugs and found the number 3 spark plug was fouled. Checked compression along the way and it is just fine. I'm going to put in a full set of Motorcraft plugs and wires tomorrow since I already have everything out now.

It appears the MAF sensor might be dead though, but I have to check it more. There was no difference at all with it connected or disconnected before and after cleaning which is why I'm thinking that might be an issue. Are there any tell tale signs, or ways of being sure that it's dead?

 

[IronCamel]

It appears that my lower intake gasket is leaking. I started to notice a very strong sweet smell while the engine was idling as I looked it over which I'm pretty sure is anti-freeze, but there doesn't appear to be any in the oil. I have none of the signs of a blown head gasket, but somewhere the coolant seems to be being burned. The engine wasn't warm enough yet for it to be burning off of an exterior surface.

Is it possible for anti-freeze to have entered the #3 cylinder due to the gasket leak causing that plug to foul?

 

[IronCamel]

I ended up replacing the lower intake gasket, spark plugs and wires, and a freeze plug.

I'm guessing the gasket blew because of the engine overheating when the water pump died. It appears that this was allowing coolant into two of the cylinders causing the plugs to foul. I replaced the gasket, and then changed the freeze plug above it because I could see a very tiny hole waiting to become a major leak. After that I replaced the plugs and wires (it was time to change the wires anyway).

It's back to running like a champ and I'm going to keep an eye on those two cylinders in case something else is causing the fouling. This concludes my odyssey into talking to myself. I just wanted to add a conclusion should anyone find this thread in a search.

 

[Reejerey]

thanks for the conclusion, I would have posted something if I would have seen this before you got done with your self-narrative. Glad to hear its back up and running well for you.