running rough after replacing manifold gaskets

[SVO42]

I'm at my wits end here. I R&Rd the upper & lower intake gaskets as well as the valve cover gaskets. This was all in an attempt to fix an oil leak from the driver's side VC as well as trying to get my 1994 Ex to stop pinging on the highway. The lower intake gasket seemed OK, but I scraped a ton of carbon buildup out of the ports. I'm hoping that was the problem. Now that it's all back together, it runs, but a little rough. It'll still idle at about 600 RPM like it should, but the engine is visibly rocking. I tried driving it around the block and it needed more gas to get it going and wasn't "in tune" like it should be.

Problems I ran into:

1. Stud for the upper intake (2nd one back on passenger side) had buggered threads about halfway down. I stacked washers and theN torqued the nut.

2. The Driver's side VC was cracked around one of the bolt holes. The pass. side was rusty, so I got new VCs from Ford to the tune of $150. Then I painted them Ford blue. Might as well have some bling for the work, right?

3. Coil pack mounting threads in the upper intake were stripped after I got the bolts out. Evidently a previous job didn't get them started right. I put in some 5/16" bolts, nuts, and split-lock washers instead.

4. My wife noticed a puff of smoke come from near the EGR valve when I fired it up after running Sea Foam through the intake (to finish cleaning out the ports I scraped). I had reused the old gasket since I forgot to get one and the parts store was closed. I put a new one on tonight to no improvement.

5. My Ex has had a small exhaust leak on the driver's side somewhere for a while, and now it smells like too-rich exhaust over there, much more pronounced.

PLEASE help me. I swear I have everything hooked up right, followed the manual on everything, used good gaskets, but something's still not right. I don't have the plug wires in their looms yet, but I don't see how them resting on other metal parts briefly could cause something like this.

I hope it's just a vacuum leak somewhere, or maybe I did miss a connection when I put it back together. I just hope it's nothing major (i.e., pulling the lower intake off again). I'll check it out again in the morning, I guess. I don't have to be at work until 2PM, but my wife and I have been sharing a car for almost 2 weeks because of all the work I've been doing to the Ex (not just this).

ANY ADVICE PLEASE HELP!!! WE NEED THE EXPLORER FOR A 5,000-MILE TRIP IN 2 WEEKS!

 

[MustangP51]

It is probable just like you said, a vacuum leak. However it may be the lower intake that is leaking. I strongly recommend you use permatex with intake gaskets, I never had any luck with just the gasket itself, but with permatex it seals every time.

 

[SVO42]

I used the "improved" Ford gasket that has the thick rubber material at the front and back ends of the lower intake-to-block surfaces. I didn't use silicone there. I used it around the water ports but not the cylinder head intake ports, and then again at the upper corners for the valve cover gaskets, just like the manual (Chilton's) says. I'll try holding my hand back there to see if I feel any leak, but that's never a guarantee.

Another weird thing I thought to post about was I tried pulling codes to see if there was anything the EEC might tell me. All I got yesterday was 111, system OK. But, when I tried the KOER test, the motor idles up like it should, but then the test stops, no # of cylinders ID, nothing. The reader just goes to zero after about a minute. I did another KOEO test and got code 322 once, but 322 isn't even in the manual!!! There's a 332 relating to an EGR fault, but no 322. I did another KOEO and all I got was 111 again.

 

[SVO42]

update

This morning's update brought to you by Gojo pumice hand cleaner...


I have the upper intake off, and I can't see any lines I might have missed hooking up. However, I did notice that there was oil dripping out of it when hardly any did the first time I took it off.

Any ideas? I'm going to go ahead and pull the lower now and check the block ends for any leaks.

Mustang51, did you use silicone around the intake ports on the lower also, or just the water ports?

 

[daves97sport]

I got new VCs from Ford to the tune of $150.

By chance did you notice if there was a baffle inside the new VC for the PCV valve? If not, this could be sucking oil into the intake.

 

[SVO42]

There's baffle there for the PCV valve, and the valve itself is less than a year old (Ford part, too).

I had to wrap it up for today, but I think since I'm pulling the lower intake again, I'm going to replace the studs and nuts with all new ones since there was the bad one I had to put washers on and some of the others looked a little iffy. Whoever had this thing apart before sure did screw things up--the TINY hex heads on the studs are mostly rounded off, so it looks like I'll be using vise grips. Anyone know what size they are? I'm also going to get new O-rings for the injectors in case that was the fuel smell problem.

New ? though, what is the torque spec for the studs? It's not in my Chilton's manual.

I think it would have been easier to replace the engine! I'll be working on it again tomorrow morning. I have the lower intake ready to come off now.