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Stumble or miss after startup

66427

Well-Known Member
Joined
October 18, 2006
Messages
273
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13
City, State
Clarksville, TN for now...or forever
Year, Model & Trim Level
01 EB
So I finally got my explorer back together after a few set backs and not focusing all of my time to it. Work 12 hrs/day, 2 kids with soccer, so on, so on, whatever. It was never pressing, I have a company truck and we have another car.

Heres the deal. A year (or so) ago I had a leaky exaust manifold gasket at the #3 cylinder. I bought new plugs, wires, TM headers, TF spacer, etc. The leak actually had blown on the #3 wire & plug enough to destroy it and cause a slight miss.
I ran some Sea foam through the pcv hose, threw the second half of the can in the tank, which was half full and went for a drive.

Upon returning, up on jack stands she went (in the garage), ready for tear down.
I had a number of setbacks. Broken studs, crossed threads from factory, not all the proper tools, etc. I would work on it a day a month trying to overcome these hurdles until I got frustrated or came to another hurdle.

So, again all hurdles crossed, and I didn't break anything else, replaced all the heater core tubes & hoses, tried to do the best that I could to prevent any future maintenance issues. Headers are on, intake with spacer is back on, truck is 99% back together. Basically what is left is inner fender wells and tires, and a couple dress up covers. I wanted to start it and let it run a couple times to go through some heat cycles and retorque everything. Again, in the thought of avoiding any future maintenance issues.

But, it's been a while, and the gas in the tank is...bad...maybe. I did put the Seafoam in it before beginning the tear down.

I hooked the battery up - no juice - cables and a jump start from my truck.
I twisted the key and she immidiatly spun over, caught and died. this was repeated about 4-5 times. Twist the key, spin just a couple revs catch, as soon as I hear fire I let off the key, she fires a few more times and dies.

After maybe the 5th time for some reason I think if I touch the gas I can catch it and keep it running. No. Now I twist the key and it spins and spins and spins. Nuthin.

Another week of work and now this week end, I changed the fuel filter (which was new) with one that I prefilled with 93 octane. I also dumped another 7 gal of 93 in the tank and another 1/2 can of Seafoam then hooked the jumper cables up again.
Spun a few times with no reaction. So I gave a little squirt of starter fluid in the little breather port that is fed from the oil fill tube. It is downstream of the MAF and upstream of the TB. Spin, catch fired a half dozen times then dies. Almost there.
Another little 1 second squirt of starter fluid - I hate the stuff really - and twist the key again.
she fired, coughed, stumbled, fired some more, stumbled fired some more...I feathered the throttle and she was running!!! Rough, but running. I feathered the throttle a few times, and she smoothed right out. I topped of the radiator and let it run a few minutes getting warm. But she started idling rough, I got in and held the revs up to about 1200 rpm until the temp was at the normal operating point and had been for a few minutes. I let off the throttle and the revs came down to abou 600 and the motor started shaking badly.
I went through and checked all the header bolts were good and snug like I planned, checked all connections, checked allplugs were snug, checked firing order, then went and bought a new Optima red top.

She will now fire from cold immediatly from cold, but within two minutes is stumbling, which gets worse and worse until the motor is shaking very badly.

I have rechecked all connection, rechecked that all bolts are tight, intake bolts are snug, firing order is correct...

Is it bad gas has fouled some injectors? What else could it be? Coils?

Long read probably, but I appreciate any and all comments or ideas. Thanks in advance guys.
 



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Sounds like a vacuum leak to me.
 






That was my first fear, but all other posts that I have searched out regarding vacuum leaks point to high idle...?
 






Does your explorer sound like this?



Also, you may want to check your engine grounds.


Very small vacuum leaks will cause a high idle. If the engine can not produce enough vacuum because of larger leaks, then your engine will not idle right.
 






HAAA!!!

I wish. But I am working on it!

No it was more like half the plug wires were wrong. Very violent shaking.
I say was, because...Christine has cured herself!

I let her cool off again, went down and started her up, let her idle 20 minutes and never a miss or pop. Revved her up a few times, and shut her down. Let her cool a couple hours and did it again. Running GREAT!!
Tomorrow, the inner fenders and tires go on and we're gonna blow through some off that old gas!!
 






Oh, and MAN thats clean!!
 






Ah. Yeah, that will do it.
 






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