Ok 5.0 guru’s I need some HELP!

I fear I have done my 89 GT some harm.. Last year I installed a Cobra upper/Lower intake on my bone stock 150,000 mile baby. Since then it has not been.. ”Right” Occasionally it will blow some white smoke out the back right after I start her after I have run it for a while, just a puff and it doesn’t do it all the time. It does also puff black smoke, barely noticeable under acceleration . So it has been running ok but not like it think it should…. It does have hi flow 2 cat system the old 4 cat exhaust is gone. It has JBA headers and the cat back is Mac 2 ½. Cold air intake. That’s it for performance stuff, stock mass air throttle body.

Now last week I got in after parking at a show, no puff but running like stumbling , rough idle, and down on performance… I have the OB Reader and it throwing code 44, thermactor air system failure.

Possibilities? Have the cats been clogged? Check valves have failed on the air system???? Any help would be very appreciated before I take her into get fixed, I don’t have to have cats anymore so they will be gone….

Dave

 

Is it possible you didn't use he right gaskets or they are damaged or backwards? White is coolant and black is oil. Therefore since it's both try your gaskets, make sure they are sealed well so things aren't leaking I to cylinders that would cause burning oil/coolant and an air code to trip.

Did you reuse old gaskets? Ford recommends new ones, so do all mechanics.

 

I'd also flush my coolant and change my oil after checking to make sure the gaskets are sitting correctly. I did the same intake swap on my 1990 and had no problems. I would check the torque specifications and make sure they match on the car, too.

 

Thanks guys, Yes I used New gaskets all around and checked the oil and coolant, there are no signs of contamination. I cleared all codes and now with the KEO no codes withe the KER code 44, thermactor system failure, checked the selenoid and I have good vacuum...

 

Do the new intakes have different air flow, if so did you adjust for that? Might need an adjustment of timing or ECM.

 

I am thinking that might be the case also, I have given it a new better flowing intake but have the stoock mass air meter and throttle body. But I am pretty sure its been running rich I think maybe I might have clogged up one of my cats... They are coming off anyway because I have no more emissions for this car.. I swapped the egr and the thermactor selenoid with my other fox and made no difference...

Thanks for all your input, it helps !

 

white coolant is a sign of coolant getting into the combustion chamber, with the gasket change wondering if there maybe a bit of coolant getting into the intake ports which may explain the roughness. Have swapped the stock intakes for either the Cobra/GT40 upper/lower with the stock mass air between my 93 LX and the a 91 5.0 in the street rod with no ill effects. The EEC seems to handle the changes from stock to GT40/Cobra intakes OK.

A plug check may show if any cylinder(s) are misbehaving.

 

Did you connect the coolant hose for the EGR valve to the front of the cobra intake? If so that's probably your issue. Forgive me if you know this but the coolant lines for the EGR valve just need to be connected. The front connect of the cobra intake is for the charcoal canister vacuum.

I've had this problem because I didn't properly torque my lower intake. The bolts backed off resulting in instant coolant/oil soup complete with white smoke. I caught it in time before it killed my new engine.

 

Thanks again, I will check the intake bolts again also. I used hex head stainless bolts on the new intake manifold, man I hope they are not holding right. Now I have found that vacuum tree under the plenum is covered in oil...... Man.. PVC is in place but looks like the intake is coming off....

 

Black smoke is fuel, white is coolant, bluish white is oil.

Slight white smoke on start-up is fairly common with age as rings and valve seals get old and let some oil blow by which accumulates and burns off on start up. Black smoke on acceleration is a rich fuel mixture and common.

If there was a leak in coolant it generally (not always of course)would be constant or larger than a puff here or there. The smoke sounds more like it's minimal unless I am misunderstanding and infrequent more in common with older engines.

OP. Check your vacuum lines to the AIR valves, air pump, diverter valves and solenoids. You said you have vacuum to the selenoid but what about the rest. Everything I read or see about that code points there.

http://mustangpartstech.com/EngineCodes.html
http://www.justanswer.com/questions/...m-left-side-on

 

Thanks, Yes we are doing a complete vacuum test the Stang is 21 years old and being in the desert all its life has it advantages but things dry out very quickly...

 

That was a big problem with my Fox as well. That is until my friend took the car for a week, replaced all the hoses, wiring, belt(s), etc, and basically rebuilt everything under the hood and the drive line. Its a process but hang in there it will be worth it in the end.

 

Thanks, I know but this has never happened to me before, I can usually diagnose a problem with my Fox and fix it.... But its making me a bit crazy. I should have left it stock and not messed with it....

 

Lol junk happens. Lots of times it's always something minimal that you overlook at first. Did this with my header install on my Z after everything was bolted up, it ran like hell. Looked at plugs wires gaskets etc. Turned out to be a **** broken temp sensor that didn't fall all the way off to be obvious enough.