EFI to Carbed.

[1987cp]

I totally hear you on junkyard 5.0 availability in some areas. Funny that we folks who actually want these motors are the only ones who realize that they're not worth their weight in platinum!

[85crownHPP]

both EFI and carbs can be troublesome... and they can both be trouble free... it depends what the car's been through and if it has stupid little problems that wind up impossible to find... and of course who is working on them.

[Enigma]

I grew up with carbs, and my wagon is the first EFI that I got my hands dirty with. It was barely running when I bought it and basically had a non-functioning emmisions system. I bought the manuals, learned how the whole system worked, replaced all the sensors and injectors for under $500, and turned a poorly maintained, barely moving p.o.s. into a motivated bat outta hell that has been uber reliable going on 4-1/2 years now. I wouldn't trade it for a carb anyday.
Just stick to your guns, and you'll get it figured out. As for the code plug, just get some wiring from the parts store, and solder in the new wires where you need it. The plug end can be re-used with a little patience. Also, that plug can be had from just about any ford vehicle from that era, if you go the JY route.

[Wolfeyes88]

Meh, I'm usually pretty persistant, but all this is getting old. I've been futzing around with this car since I got it(june of this year). Actually had it running pretty good for a while. Then back in mid september she overheated real bad just outside the parking lot to where I worked, that's when all my problems started. She stalled before any major damage was done, but...

I managed to fix all the major coolant leaks, still leaks a bit between the block and the water pump, but nothing major. I had to take the upper intake off and when I put it all back together things went south. I've had so many people offer advice that it's probably part of my problem. I've had people tell me things ranging from "it's just because it's old" to people telling my it's time to put it in the boneyard cause of one thing or another.

Somewhere around the house we HAD a manual for the ford 302 EFI system, but my mom and my sis like to move things around every couple of weeks, and I have no clue where it is now.

On top of all this, I'm living on savings right now. My car isn't reliable, so it's hard to get a job. Not like anybody is hiring. The only jobs available right now to anyone are jobs that I'll actually LOSE money doing, they only pay commision(I'm a lousy salesman), or are completely bogus(fly by night jobs, immoral or down right illegal). I like being a delivery driver but delivery boys don't make any money with gas costing what it does. Nobody tips, no matter how nice you are or how quick you deliver, they're too broke. NAPA, Auto Zone and Advanced won't(can't) hire me cause I'm not 21 yet. All the other driving jobs either mean using my own vehicle, having a CDL, or being older(minimum 21-25).

Back to my car. It's been through hell before I got it. When I got it it was mostly orriginal equipment. I havn't yet been able to get the plugs out, or even get the wires off half the plugs(one on the drivers side, three on the passenger). I did the first actual oil change on it in four years, about a month after I got it. Before that the fact that it lost three quarts a day pretty much kept the oil freash. The valve cover gaskets were gone.

Untill I started delivering pizza I baby'd the damn thing. Then when that started I couldn't keep up. In less than one month I put damn near 10k miles on it. At that point the only thing I could do was fix things when they broke. Even when I was working I had to beg borrow and steal to keep it running. Lucky me I had the good sense to save some of my money, and the cable company owed me some so I'm not too bad off. It's still a matter of car/way to get a job versus food, heat and shelter.

BTW. Thanks for letting me vent folks.

[gadget73]

well, so far I can tell you it needs a water pump and a full tune up. The tune-up will quite likely resolve a lot of problems with the thing. If those plugs are real old and nasty, its just going to run like crap. Pizza delivery is hard on a vehicle too. A friend of mine used to deliver, and his cars just got run into the ground within about a year or so. He also fixed things when the car wouldn't go anymore, or something important fell off, so its not surprising. The Grand Prix he had, the ball joint literally fell out of the socket going around a turn before he fixed it. Driveshaft fell out of the Dakota before he got the U joints replaced. Of course by that point, it also needed the end of the driveshaft replaced because it broke when the joint finally snapped and dropped the shaft on the ground.

Being old is no excuse for a car running bad, so anyone who tells you that old cars simply run poorly is a moron. Unfortunately a lot of cars are like yours, 20 years old and loaded with old or original parts, many of which have lived well beyond their service life. Its not the car's fault it runs bad, its the owner and/or mechanic that didn't maintain it and replace parts that were worn out.

[Wolfeyes88]

No arguments on the full tune up. My only prob doing the plugs is the fact that I can't get them out. I've tried our big 3/4 inch beaker bar with a six foot pipe on the handle, impact gun, a combination of the previous and a ton of fluids, nothing is working. Not to mention the four that I can't get the wires off of. It's like they're melted.

The water pump is only two months old. The leak is coming from somewhere on the block behind the water pump. If I had a good picture I would show you where exactly.

[gadget73]

Oh, the timing cover to block gasket is bad. usually its there, or the seal between the pump and the timing cover.

Have you tried pulling the plugs when the engine is hot? I'd start soaking them with PB Blaster for a few days, get the motor fully hot, then have at it. Usually between the heat and the lubricant they'll come out. As for the plug wires, slice n dice them. Razor knife to slice the boots open, and peel them off. Or, just bust the plug and pull the dead wire off with the chunk of spark plug in it.

[1987cp]

Wow - talk about a seriously overdue tuneup! It's amazing what can happen to cars sometimes.

[Lincolnmania]

go visit phayzer he's got some skills, and he knows where the good junkyards are at
maintenance is the key to panther life.......my job is bringing them back from the dead and making them run better than brandy new