Help a newbie... bolt-ons ruined my car!!

Tabres said:

Bet you $100 it is the throttle body.

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The TPS or throttle body itself?
I'm going to check the TPS voltage when I get home. If it's doing what it's supposed to do then I'm going to put the stock one back on to see the difference. Any suggestions on getting these parts to work together in harmony?

Bl00dtrail said:

The TPS or throttle body itself?

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The Accufab

You need to find out what the 93 tune was designed to work with, stock or aftermarket, and if aftermarket what parts.

So we messed with the TPS with accufab installed.... never could get the .98 - 1.0 setting accufab says it needs. On the low end we got .88 and on the high end .97... still runs lean and like crap.

Installed factory throttle body and the TPS reads 1.4... runs like crap.

I'm at a loss... I dont think a driveway mechanic like ourselves can get this dialed in.

Maybe you should consider taking to a place that tunes cars.

ZEN357 said:

Maybe you should consider taking to a place that tunes cars.

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That seems like the next logical step.

Remove tune.
Remove tb
Remove cai.

Still runs like crap. Keep looking.

If it ran fine before. Go back to that point first. This is all a mechanic will do. Diagnosis is eliminating possible problems. Something you changed is the problem. Remove them.....


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Need 04 Wine said:

Remove tune.
Remove tb
Remove cai.

Still runs like crap. Keep looking.

If it ran fine before. Go back to that point first. This is all a mechanic will do. Diagnosis is eliminating possible problems. Something you changed is the problem. Remove them.....

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This is where you should start. Re-install everything to original. Send the Accufab back. Save your money. They look nice but they're expensive and you will get zero gains with it. Years ago when people still regularly bought and installed them it was just endless idle issues. Folks were having to elongate the slots on the TPS to get the voltage to be even remotely in the ballpark of correct and still the cars wouldn't run right. They're not worth it. Food for thought, I'm making over 800 wheel horsepower with a 100% factory throttle body.

Personal opinion, don't waste your time with the tuner, either. Canned tunes are complete junk most of the time. And the factory tune on these cars is safe enough that you can install an intake and exhaust on the car without needing a tune. For what it's worth, fancy intakes are a waste too on this generation car. Again, they look nice but you can just put a K&N filter in the factory air-box and you'll get the same results for 10% of the cost.

I assume you've checked thoroughly for vacuum leaks? This is also a totally random thought, but is your mass-airflow meter facing the correct direction? They have a given flow direction and if you installed it backwards it could really screw with things and influence some of the issues you are describing.

100% agree with Tabres. Back when I had my stock internals Cobra with a few bolt-ons (LT headers, cat-back, under drive pulleys), the one modification that screwed up the car, and I ended up removing, was a throttle body/air intake combo. Would never idle right, would die when I floored it, cut out during acceleration. Went back to stock and the car ran fine.

That's what I'll do then....

Kind of a bummer though. So the only way to make any decent power gains with these cars is to go straight for turbo or supercharger? I was hoping to get a little more with these mods and be happy with it for the summer until I had the supercharger put on.... it's kind of a turd as it sits. A nice looking turd I guess..
Thanks for the help

Bl00dtrail said:

That's what I'll do then....

Kind of a bummer though. So the only way to make any decent power gains with these cars is to go straight for turbo or supercharger? I was hoping to get a little more with these mods and be happy with it for the summer until I had the supercharger put on.... it's kind of a turd as it sits. A nice looking turd I guess..
Thanks for the help

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4:56's or 4:10 minimum that will wake her up

Agree on the lower gears, I had 4:10's in the old one. Also I could really tell a difference with the long tubes, however some people don't like them due to PITA install and ground clearance.

Longtubes, catless mid-pipe, mufflers, K&N filter, short-runner intake manifold and a good dyno tune might get you about 300 wheel horsepower if you have a strong engine. Those are about the only bolt-ons that really provide any gains on these cars, and at that the mufflers are 95% just sound.

I agree with the recommendation to change the rear-end gear. They really wake these cars up and make them fun. If you're planning on installing a supercharger in the foreseeable future, 4.10's (or 4.30's maximum) for a centri blower, and I wouldn't put anything over 3.73's in if you're installing a Kenne Bell.

[QUOTE="Tabres, post: 15948906, member:8059] Food for thought, I'm making over 800 wheel horsepower with a 100% factory throttle body.

[/QUOTE]
May I ask how you're making 800 at the wheel with a SN95?!?

I have ford performance 3.73's in now... and the plan is to put a 2.1 kenne belle in and a methanol injection kit

I was trying to pick up 30 or 40 easy hp for the summer cruising season... what a waste of time and money.

Bl00dtrail said:

May I ask how you're making 800 at the wheel with a SN95?!?

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It made 810rwhp on an old setup on 22lbs. I haven't had it back to the dyno in a few years but it probably makes a little more now that I changed the intake and charge piping around a bit. Car has a forged shortblock, 03/04 cylinder heads, 96-98 cams, untouched Mach 1 intake, 76mm turbo, and runs on e85.

Bl00dtrail said:

I have ford performance 3.73's in now... and the plan is to put a 2.1 kenne belle in and a methanol injection kit

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Bl00dtrail said:

I was trying to pick up 30 or 40 easy hp for the summer cruising season... what a waste of time and money.

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If you are going FI dont waste another cent on anything else other than headers and exhaust.

I would stay away from 2.1 KB, they are notorious for killing motors...the bypass dumps back in right on top of #2(IIRC) and causes it to go lean thus killing the piston....ask me how I know. I could be wrong as this was my experience with a 2.1 on a 2V GT motor, maybe the cobra bypass is different????


Whipple or roush would probably be better bet. Either will max out a factory motor, and not hurt it.

Or just upgrade to 2.6 Big bore KB as I think they changed the bypass route and they do not hurt anything

Need 04 Wine said:

If you are going FI dont waste another cent on anything else other than headers and exhaust.

I would stay away from 2.1 KB, they are notorious for killing motors...the bypass dumps back in right on top of #2(IIRC) and causes it to go lean thus killing the piston....ask me how I know. I could be wrong as this was my experience with a 2.1 on a 2V GT motor, maybe the cobra bypass is different????


Whipple or roush would probably be better bet. Either will max out a factory motor, and not hurt it.

Or just upgrade to 2.6 Big bore KB as I think they changed the bypass route and they do not hurt anything

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I dont think whipple makes anything for this platform.... pretty sure my only options are the 2.1 KB, procharger and vortech...
Thanks for the heads up!

Bl00dtrail said:

I dont think whipple makes anything for this platform.... pretty sure my only options are the 2.1 KB, procharger and vortech...
Thanks for the heads up!

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none of the big PD blower companies make a complete kit anymore for the pre-03/04 cars because ford stopped making the lower intake they needed for their kits. You have to get the stuff used off a terminator, not sure what the deal is with kits like torque tech or whatever it is