sluggish power?? could just be me.... HELP

[SmelchoMG]

OK heres the run down. I have an 03 MG coupe with about 81K. Yes high miles :shrug: Its a daily driver for another month or so. Anyways. THe car just feels like its lost power or just isn't really all there. The torque feels like its there, It still hits third pretty good breaking the tires loose. It just feels like top end power isn't all there..... I don't know how to really explain it more. It just doesn't feel right. A friend of mine said its probably my clutch (which I hate) is out of adjustment. But if its still really torqy on the bottom end wouldn't the clutch still hold the top end? Plus I'm still able to break the tires lose in 3rd. I do have the tick noise in the head but its the back passenger side. Here are my mods.

Bassani Muffler back
JLT CAI w/ K&N filter
Spec 3 clutch (puck style)
double hook quadrant
firewall adjuster
Adjustable clutch cable
B&M ripper shifter
FRPP diff cover
Eagle GT's on the front 255
summito 275 on the rear
NGK 7 Plugs gapped at .54 (not the irradiums)

I don't have any dyno numbers yet, but do you think I am just used to the power? Could it be the clutch? I just don't know where to start or what to do? :bash: Could I just be getting bad heat soak or something? I'm still new to this and always looking for advice or what to do.
I always change my oil and run premium fuel. The fuel filter was changed about 5K ago. The radiator and blower coolant was flushed about 5K ago also but done by a Jiffy Lube shop. I didn't have the time or place to do it at the time. Anything would help on where to start or what to do.
Thanks a lot guys for your future input. I hope to get some feedback on this. I'm so worried about this that i have actually stopped my future build project and started selling the parts for what ever I am about to encounter. Please help. And to SVT_Troy, thank you for the help you have already given me and I know you'll post in here shortly :beer:

 

['88347coupe]

I highly doubt you have a spec 3+ slipping behind a close to stock engine, but a slipping clutch would make itself know the faster you go. The load on the engine is greater with speed. I would make sure your intercooler pump is working first. If its not the ecu will pull timing due to the increased iat2's, killing power in the process, but saving your engine from damage. Your plug gap seems a shade wide too.

 

[SmelchoMG]

I highly doubt you have a spec 3+ slipping behind a close to stock engine, but a slipping clutch would make itself know the faster you go. The load on the engine is greater with speed. I would make sure your intercooler pump is working first. If its not the ecu will pull timing due to the increased iat2's, killing power in the process, but saving your engine from damage. Your plug gap seems a shade wide too.

I read on here that .54 is what i should run since I am pretty much stock. When the car is warmed up the blower coolant is bubbling and moving like its working right. You think maybe the clutch just might be out of adjustment? Every once in a while the clutch starts to squeak. So, I open the hood and adjust the cable out a little to pull the TOB off the pressure plate or the pressure plate off the disk, which ever way it goes. Do you know of anyway to check to see if my I/C pump is actually working? :beer:

 

['88347coupe]

If your coolant is swirling around,its working. Are you sure you aren't adjusting your clutch the wrong direction? If you're tightning it you are doing it wrong. You want the tob just touching the pressure plate. Nothing more, nothing less. If all seems well I would get the car on a dyno to check the state of tune. That will tell you alot about what the car is doing.

 

[SmelchoMG]

If your coolant is swirling around,its working. Are you sure you aren't adjusting your clutch the wrong direction? If you're tightning it you are doing it wrong. You want the tob just touching the pressure plate. Nothing more, nothing less. If all seems well I would get the car on a dyno to check the state of tune. That will tell you alot about what the car is doing.

Yeah I'm guessing a dyne run is what I need to go ahead and do. I adjust the clutch from the firewall. It was set up by a performance shop around here. Thanks for the input.

 

[BLU3VN0M]

You're getting spark blowout with that big of a gap. From stock they should be gapped at .042 - .046. If I were you I would gap them between .035 - .039, that seems to be the general consensus for near stock cars.

 

[hotcobra03]

im stock..i run stock plugs #12 finewire..


i had replaced the coils this year,,wow what a differance in power and responce..it was like getting a new motor

 

[SVT_Troy]

is it driving any different from when i drove it last? It felt fine to me other than missing a few extra hundred RWHP .
I want to say strap it on a dyno so a tuner can see if its running ok. Other than that you could start with pulling plugs to check them out, re-gapping them as suggested earlier, etc...... you could come by this weekend if you want

 

[SmelchoMG]

You're getting spark blowout with that big of a gap. From stock they should be gapped at .042 - .046. If I were you I would gap them between .035 - .039, that seems to be the general consensus for near stock cars.

Thanks a lot. What plugs do you recomend? You dont think that gap is too close?

im stock..i run stock plugs #12 finewire..


i had replaced the coils this year,,wow what a differance in power and responce..it was like getting a new motor

I was thinking of replacing my coils soon. I was just ging to go back to the regular OEM coils. What are you gapped at?

is it driving any different from when i drove it last? It felt fine to me other than missing a few extra hundred RWHP .
I want to say strap it on a dyno so a tuner can see if its running ok. Other than that you could start with pulling plugs to check them out, re-gapping them as suggested earlier, etc...... you could come by this weekend if you want

TROY!!!! i knew you'd be in here hahaha. I guess its still running
the same. The popping noise finally went away after I got the new tires. I'm guessing bc i was running run flats on the front they would slide against the road and skip or something bc they were so hard. YES, I'm a few hundred less in the target HP range hahaha. You need to name your car ENVY!! I love that thinkg so much! I think I am just getting used to the power or something or I am just thinking there is soemthing wrong with this car every 5 minutes bc I want more haha. I can't swing by this weekend but maybe next weekdend if youre not busy? Dont you still have your car in the garage? I wouldn't want to move that thing of beauty out in this weather! What plugs do you think I should go with? What gap should I run? :beer:

 

[hotcobra03]

Thanks a lot. What plugs do you recomend? You dont think that gap is too close?



I was thinking of replacing my coils soon. I was just ging to go back to the regular OEM coils. What are you gapped at?



TROY!!!! i knew you'd be in here hahaha. I guess its still running
the same. The popping noise finally went away after I got the new tires. I'm guessing bc i was running run flats on the front they would slide against the road and skip or something bc they were so hard. YES, I'm a few hundred less in the target HP range hahaha. You need to name your car ENVY!! I love that thinkg so much! I think I am just getting used to the power or something or I am just thinking there is soemthing wrong with this car every 5 minutes bc I want more haha. I can't swing by this weekend but maybe next weekdend if youre not busy? Dont you still have your car in the garage? I wouldn't want to move that thing of beauty out in this weather! What plugs do you think I should go with? What gap should I run? :beer:

i had an old guy give a class on spark plugs..he says the plugs are made to specs..give or take..

he said the arm should be level with post..this was so all the sparks are even. if you lower gap to much spark will be un-even,,

what brand coils are in car?

i had found a member with a good set to try before buying new..i drove to him ,swapped just coils,,took a test drive..felt like a 200hp kick in the pants..

my gap is arm level to post..52..sticker on hood said 54-56

 

[SmelchoMG]

i had an old guy give a class on spark plugs..he says the plugs are made to specs..give or take..

he said the arm should be level with post..this was so all the sparks are even. if you lower gap to much spark will be un-even,,

what brand coils are in car?

i had found a member with a good set to try before buying new..i drove to him ,swapped just coils,,took a test drive..felt like a 200hp kick in the pants..

my gap is arm level to post..52..sticker on hood said 54-56

i just have the regular OEM coils. Maybe i need new ones. Maybe i might bump mine down to .40 gap. Thanks man!! A lot of people talk about your knoweldge!!!

 

[hotcobra03]

i just have the regular OEM coils. Maybe i need new ones. Maybe i might bump mine down to .40 gap. Thanks man!! A lot of people talk about your knoweldge!!!

the coils arent cheap..thats why i found someone with a set..

thanks for tousley ford..ford racing coil set was 225 shipped..

else where was $60-$80 each