Engine 1989 SSP Timing issues?

[calimustang]

Hello,

been a long time since I used this site. I replaced the water pump due to rust and leaking failed water pump as she had an failed fuel pump so I couldn't work on her for a while due to getting rear ended and got injured in the process.

I replaced the fuel pump and she fired up. rough idle until warms up. I checked the timing, it was jumping around. I had it set at 14-15 degree like I always have (my fox guru friend restored her in 2009-2010 from the demise passed away on Sept 2020 suddenly) so that was a huge slap on my face and pushed me to work on her by myself.

so there's that.


View: https://youtu.be/4aedMYdDXTk


View: https://youtube.com/shorts/-NFJZgsG8Ic?feature=share

 

[calimustang]

Hello again,

I attached the engine bay to give you an idea of the mods. I will update my signature (very old info)

She has:

Electric fan

BBK 70mm throttle body attached to March Ram Air (never had an issue with them)

Pro-M mass air sensor (will check the specs soon)

Underdrive pullies

wiring may annoy you, the thick gray wiring are the old police strobes, disconnected at the moment.

been considering of going back to mechanical fan (OEM) as Electric fans are nice but wiring was done by fox guru friend (may he RIP) the fan and wiring needs to go.

will replace the battery cables but need to solve the surging/rough idle first.

 

[Essn95]

Did you check the timing with the spout connector removed?

 

[calimustang]

yep. I followed the timing procedure by the book. I witnessed my fox guru friend doing it back then on my other fox, 89 GT.

 

[General karthief]

The timing light is not consistently blinking, like a skip in the ignition system. How old is the distributor? Has the TFI been replaced recently? Sufficient dialectic grease behind it?
any codes?

 

[Mustang5L5]

The idle surge is messing with your timing reading. I would work on correcting that before worrying about timing. Have you dumped the codes to see what they say?

 

[AeroCoupe]

@limp - do not use dielectric grease between the TFI and the distributor. The only thing a person should use is the same thing between a PC fan and processor. I’ve used Arctic Silver 5 as I would typically have some around from a PC build back in the day. Turns out the MRM Mk3 relocation kit also uses this stuff.

https://a.co/d/bVWtwaM

 

[General karthief]

@limp - do not use dielectric grease between the TFI and the distributor. The only thing a person should use is the same thing between a PC fan and processor. I’ve used Arctic Silver 5 as I would typically have some around from a PC build back in the day. Turns out the MRM Mk3 relocation kit also uses this stuff.

https://a.co/d/bVWtwaM

Ahh, I made that comment about the diuretic, er dialectical whatever paste, what do I know, I think I swapped one or two, that was on the little package if I remember, does that 'hacker' stuff (Arctic Silver 5) have a long shelf life?

 

[AeroCoupe]

Yes and it also has a lot better heat transfer coefficient so it helps dissipate the heat quicker.

 

[General karthief]

Yes and it also has a lot better heat transfer coefficient so it helps dissipate the heat quicker.

you techie hacker guys get all the neat stuff