Ok. so this just happened... I was in line at the pharmacy drive through, and Indian Outlaw starts to sputter, and the RPM's drop, and the amps gage was in the basement. I put my foot on the gas and bring the revs up until the amps come back up. The sputter smoothed out a little bit. My first thought was, "oh ****, That brand new alternator is going bad already. Ok, I have the lifetime warranty, it's just the idea I have to do the job over again. So I get my pills and drop Outlaw in gear, and the sputter is still a thing, but the amps and RPMs stay where they belong. I had planned to stop at Subway on the way home as it is just across the parking lot, (strip mall) but I decided it best to go straight home. I start up a hill, and the sputter gets bad again. My new first thought, "well, maybe the fuel pump is going bad." That's the last thing I need right now with the Stealth Fighter (my daily driver) in the shop with steering issues. Pardon me a moment wile i go off on a rant about that stupid Chevy is in the shop more and more often with one thing or another. I pray to the Lord almost every day that I can trade Stealth Fighter in on a P71 Crown Vic! Rant over and back on topic...
Ok, so now this is odd... Down hill Outlaw is running smooth as glass. So I'm thinking fuel sloshing about the tank has an effect on the pump. Now that I think about, I did smell raw fuel when I brought the revs up sitting in the drive through. Hmmmm... Fuel leak? Moments later, safely in the driveway I put it in park and pop the hood. I walk around looking for a leak. No, don't see anything. Then I reach for the oil dipstick to look for water in the oil thinking blown head gasket or something. Nope, all is good there...
So I go to replace the dipstick and, hello... What have we here?!?! There's some kind of a line laying on the headder. No, not a line, a spark wire! It's off the 3rd plug left bank. So I shut it off so as to not have a shocking experience and got my leatherman out of my purse, and try to wiggle the plug. Mabey it worked loose and caused this? No, it's still tight. I inspect the wire and boot, nothing is burnt or seems brittle/crumbly... So I stuck the boot back on the plug and fired up the Outlaw, and she purred like a kitten. Could it be that simple? I back out of the driveway and head up the hill stopping at the top. All seems well. Traffic clears and I horse on it, the Flowmasters roar down the road. Ok I made my point, and lift, just then I see a cop on the next block. Oh $*** did he see or hear any of that? Ok, it seems like everything is cool, Whew!!! Ok, hill ahead, let's see what happens... Right up it, like it's not even there! Nice! Ya know what, Subway is kinda sorta at the bottom of the other side of this hill. May as well... Then on my way home, all went well.
Ok, so here is my quandary... It seems odd to me that a boot would just pop off like that without any apparent provocation. Has anyone else heard of plug boots just popping off like that? This is the same car that sat on a mechanic's lot for 6 years untouched. It crosses my mind that while it was sitting, the rubber dried out and shrank, and more or less squeezed it's self off? Tomorrow when it's cooled off, I think I'll check the rest and make sure they're still tight.
Thoughts, feelings impressions anyone?
Thanks
Ok, so now this is odd... Down hill Outlaw is running smooth as glass. So I'm thinking fuel sloshing about the tank has an effect on the pump. Now that I think about, I did smell raw fuel when I brought the revs up sitting in the drive through. Hmmmm... Fuel leak? Moments later, safely in the driveway I put it in park and pop the hood. I walk around looking for a leak. No, don't see anything. Then I reach for the oil dipstick to look for water in the oil thinking blown head gasket or something. Nope, all is good there...
So I go to replace the dipstick and, hello... What have we here?!?! There's some kind of a line laying on the headder. No, not a line, a spark wire! It's off the 3rd plug left bank. So I shut it off so as to not have a shocking experience and got my leatherman out of my purse, and try to wiggle the plug. Mabey it worked loose and caused this? No, it's still tight. I inspect the wire and boot, nothing is burnt or seems brittle/crumbly... So I stuck the boot back on the plug and fired up the Outlaw, and she purred like a kitten. Could it be that simple? I back out of the driveway and head up the hill stopping at the top. All seems well. Traffic clears and I horse on it, the Flowmasters roar down the road. Ok I made my point, and lift, just then I see a cop on the next block. Oh $*** did he see or hear any of that? Ok, it seems like everything is cool, Whew!!! Ok, hill ahead, let's see what happens... Right up it, like it's not even there! Nice! Ya know what, Subway is kinda sorta at the bottom of the other side of this hill. May as well... Then on my way home, all went well.
Ok, so here is my quandary... It seems odd to me that a boot would just pop off like that without any apparent provocation. Has anyone else heard of plug boots just popping off like that? This is the same car that sat on a mechanic's lot for 6 years untouched. It crosses my mind that while it was sitting, the rubber dried out and shrank, and more or less squeezed it's self off? Tomorrow when it's cooled off, I think I'll check the rest and make sure they're still tight.
Thoughts, feelings impressions anyone?
Thanks