I've been repairing a friends car who had alot of things messed up from another shop. I just recently installed new heads, new Crane lifters(1/4 turn past zero lash), new pushrods and Pro-Magnum lifters.

Car is a '95 TA LT1, 383, Ford SVo 30lb injectors, 255 Fuel pump, MSD 6AL box and stock coil/ICM, Adjustable Aeromotive FPR. Car has 38 psi of fuel pressure when key is on....I forgot to check and see how much it drops when key is left on.

When I went to initially start the car this past weekend, it took alot of extended cranking to get it to fire. I kept cycling the key and the car would eventually stumble its way into running, then it would die unless I kept the car at 3K rpm. If I were to let off the gas pedal the engine would die, no questions asked.

Once I am able to keep it running while the engine is COLD, the idle somewhat surges up to 1500-1700 then drops down to 500 or so...then back up and so forth. This pretty much smooths out once the engine has reached operating temperatures. Which with the 160 thermo and CSI pump, its at about 175 degrees or so.

I tried the car again today, and it took ALOT of extending cranking to get it fired. It took a long time before it would even attempt to fire. It would try to fire, then crank and crank....cycle the key and it would come closer to starting and so on. Once it was running, it wanted to die again like I stated above unless I kept my foot on the pedal until the engine got some heat in it.



Anyone here have an ideas?

 

maybe check the temp sensor - http://shbox.com/1/4th_gen_tech2.html#ect - courtesy of shoebox

 

Can you tell us what is different from before the problem and now?

 

how is the tune in it? if it still has stock tuning with a aftermarket cam(i assume it has one) and larger injectors it will run rich, it sounds like a very rich condition to me or its not getting enough air

 

I don't know how it started before. I picked the car up broken, so this is all I know so far.

Its got a decent tune in the car. It was a tune for a smaller cam, but it was still dyno tuned for the smaller cam. I've got another tune setup for the larger cam, but I haven't got a chance yet to throw it in.

As for the valve lash, would it be possible that the valves are hanging open allowing it not to start? I went with a set of Crane 10530 hydraulic rollers and set the lash between a 1/4 turn and a 1/2 turn past Zero Lash.

Should I go back and set them at around an 1/8 turn past zero lash?