I think I have had about enough toying around with the 2.8 for one year... Well anyways, here goes: (Very long. Very boring. I am not having too much in the way of anything going right for me right now...)

Fixed the locking up problem, which was a bolt in the number six piston crown. Put the engine back together and expected everything to be hunky-dory. Was it? Heck no. Gone and re-set the valve lash three times now, and currently I am at 3/4 turn past no vertical movement of pushrods and am looking to go down another quarter turn to 1/2 past no vertical movement of the pushrod. Now, the engine tries to go, but I figure that at least two of the cylinders have clogged injectors or something like that, and I get a nice backfire through the intake bellows every now and again (disconnected so I don't blow what I have left of the airbox apart). I had it running today for about 5 sec before it crapped out on me, and it was nowhere near idle speed, (which is about 800 RPM, somewhere in there), more like maybe 300 RPM, and running very sh1tty.

What I have done: Replaced both head gaskets. Replaced ALL upper end gaskets. Checked for any vac leaks and have none. Bypassed evap can with section of hose between PCV tube and EVRV lower tube. Disconnected CSI system. Replaced cap, rotor, and wires (about to go get some plugs since my +2's are carbon fouled to he11), switching between my two ig coils, both of which are good. Have switched between wiresets to determine if I have a bad set, which I don't have. I have a good ECM (two actually, minus the one having the code 54 due to bad circuit), and a good MAF and relay.

What I know: I have a coolant leak at the upper pass corner of the timing cover where the coolant passage passes through. Cannot patch this properly by replacing the cover since I cannot get half the bolts out of the water pump so I can get the cover off, nor can I get the balancer off. I know there is at least one leaking injector, since I can hear it when I open the throttle plate all of the way when the engine has stalled and there is a smell of gas in the intake, but no puddle like before. All plugs are fouled with gas. Timing is nowhere near correct. I dropped the dist in precisely at 10* before, and have checked this using my old dist cap with an indexing hole in between the coil and number one wire terminals, and that was not correct. Been "hunting" for time like I usually end up doing.

What I am looking to do soon: Replace plugs if the carbon coating cannot be burned off (anyone know?). Have ECM's tested to make sure they are good. Have ig module tested. Reset valve lash. Borrow a timing light. Close up the exhaust system (tighten y-pipe against manifolds). Get RID of the CSI system (anyone know how to cap off the fuel rail without having to buy a 3.1 rail?). Get the one gosh darn head bolt I need (short from outer corner of the head).

I've been working on this thing for about two weeks straight now with very little in the way of luck (not on my side at all so far in my life!) and am not getting much of anywhere...

 

You have the 2.8 curse! Seriously i dont know how some people have such good luck with these motors. The 2.8 seems to be cursed! Like my car, now its running GREAT but im sure something will come up! I just had to redo all the valves and VERY soon ill need all new rocker arm nuts. Im trying to leave it go because SOON the 2.8 will be in the scrap yard!

 

Could be that I have the 2.8 curse, but rather I think it's the "DPO was an ignorant pig who couldn't take care of anything bigger than a hamster" curse. Would you be willing to part with small sections of your wiring harness? If I could nab the pieces I need from a J/Y I would. I need the injector harness and the dist to coil cable, the black/tan wires in the 2-wire connectors. Mine are shot due to climate change (plastic and rubber don't like moving to cold weather after having spent 17+ years in sunny Alabama!) and little nicks/scrapes here and there.

 

Hello Maverick H1L,

You do have your share of fun with that car lately don't you. I don't have a 32 pound sledgehammer to loan you, but I do have about 50 feet of underwater fuse that you could run to your gas tank. Light it and haul A$$ for the hills as fast as your feet can move. J/K

 

Yeah, and this is the second one now that seems to be unfixable (the other one is an SOHC 4 cyl that needs a head gasket and con rod with no way to fix it's oil leak). I would take you up on your offer, Trickster, but I would like to keep the body for the future and I do live in a rather tight neigborhood with no way to get the car to the country to blow it to kingdom come...

 

It was a thought, not neccessarily a good thought, but a thought. You have a good rest of the Easter weekend.

 

You too, and the same to anyone who reads this...

 

Okay, here's what I got from today:
BRIGHT WHITE spark from #1 plug... haven't checked the rest yet.
Leaking number 2 or 4 injector, not sure which.
Still almost wants to go but has a buttload of backfiring...
Adjusted valves on 2, 4 and 6 cylinders 1/4 turn looser than they were before.
I am thinking of completely emptying the fuel rail of all gas and putting in as much F/I cleaner as I can, but anything requiring a trip to the parts place has to wait... our car sprang a major coolant leak..., but anyways, so I can try to clean the injectors as best I can without paying someone to do so, and without the kit thing...
Code 12 on both ECM's (disregarding the 54 on the old one since that is a result of bad circuitry), whether the MAF is connected or not.
Still hunting for timing, no setting is the same twice, and stock 10 before isn't right at all for either ECM, whether the EST is connected or not.
Still have the timing cover coolant leak... Too lazy to bother with it right now...
Have not yet gone out for new cheapo spark plugs, and like I said before the usable car has another coolant leak...
Help PLEASE!!!