Idle... Higher then normal...? Maybe.

[Sysx]

Hey guys,

Fixed a few problems with my Mark VII on my own, but wanted your opinions... Or tell me if I'm over-reacting. I'll start off by saying that I know th way my car sounds and accelerates and when it doesn't act the same... It tosses up a red flag for me...

I replaced the Dis. Cap and Rotor recently and the car's timing seems to be off... The reason I say so is that the car is not accelerating the same and seems to be lacking performance. At about 40/45mph it sometimes, and I do say sometimees, sputters as if it is hesitating.

Oh, but this V8 still goes!

Should I break down and take it to a dealership to fix the timing? How long would this take and could I do it myself?

-Jason.

P.s. I have the Hanes manual and it states that you need a voltometer to fix the timing. Is this the same as a multimeter? Dumb question, I know.

 

[JoshMcMadMac]

Jason, a multimeter measures volts, amps, and ohms, which is why it has the "multi-" denotation. Yes, it will perform as a voltmeter.

You can easily set the timing yourself. Be sure to pull the spout connector, then it is simply a matter of using a timing light and turning the distributor accordingly. I am not sure why the Haynes manual makes reference to a voltmeter; there is no need for that to be used to set the timing.

 

[Sysx]

Hmm... Timing... Idle Speed... Same thing? I'll reference the manual and give a direct page. Maybe I am off.

-Jason

 

[OldSchool1]

Hey guys,

Fixed a few problems with my Mark VII on my own, but wanted your opinions... Or tell me if I'm over-reacting. I'll start off by saying that I know th way my car sounds and accelerates and when it doesn't act the same... It tosses up a red flag for me...
...

Congratulations. Being able to do your own maintenance, at any level, is great.

I think your car has to learn the new parts. I would disconnect the battery for 20 minutes then reconnect it and then go for a short drive using all the gears.

The Chilton books are cool. If you have the opprotunity to purchase a Ford Shop Manual for your specific year of Mark VII, then take advantage of it. They pay for themselve by the third repair

 

[JoshMcMadMac]

Hmm... Timing... Idle Speed... Same thing?

No. Timing is the distributor, idle is the throttle. I think perhaps you are getting information on adjusting the TPS, which would require a voltmeter (multimeter) to complete. That is also not a difficult procedure. However, to adjust the idle rpm you would want to adjust the bolt on the back of the throttle body.

 

[Sysx]

Which, that bolt, I've been playing with. Honestly, by ear though... Dosn't seem to help. Can anyone explain how to set the throttle with a multimeter? I mean, step by step?

Oh, and does taking off the battery cable for a bit really help?

-Jason

 

[JoshMcMadMac]

Which, that bolt, I've been playing with. Honestly, by ear though... Dosn't seem to help. Can anyone explain how to set the throttle with a multimeter? I mean, step by step?

Oh, and does taking off the battery cable for a bit really help?

-Jason

For adjusting the idle screw you first must disconnect the IAC. Then run the screw down until the car is idling between 600-750rpm.

For the TPS, I know that CarCraft had a how-to on this a year or two ago, but I cannot seem to dig it up. All I could find is this: http://www.mustangandfords.com/tipstricks/7566/index22.html

You need to use something like a safety pin to get a reading off of the cables that run to the TPS, then measure the voltage. You can move the TPS around slowly with the KOEO (key on/engine off) until you get a reading as close to 1 volt as possible, which should be greater than 0.97 volt.

 

[OldSchool1]

...
Oh, and does taking off the battery cable for a bit really help?

-Jason

Christopher Ihara wrote a nice article over on Corral.Net about the Ford EEC-IV computer (that we also have in our Mark VIIs BTW). Read http://www.corral.net/tech/maintenance/eecivtest.html and let us know what you think.

JD