Need someone with 3.8 6cyl Knowledge

mespock

mespock

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I just got a message from a friend with a 1986 3.8 T-Bird...

He's got a problem keeping it running.

Here's what he's telling me.

Car starts with no problems but in order to keep the car running he has to rev the engine and keep changing the RPMs.

So ... if anyone has had dealings with the Ford 3.8 and has experience with this any help will be appreciated.

Oh and Frogman ... Love ya man... LOL .. I know I'll get some smart @ss comment ...
 
need a better description of problems
I had an 85' when it started to run bad like and 4 to 5 cylinders I took apart the intake and found out that I had rounded off 2 lobes of the cam shaft
 
that one got the TBI or carb? If it's TBI, it may be the throttle kicker solenoid (may be wrong name but similar function to our IAC, kinda like a anti stall dashpot for M/T carb and TBI vehicles).
 
never went through a head gasket on mine and I beat the piss out of that car
sold it at 187K still ran on at least 4 cylinders
 
like said above 3.8's eat headgaskets (slowmkviii you just got lucky) also frontcover gasket can leak coolant into the oil and wipe out the bearings.
as for the running issue....id guess a 86 to be carbed, there should be a idle screw, if its efi than iac duhhhhh
 
chickenviii said:
like said above 3.8's eat headgaskets (slowmkviii you just got lucky) also frontcover gasket can leak coolant into the oil and wipe out the bearings.
as for the running issue....id guess a 86 to be carbed, there should be a idle screw, if its efi than iac duhhhhh
Click to expand...

+1...My 89 ate the gaskets right at 90k
 
Hey all! Thanks for all the replys so far.

More info:
Yes it's a 3.8L and TBI.

I'm sure the head gasket is ok. The engine is a replacement not too many miles ago but was parked because it couldn't pass MO state inspection with a broken tail-light lens.

The tps is one of the things I wondered about so I'm getting one in the next day or so.

Anybody know where I can get a left tail-light lens for this car (86 tbird)?

Again, thanks for your help so far.

-Joe-
 
I had a 95 3.8 v6 cougar it was CamellionCat in TCCOA.com and my headgaskets failed at 95,000 good thing ford covered it under the extended warranty.
 
Hey Welcome Joe ... good to see you here? Hope this helped out ..

Below TCCOA.com good site for T-Bird info...

BlackGW said:
Hey all! Thanks for all the replys so far.

More info:
Yes it's a 3.8L and TBI.

I'm sure the head gasket is ok. The engine is a replacement not too many miles ago but was parked because it couldn't pass MO state inspection with a broken tail-light lens.

The tps is one of the things I wondered about so I'm getting one in the next day or so.

Anybody know where I can get a left tail-light lens for this car (86 tbird)?

Again, thanks for your help so far.

-Joe-
Click to expand...
 
Well, to start out, I would suggest an old-fashioned tune up if the car isn't running right.

Plugs, wires, fuel filter, air filter, etc.

I think this car has a primitive computer so I gotta ask if you are getting a check engine light also.
 
'90 Tbird 3.8

Bought one w/ @80 K and found distributor gear worn. Weird but spark was all over the map. Swapped with a junkyard one. Drove it til 220 K miles and sold it, still running!!!
Easy and cheap car to maintain. Pretty reliable apart from typical repairs, EGR, water pump radiator, PS pump,dist, A/C,( front end creaks and noises ala Mk VIII).
Want to buy another one. But hell with no inspection here... we get to run ,em into the ground! Gotta have a beater down here.
 
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