1984 Town Car project (new to forums)

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partybarge1984

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Hi everyone, I am new here and I have a 1984 town car that I recently replaced the motor in between high school and work. I am new to throttle body set ups, I restore classic cars, so about the car it is idling rough and wont run if I let off of the gas going down the road and will not start, after it dies, for about a half hour or more. please help me I gotta get the car going I cant afford to drive my old 4x4 any more. Thanks for any help.
 
Did you check and see if you have fuel or spark when it shuts down. I had an 84 merc that used to do that all the time.

Check for vacuum leaks, that is usually a really big idle problem. check all the smog pump vacuum lines as well. Also consider cleaning the egr distributor filter.

How old are the plugs and wires?

Have you had the injectors cleaned?

Have you cleaned the intake air controller and the tubing that goes around the throttle?
 
That old computer takes alomg time to set its self up after being shut down awhile, doubt thats it, but just a heads up. Did you try holding the peddle to the floor when it won't start? If it starts then its likely the trottle position sensor. That Injection set-up is pretty known for flooding easy on start up and if the TPS is bad it makes it worse. Check the above mentioned of coarse.
 
The plugs are new, injectors are clean, smog pump and vacumm lines are tight, thats all I have checked. I haven't changed anything or made any adjustments after the engine swap, I kept my old intake and throttle body because the other intake would not work with my A/C pump. I have checked for proper placement on the vacumm lines many times but I may be wong,m people make mistakes. What are your thoughts on switching it over to a carb. setup, If that is a good idea what else would I need besides an intake, carb, fuel pump, and different throttle cable ends.
 
partybarge1984 said:
The plugs are new, injectors are clean, smog pump and vacumm lines are tight, thats all I have checked. I haven't changed anything or made any adjustments after the engine swap, I kept my old intake and throttle body because the other intake would not work with my A/C pump. I have checked for proper placement on the vacumm lines many times but I may be wong,m people make mistakes. What are your thoughts on switching it over to a carb. setup, If that is a good idea what else would I need besides an intake, carb, fuel pump, and different throttle cable ends.
Click to expand...
I think you'd have to loose the computer all together. The distributor and ignition would need to go to a duraspark set-up from earlier models.
 
IMHO - i'd say step up to MPFI...

I love it in my 87 TC and my gas mileage isn't that bad for the vehicle (I see around 15 miles/gallon city) which insn't that bad for a 4500 lb vehicle!!

Couldn't help ya with the carb though - I've been a Fuel Injected baby!! :D
 
If that is a VVI carburetor you've got a bad diaphragm (spelling?).... those things are Junk. Might as well convert to a true carb. If it is an early CFI fuel injected car you're almost as bad off....damn if I can't remember the sensor that usually causes serious running/restart problems. I'll call my friend Tom tomorrow and see if he knows and post again.

Frankly, if you can afford it I'd look into buying a used carb setup from a junked mustang or such that has been converted....I was a Ford engineer and I never could get my CFI 1985 Colony Park to run right....even without serious problems it trailer-hitched so bad I could never use the cruise control. And it was NEW. The Variable Venturis Carburetors were even worse.... Ford had SERIOUS driveability issues on all their 302s until the tall-plenum SEFI engines with 8 injectors introduced in the mid-80s.

What about that AC bracket? Anything you could do to get your other setup to bolt up?
 
My 85 T-bird had similar issue - bad advance module on the distributor and a defective module inside the disrubutor (pull the cap and look down if the module is white the it is prob one of the poor designed units. If I remember correctly the yellow or red were better units. THIS WAS A COMMON ISSUE.

Anyway welcome aboard!

Current Stable:
00 Stang vert - side pipes, super chip, CAI
98 LSC
96 Haulmark enclosed race trailer (going to eBay soon)
94 E-150 5.8l
65 T-Bird Coupe
65 T-Bird vert
64 Austin Healy 3000

Gone but not forgott'n:
95 Gen I Base...RIP
92 Merc Grand Marq -Police package...sigh
90 TC
85 T-bird Fila
78 TC Monster Block 460CID...RIP
 
sorry it took so long to reply. to put a newer set up on it I would need a new computer and all new wiring which is hard on a 16 year olds budget when also building a 1964 Bel Air, this weekend if I have time I will try to put the other throttle body on but the intake from the new motor was rusted and nasty and so were all of the brackets so I would like to keep my aluminum intake and shiny brackets, also I like carb set ups, they are much easier for me to work on and understand.just a thought.well gotta get back to school thanks for the help
 
The distributor problems were well known, but I thought the car would quit all together when that would happen, and not run at all. The VV carb was junk and I think was gone by 84. As for the CFI, I had several in the family in Thunderbirds 84s and 85s and a V-6 87. Our family has probably done over 500k on those throttle bodies with little problems. My T-Bird still runs, don't drive it anymore. My 84 TC has it and runs like a top. Drove it last weekend, its stored for winter.
 
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