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Ply- 2.5L TBI falls flat...

pttaylorpttaylor Member Posts: 34
edited March 2014 in Plymouth
My 1987 Reliant 2.5L TBI auto Station Wagon (128K)
falls flat on its face when I attempt to floor the
gas. Starts and idles very well. Everything has
been replaced on the Throttlebody except the T/Body
temp sensor (no problem with hot restarts). Has
new Logic unit (ECU)/coolant temp sensor/fuel
filter/pressure regulator/air
filter/distributor/cap/rotor/hall
pickup/plugs/TPS/AIS/MAP/O2/Auto Shutoff-Relay.
Installed a fuel pressure gauge and engine holds 14
lbs. at idle (thats normal) and up to about 2k
rpm. When revved wide open it dips below 10 lbs.
The bogging down seems to get worseafter 20-30
miles. A weakening fuel pump or a clogged fuel
sock? Any ideas?
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Comments

  • bobs5bobs5 Member Posts: 557
    This same exact question was asked at this site:
    http://www.allpar.com/cgi-bin/tech.pl?read=38366

    Sounds like it starves for fuel at wide open throttle.
    How new is the fuel filter?
    Yea, change the fuel pump.
    What is a fuel sock?
    The only other thing I can think of is that the timing is slightly off.
    good luck
  • tboner1965tboner1965 Member Posts: 647
    try it with the exhaust disconnected to see if this doesn't help.

    TB
  • tboner1965tboner1965 Member Posts: 647
    If fuel pump doesn't do it look at the cat. You can temp disconnect to see if problem gets better.
  • bobs5bobs5 Member Posts: 557
    tboner1965 has a good point about the catalytic converter.

    My 1986 Reliant, 2.2L, had a bad cat conv at one time.
    The symptom was a bucking and power loss feeling. If I let the car sit for 5 minutes or less, it would fire right back up again.
    It would occur when climbing a steep hill which required the use of more gas pedal.

    good luck
  • pttaylorpttaylor Member Posts: 34
    Hey there, bobs5 - In my reference to a "fuel sock", I mean the little mesh bag that attaches to the in-tank fuel pump. I call it a sock. It's only a few inches long and looks like it would strain any in tank "cooties" before they would reach the pump.. I found a "Blackstone" brand pump w/the "sock" for $67 at AutoZone. I guess I could go with a $120 Federal-Mogul pump, but thats about half what the book says the car is worth!!!
  • pttaylorpttaylor Member Posts: 34
    bobs5-To answer your other questions - the fuel filter is brand new and the timing is steady on 12° BTDC as the Haynes book says. Just for kicks I took a rubber mallet to the Cat and it didn't rattle but I realize it may have clogged with no loose pieces bouncing around inside. I'll post back this weekend when I can get under it to drop the tank. Thanks all for responses. -PT
  • pttaylorpttaylor Member Posts: 34
    New fuel pump installed and it runs like a scalded dog again! I'm not so sure that my problem was the pump itself. I noticed that the $4 filter sock, on the in-tank fuel pump, it was so dirty it really looked like a "Hershey Bar"! No way it could have been allowing enough fuel through to the pump and filter. But as I already had the pump out, I went ahead and installed the new unit. (I'm lucky to find the time to get this far!!!) I'll always think that dirty sock was the problem or most of it anyway! The old pump was OEM so it had lasted 130K. Still only getting 16-20MPG though. Not so hot for a 2.5 auto station-wagon. -PT
  • bobs5bobs5 Member Posts: 557
    great news. Glad to hear it is fixed.
This discussion has been closed.

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