Car cuts at WOT around 3-4k

[2l8iwn]

I have been helping a friend of mine try to get his car running. Car is now idling great due to a new iac. Car is suppossed to have a 93 cobra motor with trick flow intake. Car does have the crane cam 1.7 rockers and some aftermarket cam.

Car at wot sputters after it reaches 3k. Here is a list of things checked or replaced. Checked msd coil, checked wires, replaced fuel filter, checked rail pressure. it was 35 at idle. around 30psi at wot. Replaced plugs, checks tps sensor. Checked and reset timing to 12* advanced. Like i said car runs great until 3k and then cuts out. Any and all help is appreciated.

[graysonracin]

mass air flow sensor? try cleaning it

[jccox77]

at wot the fuel pressure should go up not down pull the vacuum line off the reg and see where it goes up to u can try unplug the mass air meter and see if it runs better that can help with diagnosing the meter

[03z06vette]

should be 35-40 with vacume line off. Id bet the vacume hose on the regulator has gas in it..

[2l8iwn]

Wow Thanks for all the quick replies. Ok so pulled the vac hose off reg and checked pressure with a gauge while running down the road. I plugged the hose so there wouldnt be a leak. The pressure would drop down at wot but never go below 35 psi with vac disconnected. With vac connected the pressure would sit at 35 psi at idle and drop to 30 at wot. However i do think i stumbled onto something. There is a mark on the dizzy and engine block that was there when my buddy got the car. Just by chance i pulled the shunt and reset the dizzy to the mark. Went and ran the car and it runs great!!! The problem is when i hook up the timing light it doesnt even look like its reading on the timing scale on the balancer. I double checked to make sure that it was on the #1 and it is. Very strange. Could it be 180 out?? I told my buddy we need to get a new balancer with good marks as his is really old and the marks are mostly rusted and bubbled.

[jccox77]

it shouldnt be 180 out maybe a tooth or 2 u can compensate a little for a tooth or 2 but u will not get a accurate setting
the fuel pressure should go up with no vacuum or wot it looses vacuum at wot if it does not go up u might have a bad reg or a vacuum leak somewhere
or weak pump

[Stangman]

Sounds like you have it mostly solved, but for what its worth, my Lincoln did the same thing when you would tromp it. Ended up being the MAF meter. Apples to oranges I know.... lol

[2l8iwn]

I originally suspected maf cause its some type of cheap aftermarket cal'd for 24lbers. He is going to buy a new balancer and we are going to try to set the timing again. I am now wondering if the balancer has slipped.

[2l8iwn]

need to revive this thread. well we replaced the balancer and retimed the car to 10 degrees. Car still sputters at WOT. I think i am going to to pull the #1 plug and get engine on tdc and check balancer mark and dizzy location. if that doesnt help i am going to lean towards the maf or injectors. The crazy thing is if we back off timing to around 4-6 degrees it seems to run much better at wot.

[blown96cobra]

Ive got a good maf cal'd for 24# and a set of 24# injectors if you need them pm me.

[2l8iwn]

Just wanted to post a resolution in case anyone does a search and has similar symptoms. In this case it was indeed the tfi module acting silly. The strange thing is that it would run fine until it heated up. But then again i had heard/read that heat is what kills tfi modules.

[Stangman]

My friend's built thunderbird supercoupe does this... odd