BroncoCop

Howdy y'all




This is my first post here after lurking and searching for quite a while.


I have a '96 F-150 with the 5.8l. I had several codes showing up on a scan, to include the distributor pickup, electronic control module, DPFE sensor, and downstream O2 sensor. Today I put a new cap, rotor, plugs, and the correct electronic control module (the one that was on there was the gray one, so a black one is now in its place). I did not put a new O2 sensor or the DPFE sensor on it.


I had my codes checked and now all that's on it is the O2 sensor and the DPFE sensor. I have noticed better throttle response, and a much smoother idle. However between 25 and 30 mph it is very sluggish and takes a while to get up to speed. I cant even get the revs high enough at a stop to chirp the tires. I am thrilled that my dizzy is in good shape and the problem there was corrected with the correct ECM. But I want that little more. Would the DPFE and the O2 sensor have that much of an effect on the acceleration? Is there anything else I need to look at, fix, clean, or replace? Any ideas?

sam29078

Replace the dpfe they do go bad. O2 sensor can to read the data on scan tool? It might be bad too.

tvand13

The downstream O2 will cause a light, but won't change any driving characteristics. It's just there to verify that the cat is working. Either the sensor is bad or the cat is bad.

BroncoCop

tvand13




Funny you should mention the cats, and thank you for reminding me of that. After further thought and remembering my daughters old car (a 1993 mercury capri) and a problem we had with that one, it hit me. The symptoms I'm getting from the f150 are almost identical to that we had with the capri. And the cat from that car was so clogged it would stall the car. So.... off with the cats (fortunately my state has no inspections or smog tests).


Now, the design of these cats are a bit weird, in that the pipes are not bolted at the cats, it's one piece from the manifold connection all the way past the second cat. Is it possible to replace that part, or more cost effective to use a saws all and cut them off and replace the entire pipe? I'm not made of money and want the cheapest option possible while still keeping it driveable.

tvand13

The sluggishness does sound like a clogged cat. One of those is a cat and one is a resonator, or maybe one is a cat and one is a pre-cat.. I don't remember, so someone will have to correct me on that. Either way, depending on your emissions testing, you could replace them, remove them, or hollow them out. On my truck, I cut them out with a sawzall and had an exhaust guy weld up a y pipe and connect my manifolds to my muffler. That was pretty cheap. On my dad's truck, we cut a three sided square with a grinder to make a flap, then opened it up and took out the material with a hammer and chisel. Then we just welded the flap shut. That was free.

BroncoCop

That flap in the side sounds like the way to go for me, but.... I don't have a welder. I wonder if JB weld would seal it well enough to drive it?


Baring that, I was contemplating cutting off the pipes at the first cat, trying to get them as even as possible, and just clamping on some cheap auto store pipes and making it a true dual exhaust.


Then again I could save my money for a few months and buy the correct part for around $300. I only drive this vehicle to my part time job and to the river and back... that equals out to about 10 times a month.

tvand13

I wouldn't use jb weld. If you know a good exhaust guy he can build a y pipe for WAY less than $300. I took my truck to my exhaust guy with the entire system cut off before the first cat. I still had my downpipes attached to the manifolds. He made a y pipe and put in a straight pipe going to my muffler. I kept my muffler and tailpipe, and he used all new clamps. He charged me like $50 and kept my cats. It sounds way better now too. I can post a picture tomorrow, it's raining now. If you cut the downpipes right in front of the first cat and the midpipe right after the second cat, all he'd have to do is make a y and about a foot of midpipe. I'll bet it would be pretty cheap, especially if you let him keep the cats.

Chris_1

iTrader: (1)

Try checking around for someone parting out a truck too. I just sold a complete exhaust (manifolds to tailpipe) off a 96 for $400. It was only a few months old. If you can find a deal like that you'll be way ahead, and it's all bolt on.

BroncoCop

Well, it looks like I'm just going to remove the cats at the y pipe and find a 2 1/4 od splitter and 4' length of pipe to run in it's place. Probably the easiest and most cost effective way of doing this.


As far as finding parts vehicles around here... not so many. People round here keep their pick-ups running and only junk them if they have been damaged beyond repair. My wife suggested selling it because I could easily make a $2-3k profit. Pick-ups go for that much of a premium around here. I told her no way.


I'll keep y'all posted and let you know how the surgery fixed the problem.