86 TR Won't Idle | FerrariChat

86 TR Won't Idle

Discussion in 'Boxers/TR/M' started by jim94-348, Aug 8, 2021.

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  1. jim94-348

    jim94-348 Formula Junior
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    Aug 19, 2010
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    I was driving to get some gas the other day and the car was running great like it always does. When I pulled into the station it stalled. When I restart it I have to give it gas or it stalls immediately. It will run as long as I give it gas but ti does seem down on power.

    I looked through several old posts and most were for the bouncing idle. I couldn't find any with no idle. The car seems to run okay as long as I give it gas but it completely drops out when I stop. Any ideas on where I should start?
     
  2. turbo-joe

    turbo-joe F1 Veteran

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    when you drive you have full power or less than normal?
     
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  3. campbell360

    campbell360 Formula Junior
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    Copy and pasted from earlier post. But this solved my idle prooblem:

    The idle speed is adjusted with air bypass screws located at rear of the throttle bodies. It's a large brass hex bolt. What ever you do, make very small adjustments. The TR's motor runs like to 6 cylinders engines, so it would be good to know if your fuel mixtures are balanced. Do you have access to a gas analyzer?
     
  4. Steve Magnusson

    Steve Magnusson Two Time F1 World Champ
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    You didn't look hard enough ;)

    For a sudden change from good running to the exact symptom that you describe (and assuming it's a US version), the first thing to do is confirm/deny if the protection relay/fuse is working or not (i.e., measure the voltage on the red wire at the water thermoswitch when the engine is running or cranking). Do a search on something like "red wire protection relay" that I've posted for prior threads with pics and instructions.
     
  5. jim94-348

    jim94-348 Formula Junior
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    It is ĺess than normal
     
  6. jim94-348

    jim94-348 Formula Junior
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  7. jim94-348

    jim94-348 Formula Junior
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    Sorry, I did see that but I thought that it related to fluctuating idle and not no idle. I'll have to wait until next weekend when I have someone able to keep it running. It won't run long enough for me to check it by myself.

    Thanks
     
  8. jim94-348

    jim94-348 Formula Junior
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    I have a brown connector and a black connector. The black looks like it has two orange wires and the brown has a red/ green and white/ blue. Is it the brown with the red/ green wire? I just want to make sure I am checking it right. I see that i can jump the starter so I can check it.
     
  9. Steve Magnusson

    Steve Magnusson Two Time F1 World Champ
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    #9 Steve Magnusson, Aug 8, 2021
    Last edited: Aug 8, 2021
    The symptom is weak idle that only stays running by pumping the gas pedal and no power. The instructions include a way to test without running or cranking the engine:

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    Wrong connectors -- those are the TTS and 2-channel thermister mounted on top of the water Y-pipe. The water thermoswitch is mounted on the LH side of the water Y-pipe sticking out horizontally and has two spade connectors (one red wire and one orange-black wire). You should be able to touch your voltmeter "+" probe to the red wire terminal without unplugging it (and just touch the "-" probe of the voltmeter to the bare cylinder head or engine block).
     
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  10. jim94-348

    jim94-348 Formula Junior
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    I have 12 v there.
     
  11. Steve Magnusson

    Steve Magnusson Two Time F1 World Champ
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    That's good and bad news ;) -- are you sure that you aren't running on just one bank? I.e.:

    1. Do you have spark on both banks? (you'll need your assistant).

    2. If you unplug the fuel pump relays and touch a wire from the 30 female metal terminal in the relay socket to the 87 female metal terminal in the relay socket do you hear the corresponding fuel pump run? (PS the labeling of who's who on the fuse-relay panel relates to where the fuel pump is mounted -- not which bank it serves.)
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  12. jim94-348

    jim94-348 Formula Junior
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  13. jim94-348

    jim94-348 Formula Junior
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    I checked and i have spark on both banks and the fuel pumps came on when i jumped them. I had my wife start it for and I used the linkage to adjust the fuel while I checked the spark with a timing light. I noticed that the air sensor plate on cylinders 7- 12 is barely open while on 1-6 I have a 1/4 hap or more. The car even gave a little backfire out of the left (7- 12) side. What would cause this if the car was running fine?
     
  14. Steve Magnusson

    Steve Magnusson Two Time F1 World Champ
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    I'd go with the plunger in one of the fuel distributor being stuck/not moving freely (I'm not sure just what condition you made your observation -- at idle it would only be barely opened, at higher RPM more). One thing that you can do is crack open the cold start injector connections to release the fuel pressure (wrap with a rag and be careful as some fuel will squirt out), then depress each airflow plate down with a finger to ensure it moves easily, smoothly, and returns to the proper rest position (make sure they "feel" about the same). The deflection of the two airflow metering plates should be very similar at any RPM.
     
  15. turbo-joe

    turbo-joe F1 Veteran

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    then I would say the engine is only running on one bank. now have to check left or right and if it will be a fuel or an ignition problem
     
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  16. jim94-348

    jim94-348 Formula Junior
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  17. jim94-348

    jim94-348 Formula Junior
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    I have to increase the idle to keep it running. I removed the filter assembly so I can see the air sensor plates. I have to increase the idle to keep it running so it was about 3000 RPM. I didn't crack the fuel line but i just pressed on each plate. I can do it tonight but there is a slight difference. The left intake is slightly firmer than the right and when running the left is what was almost closed. When released they both pop right back in place.
     
  18. Steve Magnusson

    Steve Magnusson Two Time F1 World Champ
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    At 3000 RPM, the "barely open" airflow plate is bad.

    This isn't such a valid test if done after shutoff as there is no guarantee that the residual fuel pressure is exactly the same on both banks at any instant in time. Also, the force on the airflow plate required to overcome the residual pressure and move the plunger is very high so hard to detect the difference in mechanical drag of the two mechanisms, and the residual fuel pressure helps to return the airflow metering plate to its home position much more than just the gentle return spring -- best to do a zero fuel pressure.

    If the two airflow metering plates both seem smooth and OK mechanically (at zero fuel pressure), another thought is that the pressure regulator may have failed, and during running, the fuel pressure on the bad side is way too high -- this would also reduce the deflection of the airflow metering plate during engine running. But no need to go here until you've checked the airflow plate/plunger mechanical motions (at zero fuel pressure).
     
  19. jim94-348

    jim94-348 Formula Junior
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    Okay, i checked them with zero pressure and they are the same. I started the car and it ran rough for a few minutes and then cut off. I immediateĺy checked the plates and the right side felt like no pressure was there and the left was harder to push. Not hard to push but you feel a little more resistance. The right side feels like nothing.

    I have two Testarossas. Should I remove the filter box and compare them?
     
  20. Steve Magnusson

    Steve Magnusson Two Time F1 World Champ
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    That's good for the airflow plates and plunger mechanisms -- so if they have wildly different deflections at the same engine RPM = I'm back to thinking that the regulated supply pressure should be checked (and the bad side, where the airflow plate doesn't move much when the engine is running, has too high a supply pressure).

    This is more an indication that your right side is not holding residual fuel pressure like it should after engine shutoff. With the two banks on a TR, when one bank goes bad for this, the engine will still have good warm restarts on the good bank. This isn't really a runability problem, but something that isn't really correct (i.e., the fuel pressure on both banks should be ~3 bar at engine shutoff and remain near that for at least 20 minutes).
     
  21. jim94-348

    jim94-348 Formula Junior
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    I read that the easiest place to check the fuel pressure is where the KeJetronic feeds the cold start injector. My fuel pressure gauge is larger than the union so I can't thread it in. Is that the best place to check it or is there another spot? Does anyone know what the thread is there so I can try to find a pressure gauge with that thread type or an adapter?
     
  22. Steve Magnusson

    Steve Magnusson Two Time F1 World Champ
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    I'm 95% sure that the thread size for the KE-Jet cold start injector hardware is M8x1P (often shortened to M8x1). There is another port on top of the fuel distributor that can be used to measure the regulated fuel supply pressure, but I don't know the thread size or if it is different -- just going by the size of the hex head on the plug (which looks to be 12mm AF vs the 14mm AF for the banjo bolts on the injector lines), it might be M8x1, too:

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  23. turbo-joe

    turbo-joe F1 Veteran

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    you are right steve: the head with 12 mm is on all K and KE jetronic M8 x 1
     
  24. jim94-348

    jim94-348 Formula Junior
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    I have been trying to order an M8 x 1 fuel gauge. I've ordered 2 and they both don't have the right connections. Can anyone point me to one that works. I tried this one. It has the M8 but the other side of the connector doesn't go to anything that fits in the kit.

    Fuel Injection Pump Pressure Tester Manometer Car Auto Gauge System Test Kit dapter M10 / M12 / M14 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08RHLY8F6/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_glt_fabc_R1YZZPKNQ1A37DKHP8PC
     
  25. turbo-joe

    turbo-joe F1 Veteran

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    I have an equal set but there is in a M8 x 1,0
    the other side of the connector goes to the gauge with a hose between
    with all those adapters and hoses you will be able to make a Y- connection to the upper arrow on steve´s photo
     

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