That Pesky Morning Stumble

[PGHFord]

Ever have that early morning stumble where truck sits all night and you go to start it up and it stumbles around a little or you go to put it into drive and start to go and it stumbles? Well I think I found the answer! Was reading on another site for a different ford truck and... over time the intake manifold gets loose, try retorqing the bolts that hold the intake plenum to the intake manifold, snug it down some. Also your EGR you may have cleaned the hole that goes from the EGR into the intake plenum a couple years ago, but over time that hole gets clogged back up again. If you got a stiff piece of wire/concrete bailing wire try inserting it in that hole if it only goes about an inch and stops, its clogged that wire should feed all the way in about 3 inchs. How you can check to is take a air gun and open the throttle plate air should flow freely from the outside to the inside, if it doesnt its clogged, get some intake cleaner or carb cleaner and start cleaning, keep poking that stiff wire into the hole until it is cleared, air gun blows free and clear into plenum. Ill tell you my truck runs like as some refer to it a raped ape, ive increased power, goes up hills without issue.

 

[PGHFord]

Oh dont forget get an EGR valve gasket too.

 

[PGHFord]

Another tip off, you scan your computer and code 33 comes up, EGR related is the code.

 

[jhammel85]

Thanks for posting! I might have to check that out. My egr is disabled since I'm using an 88 computer.

Did you just check to see if the intake was still torqued to spec?

 

[adsm08]

My morning stumble was caused by a missing electrode in the #1 spark plug.

 

[PGHFord]

Thanks for posting! I might have to check that out. My egr is disabled since I'm using an 88 computer.

Did you just check to see if the intake was still torqued to spec?

I have a torgue wrench but didnt use it, I just snugged the bolts that hold the plenum to the intake manifold up some, snug meaning not strong arming, just a little firm snug, not too much. Other thing is I just put this EGR valve on 2 years ago and cleaned the hole out, it doesnt take long to get clogged back up, thinking now every year or two for routine maintenance as long as I still own this truck im going to take off the egr and clean the hole out. I put some antiseize on the threads of the pipe and fitting that go into it so each time its easy to remove, if you use antiseize just on the threads keep it off the seat of the pipe or from getting down in the pipe when it reattachs to the EGR, dont want antiseize getting inside the engine.

 

[PGHFord]

My morning stumble was caused by a missing electrode in the #1 spark plug.

I ruled that out this past summer, was thinking plugs, but after I did a complete tune up with new plugs, cap, rotor, wires, fuel filter(s), air filter, pcv it was still there. I use autolite AP regular platium plugs in my 2.9L seems to get better gas mileage, tried copper plugs and didnt seem to improve that.