First the vital stats

87 SE

Removed cold-start assist, blocked off port.
Removed 6-p actuators and sleeves
Blocked off EGR
Blocked off BAC
Blocked off OMP
Blocked off ACV
Removed Air pump
Removed A/C

89+ fuel rail w/ new hose
Ported and cleaned upper/extention/lower intake manifold, new gaskets
Ported black plastic TB horn
TB mod (secondary throttle plates removed, thermowax removed)
Oil thermo pellet bypassed with shim
Injectors soaked in cleaner for LONG time

Sound familiar? Yea I bought Tesla's car.

Heres where I'm at. I've plugged a few leaking vacuum lines and it will idle after warming up. Revving it any causes a major backfire and it won't rev past 3k RPM at all even when flooring it. Check spark plugs and they were wet so I cleaned them off and dried them. He said he did the ATF trick...which it is smoking like mad. It is supposed to have a mid 90's compression, I would check but my gauge is broken. My father seems to think the backfires are from timing but I don't see how that explains the bogging down when it gets near 3k RPM. Also noticed....The o2 is unplugged and no plugs around it mate up.
So, any suggestions? Good places to start?

 

The O2 sensor won't cause the 3k wall. It will cause you to run rich, backfire and get poor gas milage.

Have you checked you throttle linkage and seen if you can rev it past 3k by pulling the throttle on the engine.

Set the timing to be sure. Bad timing is... bad.

Does it have a lack of power under 3k when driving it?

Check your Air Flow Meter. Make sure it is plugged in and I would take it off and examine it to make sure the flapper door is functioning correctly.

 

i live in franklin county TN that is only about 1 hour south of you man we should get together and work on ourt cars

 

13bpower: Havn't tried driving it yet, I'm doing good to keep it idling. I'll go borrow a timing light tonight and see what I can do. As for the throttle linkage yea...pulling it causes the 3k wall as well.
Rotary: Sure man send me a PM and we'll talk. I'm always up for meeting fellow rotory *****.

 

Ok update
The air flow sensor wasn't plugged in. Plugged her in and she'll rev past 3k atleast, but now she won't hold an idle. Second problem. I have the timing light but how do you telltop dead center? The Haynes manual said that the e-shaft pully should have a yellow mark to line up with the line on the engine. My pully has seen beter days though and there is no yellow line.

 

I couldn't help but chuckle when I heard the subject of this thread, "Little engine problem". Nice little play on words.

 

Shameless <Bump>

 

The wire for the o2 sensor comes out from under the intake manifolds. You'll probably have to remove yours to see where the wire snuck off to...