Just had my good motor taken out of my crashed SE5spd and put into a 92 SE auto. Engine idles fine and revs OK at stop, but sputters, misses, hesitates and damn near backfires under load on the road. Still has maybe 3/4 power, but feels rough when it's pushed.
I was told the manifolds were different, but I thought I got around that problem and got the booster to work when reved.
Any ideas and help would be appreciated. The friend who did the work is at a loss for ideas.
Could someone who is able do a search for this kind of swap on the .Org?
TIA!!!!

 

MAF problem maybe

 

Unfortunatly after an engine swap, there are too many possibilities. Start with easy electrical stuff, injector resistance (there could be a pinched wire), ignition coil resistance, do a compression test (burnt valve maybe). MAFS, TPS, Temp sensor.

 

what is TPS? and could the temp sensor have that much affect? Both fans have been running. I expected to change it out later.

 

The TPS is the throttle position sensor. It's the sensor right on the firewall side of the throttle body with i think 4 wires leadin out of it.

 

I have no CEL on though.

 

You might want to talk with Jeff. He has done a few VE swaps, but I think all were AT to MT swaps. The JDM VE engine he swapped for me was an AT. I am pretty sure everything on the engine itself is the same on MTs and ATs except the power valve for the variable intake.

If it idles OK and revs fine at a stop, it would seem that everything on the engine side is working fine. Maybe you messed up something with the tranny? Otherwise, I would guess it was a vacuum problem or something electrical, like the previous posts suggest.

 

Booster? For the VI? Which ecu are you using? Which intake manifold? Those are the only real diff IMHO. Sounds like a big vac leak or something.

 

I'm using the 5 spd's manifold (the whole VE engine just went from one car to the other) in the VE auto SE car with the auto's ECU.

 

Bad gas?
clogged injector?

how old is the gas that's been in the tank?

I had some very similar things happen to both of my cars in the last couple months.. then I realized I filled up at the same cheapo gas station near the house on both cars..
ran that gas out, dumped some injector cleaner in it and refilled with Mobil 1 93 octane.
the problem went away after about 50 miles.

 

Agreed, when my mom still had the max a few months ago, she complained of symtoms like that, and it was just super cheap gas. I only fill up with mobil now. Besides mobil gives the best HP any way, so why both with anything else?

~Alex