Stutters and backfires - clogged cats?

Disclaimer: Links on this page pointing to Amazon, eBay and other sites may include affiliate code. If you click them and make a purchase, we may earn a small commission.

exp500

Full Access Member
Joined
May 14, 2017
Posts
1,860
Reaction score
1,714
Thats correct. Ohms should be less than 1 on ground side, everywhere.
My question on tach is hard to describe properly, but I'll try to explain- usually noticed steady state cruising, like 60-75 or so, and noticing a quick bounce in rpm,usually down, without a noticed missfire. That is a very good indicator of a CPS problem, sensor/harness/system. Usually, on a failing CPS that will happen (if noticed) before missfires detected or felt.
Use your live data scanner and log everything you can think of on a 10 minute freeway run.then review logs.
Also, your injector voltages should be more consistant, varying only about 0.1-0.2 volts low-highest. Look at all grounds especially engine to body and check neg battery cable for failure.
 

iamdub

Full Access Member
Joined
Apr 23, 2016
Posts
20,821
Reaction score
44,943
Location
Li'l Weezyana
So waiting for a intake to get here, and still considering that this somehow could be electrical aswell. Checked all my grounds on the coils and for chassis ground read 11.4 on cyl 1 and 10.7 on 3/5/7, for PCM ground they all 4 read at 12.04 volts. Checked Ohms on the chassis ground at 80ish, and 45ish on the pcm ground. The numbers were fluctuating to fast to get a good read, I'm not sure if that supposed to happen or not. All with key on engine off. Unless this is somehow a bad ecm. I'm not sure how you would check that. I just got it from black bear So I assume its good but who knows. The problem seems to intermittent to be ecm but I do not know alot about such things. Anyone know the signs or symptoms of a cracked intake? I assume it would lead to a lean code, but with the way these things throw rando codes for unrelated issues its hard to tell some times. From what I can tell all of my wiring is correct and operating correctly aswell. I also have a VXDiag on the way so hopefully that will help narrow things down. @iamdub I heard you know about wiring and such.

Eh. Kinda. Lol

It depends on what about wiring you're questioning. The varying voltages read on those coils could have just been the connection you were getting with your probes. I scratch or twist my probes until I get settled readings.
 

BentleyArnage

Member
Joined
Aug 24, 2020
Posts
90
Reaction score
113
Location
Washington
injector harness? are you sure it is ignition and not fuel related? although backfiring defines timing not necessarily no spark, no shop rags/paper towels left behind in the intake or head ports? if i read the post correctly, you initially replaced all lifters with AFM delete, than had to go back in and replace 4 of those? did you plug/cap the fuel rail during the R&R? If there were only 4 lifters replaced and they were on the drivers side i would guess lifter compatibility problem or debris in the valve port. ie valves staying open, this will backfire like a mother f'er do a compression test on the affected cyls and verify valves seated? im just guessing! hang in there!
You have to change the cam. It's ground differently on the AFM side. Will result in misfire codes.
 

iamdub

Full Access Member
Joined
Apr 23, 2016
Posts
20,821
Reaction score
44,943
Location
Li'l Weezyana
What if the problems ARE related? A intermittently failing battery (cells can fault internally) or a faulty circuit (loose ground, faulty circuit within the alternator, etc.) can make computers (PCM, BCM, etc.) do funky stuff. The PCM (or BCM) controls the starter relay, which could cause the weird key-crank-but-no-response issues.
 
OP
OP
R

RockGlock86

Member
Joined
Feb 2, 2019
Posts
40
Reaction score
39
So to @exp500 the tach did do that and I didn't know the cause just thought a wonky ecu, when I did the AFM delete I smushed the CPS and replaced it and it didn't do it after that.

@iamdub yesterday I pulled all 4 terminals off and the passenger side battery had corrosion under the lugs, but not visible from the outside or without removing the terminal. I scrubbed everything clean, greased it and reassembled. I checked all my other grounds and removed them and wire brushed the contact points and everything got put back together.

I then started the truck again to see if cleaning all grounds and terminals and check voltages, the truck had been running for approx. 30 seconds, still idling very rough and soft backfires, I had my head under the hood looking at stuff and I noticed a huge cloud of white smoke. Turned it off as fast as I could get to it and checked the oil. Looks like chocolate milk and its FULL. I figure that's enough for the night and left it alone.

Today truck wont turn over by key, not at all. Try to rotate by hand, wont rotate at all. I figure I popped a head gasket somehow and pulled all the driver side plugs first seeing as that was the side with the issues and everything looked fine and all clear. Pulled the cyl 2 spark plug gushed coolant out, I guess it leaked down all night and filled the whole cyl.

So both gaskets were replaced when the AFM delete was done last week of July. The driver side was replaced again the third week or so of August when I replaced the lifters. I have a total of 500+ miles on the driver side since the AFM delete and didn't have any issues so not sure how or why it let go. Tomorrow I will replace the passenger side head gasket and go from there. This is getting a little ridiculous.
 
Last edited:

iamdub

Full Access Member
Joined
Apr 23, 2016
Posts
20,821
Reaction score
44,943
Location
Li'l Weezyana
So to @exp500...pulled the driver side and the cyl 2 spark plug gushed coolant out, I guess it leaked down all night and filled the whole cyl.

So both gaskets were replaced when the AFM delete was done last week of July. The driver side was replaced again the third week or so of August when I replaced the lifters. I have a total of 500+ miles on the driver side since the AFM delete and didn't have any issues so not sure how or why it let go. Tomorrow I will replace the passenger side head gasket and go from there. This is getting a little ridiculous.

Cylinder #2 is on the passenger side ("right side", "right hand side", "starboard side"...)

So, is it the same side that was opened up twice (driver side, left side, port side)?
 
OP
OP
R

RockGlock86

Member
Joined
Feb 2, 2019
Posts
40
Reaction score
39
To clarify @iamdub , I pulled the driver side first, 1/3/5/7 and all clear, no issues. So I moved to the passenger side the 2/4/6/8 bank. I pulled cyl 2 first and thats where I got coolant from, only from cyl 2, nothing from 4/6/8. Not from the side opened twice. Sorry for the confusion
 

iamdub

Full Access Member
Joined
Apr 23, 2016
Posts
20,821
Reaction score
44,943
Location
Li'l Weezyana
To clarify @iamdub , I pulled the driver side first, 1/3/5/7 and all clear, no issues. So I moved to the passenger side the 2/4/6/8 bank. I pulled cyl 2 first and thats where I got coolant from, only from cyl 2, nothing from 4/6/8. Not from the side opened twice. Sorry for the confusion

Well, that kinda makes it a little better, but kinda not. lol

Hoping it's just a defective gasket.
 
OP
OP
R

RockGlock86

Member
Joined
Feb 2, 2019
Posts
40
Reaction score
39
I'm not sure how or if this is causing the other issues, the backfire/misfire, the delayed crank. Unless it would leak coolant into the cyl and it was enough that it was trying to compress it rather than burn it and the delayed crank was it trying to turn over with coolant in the cyl and was working over the pressure.
 

Forum statistics

Threads
132,332
Posts
1,866,214
Members
96,957
Latest member
beka1283
Top