96 RT/10 jerking/loping off idle

[Tomer]

My car has an annoying characteristic, which is worse when cold but still bad when warm. Trying to roll along in any gear (although usually 1st or 2nd) with just a hair of pressure on the gas pedal, the car jerks and bucks like the engine is about to fall out of the car! I have to push in the clutch, rev it a bit and try again...ITs pretty much not possible to drive like this, which makes cruising in parking lots and slow traffic a real problem.

Anyone have this problem or know what it is?

thanks
TomR..

 

[Qualitywires.com]

If you do a search you will find a ton of stuff...but anyways...it sounds like your throttle cables need to be sync. On my Gen1 Viper I had, it cured the "bucking problem". It's pretty simple to do with a buddy. Good luck.

 

[JonB]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by tomer:
..(although usually 1st or 2nd) with just a hair of pressure on the gas pedal, the car jerks and bucks like the engine is about to fall out of the car! .....makes cruising in parking lots and slow traffic a real problem. Anyone have this problem or know what it is?<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Tom, (and '00 Jon)I virtually GUARANTEE your throttle bodies have gotten out of synch. Your '96RT (and Jon's '00) has a single T-cable, a bit harder to synch than 1992-1995. The LEFT T/B needs to open a tad bit BEFORE the right. When it does not, the EXACT symptoms you describe result. There is an obvious set screw to help in this...the fix is almost intuitive, once you know that "Left leads" when the cable gets tight.

Do you have an owners manual?

 

[Tomer]

JonB

THANKS for the awesome and fast info, I can't tell you how much I appreciate it...

I did buy the factory service manual, so I better look up the procedure...when you say left T/B, do you mean left from the prospective of sitting in the car, so driver's side=left?

Tomer

 

[JonB]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by tomer:
JonB.....THANKS for the awesome and fast info, I can't tell you how much I appreciate it...I did buy the factory service manual.......so driver's side=left? <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>


Indeed, L = Drivers side....... Good on you for getting a manual ! Once you adjust the left throttle body to open first, the "Parking Lot Bronco" will stop bucking..... Jon's '00 too!

 

[99 R/T 10]

Hey Guys, the 96 R/T had individual cables not the single T-cable. It does sound like they are out of sync. 96 R/T=Gen I engine.

Mike

 

[phiebert]

OK, I consider myself the Throttle body sync king (after doing it a couple dozen times I could do it in my sleep)! I also don't appear to have a leaking gasket. But recently I have had brutal bucking. Even at 40 mph. If I find myself anywhere near 2000 rpm I'm in for bucking.

What to check next. Someone posted something on here about spark plugs making a difference.

To reiterate, my left leads right on T/B's (it's a '94) and I don't seem to have the gasket leak that causes this too. Is it possibly plugs? Anything else?

 

[Tomer]

Wilddude is right (nice 96 RT by the way, I am partial to our 96s he he)...

Quick sanity Q for Jon, I checked my manual, looks like I just need to push the button on the ratchet cable holder thing, pull the cables back (presumably toward rear of car) then the manual is a little fuzzy to me, it says;
-push accelerator pedal all the way to the floor
[cable brackets will ratchet and are the cables then sync'd, nothing else required??? Is is that simple, push buttons, pull cables back, and stomp the pedal to the floor...]
-then check to see that left throttle body is slightly ahead of right, if not it says to adjust the bracked forward for teh right hand side, thus making is lag the left a little...

Sorry for the dumb question, but its a little weird to me that just by stepping on the "go" pedal once right to the floor, the cables get sync'd (while the buttons on ratchets are pushed of course)...

thanks in advance
TomR..

 

[Lee Dove]

phiebert, I adjusted my cables many times and yes it made it better. However, It never really stopped it. What does stop it every time is new plugs......

 

[Tom F&L GoR]

Another thing worth looking at are the intake manifold bolts. They loosen just like the thermostat legs.