So...I bought an old beater a few years back. It has been mechanically sound up until recently. It's a 1995 4.9 6 cyl manual transmission
I had the fuel pump replaced maybe 6 months ago.
I managed to inhale a plug about a year ago so I had those, the wires and distributor cap replaced.
About a month ago I began to notice a loss of power going uphill while at highway speeds and acceleration from a dead stop or just trying to accelerate in general. It has only gotten worse in the last week.
I press on the gas and I hear the engine rev but it takes a second for the rev to 'wind down' and then catch back up with the initial rev. I hope that makes sense because I'm not a mechanic--I swing a hammer for a living.
Well, I had a lot of errands to run today so I took the day off and decided I'd swing in and get my check engine light checked out. Full disclosure--I just moved to a emissions state and I passed with flying colors. I did not have a light on. Nor do I currently have a light on. Because no light comes on when I turn the key I assume the bulb is bad. The light used to come on intermittently while driving but this is my beater so I never cared. Well, I bought a code reader and I got code #327. Of course I have been searching code #327 (I believe continuous memory) and I have found lots of information. That said, none of it seems to pertain to loss of acceleration, it mainly has to do with economy.
Therefore my lengthy, and first, post poses this question: would an egr sensor cause a loss of acceleration the way I described above or does it sound like something else? I really appreciate any and all help. Have a good day!

 

egr could definitely cause a lack of power. if its not fully closed at idle it will cause a rough idle. if not closed at wide open throttle it will cause a lack of power. fix the egr fault first.
something that old probably has a large carbon build up in the egr passage. pull the valve and see if the pintle is stuck open.


other lack of power concerns can be lack of fuel pressure...hopefully you put a new filter on when you replaced the pump.


clogged cats can cause high exhaust system backpressure which results in lack of power.

 

Great information. Agreed with you !!

 

Thanks for the info! I will be doing this during the weekend and I will let you all know of the result.
Thanks again.

 

Code 327 is a faulty PFE sensor. I would replace that and re road test. LMK.

 

I ended up doing more research and have decided that the issue is the clutch not engaging. Now, off to finding a mechanic. I know that is blasphemy around here but a clutch is way above my pay grade.

 

Oh...so the clutch is slipping. I usually drive around 20-25 mph in 3rd gear...then push it clutch and rev the motor to say 3-4000 rpm then let the clutch out. If it's good it will catch right away ..if it's bad it will just take a while to grab or just keep revving.

 

For what it's worth,
It might be a good idea to make sure there is some free ply in the clutch pedal allowing full engagement and not a false limit. If adjustment is all that is required and we do the 3000 rpm trick there is a good chance a clutch that only needed adjustment will get fried, toasted, cooked etc. What do you think ?

 

isn't it a hydraulic clutch?