My sons 88 caddy starts and runs but he has little excelleration, at times it will only go 45 mph even if he tromps on the gas pedal. It should be noted he has no exhaust system including no catalytic converter. O2 sensor or possibly because he has no catalytic converter/exhaust system?
All cars need a proper exhaust system to function properly, especially a fuel injected car. Having no exhaust system will in itself cause diminished performance, as will having no oxygen sensors. With all these missing components, it is also possible he has burnt or cracked the valves, which will result in low compression, which will reduce performance, which will require a lot of expensive and time consuming work to correct.
If a surgeon removed some of your organs, your body would not function as it should. A modern car (and for the purposes of this exercise, an '88 model is modern enough) needs all of its many components functioning if it is to operate normally.
The first step is to restore the exhaust system, including the catalytic converter(s) and the o2 sensor(s), and see how it runs at that point. In fact, it may need a lot more work after the exhaust system is replaced, and as a result, he needs to assess whether it is worthwhile to sink a lot of money into this car.
Back in the 50’s you could pull that game of removing the muffler and maybe some pipes and gain some power. By the late 80’s the manufacturers had figured it out and they were giving cars a good working exhaust system. Removing that stuff likely caused the problem.
And, you have to consider that the “genius” who removed the exhaust system may have also done other very questionable things to the engine.
I’m surprized it runs that well with the entire exhaust removed including the O2 sensor.
Well, at least he knows the problem isn’t a plugged exhaust!
With straight pipes, that thing must sound awesome, and loud. I said, it must be loud. I said, with straight pipes that thing must sound loud!!