Topic: crappy idle

[toby]

So after finally getting my truck back together, after the head replacement, it is idleing like crap. It has a miss, and it won't idle below 2000 rpms. When I put it back together I put the dowel on the cam straight up with the engine a tdc. This is correct right? Not the timing mark on the cam gear straight up. It is acting like a bad vacuum leak, the only area it will pick up and smooth out idle is around all the egr crap on the pass side back of the block. I am guessing I have egr problems but how do I fix the? Idle does not smooth out with top egr vacuum line disconnected. What do I check next or fix next, I want to drive my truck again, It's supposed to snow Sunday. btw my truck is an 87 and carbed.

[toby [OP]]

Anybody have any suggestion on how to fix this issue??? I want my truck back...Please help!!!

[kneedownnate]

You're sure the throttle cable, linkage or throttle cam aren't hanging up?  What's your timing set at?

[toby [OP]]

yeah nothing is hung up, idle is advanced 5 degrees and it barely runs there. I was spraying some carb cleaner because its acting like it has a vacuum leak. Idle picks up and smooths out when I spray it around the egr valve. I don't know if it  is maybe plugged up in the block, or if I could have cracked the modulator while rolling the head around, putting intake and such back on the head. Any ideas???

[Hottrod81]

Put a new EGR gasket on it.  Sounds like a vacuum leak.

[93tonkatoy]

to see if the vacuum leak is coming through the egr valve, you can unbolt the valve from the intake, remove the gasket, and cut a new gasket from heavy cardboard (not corrogated, solid), with no hole in the center (block the port), then crank it up and see how it idles. the egr valve may be stuck open, allowing exhaust to recirculate all the time.

[NT-OUTBACK]

Check both sides of the vacuum on the distributor. One could be blown that what cause my truck to idle crappy the retard side was blown.

[toby [OP]]

I put a new intake gasket on when I put the intake and egr back on, all the bolts are tight. How do I check the vacuum at the distributor? Can I just rtv the egr? Or I have some gasket material, I could just cut a new one right??? Or make a solid gasket to see if the egr is stuck open?

[93tonkatoy]

I was suggesting to make a temporary "block-off" gasket to seal off the EGR system, to see if that is the source of a vacuum leak. I have the 22r-e, and the EGR system was screwed up on it, so I made a permanent block-off gasket, and it ran great without getting the extra exhaust gas.

[toby [OP]]

I pulled the plugs they were white from running lean, they were also only gapped to .025", replaced them with my previously run bosch plugs gapped at .035". Does seem to run slightly better, I also put my original pick up generator back in, I was told it may have caused my previous problems. It still idles high I think the distributor is off a tooth the lowest it will retard the timing to is 5 degrees. Still acting like a vacuum leak not quite as bad withthe plug change. Could the egr plate? at the back of the block be sucking air? Or should I just pay someone to diagnos/fix it for me??