Topic: 3RZ Swap acting Up

[drew944]

I've got an 85 4runner that I've been having some problems out of and I figured I'd bounce some ideas off some people.
Around a year ago, I was taking the runner to register it and it died.  I ran out of power and it puttered to a stop, nothing super strange or alarming to me, but I could be forgetting since it was over a year ago.  After working on it through the summer, I got frustrated and took it to a shop.  After it sitting at the shop for the better part of a year and having the wheels/tires stolen off of it, I decided to bring it home.  The mechanic said he just didn't know where to start on it. 
It gets fuel, spark, and air and turns over no problem.  It will fire up if I'm on the gas but then it will run like absolute garbage and putter to a stall.  I have put new fuel pump, strainer, filter, fuel pressure regulator, and some other new parts on it. 
When it does start, it pops and backfires like the dickens and will shoot fire out of the exhaust upon backfiring.  When it stops there is smoke that comes from the air intake, which makes me think it jumped time.  I have drained the gas out and put fresh gas in, but there is probably some residual bad gas hanging out in the lines, but I think I've gotten most of it out. 
Is there a way I could check if it jumped time easily?  On another car I have there is an arrow that lines up and lets me know, but it is only a single cam.  I don't mind taking it to a mechanic, but I would really like to at least diagnose it myself. 
Is there anything else you think it might be (I know there's a bunch of stuff, but any big flags)? 
It has LC Engineering Stage 2 cams if that makes any difference.
Thanks,
Drew

[H8PVMNT]

Is it throwing any codes?

[drew944 [OP]]

Yes, but I don't have a code reader and the mechanic I had it at said he couldn't get the computer to communicate to the port or something like that, I'm not too sure.  I know it is throwing codes for other things like air box sensor and it only having one o2 sensor and no cat, but again, I don't have a code reader.

[H8PVMNT]

It does sound like timing.  When my fuel filter was plugged up it did about the same thing but it seems like you have fuel sorted out allready.  I had a similar condition on my '98 3RZ (twin coil) for a few minutes when I first got mine going.  The crank position sensor wire was picking up a fake signal from the alt, which was missing the little plastic nut cover and arcing to the block when I reved the engine.  I zip tied the wires out of the way of the alt and put on the plasice dealy and it ran fine. Not saying that's your problem but it may have something to do with the crank sensor or cam sensor if you have that style.  Sounds like you need to dig in and start diagnosing...

[drew944 [OP]]

YEah, i's a 96 3RZ, so that is something that I will check out.  I had thought it might be a ground issue, but I've been chasing those and they all seem to be in good shape, so I am trying to get a solid diagnosis.