jennygirl

Still haven't made much progress on this problem, it seems rather intermittent (intermittent enough that it is not a super high priority as I am too busy loving the hell out of this machine).

Today installed 140a alternator and had to drain coolant, so I installed my 2 stage 190deg thermostat as well. Dunno if it was placebo, but during heat of the day rush hour errands on I10 the car felt incredibly zippy. I think the thermo is doing it's job very well!

Also today the car started up perfectly every time cold or hot. So weird!

andykrow

I had a 22re a few years back that would always fire the csi, no matter what coolant temp. If the truck was already warm I'd get a hard start like you describe. If I unplugged the csi the start would be much more difficult when the truck was cold (worse than you describe.) I just left it plugged in and lived with it, wasn't worth the cost of the switch to fix it...

Did you check out that cel?

jennygirl

Good to know Andy. The CEL was rich/lean condition from the O2 sensor. After replacing vacuum hoses / pcv it seems to have disappeared, but then again I haven't done much highway driving which is the only time it came on.

I have a feeling I had a small vacuum leak somewhere causing it to run lean at highway speeds. The CEL would disappear when letting the engine rev down and putting it back in gear.

I also think a possible cause was that the heat from the headers was confusing the O2 sensor (my O2 sensor is mounted in the headers).

I read in another thread that someone was having hard starts due to a bad distributor wire connection. When I fixed my spark wires I didn't mess with the center one, it very well could just be loose- I'll be doing the same thing I did to my spark wires to see if there's any change.

I'm also lead back to my dropping fuel pressure as the car sits. Can anyone else confirm that their car does this?

Also I seem to have a GM fuel pump ???

andykrow

I know it sounds like a broken record on this site because people say it sooooooo much but you really want to be buying oem parts whenever you can. I replaced an O2 sensor with a Bosch unit a few years ago and immediately got code number 5. Then I bought a Denso and no more codes. I'll never buy anything else, plus NGK and Denso stuff seems to be the cheapest cost by quite a bit.

I've had several trucks with the older single wire o2 sensor up in the header near the head. It needs to be there in order to get hot enough to function properly.

I don't know how to check for a leaking csi but that could be causing the hard starts, the code and loss of fuel pressure as it sits.

One thought... ...in my current truck my throttle body was pretty gunked up and someone had messed with the set screw (opening the throttle butterfly more) in order to keep the butterfly from sticking. When I cleaned out all the gunk the butterfly didn't close enough anymore and starting was a bit slow, needing a second or two of cranking and a bit of revving. Once I fixed that situation it starts up nearly instantaneously. Basically blip the starter and she's running, no gas pedal required.

jennygirl

Thanks for the rec, I think I'll definitely buy an OEM one and see if that clears up the CEL

Also thanks for the info on the TB set screw- I'll check that out the next time I get into there.

On another note, tonight I popped the valve cover and adjusted valves. Made such a huge difference in low end torque, even seems to be starting better.

Cyl 1 intake valve didn't have ANY play at all, and the rest of the valves were tight as heck except for cyl 3 exhaust valve which was super loose and causing a random ticking noise. 50% of them I couldn't even get the feeler gauge in. Engine = much happier now.

Cannot believe the performance difference. Feels like I must've gained at least 3 or 4 horsies and a very noticeable amount of low end torque. Could be placebo I suppose, though

Holy heck that was fun. I love mechanical stuff like that.

EDIT: forgot to mention, I noticed after valve adjustment that my fuel pressure jumped up to a constant 40psi rather than 31 at idle and 34 at WOT. Not sure why, maybe it has to do with feeding her 91 the past couple of tanks? Also could valve adjustment affect fuel pressure? I asked my roomie and he said maybe so, but it doesn't seem to make sense to me.

Terrys87

iTrader: (1)

I must have missed which code you are getting, can you repost it. I did see where you bled the pressure off of the CSI that you said it seemed to start a little easier. You don't have much humidity where you live but I do see a lot of build up in the fuel tanks where I live. The tanks looks like rust build up inside and when you clean them out, there is no damage to the tank. My thoughts on that is it is a chemical build up of the additives that they put in the fuel.

Is your return line clogged? Just about every truck I have ever worked on here the return line is clogged. It will be the larger hose coming off of your fuel pressure regulator near the firewall. I take low pressure air and with the gas cap off and see if I can get air to flow thru it. You will hear the gas bubble in the tank.

I don't use high pressure air to avoid compressing the clog. As far as fuel pumps, I get mine off of ebay for around $40. They have worked great for me. Parts store is $150ish and Toyota is $300. Watch which pump you get. You can get an exact fit where it has two wire leads that go straight to the terminals on the pump. If you see one that they sell that has a plug connector on it, it can be made to work but I prefer the exact fit one.

I had one that ran great and no codes or anything like that. The Haynes Manual has a great way of doing a resistance check on the AFM. I have found two bad AFMs with Haynes check and is quick and easy to do.

I have seen valves adjusted so tight that they cut down the cam lobes a little bit. It can make a difference as well.

I seen you had drained some radiator fluid. These motors can get an air pocket inside and the way I get it out is to raise the front end as high as I can. I am 6 foot tall and I will have the core support about my shoulders height, with the engine running and the radiator cap off, let it burp the air out of the system. The first one or two times the thermostat opens it may not shoot out a whole lot of water, but after about the 3rd time it can get hot so be careful on that.

I get Denso spark plug wires off of ebay and they are much better quality wires then the part store top brand name and a little better priced. Fit so much better also. If you are suspecting some plug wire issues, in a dark place at night or dark shop, pop the hood with the motor running and see if you have any blue sparks around your motor.

Like Andy was mentioning. A lot of OEM parts can be had for the same price or cheaper online. Really no one place for one stop shopping. Bosch seems to be good for domestic cars, but really are no good for our trucks.

Chefyota4x4 lives in your area and had a red runner like yours. He was having a difficult time passing emissions and one of his problems was with the header he had installed and something about where the O2 sensor was in relation to either to close or to far from the original position or the header. Something like that, if I recall right. I think he eventually went back to the stock manifold and it helped some of his issues as I seem to remember.

Seafoam is some great stuff. I don't recommend running it thru your fuel tank if your tank is loaded with build up. You just pushed it thru your entire fuel system. It can help a motor run better. You pour it SLOWLY thru the brake hose while running and let it sit a few minutes and then restart it. Smoke storm!!! but it cleans a lot of carbon out of the system as well.

jennygirl

I actually saw some of Chefyota's videos on YT, and for a split second I was wondering if he was the PO to my vehicle. But a little digging here and I found out that he rolled it? So it must not be the same car

So after draining the coolant I should try to burp the engine? Even after quite a bit of driving it can still have an air pocket in there? That might explain a few things if so

The code I was getting was O2 rich/lean condition. I'm not sure which number, I think it was 5.

I have suspected the fuel tank because PO had a dual tank installed but pulled it off before selling it to me tank separated, it had developed some rust. I still haven't installed that thing bc I haven't needed it. I suspect when it comes time for desert adventures in the near future I will want it on there. My roomie has suggested muriatic acid to clear out the rust on the inside, not sure if that's a good idea or not though as I've seen it cause extreme rust to metal exposed to air.

I'll have to check the fuel return line, that is a good idea. Either way the fuel pump seems to be getting a lot more pressure now according to my gauge in the engine bay at the CSI.

FWIW, the previous owner installed a GM fuel pump and I'm thinking likely a GM main tank as well- though I haven't had a chance to confirm the tank.

Totally going to start buying more OEM parts in the future now, thanks!

Also I checked my AFM and it works perfectly.

jennygirl

Just following up on any of the threads I started a while ago..

Fixed the CEL by burping the coolant system.

Fixed the cold idle & rough start with later model intake swap. Still chasing the low idle after warm start, but starts up great. Servicing the grounds also made a heck of a difference overall. My engine was missing two thanks to shoddy stuff from PO

Odin

Pretty awesome you're doing all this stuff yourself jennygirl!
I wish I was as enthusiastic about my repairs as you seem to be

jennygirl

Heck yes, thanks Odin!! What a great payoff it's been joining the boards here. I am helping my roommate get up to "jennyspeed" (his words) on his runner, and it makes me realize all the things I have learned here over the past 3 months or so.

I owe every single bit of it to this place and this community. I had a basic understanding of things coming in, but becoming a member here has amplified my knowledge and enthusiasm in every aspect of the matter.

I'm now visiting my parents across the country, and I already can't wait to get back to help my roommate fix his up It feels great to have a bit of knowledge/experience with this setup and to be able to apply it. I probably sound like a huge fangirl. Well, I kinda am!

Odin

jennyspeed... It reminds me of the Energizer Bunny, Still going
Maybe you should take some college automotive classes. Seems like you'd do pretty well.