pstomcik

I could really use some help.

I have an '86 22R (carb) L4 engine that would misfire on and off. So, first I replaced the spark plugs - didn't solve it. The wires are good. So, the genius that I am decided to delay the timing by rotating the distributor away some, because according to the Haynes manual, misfiring means early ignition, and to solve that, find TDC and then delay the ignition by rotating the distributor away some.

So, I did it, and drove the pickup around a little. Power sucked, okay, I can live with that, just trying to get rid of the knocking. Well, the next thing you know, it idles VERY high, not like it was before, and it would stall a little, but not much misfiring.

So, I bought a new distributor cap and rotor arm, and put it back in and adjusted the timing, going back to TDC and maybe delaying it a degree, but not to the extent it was before. I can say there is more power, and that old distributor cap and arm definitely needed to be replaced.

But, it STILL idles high and just misfires all over the place. Knocks at random, whether I step on the gas or not. Just not smooth at all.

I am at a loss because I didn't mess with the idle at all during this, and it didn't happen immediately, either, when I originally messed with the timing. Throttle cable is not jammed, and I didn't mess with that.

The vacuum seems to be working on the distributor, because if I pull it off, it knocks constantly. Put it back on, only intermittently.

The only other thing I can think of is that the gap in the plugs is too large. When I got them at the store, they were maybe around .033-0.034" or so. They are supposed to be 0.031", but I don't think this would make much of a difference, if any.

This is really bumming me out, because I spent a lot of money on this truck, and I don't want to get rid of it. Any suggestions? The ignition works well, it just seems to be all over the place, worse than before I got new plugs and the distributor cap and rotor arm.

(I actually feel like I am in group therapy. )