First off, lemme say that I'm posting this for a friend. He has a 1987 p/u and we just put a new long block in it. When we start it, it idles really rough and erratically. We check the vacuum lines, and they're hooked up correctly. It's got new plugs, cap and wires. New air filter...what else could it be? Also, sometimes when you put it in neutral, it will idle at 1800ish and then drop down.

I'm not very familiar with the 22RE's fuel injection, I'm a Jeep guy. I had an 88 with a 22R, but didn't have any problems like this. TIA

 

Check the idle adjust screw on the throttle body and make sure it didnt back out all the way and the o ring is good.

 

Have you pulled any codes from the computer?

Did you properly adjust the valves?

Have you checked the TPS?

http://www.4crawler.com/4x4/CheapTricks/TPS/index.shtml

 

make sure the throttle body shaft turns freely and that the throttle cable is not binding or sticking. also check the dashpot below the throttle body to make sure it is adjusted properly- it should be, but who knows?....
make sure your throttle position sensor is adjusted properly:
http://4crawler.com/4x4/CheapTricks/TPS/index.shtml
and your air flow meter:
http://4crawler.com/4x4/CheapTricks/AFM/index.shtml
valves: .007 intake/ .011 exhaust cold (temporary to get in the ballpark) ... .008 intake / .012 exhaust with the engine warmed up.
timing: @ 5btdc with the engine warm / 750 rpm idle / tps adjusted properly / diagnostic test connector TE1 / E1 jumpered.

check for vacuum leaks using wd40 or carb cleaner (use the straw) sprayed along each vacuum hose and listen for any change in idle speed or quality.

 

Thanks for the replies guys! I think we narrowed it down to the TPS out of adjustment. Theres no codes that we know of. The engine that we put in has about 1000 miles on it, so i know everything on the block is adjusted right.

Heres a little story behind the whole thing. My friend had a 86 p/u that he got from his parents, who was the original owners. After 220k, it blew a head gasket, and decided to put in a new longblock. After driving it around for a couple of months, he blacked out behind the wheel while driving down a canyon. He drove off a cliff, flipped it back to front 3 times, and ended up 250 feet down. Luckily, him and the passenger only got scratches. Sorry for the bad pic, but here's what it looked like afterward.



Despite rolling all those times, you could still drive it!

Well, two months later, he bought a new truck, kinda. This one is a 87, and its the exact same truck. The only difference, it has a custom roll cage for the cab and the engine compartment (we all joke around saying that it suits him well), and a custom front suspension. So whenever a part on this truck fails, he just transfers it over. The engine on this one was burning a lot of oil, so he figured he'd just put the new one in.