YotaTech Forums - 3.0 engine troubles, electrcial gremlins& leakiy o/f

Well,
perhaps it is a good thing that my truck, "Sluggo Thu Mule", a 1992 3VZE V6 4WD extra cab is having what seems like electrical problems..can't tell if it's fuel or spark and i'm about to throw in the towel and take it to my friend's shop. What's perfect is that I need to use it to move this weekend...UGH!
Also, good thing, cause I decided to check my oil and whoa! it was 2.5 quarts low! I looked around and the CarQuest, aka CRAPQUEST filter the shop installed when they did my clutch was leaking around the base. I checked it, felt as tight as i could get it by hand already. Went w/ motor flush, some Pentosin 5w30 full synthetic, and a Toyota OEM filter today.
Here's the big problem.
I had a bad ignitor last winter. Replaced it w/ one from the junkyard for $50 and that fixed it. I am still not getting ANY engine codes with my $3000 engine computer...u know, the paper clip!:hillbill:
now...:bang: :bang: :bang:
Truck will usually start fine when cold, but sometimes, when it wants to be stubborn as a mule, it'll need starter fluid to start when hot.
Now i have a new symptom, and things have gotten worse. When I left for work today, as I pulled out of my subdivision, i felt a real dead spot around 3-4000rpm. it ran fine at the toll booth, but once warmed up, it started acting up again. Sounded like it was missing something fierce, and if I push the clutch in and let off the gas, it'd stall. Illegally took HOV toll rd to I-66 and had a cop pull out behind me...AAAHHH! I can't afford a $600 fine!!!! so i put my hazards on-i took it cause i didn't want to have to heel and toe the brake and gas to keep from stalling through many a stop light/stop sign...cop ended up passing me and parking in the median...thank bro!
Another symptom: Sometimes, when I put my foot to the floor, it'll barely get above 3000 rpm and sound really bad, but if i give it light gas, it will rev up fine.
Again, it has not thrown any codes. Do I have a bad TPS, or loose wire god knows where????
(btw, truck has 156k on him now out of a planned 500k...eventually, I replaced T belt and water pump at 136k myself. I also recently did a full tune up and that's when the it ran worse afterwards, when the ignitor was bad-cap, rotor, new spark plugs, and 2 cans of AmsOIL PowerFoam to clean out the intake. This was last winter.
Thanks in advance for the help, i'm stumped! and i feel like :pop: cause sometimes it's ok, but now nearly everyday it's giving me a headache and won't run w/o my foot on the gas some at a stop and stuff. I also replaced the thermo time switch which was bad last month.
(sorry for the novel!)
Dave
'88 Jetta GLi 16v-rebuilding gearbox next weekend, if time permits w/ diff bolt kit, Peloquin 80% locker kit, etc