to start off i have an 87 pickup with the 22re, when i start it up cold it runs smooth for a few minutes until it starts to warm up then it starts running rough and misses badly, without giving it gas it wont idle on its own.

i already changed the routine plugs/wires & cap/rotor with no improvement

i have exactly one week to get it running good enough to drive across the state and dont know where to start next

 

There is a very good sticky on this if you search "idle" in this forum. But I will suggest cleaning/checking the throttle body next.

 

Throttle body clean (never hurts)
Idle Air Valve
Coolant temp sensor

Possibilities......in that order.

 

Have you done any work on it? Mine did that after my HG change, I had 2 vacuum hoses switched... Does it run smooth when you raise the RPM?

 

idle speed, timing, etc. are always set with the engine warmed up. take care of that and you'll only have to deal with a truck that won't idle well (maybe) until warmed up.

then you can fix the things that affect cold idle: idle air valve / auxillary air valve, cold start injector timing switch and cold start injector.

get it running well warmed up first then trouble shoot why it won't idle cold.

 

Maybe I'm being a brickhead, but how does the cold start system affect cold idle? Do you mean under normal operation or in the event there's a malfunction that there's any effect?

ps. You need an avatar, Abe!

 

The CSI doesn't really effect cold running, other than MAYBE incidentally from any pooling fuel.
The CSI turns off the instant the starter loses power.

 

I have a 86 22re turbo when this happened to me i had low compression in the head. I only i had one cylinder actualy firing and work properly. I had two choices rebuild head or the the core and i rebuilt the core.

 

Oh, I know how it works. I was just givin' Abe a poke in the ribs.