I have scoured and scoured the internet and have yet to find clear answers.

For one, Am trying to confirm my vacuum routing is correct. Mainly to do with my vsv’s and fuel pressure regulator.

Hoping to find someone with a stock 1990 pickup 22re that hasn’t changed any vacuum routing to hopefully email me a video of where all their lines are run.

Have found many diagrams and videos online, none of which are clear or that show all 3 of the vsv’s my truck has on the valve cover..


The issues I’m having are as follows ——
* Very Long crank time when the temperature is hot outside which was worsened after removing and replacing LCE exaust from behind the header back
*The old Exaust from the header back rusted out super quick (LCE exaust system with header) as if it’s gotten too hot many times making the coating fail ?? Idk
*Burnt gun powder smell after coming to a stop while the temps outside are hot
*Low power and hesitation during acceleration, mainly in >3k rpm range
*Exaust air injection tube on header looks like it’s been red hot many times, almost looks ashy



———I think it’s Obviously running rich and the symptoms that are worse when the temps outside are hot reflect that

Things that I have done to try to solve the problem
*New coolant temp sensor installed (not the one for The Gauge, the one for the ECU)
*Replaced the exaust from the header back to get rid of The leaky LCE slip fit setup (my cranking time lengthened after doing this or possibly after the new fuel pump, both were done at the same time)
*New fuel pump (it actually went out last month)
*disconnected cold start injector and stuck it in a plastic bottle, started truck and got zero fuel (temps outside were over 70)
*Replaced the coil with the original that I had taken off (just for ˟˟˟˟s)
*retarded timing to almost 2 degrees BTDC to help with the pinging (was recommended on 22re performance website I believe)
*Tested AFM and I’m not great with a multimeter but think it was out of spec on one of the measurements but plenty of people have said they’ve swapped them due to the same issue and it didn’t solve the problem so I am hesitant

All one by one and not at once ——
*Blocked off the EGR pipe that goes in the back of the plenum with strip of coke can (no change)
*unplugged cold start injector (no change)
* unplugged Brand new denso O2 sensor (no change)
*Adjusted TPS a half dozen times to be sure (No change)


*New OEM plugs/wires/fuel filter (Did this during the rebuild, also new valves, lapped in, valve springs and all the other obvious gaskets etc.



Idk what’s going on with it but I do think this issue was going on before I rebuilt the bottom end last year but seems to be more noticeable now as if it’s slowly getting worse.
the tops of the original pistons at 120k miles were caked with carbon buildup. (Decided to rebuild while doing a timing job)


My intuition says that it may be one of the following so am trying to eliminate those but unsure how on some of them…..
*Vacuum lines routed wrong, possibly with the charcoal canister or FPR (before the rebuild my fuel tank would build pressure or vaccum(forget which)and when I’d remove the fuel cap, it would hiss… after the rebuild this no longer happens (I did blow fuel lines clear, blew the canister clear and removed and reinstalled the tank but all lines are tight)
*ECU issue (if so how do I test to see)
*One of the VSV’s (red one I think ) leaks vaccum at certain rpm’s including idle but think I’ve read that’s normal operation)


am at a loss. Any 22re gurus feel up for some helpful troubleshooting? I’ll order you pizza, will send you my number to help with figuring this out if you’re up to it.
thanks!

 

Well now I’m starting to rethink everything dang it. My plugs (at least to me) look beautiful and tan colored.

what on earth could cause such gutless power, slight stumble at idle and long crank times when its either hot outside or once the engine is warmed up.

I’ve included 2 pictures of each plug, in order from cyl 1-4. Pics of both sides of each plug

 

Excessive exhaust heat makes me think Plugged catalytic converter… Just unbolt it and see what you get.

 

It was brand new from LCE, a high flow cat. Replaced it when I rebuilt the engine along with their header and full exaust.
Started smelling the burnt gun powder smell soon as I put it to use too.
i may be over reading the way the air injection pipe looks, I did paint it with high temp paint, but it wasn’t never painted stock, sort of looked anodized or something stock. Maybe that paint I used is just not made to hold up to the temps of the air injection.


but something weird is going on. And it had me absolutely stumped at this point.

 

did you ever figure out what the issue was?

 

..I know this is old but any truck should have the vacuum routing diagram on the righthand underside of hood....
..,also, at same time, I would check all 3 VSV solenoids for function...