Hello all.
Got a bit of an issue with my pickup.

Yesterday, I was driving through town and the truck started sputtering and bucking. It seems to idle ok, though. At first, I thought it was the trans (auto), but when I parked it and revved it a bit, there is an obvious hesitation. If you hold the throttle, it seems to steady out at higher RPMs.
What's also weird is that it doesn't do it consistently (every trip).
It sputtered twice yesterday on one ride, then it ran great on my next trip.
Then today, on my way to work, it sputtered like hell on the way there, but then driving around at work it ran fine again.

Any ideas? It's the 22re (I think all the later ones were, right?) No CEL or anything.
I haven't had this truck very long (couple of months), and all I've done is a valve adjustment, new temp sensor, and regular stuff. Don't really know much about these trucks, and was hoping you all had some ideas.

Thank you much!

 

have you checked the intake hose after the mass air meter to the t body for any cracks?

 

No, but I will. Thanks for the reply.

It's weird because I drove it about 25 more miles today...towns and backroads...and not a single problem.
Odd..
I'm sure it will come back really bad when I really need it not to..

Only thing I left out of the last post is that it's been sitting for about 2 weeks or so. Not much time, but worth mentioning. I put a new battery in it about a month ago, though.
It's bike season, so I ride when I can...

 

So if you're setting, idling in park or neutral, you can step on the pedal and it revs up to some rpm's then just hovers there like a rev limiter?
Check the spark plugs, make sure none of the plug wires are loose or grounding out, check the distributor cap and rotor, check that all the plugs around the igniter are clean, dry and secure and the coil terminals are tight.

Next time it does it, double check while it's doing it that the CEL is not on. Heck, you might as well try pulling any codes now. My 88 did a similar thing. It started intermittently and progressed to all the time. It took me a while to realize the CEL was on when it was happening but went out as soon as it stopped. Mine turned out to be a failing igniter.

 

Fuel filter? Spark plugs, cap, rotor, wires, coil/igniter are all possible causes, but I'd put my money on the fuel filter.

 

Of course check codes as abe said...

Is it possible you got some bad gas??

Could be loose connection, failing fuel pump, failing coil or igniter...

 

No, it doesn't limit out... it just stutters real bad down at lower rpms (above idle), but seems to not stutter up at high rpms. Doesn't idle badly at all.


Ok, well I checked some stuff out.

The intake hoses (hell, every other hose I could find, too) are all in good shape.

Wires and cap/rotor are in good shape (obviously, I couldn't see inside the wires for possible breaks, but they're like new and firing). I started the truck and wiggled them all around a bit, too. Truck revs smooth.

Justin, this was my first thought. I'm sure it needs replaced anyway, so I'll just slap a new one on tomorrow. Looks like it's under the intake manifold? Any tricks?
I hate it when they do that... they can't just strap it to the firewall up top... Well, at least it's not in the tank, right?

sb5walker, I suppose it could be a failing fuel pump or coil. The only experience I've had with coils is instant death. Well, one time on a honda, it just wouldn't start. That one was weird. Same with fuel pumps, but I've heard all kinds of crazy stuff with fuel pumps.

I tried to check the codes, too.
This was strange. I read that in "normal" you should get a blink every 4.5secs or something. Well, mine just blinks steady, once about every half second.... forever. Well, for at least like 2mins.
It just blinks and blinks.
Hell, first time I did it, the OD OFF light blinked with it. Then I actually turned the OD Off, and just the CEL blinked. Same rate. It just keeps blinking. It blinks about like a turn signal...constant. No pause, just blinks.

I fired the truck up again about 20mins ago and took it for a spin, and it ran fine again.. WTF??

 

UPDATE:
It WAS the plug wires.
I started it, and was standing there staring at the motor (in disgust..lol) with my hand on the fender.
Then I started getting the chit shocked out of me. There was an arc almost an inch long coming off the coil wire and nailing my hand.
I decided new wires were in order, and it hasn't stuttered in like 6 weeks.
Thanks to all.