My 88 runner is sluggish when going uphill between 3k-3.5k or when i really step on it . Before and after that rpm range its fine. When the road is perfectly straight or downhill it runs fine. Got new plugs, wires, cap rotor and fuel filter. Air filter is fine. What can cause this problem? THA

 

spark timing, valve setting, plugs, plug gap, coil, intake leak, exhaust leak, EGR, clutch slipping, air/fuel mixture. WHAT WAS CHANGED/replaced, adjusted just before you noticed your "sluggishness"?

 

after finishing my motor swap (ended up installing a junkyard 22RE motor from a '94 in my '89 extra cab) i'm noticing that i'm still sluggish uphill too. prior to my motor swap i thought it was just the slop in the bottom end causing the problem, but now i'm thinking it might be more along the lines of either a partially clogged catalytic converter, or the crappy cap and rotor i put back on my distributor...but other than that, i can't see what the issue would be. i'll keep you posted, as i'm determined to reach the solution to my problem as my truck is a daily driver and i have a rugged commute in central/western massachusetts. let me know if you find anything on yours too!

 

check the gap with a brass feeler gauge on the magneto inside the distrubutor. check the book but it should by .003 to .008 i think.. but its been sense august sense i looked in my hyanes manual...

you have to take off the cap.

then pull off the rotor botton...

then rotate the engine until you can get a mesarurment.. then measure away.. with a feeler gauge..

you should just need a phillps screw driver and a feeler gauge, That is brass.. you could use a steel one but good luck fight the magnet..