the past week or so my 2.2 has been back firing when i shift and it catches me off gaurd everytime and i bout jump out the window and cars by me laugh lol anybody know what it could be i also smell fuel so im thinkin a carb problem but i dont know where to start

 

well-year of vehicle helps...2.2= a 20R i think. check your timing too

 

my bad thought i had it on my signature but its an 86

 

I'm with dropzone on this. If your timing is off then it's not burning off all the fuel when the spark plug fires and thefuel is collecting and then POW

 

carefully check ALL of your vacuum hoses. i had several cracked and leaking hoses in my egr system and as soon as i let off the gas in my 87 ....POW!!! huge backfire. it sounded like a shotgun and blew up 2 mufflers. as soon as i fixed that..(read..deleted it...) it never did it again and run much better