Okay, I just rebuilt my 1989 22re it spun a rod at only 157K . I've only owned the truck for 15K and until then it ran great, but upon getting into it I could see the motor had previously been into. Lots of Ultra Grey gooping up the timing cover, new timing chain, etc. Anyways I've owned these trucks since I was old enough to drive, and had at least three I put 350K+ on and never had to pull a motor before. I've replaced several timing chains, did a blown headgasket or so, but don't work on them regularly for the simple reason that they don't usually need it.


So I rebuilt the motor, new bearings, rings, timing chain (even though I could see it had already been replaced) water pump, head resurfaced, etc. Put it back together, and it starts up fine, but idles fast, as it warms up it will slow down until it won't idle at all by the time it gets warm (which makes it really difficult to check the timing, but that is at least closeish). I've double checked the timing marks, pulled the distributor out and checked that I had it in right (a tooth either way and it is way off), looked everywhere for any loose vacuum hoses, and can't see any. It runs great if you take it for a test drive, but it won't idle when warm.


I suspect a vacuum problem, but that is mainly because there are a bunch of hoses (I disconnected as few as possible) that I THINK I got all hooked back up right, but since I don't really understand what most of them do, it is possible I didn't. Or it could be something else? Am I missing something obvious?

 

I would guess the idle air control valve. I had a similar issue on an 89 in that when cold it would start up fine but idle crazy fast until it warmed up. I made the mistake of trying to idle it down while it was still cold and ended up making it so that it'd idle so low once warm that it'd die.

 

It has been dark when I left in the morning and dark when I get home at night, the last few days, so it will probably be this weekend before I work on it. I have it in a shop, but the shop isn't finished and isn't wired for lights yet. Additionally the radiator decided to spring a fairly major leak (apparently from being taken out and put back in, it didn't leak before hand) so I am waiting on a new radiator which will hopefully be here before the end of the week. but I will check the idle air control valve. How exactly did you check it, I read a couple different things on it, but nobody seemed to have a real method of determining for sure if it was working right, except replacing it.