The Dangers of Self Diagnosis (very long)

[T Berk <tberk@mindspring.com>]

"What could be my problem?" I pondered- Idle was a little off, car was
surging between 2K-3.5K, but only during partial throttle. Full throttle
was OK, but not spectacular.

Mileage was off too- down a few MPG. :(  So, I did the tune up stuff (it
was time) and things got a _bit_ better, but not for long. New fuel
filter, cap, plugs, recharged K&N. Injector O-rings were less than 20K.
WTF?

Grrr, what could be the problem? I dropped half a bottle of Redline
detergent through it, & a couple of Chevron's Techroline to no avail.
Air leak, it must be an air leak. (Don't want to consider the pump going
bad.)

Started interrogating the vacuum lines and the idles began to change.
Aha! But- all the lines are OK. Put my hand back on the air intake
manifold to support my weight and leaned into the engine bay- Aha! Idle
goes down, near stalling. Jump back up- that line must be it! But nope-
It's OK.  :o

Put my hand back on the intake manifold as I checked the rubber boot and
accordion part of the fuel dist- Aha! That must be it; the idle dances
around when I mess with it. But No, as I come around the front of the
car and tug and pull on the rubber boot it idles steady.  :(

Back around the side of the car and I discover that my body weight
leaning on the intake manifold causes the idle to go up and down. I rock
the engine back and forth and listen to the sucker about to stall and
then rev up to normal, back & forth, back & forth.

Reaching around the back by the firewall I feel for the hex socketed
bolts which hold the manifold on and find them loose to the touch.  =80
Holy Moly!

The thing was about to disengage itself from the top of the engine, I
think the suction of normal operation was a deciding factor in keeping
it in place. :)

Got out the ole' 6 mm and cranked down on them there bolts and took it
for a test spin down the block- Man! I didn't know I was missing so much
exhilaration! WooHoo!

Moral- don't run out of Locktite when transplanting engines.  8P

TBerk
(Only problem now is the my car runs up the tach too fast. I have to
keep switching to a higher gear. ;)


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