Adjusting the Toyota 22RE pickup IAC auxiliary valve for more stable idle warm up

This is just a little follow up video on how I ended up having to adjust my IAC valve. Please see my other videos for more in-depth information if you are having issues with unstable idle, etc.

[@muasboy]

Your videos are great. Been restoring my dad’s 22re truck. And your videos helped me so much.

[@ray5961]

Thanks! I'm glad they helped out

[@83qwestor]

Hey Ray, i landed on this video while trying to figure out a similar issue on a 94 pickup with the 3vze that i recenty aquired. I was going to email you but coulnt find it on the about page. Sooo here goes. I bought it from a guy that was having issues fixing it and needed the space. He had a friend trying to fix a high idle who attempted adjusting everything they could reach to no avail. When i looked at it, i found it went straight to full throttle. I bought it and after some quick research i attempted to test the iac. Taped off the intake port in the throttle body, and fired it up. Brought the idle down drastically, to within maneagable limits. I attempted adjusting the ring,and found it seized. After a few attempts i sent it to a machine shop who was able to get the sleeve loosened,and they removed the ring and cleaned up the threads (wish i knew these adjustments were some sort of trade secret or something lol). So i adjusted the sleeve all the way in and installed it(now recognizing this as my first mistake). It ran if i gave it a bit of gas,but i noticed the tail pipe got hot pretty quick, causing the bit of grass up against it to smoke. Im assuming after watching your video that probably it was running rich? Anyway, im hoping you might have some insight on where to begin as every setting on this throttle body has been altered to an unknown degree at this point. Any advice? I do believe i need to replace the fan clutch as well,as it grabs immediately and so makes setting this by ear pretty difficult since theres no tach

[@ray5961]

The fan clutch is designed to grab immediately and then free wheel as the engine RPM's go up (i.e. the fan doesn't spin up also). You need the fan turning at low engine RPM's to cool the motor at a stop light. On the IAC, yeah, when I adjusted mine I wish I had made a mark to indicate the factory setting also. If you block off the air passage involved with the IAC valve, the motor should run normally once up to temp. I'm not sure how the IAC valve is configured to work on your motor, but on the 22RE if you turn the nut counter clockwise, it takes longer (higher heat) to shut off the air coming through the IAC. If you run the nut completely down, you are effectively disabling the IAC totally.

[@83qwestor]

@@ray5961 so by disabling it,the engine ends up running rich i assume?

[@ray5961]

@@83qwestor Think of the motor has having two phases - warm up phase, then normal operation. The IAC valve relates only to the initial warm up phase, until the motor gets up to around 150-160 degrees (about 5 minutes of driving approximately). Once coolant temp sends back a certain temp to the ECU, it flips out of that warm up mode and into normal operation. In normal operation, the motor and ECU could careless about the IAC - it expects it to be shut down by that time. So if you have dialed the nut down and caused it to be disabled, it might run a bit richer during the warm up phase, but not under normal operation, as the ECU expects it to be closed by that time anyway.

[@83qwestor]

@@ray5961 ah ok. Im thinking i might try your method,and set it about 4 turns out and see what i get. Would the other screws matter as much,other than for the position of the butterfly?

[@ray5961]

@@83qwestor I'm currently running 4.0 turns out from seated and it's largely okay. However, idle does drop a bit more than I would like if the truck is idling / warming up in the drive way. I think if I ever pull that stuff off to adjust it further, I'm going to give 4.5 turns a try. I think 4.5 turns out would be just about perfect, at least for my particular motor. If you go with 4 turns, you should be in the ball park. The O-ring on the idle adjustment screw is important. LCE sells an upgrade adjuster which is handy and comes with a fresh O-ring. Dash pot adjustment isn't really all that critical. Having the TPS adjusted exactly right is very important to correct operation of everything. You also wanna make sure the throttle body valve stop screw is adjusted correctly. Replacing the seals on the throttle body shaft never hurts, although usually those are fine for the most part. Make sure you do not have any cracks in the rubber elbow that goes into the intake / throttle body.. that's very common and can raise hell with your idle.

[@brandonjeffries6057]

@Ray Nada I have a 1991 Toyota Pickup with the 22re in it and I’ve had a high idle and idle surge issue for a while and I can’t figure it out. It surges for about 20 minutes during its warmup period and when the brake is applied it lowers the idle and surges, once it’s at operating temperature it’s gone completely. I’ve done all the research I can and never get anywhere near solving it. The truck has an egr delete and a smog delete. I’ve replaced all my vacuum lines, new brake booster, new tps, new IAC, Cleaned up the throttle body. My idle adjustment screw is also bottomed out and turning it out just continues to make the idle too high. I’m looking into flushing the coolant, doing a valve adjustment, and replacing the pcv. Do you have any ideas as to what could be causing my high idle and surge?

[@ray5961]

check the upper and lower hoses to the IAC valve and confirm both are warm. Also check the engine coolant temp sensor and make sure the voltage is correct. I would also try manually blocking the IAC air passage with some duct tape to totally shut off the IAC circuit and see if that helps (check some of my other videos for info). The other thing would be to check the integrity of the O2 sensor wiring harnesses and check the O2 sensors are working. Also check the injectors by pulling each harness off one by one if possible and or hold a hose to each one and confirm they are clicking. I have my EGR disabled but the AS still working as it helps keep the O2 sensors clean and also seems to help level out the ECU trim circuits. You can also monitor voltage on the VF and E1 terminals in the diagnostic box and see what the voltage is - that will give you some insight into the OBD1 and what the ECU is doing. I'll have a video on that soon actually. To me it sounds like the IAC isn't getting coolant flow or perhaps the engine coolant temp sensor is bad.

[@jacksonwren1802]

I have the exact same issue you described! Have you tried any of the solutions Ray Nada offered yet?

[@kawi1999jv]

Hi Ray I’m having a similar issue with idle air valve and I am wanting to replace it but online it’s 89-95 my truck is an 86 automatic transmission I’m wondering if it the same part for my year. Also my truck at times won’t shift correctly if I first turn it on and drive off first gear will go in but second will rev high but no slipping-if I come to a stop and start over problem goes away truck does it like once a month mainly when cold but sometimes even if warm an had been sitting for few hours could it also have to do with that air valve?

[@ray5961]

If I'm not mistaken, the 86 is carbureted whereas the 89-95 had fuel injection. So that's probably going to be a different part for your truck. Not sure about the transmission stuff; I mainly work on manual transmissions.

[@kawi1999jv]

@@ray5961 my 86 is fuel injected efi factory thanks

[@ray5961]

@@kawi1999jv in that case, it's probably the same setup. Just look under the throttle body and see. You can quickly check to see if there is water flowing across the IAC valve by checking the upper and lower hoses to confirm they are warm once the engine gets up to operating temp. That's always a good place to start.

[@kawi1999jv]

@@ray5961 it does have one was just wondering if your part would fit on my truck

[@ray5961]

@@kawi1999jv I'm not sure. The best thing would be to check the part #'s for each model year on line using Toyota's parts website. You can check your model year and also the 90 or 92 model or something and see if it comes up showing the same part # on their diagrams or not. Toyota does use a lot of the same parts among cars and years, so it's quite possible

[@jska413]

@Ray Nada ...great 22RE videos! Just embarking on a similar project myself with a 91’ 4WD, albeit much less involved with respect to custom fab of parts. A few questions.. I see a lot of capped vacuum lines - which systems did you delete? And before you went with your custom Wilwood brake setup, did you consider any other aftermarket solutions that would bolt right up? Thanks so much!!

[@ray5961]

Thanks! Yeah, initially I looked into doing some sort of big brake swap from later year Toyotas but couldn't really figure out anything I liked. I then looked into some kits by Little Machine Mfg or whatever it's called, but the one I liked required 18" rims, which I didn't want. Also tried one from Sky mfg but it was whack and and used a lame GM caliper - the first adapter from them was defective because they had an error in their CNC file; even after they finally believed me and fixed their CAD stuff, it was still not what I wanted. I ended up just designing my own to work with 17" rims and to use the specific calipers I wanted, along with the rotors, etc. But man oh man it was a lot of work. As far as the vacuum stuff, I'm still running the AS / air injection system as well as the EGR system, but I just relocated the VSV solenoids off to the side, so they aren't in the way of the valve cover. The only one I deleted was the fuel pressure VSV and then I just ran vacuum directly to the fuel pressure regulator on the fuel rail; so the load based on vacuum still modulates the fuel pressure, but the ECU doesn't have any say in the matter. So all the vacuum lines are present, they are just rerouted. I also made my own charcoal canister, but it's smaller so it doesn't take up as much space. Unless you are running a custom ECU, it's probably better to leave the EGR and AS systems working so the stock ECU doesn't wig out too much on the air/fuel ratio. You can tweak the spring in the AFM (air flow meter), but I've never had a lot of luck using that method. Check my other videos and I have one that explains how the different systems function also. Let me know if you have any other questions. Good luck with your project over there!

[@jska413]

@@ray5961 I appreciate all the background information, Ray. With the 4WD, I’m running 15” wheels with 31” tires so I’ll have even less options with respect to clearance. After stumbling on this video, I went down the rabbit hole watching many of your videos last night. It’s really great to see someone making new 22RE content, especially someone with your level of mechanical know-how! Your IAC video came in handy as I’m currently struggling with a sporadic overheating/idle surging issue that I think may be related to the IAC. I had an overpressurization of the coolant system that blew a ton of coolant out the overflow. At first I thought head gasket, blowing exhaust into the coolant, but I’ve pressure tested the coolant system, block tested via the radiator cap, and passed a compression test with flying colors. I’m thinking perhaps I have a partially clogged IAC or one of the lines running to it that’s making my idle jump. After my overpressurization incident, I found some silicone or RTV floating around in the radiator. I wonder if the PO was a little overzealous with its use during the head replacement and some has dislodged and got into the coolant system. I’m going to pull it and the throttle body off, clean them, and replace all the coolant lines on the truck. Probably get a new radiator too. Truck has ~275K, PO states he put a new head on it ~45K miles ago but used aftermarket. I’m going to get as much mileage as I can out of it while making other updates to the truck, and when it finally gets tired, probably throw in a brand new LCE long block. Though, perhaps you’ll have your 2.7 swap figured out by then and I can follow along and do the same! Thanks again Ray - really appreciate the content and comments!!

[@ray5961]

@@jska413 RTV can definitely clog the hose going to the IAC valve, but it's easy to check - just feel the upper and lower hose to see if both are warm to the touch. If so, then you're okay. You might consider installing a 180 degree thermostat also. Try purging the system of air also, but running the motor with the radiator cap removed (just be super careful and/or use that orange plastic thing I show - make sure to have the heater valve turned on also.

[@jska413]

@@ray5961 Yup - I burped the coolant system with the truck on an incline using a spill free orange funnel with the heat on. I still see some occasional surging. When it happens, coolant will expand into the funnel, and then all of a sudden the idle goes back to normal and the coolant level drops back into the radiator. That has me thinking an intermittent clog. I also tested my radiator with an IR thermometer and it’s about 140F at the top, 110F at the bottom, but the fins are all cold, so I’m thinking it’s gummed up. All this considered, I’m just going to rebuild the coolant system as previously mentioned. I found a dealer with the OE radiators still in stock, I think I’ll go that route for simplicity. Thanks Ray.

[@ray5961]

@@jska413 check some of my recent videos, there's one where I talk about my aluminum radiator and electric fan that might be of interest to you. To me, it sounds like you might have blocking in the motor some place. On my motor, before I changed the head gasket, I saw similar stuff to what you are talking about where coolant level rise and fall. After changing the head and head gasket and cleaning out the block coolant passages, etc, that seems to have gone away. Now I also can see the coolant flowing past the open cap much faster so I think I'm getting more circulation now. I'm wondering if before the cooling system was having trouble circulating correctly or something. The champion aluminum radiator is a direct bolt in and works really well. I'm running a 180 thermostat and the truck stays cooler on the highway now because it lets coolant flow a bit sooner. I needed that to balance when my electric fan comes on, but with a mechanical clutch fan it might not be as big a deal. With my current setup, my oil temp ranges between about 175 and 190. I have a gauge to measure water temp coming out of the radiator and going back into the motor, but it's not attached yet.

[@benjaminrico4277]

Question are ICV all the same on 22re ? I have 1988

[@ray5961]

Not sure about the 1988 model. The 1989 to 1995 should all be basically the same, since that's the generation span there. I believe with some of the earlier cars (before 1989), there was EFI and also carbs. If you check out some of my other videos, I show the IAC valve off my truck (which is a 1990 model year) in greater detail.

[@HotRodApache]

@Ray Nada Thanks very much for these IAC videos. Did that 3.5 turns adjustment work well? I'm fairly sure I did the exact same thing you did and reassembled my IAC at a much higher temperature setting (somewhere near thermostat temp). My other trucks are carbureted, so I can't use those as a benchmark.

[@ray5961]

it worked well, but I don't get as high an RPM at initial start up as I used to. But living in a relatively warm area, it works fine for me

[@HotRodApache]

Okay, I will give that a try. I'm in a warm area as well, so that works for me. Thanks again!

[@Samson-EC]

Hi Ray, do you think that cold injector would effect the fast idle on startup? Thks..jc

[@ray5961]

Generally speaking, it's not the injector itself, but rather the cold start timer switch / circuit. The IAC valve also plays an important role in things, especially that fast idle part in the morning. I have a couple of other videos on how the IAC valve functions, so you might enjoy checking out those. Here is a link specific to the cold start switch. There is also a good link at LCE (as well as 22RE performance's website) which explains how to verify that this switch is operating within range. 22reperformance.com/22re-engine-electrical/cold-start-injector-thermo-time-switch

[@Samson-EC]

@@ray5961 Thks Ray..Appreciate your time..jc

[@johnswennumsom5258]

Ah, I read that part wrong.. I thought you said the injector ground, you were referring to the ground on the plug tip, my mistake. Yeah, I may open my plugs a bit more or try removing some of that strap again. Im headed outside too and will share my findings here later. Im guessing now that the injectors are balanced I should see better results tuning the air meter. There’s no question more air is being used with the big bore throttle body and head porting. Also Ray, from my experiences buying LCE stuff over the many years.. their header (which I removed and sold as I believe it reduced low end torque significantly and there really isn’t a need for that free flowing exhaust on these motors. They need back pressure to generate good torque), their cat back (which I love and is unquestionably a quality part), etc, the big bore billet throttle body they sell is the best bang per dollar part. The few hundred $ was worth having new throttle plate bushings, much better throttle response, and all around consistent throttle function. Those old throttle bodies have a tremendous amount of use and it’s challenging to expect consistency from a part that old. I probably shoulda kept our 4Runner and sold the pickup.. soon it may be time to punt this old truck and move to something more consistent.

[@ray5961]

You're giving me flash backs to replacing the throttle body shaft seals! Yeah, never a dull moment on these trucks. I've debated selling mine and getting a 3rd gen 4Runner or maybe a 2005 Lexus GX470 or something, but so far I'm still enjoying this little pickup truck. That 4Runner, the one you had on your channel for sale, looked pretty darn nice. I've had good luck with the LCE header, although it's a bit louder than having the cast iron manifold on there for sure. Myself, I prefer a motor which has a bit more power up top and less torque lower down. I like being able to cruise my pickup on the highway at 85 or 90 and have smooth power when covering a lot of highway at night, etc. Oh, something else to consider here: which camshaft are you running? The reason I ask is because when I was building my 22RE, I almost bought the wrong camshaft. I had been search on line and ended up finding a cam that looked pretty good (made by comp cams or someone, I can't remember for sure). Anyway, when I called the company to inquire about it and mentioned what motor I was building, they told me "that cam might not work". What? What do you mean? Turns out, EFI motors have specific vacuum requirements and using a camshaft which isn't specifically designed for a EFI motor can introduce issues. After speaking with them, I did a little research and dug around on google and what they were saying did seem to be true. I still don't know the exact details of it all, but I vaguely remember it had something to do with lobe overlap or something. I don't remember all the specifics, but I ended up buying the camshaft from LCE and specifically went with one that was suited to EFI. I think you mentioned you got your motor from 22RE performance right? I don't have too much experience with them directly, but from what I have seen and heard, they seem to know their business. Nevertheless, might be worth doing a little research into that area and making sure the camshaft you have isn't doing anything to upset the EFI / ECU. I doubt it, but I just thought I'd mention it.

[@yoandricecilio1096]

Hey I have a question my truck is not getting hot on the dash gauge

[@ray5961]

check your sending unit first using an ohm meter

[@yoandricecilio1096]

@@ray5961 ok I will thanks

[@averyvinson6579]

Very interesting video buddy. I have a 1989 pickup with a 22re. I have replaced the iac with a oem valve. The problem I'm having is when the engine is between probably 130-180 degrees it idles low and rough. I was thinking maybe my iac is staying open too long? What do you think.

[@ray5961]

Hmm.. hard to say. The IAC valve should be pretty much totally shut by 140 degrees. My advice would be to tape over the inlet hole (just inside the throttle body) to take the entire IAC valve circuit out of contention. Then drive the truck and see if it idles okay once it's up to operating temp (~180F). That will tell you if your problem relates to the IAC stuff or if it's some place else. Also check to see if the hoses running to and from the IAC are both warm, once the motor is warming up. That will tell you if there is constant flow across the valve, which is required to keep it closed when the motor is hot.

[@johnswennumsom5258]

Hey Ray, great videos. I may have missed it in the video or comments, but you say you ended up about four turns out, but do you happen to know where the factory setting was?? Also, I’ve played with this system for years on my trucks and noticed that some of the IAC valves are stamped “1-A” and some “1-B”. I’ve been suspicious for years about the different markings, as they must have some meaning. This is the case for both aftermarket and Toyota Aisin made units. Lastly, I bought two of the champion rads from for my trucks after seeing yours, they are superbly crafted. Let me know what you think about the markings on the IAC. I’ve looked, but you seem to have a knack for finding information.

[@ray5961]

I'm currently running mine at 4 turns CCW out from fully seated yes. That seems to work well for the most part. I've noticed that around 100-130 degrees (oil temp) the truck sometimes idles a little odd, but it's fairly minor. I also recently adjusted the AFM 2 clicks more rich, which has helped idling overall (I think I had my truck running a bit lean across the board, due to the ported cylinder head, etc). But in my testing using hot water from the sink flowing through the IAC valve, 3.5 to 4 turns shuts things down around 125 to 130 degrees coolant temp. I wish I had marked the factory setting when I took things apart, but sadly I didn't fully understand the implications of what I was working on at that time. Not sure what the different Toyota casting # might refer to. Champion Radiators are okay, although mine leaked and I need to replace it.

[@johnswennumsom5258]

Thanks for the reply Ray. I’ve watched most of your videos on the truck, some many times. I can appreciate your attention to details and knowledge. I too have spent a lot of time playing with my 1995 pickup, the last 22RE year of those trucks. I have a ported head stage 2.5 build from Jim Putney at 22RE Perfomance, had LCE header, still have their muffler and throttle body. It runs well driving, but has honestly always had issues at hot starts and idling warmed up. I’ve been through every wire and sensor many many times.. all swapped and or replaced with Aisin, Denso and or Toyota parts. I had two newer IAC valves laying around, one from Toyota and another from Oreillys, and had been running the Toyota valve for a few years. In that truck I have the CSF 3 core radiator and I believe part of my idle issues are stemmed from too much heat dissipation. As it idles up on cold starts and then down, where I’ll set the idle screw etc. It cools too well after the thermostat opens in winter up here in Seattle with the heat on. Lately it’s been abnormally cool. So it idles up, then down as it heats up, then the TStat opens and cools things a little, which subsequently keeps open the idle valve just very slightly, which results in a higher driving/stopping idle (TStat open). So then I lower the idle screw, which results in too low idle at hot starts etc. I’m chasing my tail.. So, while farting around watching your videos I thought I may be having a similar situation to you, but with an actual functional valve etc. I mangled those two valve nuts pretty good trying to fabricate a socket tool. I finally have one I made from an impact socket , but have been hesitant to try it until I know damn sure she’ll get that nut turning without stripping it further. Any advice? I’ve been delicately soaking the adjustment nut threads in blaster penetrating oil/acetone for a few days until I have time to fool with it. I’d love to exchange information to bounce ideas if you’re comfortable. I’m not a serious KZbin junky, but I’m looking forward to seeing the engine swap you’re working.

[@ray5961]

@@johnswennumsom5258 Hi John - You can test the IAC valve by taping over the inlet. That will effectively disable it and sometimes that can help tell you whether the issues you are seeing are related directly to the IAC valve or not. Just get some duct tape and remove that rubber elbow, then cover that one hole I show in the video. As far as removing the nut inside the IAC valve, you might want to apply some heat to the nut also. If you made a socket tool, you might also want to consider using one of those impact drivers that you hit with a hammer. Here is the one I use, which has worked great in situations such as these: www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000IHWEWM With regard to cooling and/or over cooling, the 22RE does need to reach temps of around 180 in order to function correctly. Most of the motor sensors need to be operating around 180 otherwise the ECU may still believe it's warming up the motor. I have similar issues sometimes on my truck, because I have an electric fan setup and a 170 degree F thermostat. It's not a major problem, but I have noticed the truck runs better if it's a touch hotter. Also, if you are running a ported head, you may need to richen up the AFM. If you haven't already done so, you might want to read up on adjusting that at LCE's website. I think I have a video which shows it also, but you cut open the seal on the lid for the AFM and then mark the wheel in there (for the factory setting). Then I'd suggest running 2 clicks more rich (turn the wheel with the notches CCW 2 clicks by holding that spring wire thing off it with a screw driver). Idling on the 22RE will be greatly improved if you give the motor a slightly richer base line to operate from. The other thing is bump your base ignition timing (with the jumper between the TE and E1 I believe on the diagnostic box) to more like 7.5 degrees, instead of the factory 5 degrees. Also, you might want to run through the setting / adjustment process on the TPS since that can really have a big impact on smooth idle. Finally, check the door inside the AFM to ensure it's not sticking or biding against the housing; if that happens and the door is not opening correctly, it will mess up your idle something terrible. Also, clean Denso plugs can help matters too. I personally run Denso W14EXR plugs on my 22RE (with basically no ground strap on them) and a higher output MSD coil and plug wires. The hotter range plugs help offset a motor which is not getting up to temp as well due to the better cooling system. Also, you might try running your idle more around 850 to 900, instead of the factory 750, especially if you have a slightly larger cam. Let me ask you, do you have any air/fuel gauge or vacuum gauge setup? If so, what vacuum level (in in/Hg) are you pulling at idle there? Feel free to contact me directly via the address on my KZbin page there also. Happy to chat anytime.

[@johnswennumsom5258]

Thanks Ray, yes, I’ve been through the gauntlet on these trucks. I’ve adjusted many o’ VAFMs over the years. My TPS is spot on (0.57” < 2.3 kohms, 0.85” infinite) and a factory part. And the TPS has no dead spots. It would take a series of novels to detail my experiences and work on these vehicles. We’ve owned around six over the last 13 years. This white truck has always given me trouble though, while every other build/project I’ve done goes smooth. I’m gonna play with the valve here shortly and see what happens. As I said, even with a new factory valve I believe they never quite shut after the TStat opens in winter up here in WA. I have three newer IACVs here and before touching the adjuster nut, all three are set at different turns/rotations, with the largest discrepancy being about a full turn. This makes me wonder, but then again, everyone getting a newer valve would be having these issues. Maybe they are ? Who knows.. It’s interesting. I have an impact and yes, they work well. I suppose I’ve been a little too conservative on moving the adjustment but. I thought about heat but was reserved about the wax valve and rubber in there.

[@ray5961]

@@johnswennumsom5258 You can rule the IAC valve out by covering the inlet hole with some duct tape. You might also try resetting your ECU by pulling the 15A EFI fuse under the hood. Also, try running the AFM 1-click or 2-clicks more rich along with the reset.

[@davidjennings127]

Toyota repair Manuel has specs to test in cold and hot and settings.

[@benjaminsanchez6332]

Es como el rojo tuyo?

[@ray5961]

?

[@albertliverman2572]

Hi I have a problem with my 89 22re has a miss at idle and low rpms. I as well came a across your videos great info too but can’t seem to find the problem I’ve read that it could be leaking injectors as well as the cold start one. I put new flamethrower ones last year so I’m ruling those out as of now. Oh it’s also hard to start it cranks more than it use too I’ve owned this truck for 5 years now. I work on my own stuff because I like to learn about these great motors. Anyway I’ve heard good and bad about those injectors also I did the duct tape trick too nothing changed so I’m assuming that that’s not the problem. The truck is completely stock. I’ve considered deleting the emissions stuff to see if that would help. Any input would help thanks for putting these videos together for people that love Toyota’s I own three lol

[@ray5961]

I'd check the spark plug wires, cap and rotor. I use a diagnostic device called the TA500 which will shows spark plug burn time and voltage - that can really help track down issues. Check the spark plug wire resistance also. A broken wire can cause a miss at idle. I'd also check the spark plugs for oil residue. You could have a failing head gasket. Does your motor burn a lot of oil? That can be another rip off. Usually a miss is electrical issues. I'd check for vacuum leaks also. As far as removing the smog stuff, that won't help as much as you might think, especially if it's working correctly. Try applying vacuum to the top of the EGR valve and see if the car starts to stall out, that will help confirm the EGR valve isn't stuck open. You can leave that vacuum hose off to totally disable the EGR system for testing, but keep in mind most of the smog stuff only comes into play while cruising. As idle and WOT it's off anyway. I'd check your plugs for sure and look at the color and also run a compression check (all plugs out, holding the throttle open, crank for 10 seconds) - each cylinder should be around 170 +/- 5 psi or so. On a good motor it should be 170 to 175 right across the board usually. Hard cranking could be a vacuum leak or ignition. Usually the 22RE should fire right up in less than 1 second and run well. Also, sometimes a miss can be carbon build up on the top of the pistons - it will create a little hot spot that almost acts like a glow plug in rare cases. Try running the highest octane gas you can buy, also make sure your initial timing is correct. The other thing is to clean the inside of the distributor cap because sometimes you can end up with carbon traces or moisture in there. Definitely check your spark plug wires. Also check that the ground strap between the cylinder head and block or frame is good; I added a 2nd ground strap from the cylinder head to the block and from the block to the battery using fresh battery cable and that helped things run better on my truck for sure.

[@albertliverman2572]

@@ray5961 I thank you for your input it’s fixed it had moisture in the cap and I did put some additive in the fuel today going to fill it ton the way to work this week.

[@ray5961]

@@albertliverman2572 cool good luck! Best fuel injector cleaner is Techron injector cleaner at Chevron. Also marvel mystery oil isn't half bad