Manmeyco
Newbie
So I checked it, and you're right! The distributor is loose. When the engine was warm, I pushed it to another position, and the truck idled smooth, although generally when the engine is warm it runs a lot smoother anyways. After letting it cool for a few hours, experimented again and sure enough, it idled fairly smooth, with an occasional pop, but not nearly as bad as before. However, it's definitely not the only problem, and I'll have to see how it runs tomorrow morning, as that's when it's usually at its worst.Check to make sure your distributor hold-down is tight. The backfiring is a pretty good indication the timing is off, and the intermittence sounds like the distributor might be rotating on its own.
My mechanic claimed to have set the distributor, though, so either he did a terrible job or it loosened itself. Now I'm kinda stuck, though - A: I don't have the tools to tighten the bolt properly, so going to have to buy some (need to get myself a good socket set anyways), and B: Other than going by ear, I have no way of knowing what angle it needs to be at. I borrowed a friend's scan tool but I couldn't find the cam retard reading (it's a bluedriver, so I'd expected it to, based on the price).
I'll let you guys figure it out, but the exhaust smells less gassy than before, although even before the smell wasn't too strong. I wouldn't trust the O2 sensor on my truck though, judging by the state of the exhaust. I crawled under there a while back and found one of the sensors unplugged. Plugged it in, made no difference.You'd check for rich/lean by looking at the O2 sensor voltage.
I want to get a brand new exhaust setup, as the pipes are badly rusted, and plus that means I can install a new EGR hose that works (the current one is rusted on both ends). I'm worried though that I'll put it on, fire it up, and one afterfire will blow holes in my brand new setup. Those pops are loud enough to be considered illegal firecrackers (NY...) in their own right. Or is that unrealistic? And is it worth it, or would I be better off patching everything up? And plus, while I should, I don't have a welder or jack stands (yet), so anything more than nuts & bolts will either mean relying on a friend who has the tools but no time, or burning through my paycheck on tools.Fix the EGR
Fix the exhaust leaks from the converter forward.
See what happens.
Or would it be better to find a shop that does exhaust? And should I go with stock or aftermarket?
I am so out of my league (and my budget). Makes for good experience, though, and I like to think of the cost as regular tuition to mechanic school. No pain, no gain!