You have to feather the throttle to start the truck which isnt good then once it finally does start the timing bounces around from around 8* to 13*. Its never consistent. I overheated the truck really bad a few months back (temp sensor doesnt work..) and ever since then i have had nothing but major problems. I wasnt getting any spark initially and the coil was fairly new and seeing as how i had a surging issue at the time i went ahead and changed the ICM for giggles.

 

Distributor worn out maybe?

 

If it is doing this with the SPOUT out, assuming it is, I would lean towards a worn/stretched timing chain.

 

yea rla2005 thats a good call. Thats exactly the next thing im gonna check out. Appreciate it.

 

Whats this SPOUT you're talking about?

 

The SPOUT is a small grey plug in the wiring to the distributor that disables computer control of the timing. If the plug is in place, the timing will jump around erratically. Looking at the timing with the plug installed is a waste of time. You have to remove the SPOUT to get any meaningful timing information.

 

As Andy indicated above it's the plug that enables the computer to control the timing. With the SPOUT connected the timing will vary. If you have set the base timing to ~10* with the SPOUT in then you have severely retarded the base timing. Pull the SPOUT then set the base timing, then re-install the SPOUT.

Your SPOUT connector may look something like the plug on the distributor connector below:

courtesy of oldfuelinjection.com


Or like this:

 

Ok I see the SPOUT that we're talking about. Mine looks like the 2nd pic. I have never touched this plug at all ever...right now there appears to be a resistor plugged into it. I have no idea where Im suppose to plug it back into once i set the base timing.

 

Pull the grey plug out, set timing, put grey plug back in.

 

Copy that, ok so after I set the timing with it unplugged and everything plugged back in the engine surges hard. I havent pulled the codes yet. Its also ticking pretty bad up top somewhere. The engine was actually surging hard before I could even plug the SPOUT back in.

 

KOEO: 11
CM: 14, 96

On the code 96 I have no front tank installed on the truck, it that helps....

 

What did you set the timing to?

 

around 10-11*

 

14: Profile Ignition Pickup Circuit Failure
96: Fuel Pump Circuit Open-Battery To PCM (Others)

96 would be from no first tank.

14 is where you issue lies. I'm thinking either bad TFI module (the module on the distributor), or the pickup inside the distributor itself is bad.

 

DCT 14: Two or more successive erratic Profile Ignition Pickup (PIP) pulses occurred, resulting in a possible engine miss or stall.

As mentioned before, you probably have a bad PIP aka stator inside the distributor.

Info on stator: Fuel Injection Technical Library » Stator (RPM)