I'm sorry guys/and gals for imposing on your good manners and breeding but my son uses this little grocery getter to keep miles off his '87 with the Bank's Sidewinder. This little high mileage ( '95 OBD I ) car received a timing belt maybe 10K miles ago and lately developed a real problem: she stumbles and will die on you around idle, even after driving a few miles. When starting it you need to hold the pedal to the floor and after a minute or two( literally) she slowly picks up to RPM where you can drive it again. She only threw 2 codes 1-O2 sensor, 1-EGR circuit.
List of tests/parts replaced.
cap,plugs,rotor, wires- Replaced by my son along the road so to speak.
O2 sensor replaced. Clean,tested EGR parts.
Throttle Body Fuel inj. because fuel looked like it was dribbling out like a garden sprinkler can, now has spray pattern.
Fuel filter changed, fuel press. within spec at idle and while driving with gauge duck taped to windshield. Fuel tested just before fuel press reg.
Vacuum leaks looked for with tester and lightly spraying carb cleaner around intake mating surfaces and vac. hoses.
Comp. test done while a little warm and all cyl. within 10% deviation @ 170psi
I have even threatened it but these little buggers don't threaten easy.

Any ideas? Any you guys have neighbors that might? We would really appreciate any helpful suggestions and even some that ain't.

 

Checked the idle air control and mass air flow sensor? Vacuum leaks would cause the opposite of your problem (high idle) might also want to test fuel pressure after the regulator, could be that the regulator is either partially clogged or failing.

Oh and take all of the above with a grain of salt as Ive never touched a geo metro (or any other geo)

 

Your timing has skipped probably. I have 2 of these cars.

 

Will a 7.3 fit in that thing?

I'm teasing, I hope you get your issue fixed, I agree with 89, it has jumped time.

 

I wondered about timing, we did check with a light and it was only like 2* off. I'm wondering if it really had jumped time would it not be further out?

I'm thinking a 7.3 would be a bit tight but I might have tried it when I was 21, we used to do some stuff almost as crazy.

 

your timing light shows spark timing, the boys are talking about cam timing here. it won't be too hard to check, pull off the top timing belt cover, put crankshaft to TDC and look at the cam timing marks. also check for slack in the belt as you're in there. obviously, if your cam timing mark is nowhere to be seen, rotate the engine a full turn forward till you get there.

 

Will do guys, but probably tomorrow. Thanks all!

 

Looks like you guys already got there, was going to suggest valve timing as well. When we threw the 400 together last winter for my grandpas 79 i put the timing set on and im not kiddin ya 100% forgot to line em up lol. Finally got it started and did what youre saying. All time i feel like a dumb *** moment for me there.

But seems to me, that if that were the case your compression would be way off. 170 sounds pretty healthy. The 79 you could definately tell it was turnin over easier than it shouldve.

Are there any obvious misses? Sometimes they can be hard to tell in those little 4 bangers

 

one tooth off won't do much damage to compression readings, but will really screw over how it runs.

 

When lining up timing marks before pulling crank pulley and cover the dist. rotor button was on #1 and when pulled cover the cam and crank marks line up???
I will do electrical tests again and am wondering if it is the fuel pressure regulator? The "kit" at NAPA is only a rubber gasket for $35.00 and there are no extra holes,tears etc. in the old one. Could it be that it has gotten hard or something? Even though it seems pliable?

Oh, this is the 3 cyl. version. I'm wondering about dropping a Homelite chainsaw engine down in her.

 

well then, your timing is fine, so we get to look somewhere else.

have you plugged a code scanner into it to see if it'll try to tell you anything?

 

Well guys, missed a step in the diagnosing. The OBD I has a empty fuse space you plug in an extra fuse and with key on engine off the check engine light starts flashing just like using the jumper wire on other ( GM I'm used to ) systems. When it gave me 13 and 51, O2 sensor and EGR circuit we replaced parts and cleaned up the EGR. Since it started and sometimes would run good I never remember checking the pickup coil. It is out off spec. with the one meter I used. I will check and recheck before committing the $130. for this item.

 

Well the pickup makes her run so much better AFTER you get it running and kind of warm. You still have to feather the gas pedal till that time. I was able to test drive it and get back home so right now Im soaking the rubber diaphragm in Sta-bil and will try to clean out the area around the fuel pressure reg. I don't trust those things with problems I have seen on PSD 7.3.