Well I managed to fix my first problem... car would intermittently shake like crazy and pop from the muffler - - some of the exhaust valves were sticking open so it would back fire thru the exhaust.... lashed the valves and everything is great now.

However, the damn thing will stall on me now!! Driving thru my subdivision it stalled twice when i went to stop two different times. It will also sometimes stall if i rev it slightly in park. Now the thing is that the idle on the car is rather low when warmed up, only around 600 or so. I went and checked the timing earlier today and it was around 11/12* advance...now unless i was doing it wrong, isn't this a bit high? So to solve my problem temporarily, i bent the metal tab on the TPS sensor forward (towards front of motor) so the engine does idle a little bit higher now..... however i would like to know if there is any other possible way to increase the idle (how high can i safely advance the timing??), and if anybody has any clue as to why it's been stalling when i go to stop.

Thanks

 

600 in P is a good rpm to idle at, as fire as your problem, I'm not sure, have you checked for a dirty fuel filter.

 

i changed the fuel filter last week so it rules out that possibility... and im stumped as to what else it could be because everything seems to be running fine, except for the few times when it stalls :\

 

That timing is fine. Have you changed the oxygen sensor at all? It could be toasted from that backfiring. Getting any check engine lights? I had a similar problem last year, it went away after changing the maf relays and sensor.

 

thanks, i'll hafta check those out.... how much $$$ would a few sensors and relays set me back??

Thanks