I have a 86 Iroc 305 TPI with a 700r4. Recently the intake was takin off and apart to redrill and tap the thermostat bolt holes, the bolt broke off. I have also just replaced spark plugs and wires and the distributor. The engine will start, but it idles very rough and barely stays running. The timing mark is set to roughly 6 degrees, but jumps around, due to rough idle.

any clues??

 

do the plug wires need to be routed a certain way to prevent them from arcing against the manifold

 

You might want to double check and make sure the spark plug wires are routed correctly. If not it will cause a missfire/bad idle.

 

sounds liek you have either a split or missing vaccum hose. Same thing happened to me and they were the symptoms ...mushy throttle and had to have my foot on it to keep it idleing

 

Vaccum is exactly wut it is, got it barely running today and could hear the hiss from a line. sounds like its comming from underneath the plenum. is that where the EGR valve is located?

 

That's where it is located.

 

vacuum leak..and you got the firing order correct right?

 

i did have #5 and #7 plug wires mixed up, and my auto class teacher, where i am working on that car at, says its a vaccum leak, and u can hear the hiss when it runs