SVPete

dbkirkp - I got a good laugh from your post^^. The term "operator head space and timing" comes to mind. Don't feel too bad, EVERYONE has had an experience similar to yours. You were just man enough to admit it. I'm still chuckling. Thanks.

Since today is the "Date which will live in infamy", this makes me think of my Grandmother, who was one of the toughest, most ingenious and adaptable people I knew ("hardy" would be another word). I bet she knew this and told me when I was a lot younger....and I forgot. It is great that this bit of knowledge is being recycled, I appreciate it. We depend too much on technology or special "formulations", when all we need to do is "MacGyver it".

Hmmmm, sounds like that "bucking" thing. Ahh, I do remember the first time I felt it, rolling down I-10 at 75 mph with my son (maybe 2005-ish?)....and we looked at one another with the "what the hell was that" look. Hard to believe, 1987 with only 82k? I hit that around 1998 and that was with the truck sitting about three years while I was in Germany. After you work through Cruisers tips....please check back in because coil and EGR come to my mind, but not with only 82,000 miles. Meaning, don't buy parts first. Do the simple and tedious things since they may cure your problem (and they need to be done since they will solve/fix/help so many little things). 29 years is still 29 years, things corrode, gunk hardens, stuff leaks.

I highly recommend you start simple. Read Cruiser's tips on Cruiser54.com. Start with cleaning and improving grounds. Clean the fuse box if the clutch master cylinder leaked on it (which it probably has), including the black gunk out of the connector (which sucks to clean). Change the fuses since the brake fluid from the clutch master cylinder will have corroded them. Since a 1988, clean the C101 connector (which sucks more than the fuse box). Do these things (and read all of Cruisers tips) before you start going down rabbit holes, tearing steering columns apart, or buying parts.......

I understand you are experiencing an electrical problem? I know this has nothing to do with electrical but...... I thought my washer pump was inop for a number of years. Turned out the hose "T" connection under the grill looking thing (don't know the correct name for it) between the hood and windshield was broken. I never would hear a "buzzing" noise from the pump when activating it. I was finally troubleshooting it one day and my Wife noticed water dripping from under the truck after repeated attempts of trying to activate the pump. On the electrical side...if you haven't done the ground refreshing and instrument panel ground in Cruisers tips, I recommend you do so. I also recommend you look at "improving blower motor performance. Go to Cruiser54.com and read all topics.

Your clock in the key off position looks normal to me. I can kind of make out mine without the bulb illuminating it also.

There is supposed to be a fiberglass heat shield on the passenger floor in that area. Perhaps it was thrown away after a water intrusion problem?

Made me go out and look with a flashlight (twice)......your drivers side looks exactly like mine.....a slight outward bend of the u-bolts and a slight upward bend of the mounting plate. Passenger side of my truck...the inward u-bolt is bent more than the drivers side, but not quite as much as yours. FYI, bought our truck new and have never touched those bolts, and both leaf springs are actually against the outward u-bolt (thus, not centered). Doesn't look like anything hit that area and if you are not having any problems...got to say, let that dog lie.

When it dies, does it take forever to re-start.....like it is flooded? When my truck had similar issues, after then engine cut out (seemed like electrically it died), I swear I could hear the injectors firing more. Either crank a long time to re-start or just wait 10 to 15 minutes.

I pulled mine on the side of the road about 25 years ago and had it re-welded for a buck. Don't remember it being too difficult.

If you really want to fix a valve cover leak, get the good gasket which is a combination of silicone over a metal frame (about $30 from rockauto). No sealant is required for installation. I highly recommend torquing the bolts and working through them a few times (torque, wait, apply torque again). I wasted money on the cork/rubber gasket.....get a good one. I used Fel-Pro PermaDryPlus. De-grease the engine at the car wash, then continue to clean/wash it regularly. That way it is easier to spot problems.

I put a CPS I got from Autozone in my truck 9-ish years ago. I don't have any problems with it. My problems were other things....which were troubleshot by the dealer as a bad CPS. I'm interested on how the different CPS works out for you.

Might want to read/search some of the threads......including 4.0forlife's Random Power Loss here on the first page.

When I switched from 205's to 235's.......it made it look like a truck that would go off road, instead of a car with a bed.

The plugs I put in when I was working on my issue are AC Delco copper plugs. I went basic. Previous plugs were Autolite double platinum. Not being a big expert and just daily driving my truck (not racing, rock climbing, etc.), not sure if there is a whole lot of difference.

Why does it seem too good to be true? The bed looks immaculate. Did nothing get put in it for 29 years? VIN/CarFax check as mentioned above. If true....WOW!

Another reason why my truck is special......since I have the rare factory bracket on my truck when I bought it new.......and the wife wanted A/C.....

I assume your original problem has not replicated itself since you replaced the EGR (driving along and then give you a buck)? A new coil solved most of this current problem, which appeared after pulling the head, or is it tied to the original problem? Hopefully you have done Cruisers tips. If not, I highly recommend to go back and start there before you invest any more money. Cleaning the C101 connector sucks (as does the fuse box connector). Cleaning (refreshing) the grounds is easy. Even though you replaced the TPS and adjusted it, check the adjustment again.

I have, but only in the rear. Flasher works fine. Ditto

Any particular reason why ordinary rubber vacuum hose won't work? I replaced the hard lines going to my front axle disconnect with rubber vacuum hose, worked just fine.

Hopefully your coffee (or other drink) has a lid. I've worn mine due to it. I never sensed my RPM's dropping during the "event". Just "hesitation", then "slam". If I had to start over again, a new coil would be first. Reason is, if it is the original it is high time to replace it. You can get them for $30-$40 easily (or better). Might be able to replace coil, plugs, wires, cap and rotor for around $50-$60. To others.... I know that is lower end stuff and I am a blasphemer. An EGR will run about the same amount as all that......and if that is the original, the transducer likely looks like mine did. I wonder if incomplete detonation (unburned fuel), sucked back through a constantly open EGR, the hot exhaust gas causing early detonation of new fuel being compressed (and a planet going around the sun is like an electron around a nucleus....). I probably shouldn't drink beer thinking about this.

I had a bucking issue for several years, a quick loss of power followed by a feeling that the clutch had just been slammed into engagement (For those who haven't experienced this... be stopped in your truck, rev the engine, then let the clutch slam into engagement, then you will have an idea what this bucking feeling is). Dealer troubleshot it as CPS. I replaced it and nothing changed. Dealer wanted to charge me for another two hours of labor to "get" to the ECU. They refused to "gratis" any labor to compensate me for the faulty diagnosis. I swore them off. Eight years later I resolved to fix this issue, which lead me to this site. I did a number of Cruisers tips, especially 1-5. I discovered the diaphragm spring in the EGR transducer had rusted to powder. Additionally, the bleed air port and the port for the exhaust pressure to activate the transducer were basically clogged (I always suspected the EGR over the years). While I was waiting for the EGR valve to come it (have to order the whole valve to get the transducer), I decided to order new plugs, new wires and a new coil, since there was a good deal going on and my coil was the original (this was in 2015). Unfortunately, I broke a plug wire before the EGR came in. So I had to wait for everything to come in and replaced them all at once. Truck ran correctly for the first time in 8-9 years. Hypothesis - Perhaps the combination of a weak spark and an EGR that was pretty much open was the cause. I still have the old parts and could rotate them in to try to isolate which one it was or if it was both, but I don't really want to subject my truck to that bucking ever again. Hope my experience helps.

Is it like a "buck"?

Not familiar with the 2.5.....but the first picture certainly looks looks like the EGR solenoid valve on my truck.

Well, hopefully Archaeor got something out of this besides I've been using the wrong oil filters for 28 years.