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Low Idle and Timing Question


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- 1990 4.0L with AW4

 

I got the truck running again ( Thanks to assistance from Cruiser 54 )but it idles kinda rough and low at 550-600 RPM. When I open the throttle to achieve 750 RPM it smooths out nicely. I can get it to idle at 750 RPM if I poke down into the throttle body with a flat screwdriver and push the IAC pintle back out ( it returns to 550 RPM when I remove the screwdriver )  or if I use the small set screw and increase the butterfly valve opening. Opening the butterfly valve this way the gap is larger than the recommended .030 in. gap. Is this an acceptable fix ? I did not measure how much of an increase is needed. Am I overlooking something?  Also at 550 RPM the timing is 18* BTDC. Is this what it should be?

 

Thanks

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Tip 13 done. Took forever to find my distributor wrench. I only moved the distributor < 1/8 inch counterclockwise to align it. The engine still idles low.  Note: the truck did not run when I got it and it has sat for several years. Because I was working to get it running I capped off the vacuum port at the back of the manifold since I do not need cruise/heater/CAD right now. I unplugged it to attach vacuum gauge while running. Unplugged it jumped to 750 RPM and runs fine. Vacuum is steady at 20 in/Hg at idle.

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On 10/30/2022 at 7:09 PM, cruiser54 said:

There MAY be a little metal cap over that torx screw. 

If so, remove it by hitting it off center with a punch and hammer. Easy does it. 

Then unplug the IAC at idle. Slowly turn the screw counter clockwise and bring the idle up. 

I finally got my cap off, my screw seems loose. Should it be? It didn’t take much to turn it out. I’m having same issues. 500-600 low idle. 

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  • 2 weeks later...

OK- Finally got back to working on the truck and took a trip into "forbidden territory" . I got the truck running, unplugged the IAC and backed the torx screw out until the idle reached 750 rpm. It took almost 2 turns ~1 7/8.  It idled nicely.Plugged the IAC back in. I shut the truck off and said hurrah.  Now- on the next startup and everyone since, it does its 2 second high idle and then drops back to 500 rpm. If I just let it idle, it slowly creeps back up to ~ 750 rpm and idles fine, but this takes almost 5 minutes as it warms up. This is better than constant low idle, but sort of odd. Most engines start high and go down in rpm as they warm up. Could this be a weak temperature sensor ?? Any thoughts ?

 

Thanks

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