You replaced the cap and rotor, have you double and tripple checked that the plug wires are in the correct firing order on the distributer cap. It is very easy to cross plug wires. I would verify the firing order, use a spark plug to verify arc against vehical ground, then verify TDC.

Once you check for TDC you can set the distributer to point at TDC, the car should start if you have spark and fuel, once started, rotate the distributer while the engine is running to obtain the smoothest idle. Later, you can have the vehical timed with a timing light.

 

Its running!!! Kinda...

After so much fiddling around with everything, a friend of mine looked at the rotor in my distributor cap and thought it looked corroded. but I just bought the piece in hopes it'd fix it, but there was this green material on the metal parts of the rotor, I asked the dudes at Autozone what the hell it was, and they said it was some sort of substance to help it conduct electricity better.

well we scratched off the green stuff and put the rotor back on. made sure everything with the TBI was snug, and it fired right up. I can't remember the last time i heard my truck start. YAY!

drove it about 30 feet and it started bucking and wanting to die. noticed that one of the things plugged in on top of the throttle body was a tiny bit off. so pushed it back in good n' snug, and it drove fine for quite a while. I noticed when staying at a constant rate of speed and rpm at around 25-33 miles an hour, i could feel a slight jerking forward and back. but hardly noticeable and didnt hear anything weird going on in the engine.

after about 225 miles, the end of which was 35 miles on the highway to spokane. got in town and started driving around and suddenly my truck started losing power and bucking while trying to accelerate. got out and cleaned off the rotor in the distributor even better and double checked the things on the fuel injectors are on snug. Started up fine and made it 35 miles on the highway back to home. still doing that slight jerking/bucking at 25-33 mph.

in conclusion... apparently this green crap that came on the distributor rotor is useless

on the bright side at least i have a brand new distributor rotor, distr. cap, spark plugs, wires, MAP sensor, EGR Valve, fuel filter, air filter, ignition coil, few vacumm hoses and some other crap i can't remember i bought...

 

Possibly a weak coil, or distributer itself is faulty. My distributer was acting up, It would run fine and then misfire and not restart. I ended up with a replacement distributer from NAPA. I have not had a problem since.

 

It is the distributor. below the rotor in the cap is what looks like a brass ring thing around what the rotor goes on. its loose and you can turn it a little both ways but it wont come off. turning it one way and making sure its snug my truck wouldnt start. in the middle and it would run crappy, and all the way to the other side it will run. but still will kinda jerk sometimes when cruising at 25-35. going to buy a new distributor in a few days and slap that in, see if it fixes it completely.