so how did it go tonight?

 

Well actually. After failing to lock in a time to have my muffler welded back on if I had cut it off, I decided to take her through her paces a little and get scanned. When I got to the parts place, their tool was down *snicker* so it was a wasted trip. I will say this though.... maybe she is just clearing her lungs a bit. You know after you get good and sick, how you are still sick even though you feel better? She's running like that...
A little better, but not 100% (maybe 25% better). Maybe all that money ... erm... i mean all the new parts are helping out after all...

I'm gonna put all my eggs in one basket and publicly declare that my ride is in the process of healing and will be back on her feet by the weekend

^^^ thats no dumber than most of the crap I spout off... we'll see

 

That is odd how the RPMs are fluctuating while driving down the road...

Did you get the muffler disconnected yet?

 

no. i need the vehicle today (wife has crap to do) so i couldn't cut it off without a free slot with the muffler guy to weld her back on. Will get codes and check with muffler guy today.
**EDIT**
I drove her into work today and I gotta say *knocks on wood* shes running better. I will still go through with the muffler check (hell its a reason to upgrade from stock AND its a 10 y/o 176k muffler...) but I think I am on the mend. Even the exhaust smell is mostly gone!

THAT BEING SAID: Now my RPMs run almost normal (just a bit high) but it freezes at the highest RPM and slowly tracks down when off the gas. I have a video demonstrating this, but basically once you pop over 2000-2200 RPM when warm (open loop) if you take your foot completely off the accelerator, the rpms hold steady and slowly gradually walk down to normal. This is a slOOoOoOow process. It has always been instant response gas = high rpms, left off gas= drop to normal running range.
If brakes are applied, the rpms fall off faster but it feels like the fall off equal to the deccerative force applied.

So.... I guess it's time to get good and familliar with my idle air control valave or possibly my throttle position sensor?

 

that's what my truck is still doing. and has the surge and stutter issue. when the truck is cold, it's way worse-even more so, now that the colder weather is coming. i had started a thread awhile ago on this Curtis. everyone was pointing towards the loer intake gaskets.

but i refuse to accept that diagnosis. it seems electrical to me, and i just realized about 2 weeks ago, that the RPM's are not dropping off, they're actually going up when it stutters (while driving down the road). so i'm thinking it's the trans getting ready to puke. but someone else around here (a newbie i think it was) said his truck was doing the same thing, and he dumped a s**t load of $ @ it, didn't fix anything. then he found that the upper bearing in his distributor was dragging (how he figured that out, i have no idea), and he swapped in a new unit-problem solved!

i have yet to get around to checking this. figures, i'm off all freakin' Summer, and when i finally get an answer that sounds like it might be the fix (and cheap), i get called back to work 2 days later! which is good since i was off work for over 5 months, but nw i don't have the time to fix 'er.

*big breath*-whew- ok Curtis that's my 4 cents for ya, don't know if it'll do anything to help ya, but maybe this may be the problem with both of our trucks. my fuel mileage has gone through the basement in the last few weeks, i'm down to 12 mpg on my last 14 gallons of fuel (i converted it just for you boys South of the 49th). my other '990 'Burb with the 5.7 in it was better than this crap!

 

**UPDATE**
got my codes read....
P0102 maf sensor low freq
P0135 bank 1 senor 1 o2 performance
P0174 fuel trim lean bank 2
P0300 misc misfire
P0452 fuel tank pressure sensor low volt

ok some of those HAVE to be stored codes.... none are hard (after clearing none came back) vehicle has been put through it's paces and ran through most of the engine cycles (as far as I can tell). No codes. and running better. I am going to call it as follows:

O2 went bad on p side went out causing rich mix at plugs and heavy fuel use caused half dead cat to melt down. Plugs, 2 new cats, and 1 O2 fixed problem.

wires, cap, rotor, and other 2 O2s were just 'maintenance'....

Basically everything Kyle spoke = WIN.
for now.... if more comes back, I'll keep this thread rolling. as of tonight, I say let sleeping dogs (and 1/2 broke blazers) lie.