Still have not had a chance to check the fuel pressure readings. i know its an easy test and im not going to make excuses.

i had the truck into the dealer to perform a cam/crank correlation and reflash. they called me before performing the work and i told them about the random misfires and that i had replaced the distributor. so i wanted to rule out the correlation, and the reflash was so i could say it had been done and it was in. after the work, they called me back and said the 96 does not support the cam/crank correlation as i had mentioned before. and that the misfires were still present, more cyl 6, and some cyl 3. its seems to be about half as many mis's on 3 than 6.

after that we went to get dinner and waiting in line at the drive-through there was a sudden hard miss, then a few more, then 1, then it stumbled a bit and cleared for a few moments. by now i had my food and left. as i hit the gas to enter traffic it hessitated, but at the next light it performed fine.

i have tested this a couple times now. it will only miss warm, idling. and after a few moments of idle. also the miss can be felt under load in tcc lock up, which the truck still does fall in and out of. if i come to a hill in lock up and give it gas to climb the hill, it will mis irractically until i make it downshift, then its fine.

the tcc lockup is an ever present issue, ive heard if the ecm sees a misfire it will kick the tcc out, but i cant make it lock in or out with anything i do, its completely random weather it will lock or not.

the tech at the dealer said to check ignition components first, he mentioned cam retard is -3* so in spec. and the cap rotor plugs and wires are new and known good parts.

i will try to check the fuel soon. but its hard to get to the shop where the owner lets me borrow his tools.

 

and to answer your other question, no dtc's and the random p0300 is gone after the fuel pump install, driven several hundred miles since, and even a good 2 hour trip

 

while doing a coolant flush, I was waiting for the thermostat to open, and the idle miss happened. I noticed a buzz sound when it happened. as I finished the coolant I let it idle and stuck my head back where the sound had come from, sure enough. bzzz chug chug. I didn't see light, so I turned off the garage lights, and the work light. again bzzz. I see glow from near the coil, so I look closer. bzzz. see the arc acrost the wires (less than a year old). shut off truck and pull #6(the heaviest miss) sure enough, many exit marks and burns.


on my way home, stop at autozone, 24.99 later, swapped them out trucks runs perfect. gas mileage is back, it holds tcc lock up and I even got a p0440


goes to show the importance or tune up parts. and the fact that after so many issues with napa wires before, maybe I should have suspected them?