Hi I let someone work on my 4.3 tbi due to the fact that I had no time to myself. It was a simple task of replacing the pickup coil in the distributer. When I got it back it was running horrible. Rough idle,surging like pulling a load,and noticed my brake light coming on and off and gas gauge jumping around. Today I think I finally have the problem as he forgot to hook my vacuum ball back,just put a screw in the end of the vac line. I called him and he still has it but it'll be a couple days until I can get it. Can someone tell me what all that ball controls,im assuming everything with a vacuum line,and if that could be why my truck wont idle and surges?

 

It is a vacuum reservoir for HVAC & 4WD. There is a check valve inline with it so the systems can maintain vacuum when manifold vacuum drops on acelleration. With the vacuum line plugged, the only symptoms would be that the HVAC actuators would not maintain air flow where you select it, and if in 4WD, the front axle would disengage on acelleration.

 

Mine is 2 wheel drive. I know it will make the ac not blow correctly but every vacuum line I have runs off of it. I may be wrong but since it's been removed my truck has ran like crap.

 

And im going to assume that my inline plug is missing. My brake light should be on constantly because I cut the emergency brake line when I swapped rear ends. Now it only comes on when the check engine light does,which never flashes anything but 12,which is on cold start and when it stahls out.

 

Well yeah, there is a vacuum leak