I'll try getting the plug put again. Understood certainly describes part of what is going on.

 

I imagine your weather is much like ours. We're high desert at 5500 feet.

 

Can't hurt. And if it fixes it, you owe me a micro-brew.

 

Despite my best efforts, I seem to be mangling the plug more than moving it. This is the right plug, isn't it?

 

Correct plug. Correct. It's mangled.

 

Might need to get my original throttle body and see if I can get it out with more persuasive means... Like a drill press

Which means no work on it till Saturday, as I don't stay at home during the week when I work.

 

It's just like a little soft freeze plug. Poke something in it and pry it out.

 

Well I finally got it pout. It made a difference. A very strange difference. Most of the time it does not seem to make a difference, but occasionally of will start up on first try, go directly to about 1100 rpm, come down right away to 500, then slowly go up to about 800 rpm, roughly a correct idle, and stay there. I tried up to 1 full turn counterclockwise with no change over 1/4 turn except a slightly higher idle. I am about to go try turning it clockwise just to see what happens.
So, that apparently wasn't the whole problem. I am considering taking the IAC wiring from a remix harness I have torn apart and running it from the computer to the IAC just to test the wiring being the problem. Does this sound like a good idea?

 

Interesting idea.

 

Well, I was thinking, maybe my starting issue is related to my low power issue despite the engine running smoothly. I remembered that when my dad and I replaced the front transmission seal the engine was awfully easy to turn over. Well, I can turn the engine over with one hand on a 3/8ths ratchet without too much effort, while also hearing a loud hissing sound from the crankcase. I will try to get a leak down tester and check, but it seems like the rings are shot in my engine and a HO swap may be in my future. Not exactly shocking with 200k + , being a retired postal delivery vehicle from a rural town, being overheated to the point it stopped running at least once by my mother, and being limped 60 miles to a parts store by my dad taking breaks for it to cool off when the water pump died, shredded the bearings, and threw the fan belt...

So, does it sound like my engine does indeed have bad rings and thus low compression?

 

It's possible.

 

Well, the vacuum tester points at bad rings as well.. 13 inches vacuum at idle.

 

That's kinda low. What's your elevation?

 

About 5700 feet

 

Don't condemn the vacuum reading yet then.