5kCSTQ very sluggish

[Dennis Unsworth]

"Speedy" is now extremely sluggish under load after cold start-up. It's been
5 months and we can't figure it out. So sluggish she has trouble getting
into traffic and climbing any kind of incline. Sputters and even backfires.

After warming up, it will run around town, but misses and has very little
power. Running noticeably rough. Down-shifting's required on hills.

At first it always snapped out of it eventually, usually within an hour, and
then ran like a top. For the last few weeks it has run consistently poor.
Snaps out of it only rarely, and for just minutes when it does.

Fuel system's been checked -- distributor, pump, warm up regulator. Filter
is new and lines ok. Vacuum hoses ok, temp sensor's been changed, ignition
and timing ok. Spark looks just like that on a comparable, but healthy TQ.
It idles just fine.

Would an old timing belt cause this trouble? What are we missing?


Dennis Unsworth
Helena Montana
'86 5kCSTQ; 220k hard miles
(vanity 222TQ)