'87 5KQ did run a bit this evening....

[MHLIGGINS@aol.com]

    After I got home I tinkered a bit. Turned on the switch with the FPR out 
and the ECU disconnected. 0.0 bar. Reconnected the ECU, 2.1 bar. Then 
disconnected and reconnected the intake manifold ground, 0.9 bar. Stuck the 
FPR back in, 0.9 bar and the fuel pump did not start immediately.
    Then I cranked the engine and let it warm up for a couple minutes. Next 
step was a short drive around town. After several minutes the car started 
acting up again. The engine tried to die. Holding the throttle about 1/4 open 
would let the engine stumble at about 1000 rpm. Much more throttle and it 
would die, much less and it would die. This would last for several minutes at 
the time. During the stumbling act it sounded as if it were popping back into 
the manifold, sounding like a car with a burnt valve. The lack of power was 
similar to the way I noticed a 4KQ engine run when the intake manifold ground 
wire was corroded, but I don't remember the 4KQ having the popping noise in 
the intake.
    Does this sound like anything anyone has run into before? The 2.1 bar 
problem seems to be self-healed at the moment and I can't be certain that it 
is related to the symptoms mentioned above.
    I'd really like to resolve this, especially if I can do so without have 
to strip the wiring harnes out of the car to locate the problem. The backup 
car is in poor shape under the hood, but it does still get me where I need to 
go around town.

    Many thanks for any leads in this one.

    --ml