83 22r with 194k miles -- Last week I had a muffler shop install a new cat and magnaflow muffler. They didn't have the downpipe, so they left the old one. After the new exhaust, the engine ran great, it seemed to pull much better and sounded throaty. I still had some exhaust leaks that I could hear, usually when the engine was cold. The truck hasn't been driven much since the new exhaust, just home from the shop and 1 trip to the grocery. Today I was driving to work and noticed that the exhaust sounded funny, like a card in the spokes of a bicycle wheel. Hmm, I thought the exhaust leaks maybe. Well, then at the next stoplight at idle the engine was really vibrating, loping kindof. I go to take off and I almost kill the engine, the power is WAY down. Anyone have any thoughts? It still idles at a consistent speed, around 900rpm, just shakes quite a bit, it did backfire a couple times when I hit the gas.

Sounds like mine when the rubber tube between the airbox and intake manifold cracked. The motor would tilt under load and open the crack up. Idle was fine. Dealer wanted some rediculous amount of $ for a new one, found and Acura intake tube at the wrecking yard that fit better than the stock one did. Go figure.

Air tube would be a good guess if it were EFI, but it's just a 22R. I'd look for vaccum leaks and bad spark plugs/wires since it sounds like it might only be running on 2 or 3 cylinders. Yes, it will run on 2, ask me how I know <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/rolleyes.gif" alt="" />

After work, I popped the hood and found that one of the wires on the distributor cap was off, <whack> sound of me slapping my forehead. I opened the hood up this morning when I got to work, looked at them and they were all 4 connected, I could almost swear it. Of course, I hadn't had my coffee yet. And honestly it didn't run all that bad on only 3 cylinders, lacked some power and exhaust sounded a little funny.

So you're right with the world now, eh?

Yeah, back to normal running condition now. I sat there at my desk all day wondering if I'd make it home after work and it turned out to be a plug wire. Simplest explanation is always best.