OK here it is. I have a 22re in my 88 pickup. I have had engine in this truck for a little over a year and a half now. Everything seems to be running great till I did the thing that always makes things go wrong, I let someone else borrow it. The truck was running without a problem till they were headed home from work and it started sputtering.

After getting it back, I ran it down the road a ways to see if I could diagnose the problem. At about 3000 rpm it starts to cut out, and got over it by about 3500 rpm. Well, I thought it might have just been a glitch. Well after driving it again a week later, it made it down the road about 2 miles, and started sputtering again. After another 2 û3 miles, it decided it wasnÆt going to just sputter, it lost all fire all together. I continued to try to restart the engine, and got a little fire and dead. Over and over again. Nothing. I called my wife and had her come the tow me back, but by time she got there (10 min later) it cranked up and I limped home at about 35-40 mph in 5th gear (roughly 2000 rpm). At low rpm it doesnÆt seem to have any problems unless I am trying to accelerate hard. Once I get up around the 2500 rpm mark now it begins to sputter. Otherwise the idle is great, starts just fine, and runs great until it hits that magical rpm range that it has grown not to like.

With that said, I have changed the distributor cap, rotor button, and even tested the coil, and have not found anything. The NAPA parts guy seems to think it may have been the distributor shaft floating at the higher rpm range (since most of the parts on the truck and the engine have over 420k miles on it). I took the cap off and wiggled and pulled on the dist. shaft and there is only a very slight twisting play in the shaft. There was no up and down play at all. I tested the coil by the Haynes manual and it seems to be within specs. I tested the signal generator inside the dist. and it tested out ok also. I have run out of ideas of what it might be. I am thinking it is in the ignition due to the fact that the tachometer jumped up and then bottomed out at zero before it continued to run properly for a little longer. My brother seems to think it is in the fuel injection or fuel pump. This might explain the drop out in the higher rpm, but doesnÆt explain it just going dead for a time of 5-10 min. then starting and running fine at the low speeds. (at least not to me anyway)

If anyone has any ideas, or might have had this similar problem, your help is greatly appreciated. I have almost decided to just take it to a Toyota dealer to get it diagnosed, but I seem to be a little low on funds.

>>>*Did the person who borrowed the rig happen to purchase fuel somewhere?

You are describing some water or perhaps even some dirty gasoline to me.....*EB

I dont think they got any gas. I had just filled it up when the took it, and had only driven it for 2 days when it started acting up. And I know it only had half a tank of gass when I got it back. I have since (at slow speeds) run most of the gas out and put another half a tank in it. And still running the same. It wouldnt suprise me to be a fuel problem, but based on the way the tach was jumping, it apeared to be more electrical than anything. I may have to look into the fuel problem though. I have thought about buying a cheap elec fuel pump to see if it cures the problem. Lord knows this poor truck has been through the ringer and has lots of miles. I had a main power wire burn up about 4 months ago, but I replaced and hadnt had any other problems at all.

I see you are in Portland. I am going to be in Portland for the next 2 weeks and thought it might be cool to hit the trails in the area with someome familiar with the are that might have a spare seat. Are there any clubs running next weekend?

oh yea, almost forgot.. One more thing.. When it spits and sputters the Check Engine light and the charge light come on. This is making me think that much more that it is electrical somehow....

Are there any trouble codes on the computer?

I have not checked the computer codes. Frankly I am not sure how. Never have done it before. I guess that is one of the things I need to learn how to do. Most of the time I fix things by trial and error, but this one I can not figure out.

did you replace the igniter?
A 82 22r i had worked on about two years a go had the same problem with sputtering out at high rpms then we went and got the same igniter for that year and it still wouldn't work right till we went the the pick and pull and got an igniter off of 20r out of a celica at that point the truck ran fine and is still running til this day...sounds mysterious but its worth a shot

My arm chair assessment is that your fuel pump is gone.
OR a wet ECU from a leaky windshield.

a timming light will eliminate lack of spark
dash lights are coming on because rpms are too low for the alternator to put out what it should

...anyway keep us posted and good luck

Sounds like a possiblity, the guy at NAPA wanted $234 for that part. The coil was going to be $44. I couldn't afford on either. I pulled the coil/igniter pack off a spare 84 yota, and it is totally different. It was a carbed 20r vs. my EFI 22re. I was hoping that it would be the same, but no luck. Non of the pick and pulls around here have anything that has a T and ends with an A on them. All our parts here are scooped up quick and taken to Mexico as fast as possible <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/scared.gif" alt="" />. New is about the only way to go for me I guess.

I appreciate any suggestions.

I am thinking more every minute that it may be the fuel pump also. Windsheild has never leaked to my knowledge and I stay out of the mud most of the time.

I figured the dash lights would be the alternator cutting out for a second also. But it does it when I'm driving down the road at 50 mph. I am in a standard, so the engine is still turning, so that wouldn't effect the alt giving charge. Still something very odd for this to do this.