DaveT

I've done the oil prime by turning the oil pump with a drill, obviously before the timing belt is on that side. If you do it by cranking, pull the plugs to remove the load of compression. I wouldn't let it run long without the cooling system. Not sure if it's worth doing, as iirc, you only had the carrier off. Using even moderate care while reassembling, the biggest unknown is getting the timing set correctly, but this can be corrected with everything reassembled except the covers and the fan. If you unplug the MAF wire, and leave the boot off the throttle body, the engine should run in limp mode. Maybe obvious, but if you don't put the rocker cover on, oil will get everywhere. It's good to see the end results post for threads.

Check the CTS. IT can get intermittent and not trigger a code. IAC valve can cause similar. Intermittent wire / contact to either. CTS has 2 wires, and is screwed into the manifold thermostat housing.

In my recent emissions test fail nuts thread, there is a section about checking the injector. Iirc, disconnect the MAF. Remove the boot from the throttle body. While cranking, there should be a burst of fuel sprayed. Also, it should run in limp mode, and you can see the fuel spray down onto the throttle plate. If no fuel, it's time to start checking the injector and wireing. Ohmmeter, voltmeter .

Hope you replaced the toothed idler or it's bearing also. That and the 2 tensioners have about the same life span.

Loop of hose for the heater, yes. Fan running on the radiator is a good idea.

Ohm meter from ground to each pin will find you gnd. To find the L R inputs, set the radio to aux or whatever it has. Use a music player / phone headset output for a signal. To be safe, put something like a 2000 ohm resistor and a 1uf capacitor in series with the signal from the player to the pin you are testing.

Try starting and running while holding the throttle slightly open. If it dies only when you let it go to idle, it may be in the iac circuit. I had one do that.

90% rubbing alcohol is usually safe for circuit boards. The other answers you have sound correct.

If it is in the heater core, and ac evaporator, it could be in the ductwork also.

I'm with the 1/2 quart over won't harm anything.

The ones I've bought at NAPA have always been just like oem.

The torn boot will let moisture and dirt into the parking brake mechanism. Not good for long term functioning of the parking brake.

The last one I had with a carb. Was a 1986. I never had any problems with the carb. The frame got bent in an accident in the early 90s, it was replaced. I have only seen SPFI since 1987. Does the carb have a sight glass? Maybe the float / valve is stuck shut? It sounds like no fuel is getting through any of the paths.

Thank you. And every one who added ideas.

Almost has to be something with the carb. Did you try to keep it running by holding the gas pedal down part way?

To really fix it, you have to remove the dash. Then the heater box. Then disassemble to get to the flaps.

Intermittent problems come and go, so can sneak by a test.

If it is the screw that holds the rotor on the distributor, it is a lot smaller than that. It's a Phillips head, not a hex. It's something like 3mm diameter, but I'd have to check one.

Cruise HC 44ppm CO .03 RPM 2519 Idle HC 178ppm CO 0.0 RPM 744 Passed!

Running for a long time with a broken boot is bad. The damage isn't easy to see unless you completely disassemble the cvj. I once ran one for a number of months before I got to replacing it. It had intermittent clicking. Eventually began intermittent wobble in the steering. Yes, it can be one or the other, no correlation.

Well, I finally ran out of ideas for other things to check, and had time, so I went to get it retested this morning. It passed! Even better, they confirmed that this was the last time! Thank you to everyone who shared ideas, etc.

I'll try to remeber to look at one tonight.

If everything is right, they should make it to at least 50K miles.

You don't want the boot that full of grease. It should be nowhere near half full. I have not had a cv squeaking. The ones I've had fail click. If you drive one long enough, the clicking gets worse, and starts to make shuddering in the steering wheel. I've read about them ocasionally failing catastrophically also.

When I added 4WD to one of my wagons, I inadvertently used a mis-matched diff. When I switched 4WD on, I could feel the car load up. It would be draggy and slow quicker than when in 2WD mode. It would get going in snow faster in 4WD than 2WD, but get squirrely once moving along, since the front / back would be breaking traction.. I eventually figured out the the transmission I had chosen was the only on I had with a slightly higher ratio, from my 86. When I swapped it out, everything was good.