DaveT

Iirc, the egr solenoid is back and higher than the purge solenoid.

Yes, governor and that vacuum modulator. That's it, except for internal failure. Modulator should be number 1 thing to check. If it's original, it should have failed by now.

There is no electronic control of this transmission. It's all controlled by hydraulics.

12v while running indicates no or low output from the alternator. The battery is supplying power.

The small connector is the coil for the solenoid. Apply 12V to that, and the solenoid should engage and run the starter motor. The current draw through that connector is somewhere between 10-20 Amps. A fully charged, good condition battery at rest - no current in or out for at least a day - is 12.6V 12.4V would be a little low, but still good enough to crank. 12.0 is fully discharged. 11.2V with the starter running, is not unusual.

You need 4 all season tires with similar mileage = decent tread on them. They don't have to be as exact as for AWD, but if you end up with 2 pairs that are very different OD, the handling can be weird in 4WD. That bushing probably had nothing to do with being all over the road. Probably have to find a used one, look for a mod shop that has something close / modifiable to fit. If the alternator is original, it will need a new brush soon.

A small coolant leak can happen pretty much anywhere. Sweet smell that goes away after a while caused by the little build up evaporates. Leak doesn't happen until the cooling cycle. The leak could be into the intake via failing gasket, onto the block, crack in a head into the exhaust port.

Yes, charging current goes through one of the fusible links. Otherwise, a rectifier failure could cause a fire from unlimited battery current traveling back into the alternator.

If it's a ground wire over near the thermostat, the is a short bolt on the intake manifold casting, over by the thermostat for the ring terminal. The purge solenoid is also right near the thermostat. It's part of the evaporative emmisions control system.

Do not run an alternator without a battery. Somewhere near 14v should be normal when charging.

Yeah, I got that bit crossed up when I wrote it. The 3 marks are key. Forget the tdc bit. The 3 marks put the crank in the correct position, no other condition to check.

Check those main connections. Don't rule out the battery either. I've seen a new one fail internally.

there are several threads with step by step timing belt installation. Roughly - Rotate the crank so Piston #1 is at top dead center. Use the center of the 3 ||| lines on the flywheel and the v on the bell housing for the precise position. Do not use the 0 degree TDC / timing marks. Rotate the cam shaft that drive the distributor so the small timing mark hole is aligned with the notch on the plastic back cover. Install that belt, set the tensioner. Torque is applied to the cam pulley during this. Verify the marks are lined up. Rotate the crankshaft 1 full turn by wrenching the bolt that holds the V belt pulley on the front. Install the second timing belt, using the same crank position mark, and the similar mark on that cam and it's back cover. Set the tensioner, check the alignment. The following is my procedure to insure that the belts are at the proper tension after they walk into the paths they will run in. Turn the crank by hand a few revolutions. Re check the tension on the cams, while each is aligned at the ||| marks. Run for 20-30 seconds. No longer, as there is no coolant, or water pump turning. Recheck again. Reassemble.

Hopefully someone can help with a Factory Service Manual. There are people on here with similar year & model cars.

It's been quiet.

A key steps - Align 1 belt. Set the idler. Rotate the crank 1 full rotation, back to the center of the 3 marks. Then install the second belt. Set the idler. Doing it this way use the timing marks on the top of the rear timing belt covers. Factory procedure. I use a torque wrench to set the tension as per the FSM. After this, I like to turn the engine by hand several revolutions, to let the belts walk to where they prefer to run. Re check the tension, with the timing mark for the belt being checked at it's timing position. Do 2nd belt. Run for 30 seconds. Lets the belts walk, and check for rubbing. Re check re tension again. Finish assembly.

A real Factory Service Manual is the best. I've had Chilton's, but haven't seen a Hayne's. The Chilton's was handy helping figure out what parts were interchangeable across years, but the FSM kicked it's butt for details. The FSMs I have I bought new from the dealers, when the cars were a couple years old. Now you have to watch ebay and the forum to see when one goes up for sale. Or if you find a link to an online / upload someone did.

I've just cut and bent & drilled them from a sheet of 1/16" thick copper I have. The contacts are in the solenoid. I made mine a bit wider than the one that wore out to give it more contact area. Have not had to do it for quite a while.

You didn't mention turbo. SPFI has 7 coolant hoses. I don't know the turbo well. The spfi has a small one under the thermostat, and another behind the throttle body. Also, there is a short L shaped one from the water pump to the steel line that goes back toward one of the heater hoses. Turbo may have similar, check the fsm.

There is a pot and a switch on the throttle. The switch is for zero throttle / idle. The pot is for the ecu to know how hard you are on the gas.

Pretty much any car left to sit, especially outdoors, for that long is going to need a lot of general maintenance type things and intermittent problems. All 7 coolant hoses are probably long overdue for replacement due to age. Lots of electrical connections that may be corroded and intermittent. Damage from mice would not be a surprise.

Yes, and replace both belts and all 3 idlers.

Especially when the temperature in its surroundings is high.

If the electronic part runs hot, a bigger better heatsink could extend it's life.

there are also a number of things you are going to want to go through and be aware of dealing with one of these nearly 30 year old cars, especially if you intend to rely on it.