Things like this keep me up at night.

I'd give the TB and intake bolts a good snug again just to he sure, and is the coolant line hooked up behind the TB? If the TB and/or intake isn't heating up, that can and will cause the fuel to fall out of atomization and pool in the intake...

 

And the ECU uses the sensor data from the MAF to determine how much air is being intake and pulses the injector and adjusts the timing and fuel to achieve the preset idle. Its assuming the air coming in is exactly the amount the MAF is reporting. Any more or less will throw off the mixture and cause an erratic idle or running. This also means all of the PCV hoses and gaskets/caps for the oil must be air tight. Excessive blow-by will also effect it.. Lots of factors, but your high idle/slow response is typical of a "cold" engine. I'd make sure the thermostat isn't stuck open and that the intake is heating with the rest of the motor.

I'd give the TB and intake bolts a good snug again just to he sure, and is the coolant line hooked up behind the TB? If the TB and/or intake isn't heating up, that can and will cause the fuel to fall out of atomization and pool in the intake...

 

And the ECU uses the sensor data from the MAF to determine how much air is being intake and pulses the injector and adjusts the timing and fuel to achieve the preset idle. Its assuming the air coming in is exactly the amount the MAF is reporting. Any more or less will throw off the mixture and cause an erratic idle or running. This also means all of the PCV hoses and gaskets/caps for the oil must be air tight. Excessive blow-by will also effect it.. Lots of factors, but your high idle/slow response is typical of a "cold" engine. I'd make sure the thermostat isn't stuck open and that the intake is heating with the rest of the motor.

 

Thank you! I have garage access this weekend, so I'm determine to get this fixed. This is helpful info!

So weird update. Since I have an ea81 with an ea82 flywheel I don't actually have timing marks. So I pulled a plug, found TDC and transposed the angle from the stock location to the new mark I made. Did a double check on the timing, and it was maybe 2 degrees retarded. Not enoguh to cause problems, I thought. But I messed with it anyway. The disty was a bit stuck, so I gave it a lovetap with a hammer to budge it on time.

After I did that, it pretty much idles fine. Sometimes it'll stick high, but usually it won't. I set it back a few degrees retarded, like it was before to see if that caused the change, and nope!!

 

How does the advance in these distributors work? Do they have mechanical advance along with the electronic advance, or is it all electronic?

It really seems like something was sticking, and when I gave it a tap, whatever it was came loose. It has more power now, too...

Lol a BFH to the rescue!

 

The SPFI distros are all electronic. The ECU times the coil to change the igniting advance, the distro just tells the ECU where the crank is (essentially)

 

There is an optical pickup in there that could've been jammed up or a stuck rotor, but who knows...

 

Anyway! Keep an eye on it to see if it changes timing again on you.

It still randomly does idle weirdness, but it's lower... I dunno. It's pissing me off. haha.