i've run a search, but found nothing of use, so here is my question:
i just bought an 88 GTU for from a guy for $600, he had done a few things to it, removed the interior, the a/c and power steering. his parents made him sell it because he had gotten a number of tickets. the problem that i'm having is that it will not idle. hot or cold it makes no difference, though when it is cold it is really stubborn with a lot of popping from the exhaust. when hot it seems to try to idle, but will always die, sometimes it will fluctuate at about 800 to 1200 rpm, but only for a couple of seconds before dieing. also, there is a high pitched wheezy whistling sound comming from the lower left side of the engine (when looking from the front of the car towards the back) near the firewall. any advice would be a great help.

 

Ok the sound you are hearing is probably a vaccum leak which is causing your car to run like that. A vaccum hose may have been broken or disconected causing the leak or you may have a large leak from the manifolds or some major intake component being bolted tooo loosely or a bad gasket in between them. The fluctuatin idle can be caused by a TPS(throttle position sensor) that is not set properly. If you search for "TPS setting" or something like that you will find threads on how to set it.



Santiago

 

how should i go about finding that leak?

 

you can get a hose and put one end to your ear and prob around with the other end. This will magnify the sound so that you can hear it better. Or you can do the old starter fluid/carb cleaner trick which involves spraying small amounts of the stuff in areas where there could be leaks and checking if the idle changes. If it does then there is a leak in that general area.

 

i guess i'll have to try the first one, it won't idle so the carb cleaner trick is out. is there supposed to be a black spacer a little less than an inch wide between the throttle body and the intake manifold?

 

yes that spacer is suppossed to be there

 

the previous owner siliconed that spacer to the intake and the throttle body, could tha be causing my problem?
i only ask because i noticed on the new spacer all the air passages that go to vaccum lines on the manifold side...

 

maybe

 

Much of the intake plumbing is (was) for idle control.
It sounds kinda getto-rigged.
I agree it's probably a vac leak.
That spacer normally needs no sealant.

 

i replaced the spacer and it doesn't make that horrible noise any more, now i just gotto find the leak