My fc was running pretty well but had a vacuum leak that I tracked down to either the FPD or the vacuum lines below it. After replacing the FPD and the cracked lines I put everything back together according to the factory service manual and now the car turns over but sounds like it is going to explode and won't idle. How much trouble am I really in?

https://youtu.be/VlKmBUvvF9c

 

Okay so I had somebody turn the engine over while I was under the hood and realized that I must have leaned on the fan cover and slipped it off the bolt causing the fan to hit making that terrible sound. Now the engine turns over fine but won't idle. I unplugged the throttle sensor connector and it made no difference. What should I be looking at to get it to idle on its own?

 

Does it die on its own? Did you try setting the idle using the adjust screw? If it had a vac leak before (and this was compensated) now it might be getting too little air.

 

Yeah, I measured the idle screw and it was opened pretty wide. Got the engine nice and hot, adjusted the sensor to 1k ohm and played around with it from there until it was idling smoothly. I still have a small vacuum leak somewhere causing the idle to occasionally waver but other than the it's running better than when I got it (and I'm no longer expecting the hood to go up in flames after replacing the FPD). Now I just need to replace the alternator pulley with a dual belt setup and hopefully I'll be able to hear the true exhaust note without all the squeaks and whines.

 

Check the throttle shafts and the idle screw itself, those had small leaks in my case and the cold idle got much smoother after fixing them. The idle screw should have an o-ring or something on it.