Feels like I'm in 3rd gear when in 1st
 

I recently got my rebuild running and while driving it yesterday checking for leaks and cooling issues, the car felt like it had about 30hp. It revs pretty freely in neutral, but when I went to drive it, I thought I had grabbed the wrong gear, as I felt like I was in 3rd gear, car was very slow to accelerate, etc.

Any ideas? I'm hoping to pick the car up from where it is this week and bring it home, but I will probably only have one day to work on it, the day I go get it. I'm trying to narrow things down as much as possible before I head out, as it's an hour drive from there to any auto parts store.
thanks!

Year and model?

What prompted you to rebuild the engine?

Stock or modded?

It's an 87 TII.

Rebuilt due to coolant o rings being suspect.

Modded slightly. air pump, ACV, OMP removed. No AC no PS(factory manual), HKS Hi power exhaust, FCD, mild street port. I think that's it. Some of this stuff was done by the previous owner. The rebuild went ok, it's just putting everything back in that's giving me the most problems.

Ah, Bac unplugged as well ATM.

no ideas? :(

try a fuel system flush, i know my mazda had a TON of carbon build up. i used that stuff limbaugh always pushes and it helped. i got a much better idle

check the timing.

yes. timing.
someone had to set the timing after the rebuild, right?

some years ago i did a streetport for someone and it acted the same way when he finally started it. he messed around with it for a few days and then called me. when i went to look at the car, the timing was a tooth (or two) off. it started, idled, but felt like you were trying to start from a dead stop in a higher gear.

Awesome, thanks. I'll double check that today!

Would a vacuum leak do this? I think I missed something, when I went back to redo the idle and timing it smoothed out a bit(think the CAS was a tooth off) but there is some surging at idle.

someone mentioned in another thread to bleed the clutch, which didn't make a lot of sense to me but whatever I did it and no effect.

CAS one tooth off would certainly do it.

Now, you'll need to follow the factory idle setting procedure. Plug the BAC back in and then hit up the FSM for the idle set instructions. Of course, make sure there aren't any vacuum leaks first.

I was able to drive it home, but the problem still persists. I suspected the TPS needed adjustment so I checked it when I got it home and it was reading 700ohms so I have done that, just haven't had a chance to fire it back up. Plan to do that as well as break out the carb cleaner and check for more vac leaks tonight.