You can feel this thing pull back timing so bad its not even funny. MORE SO IN CLOSED LOOP MODE

I've replaced or swapped with a known good:

Spark plugs
Spark Plug Wires
All Three Coils
MAF Sensor
TPS
EGR Valve
Fuel Pump
Injectors
Fuel Rail
FPR
Cat Converter
Muffler
Replaced O2 Sensor
Welded Exhaust manifold Cracks
Swapped PCM.......

The car still overheats and still gets massive KR. I also notice what appears to be an ignition miss around 38mph-42mph when the RPMs are around 1500 (TCC locked in 3rd)

Tomorrow I'm swapping out he coils.

No Check Engine Lights other than the knock check engine code (many months back)

Fuel pump fixed some of it..but something is still wrong on the car. Nowhere near the performance it should have. It will not spin the tires from a dead stop at all.

Maybe the car is cursed, but I dont want to sell it to someone with problems.

Read the plugs. They should tell the story.

You said it overheats - how'* your radiator?

IIRC I may have 1 heat range colder plugs in there, They have about 10,000 miles on them, I may go to the stock heatrange and that will give me an excuse to pull the plugs again.

The overheating IMHO is caused by a lean condition somewhere...it only gets hot when you put your foot into it.

Sounds like almost the same thing as my 95 i just built. I am seeing 15 derees of KR(i think that is as high as the scan tool reads). And you can literally feel it pull the timing. So i am watching this post for ideas. I think i am going to pull my plugs tonight and post a picture, and i would like to see yours also

My plugs are fine, slightly carbon fowled...obviously not running too lean. They are still white but a slight haze of brown. number 3 and 5 are a little lighter than the rest.

I went ahead and changed the plugs and wires again.

I swapped out the coils. I'm now trying to figure out if I can swap the ICM between my 98 and my 93....off to the search feature...

You can use the ICMs between the two.

Ever think about a faulty knock sensor?

Faulty Knock Sensor is at the bottom of the list. I think we are nearing that though. How hard is it to get to on my car, IIRC the series one only has one knock sensor vs the series II has two. I think this is correct. I may unplug it though to see as a VERY temporary measure.

Anyway more on todays progress. I swapped out the Series II ICM and have the same problem, then I swapped out a different MAF...same problem. I then unplugged the EGR valve...same problem.

It may just be me but the car seems to run a lot better for the 1st minute of use (open loop mode) vs later on after it gets warmer.

What else could cause this lackluster performance?

The idle on the car is still not as smooth as my 98....its close but not quite.

Not hard to get to at all...it'* on the backside on L67s (L27s are up front in case anyone wonders).

Could be a possibility of having a case of bad gas too. Didn't catch to see if this was addressed, but what about your TPS voltage?

I cant seem to find the knock sensor....Can you describe wher eit is in a little more detail?

I've swapped the TPS, and tested it with a DMM..both TPS'* were fine.