vu rough idle after head and inlet gasket change. please help!!

[boltnich08]

Ohk so ive spent the last week reading every thread about rough idle. ill fill in the blanks with my situation.
driving along the hwy and my temp gauge was not reading correctly , radiator cracked , dropped all the coolant, car lost power I free wheeled to edge of the road. let the car cool down filled with water really rough idle and blowing &$%^ loads of smoke. anyway RAA back to the house where I spent the next three days getting down to the head and replacing everything that I touched ie. all the gaskets head bolts cleaned everything new plug leads etc.

BTW : once the car pick up 500rpm she's all sweet.
My mechanic friend said that it could be the harmonic balancer giving it a rough idle:/ ?
also more info when I was doing the head I allowed accidently a fair bit of coolant to drain in to the exhaust manifold. but I assumed that it would just get burnt up perhaps this had effected the O2 sensors ? or even blocked the cat. (I &$%^ HATE EXHAUSTS BTW)

now one fully put back together the car idles rough I initially thought it could be left over gunk or coolant still to burn in the system. I ran and bled the cooling system correctly flushed the new radiator and yet the problem persists. I jumped on the internet read every forum I could, I checked all vacuum lines and replaced a couple that where leaking not I cannot hear anything and I sealed everything just in case. I then went to the coil pack tested the original one and then wacked on another that I had lying around and yet the same thing goes. I then went and cleaned out entire throttle body and plenum thinking could be that. I replaced the throttle body sensors both pintle valve etc.

I went around (while car was running and removed injector plug one at a time) and found one that when I disconnected the engine did not change its rpm or noise so I got excited thinking its stuffed injector so I then replaced with known working second hand job and now the engine does change when removing the plug but still has a annoying rough idle.

im lost now fellas this is where I turn to your help I have come to the extent of my knowledge and need help need the car running nicely by Thursday. PLEASE HELP ASAP.

 

[devilly]

to help better and quicker videos of the engine running helps heaps.so from what i have read its rough on idles.i think it may be a vacuum leak somewhere.check on top of the iac idle air control put your hand on it ,when car is going and see if you can feel air.

most common places for vacuum leaks i have found is back of the plenum the 3 hoses.

 

[Immortality]

Done a compression test?

 

[billythakid]

Double check your leads are on tight both ends . Check all the ignition sensors are plugged in properly , DFI , MAF , iac etc and the earths are tight

 

[dirty hands]

and this is happening below 500 rpm ..all ok above that

check the throttle cable ..should have a little bit of slack


if not a simple fix
are you able to retrieve any codes that can eliminate some electrical possibles

 

[boltnich08]

I'll try get a video up I've checked and clamped plenum and throttle body hoses bd the ones at the back.
No compression test has been done yet I'll look into that
Leads are fully tight replaced with two separate.ones and coil pack.
Checked and replaced all the sensors
Throttle cable is really slack a good 3-4 cm of playing moving it side.to side the exposed cable section that comes out of the sleeve. And yes all is happening below 500rpm only on idle
Could be my o2 sensors from the heaps of coolant I spilt I thought that would of just burnt away.
Also any idea if a wobbly harmonic balancer could be the cause? That's guys keep the ideas comibg

 

[ephect]

U've checked injectors and coilpacks but I cant read that U've done spark plugs. That injector that made no change, replace the spark plug n see if that helps or even check to see if its wet.

 

[boltnich08]

Ive done all round new plus been in since Monday

 

[billythakid]

Idle is to slow if it's under 500 rpm , should sit around 650-750
Id say it's a throttle body / cable or IAC issue

 

[boltnich08]

Idle is to slow if it's under 500 rpm , should sit around 650-750
Id say it's a throttle body / cable or IAC issue

I would say it is higher than 500 cant tell exact number with the gauge. maybe ill try replace the entire throttle body with another ?
im trying all the cheaper stuff after the expensive head gasket replacement and bolts etc, not all the small cheaper stuff is starting to add up as I new it would haha.