Haven't really updated in a while, but I got some help from a cousin to help install the transmission after my clutch parts arrived. Promptly after setting it all up and starting to bolt it on, I realized I had forgotten the engine spacer and a shield plate. Anyway, after spending way too much time on that, buttoning up a few things (like taking off the front brakes which wouldn't fit with the spare tires I put on) and filling the power steering fluid, we took it for the first test drive. Seeing the car move under its own power was awesome, this project went from a car missing the front end laying in a muddy junkyard, to a $1500 CAD ($1120 USD) first car. Guess I neglected to mention this, but when I made the purchase of this car I was 14 years old. Turned 15 in April, and now I have a car!
Long story short, it runs and moves but has some quirks. Like the fact that it runs rough. Well enough to drive it around the block, but idling and starting are rough. When you start it cold for about the first minute it runs a high idle (1300ish RPM) and sounds super crappy. Then all of a sudden the idle drops down to normal level, but still sounds crappy at the more normal idle. If you give it the slightest bit of throttle it clears up completely though so I don't know what to think.
When it warms up it idles at about 800ish RPM, where you can hear that it sort of gurgles, and the engine and car rock a bit. Here is a video of starting it while warm What does this problem seem like to you? My initial thoughts are turbo/boost, fuel, or the PCV/vacuum system.
This reminds me, when you remove the hose and then plug the vacuum/PCV port going into the intake manifold and allow it to pull a vacuum, the roughness clears up about 80%. Doesn't seem like the PCV diaphram is bad though, vacuum seems good when removing the oil cap.
