got it all back together with a new egr valve gasket, and needless to say the idle went back to a more normal range (around 1200-1300). but i can still hear a vacuum leak somewhere in the system. its driving me crazy.

 

1200-1300 is normal at all. Haha. You want that thing to idle between 650-800. Where does the leak sound like it's coming from (general area?)

 

haha i know its not normal. i meant it as in like its closer to a more normal range lol. but im not sure though where its coming from. you can definitely hear it. im going to be spray some brake cleaner around vac lines and what not and try to find it. when its idling you can barely hear the leak, but when you step on the gas, even a little bit, you can hear it.

 

well just got done spraying vac lines, fuel injectors, upper intake, front of the lower intake and couldnt find any kind of leak going on. heard no difference in idle. and im also leaking oil out of the back apparently, because when its been running for a few minutes, you can see dark smoke like oil being burned off the block. so i either didnt use enough sealant in the back where the lower intake meets the block, or that oil drive o ring went out. idk where else to check for a vacuum leak.

 

so whos ready to have a good laugh at the rookie? lol.

i had my dad start my car and kill it for me so i could actually listen to where the sucking noise was coming from. because you could hear it the most when the car is shutting off or turning on. come to find out it was coming from the throttle body! apparently they gave me the wrong gasket and the top part of the throttle body where theres a big square looking part wasnt covered and was letting air through. i sprayed a bit of brake cleaner and she about died. so that was my dead giveaway.

took a trip to autozone and picked up a new throttle body gasket, put it on. and voila, car idles at around 650-700 rpms. sounds very smooth. so im a happy camper right now.

and as for the oil leak/burning, i let her warm up at an idle and put some cardboard under the car to see if it would leak or burn, and so far it doesnt seem to be leaking anymore or burning, which is kind of weird to me. im going to start it up again and give it some gas and let it rev at a higher rpm and see if maybe that can cause it to leak. im really hoping i dont have to tear this thing down again. but at the same time id feel reassured if i used more sealant at the lower intake, and replaced that oil drive o ring.

 

update* put a good oil change/oil filter on it, and took it for a drive around the block a couple times to see how it acted. my only concern now is that when i push the clutch in and hit the brakes to come to a stop, it wants to idle down to around 400-500 rpms, almost to the point it wants to die but doesnt. that seems normal right? or am i just being too concerned? lol

 

Good to know you found the problem and gives example A to why I don't go to (or work at) Autozone.

Any ways, 400-500 rpms seems a little low. Does it do it when you just put the clutch in? Or is it when you have feet on both the clutch and brake?

 

i forgot to reply that last night i unplugged the battery terminals to reset the ecm or w/e. (at least thats what i read on how to do it). and it no longer does it. which is weird lol. but it dropped to around 500 or so when i had the clutch and brake in, and while i was in the middle of a turn (i was turning into a parking lot to turn around). so i got to thinking it was probably the extra load on the engine causing it. i tested it out today and the lowest it got to was around 600 ish. i think its fine, and maybe i was just being too paranoid man.

 

I have been following your repairs. I think We have all been there at some point.Your issue with the smoke just might be residue burning off.
Good idea pulling the battery terminals. The ECM just needed to "relearn".As far as auto zone, (I only speak of two stores in my area).USELESS! Plugs for a 94 Camaro 3.4, only 4 in stock, Upper rad hose "We can have one here tomorrow" 3 coil packs "we only have 2".

 

My hometown one is full of idiots. Try explaining to them that your car as shocks on the front and not struts and they think you're stupid (which is why I work at Advance and not there). Another one in Waynesburg, PA couldn't even install a battery right for my friends friend. They didn't tighten the terminal...like seriously?

Disconnecting the battery is one way of doing it. But resetting the computer may have fixed it for the short term or long term. Let us know if it does it again.