92 grand caravan spits, sputters, bang, BANG! help!

[ekoms]

Hello all, new here and this site has a lot of good info ! been reading past three days trying to figure out why my van wont run right. So I call upon the caravan specialists. well here goes, first its an 92 grand caravan SE with an 3.3l, and coil pack no dist. I just got this van a week ago ran great at time of purchase, I was on my way home, I get the van up to 50, and it starts to sputter as if I just ran out of gas. I easy off, the engine steadies out. I bring it back up to 50 again it starts to studder. So I take it easy the rest of the way at 45 on level hwy (I live 12 miles up an mountain) then take the exit to get home (starting uphill battle, sept there is no battle). it takes me up the hill at 50-55, no sputters but almost overheated. got it to H. get back home have it parked on some what level ground and some anti is spewing out. I kill the van. waited till next day. 9am still a little chilly out starts fine, idles fine. give it any gas what so ever and it sputters constantly and backfires badly. if I flutter the pedal it will "sometimes" jump past the sputters and rev excellent, let the engine go back to idle and sputters back with any gas, I believe it is an sensor because I can feel the fuel passing through the filter when I hold it tightly. I pulled plugs 1,3,5, Just to get a visual of how the engine is running. 1 and 3 are perfect grayish, 5 is black carbon as if running to rich. as before I didn't pull plugs 2,4,6. also It shows no codes just 12 and 55. Can any1 help. I'm a news paper carrier and this van would make my life so much easier as far as work is concerned. Thanks to all............................Ekoms

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[master tech]

From what you are saying the engine is misfiring, Pull out number 6 plug and inspect. If its okay then replace the number 5 and replace the wires too. But if number 6 is the same you may have a problem inside the motor.

[ekoms]

alright I'll check them out. what kind of problem might I be looking at ? hope its nothing to major.

UPDATE -- pulled all plugs and all are black/carbon. maybe an timing issue. I remember the guy I got the van from said the timing may be off a little, but isn't the timing controlled by the ECM or whatever ?

thanks for the input...............................ekoms

[ekoms]

Changed plugs wires, no change still sputter at low RPM and I have to flutter the gas to get past it.

[master tech]

You may have an engine problem. It could be a flat cam shaft, bad lifters, broken rocker tower, bent push rods androcker. There could be could other parts of the engine that can cause a misfire problem.

[ekoms]

well what do you suggest I check Next ?