bright flashlight helps too.

 

That's the way you check it. Flashlight and just open the throttle plate. Look down in there. It's all explained in the plenum thread.

 

thats the way i did it but i can basically only see straight down. not much back and front

 

Well took out the upstream O2 sensor and tokk for a ride with no change in performance. Still a dog. Took out #8 plug and didnt look the greatest but wasnt carboned up at all. But i put all new autolites 24's in it and not much change either?? WHats next.? Also had a leak at exhuast manifold and Y pipe on drivers side and fixed that with no change. I guess to go back and test for Plenum Leak??

 

What have you changed so far?

 

Really havent changed anything other than plugs. The truck idles and sounds great. But from a dead stop on loose gravel roads, if I smash the gas it wont even spin tires on loose gravel. Just a slow gradual gain. Im also thinking about stopping at autozone today and picking up a compression tester. THere's no shame for it, the engine has 207,000 miles on it but i would think it would spin tires on loose gravel. Even 35's with a 5 1/2" lift. I seen on youtube where you can unhook 2 of the vaccuum lines and tape off and take off oil fill cap and see if it has suction there for a plenum test?

 

Check that you have adequate fuel pressure and also check the tps.

 

checking fuel pressure, is this hard to do and is it time consuming?

 

As yours is a 97, you more than likely have the plastic fuel rail, that does not have the fuel pressure test port.... which means you have to have some variety of adapter to check pressure..... might be easier to just pay someone to do it.....

For the plenum test, disconnect the line for the PCV valve at the intake manifold. Then plug the fitting. (mainfold side.) Disconnect the intake hose that goes to the opposite valve cover from the air-box. Plug the hose. Remove the oil cap, and start the engine. There should be a bit of a breeze coming out of the fill hole. If there isn't, plenum is bad.

 

figures... leave it to me to have the " Odd one" or one that can't be checked easily