94 blazer problems help help............

i have a 94 s10 blazer.. has the 4.3l cpi vin w... well it started with being hard to start after it sat for a few hours.. now its starting to be sluggish and bucking very slightly .. thought it was the fuel pump and i cranked the battary dead so i hooked it up to some jumper cables and another car and it fired right up so i changed the coil and pcv valve.. is getting fuel and spark but spark is orange not blue.. seems to runn ok after coil change but still hard to start after setting.. pls help me i have a trip to go on and don't wanna be stranded... thanks and god bless.. pls help me asap....

Have you checked fuel pressure? Key on, engine cold and off, fuel pump running, pressure must be 55psi to 61psi. After the pump shuts off, fuel pressure must remain above 50psi for 3 to 5 minutes.

yeah i checked it and it was low off but when it started it was 61 contiueous... but it seems to run ok other than it bucking a lil every now and then... but it is very sluggish and very stuburn to start after setting so i guess the fuel pump is just warning me telling me to change it.. i just have a hard time accepting the fact that jumping it off would start it with a weak fuel pump.. but pls anyone with this problem pls help me.. atleast help me understand why it would jump start if it is the fuel pump.. i was thinking the cpi or nut kit but i don't know what checking for washing is.. someone pls help me .....

What is the fuel pressure with the engine off and the pump running? How long does the pressure remain above 50psi after the pump shuts off? This will check the fuel injector, fuel pressure regulator, fuel pump, check valve in the fuel pump, & the nut kit. It will not tell you what is wrong, it will tell you if a problem exists in the fuel delivery system. Post your results and we can continue with the diagnosis.

i am unable to check the pressure now my brother in law had the gauge and i can't afford to buy the tools and parts.. i did how ever take the air intake hose that goes to the air filter off and hooked jumper cables to my wifes car and after about three tries it fired up and blew smoke out of the intake hole and ran fine no miss or anything.. what do i have to take off to check for washing.. and what exactly is the plenum .. is it the plate that has vortech on it or is it under that and will i have to buy a gasket or anything to check for washing..oh yea i do smell a faint gas smell in my oil and i have read this means the nut kit is bad . i unhooked the sensor that is in the intake hose and the check engine light came on but pls hlep me.. runs fine after its started and will start up back to back but if you leave it for a couple hours it will not start up .. i have not sprayed starter fluid or anything just took the hose off hooked up to jumper cables and two or three tries later good to go ... pls pls anyone ever had this kind of problem.. would like to just buy the problem part and not abunch of stuff not related.. times are hard or i would just take it to a buddies shop..thanks

... would like to just buy the problem part and not abunch of stuff not related..

There's only way to know what the "problem part" is, and that is to diagnose it correctly. To do this, the first step is check fuel pressure and leakdown. Harbor freight has an adequate fuel pressure tester: http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=92699

ok i changed the fuel pump and it starts up great but once it is started it lopes and tries to die but it does manage to stay running.. but i did notice black smoke comeing from the tail pipe and i put my hand up too it and it covered my hand in black crap.. anyone have any good idea.. i did hear it was running rich and thats what was causeing the black smoke but i don't know what to do to fix it.. pls help me we have a trip to go on this coming up weekend and really need to get this thing fix as cheap as possible..thanks

See post #6.