sluggish quad4

i recently did the head and oil pump on car. car idles and revs ok. test drive
and it feels like im pulling a trailer. i disconnected knock sensor and had no difference in driving. could this be the prob? i did notice catalytic converter
smell, you know that nasty sulfur smell. the previous owner had a "fart can"
on it so if theres any restrictions its the converter. also whats the best way
to check fuel pressure on this motor. 1995 2.3 grand am

There's a schrader valve on the end of the fuel rail for testing the pressure. As for the sluggishness, I'd start with the converter if you are getting the smell.

removed cat and inspected. shined light through and can barely see a pinhole of light at any one point. really black though. on another note, i tore down the throttle body and cleaned the iac valve. the tip of it was oily but everything else associated with it was clean. i removed the tps and noticed
the center part thats mates with shaft on throttle body was very loose and wobbly. is this slotted plastic piece supposed to be rigid and move with some resistance like its fixed in a housing or does it locate itself when it mates to the throttle shaft. if i unplug the tps while its running it will throw a code and turn on the fan, but i have to restart car after reconnect it to clear the code.

The smell of sulfur is usualy from a rich fuel condition or when under a heavy load.
How old are your O2 sensors ??
How many miles on this 2.3 ??

Thier shouldnt be oil on the IAC tip. :nono:
The TB shaft should be tight on the TPS end, shouldnt be wobbly and the TPS should fit snug but it sounds like its ok.

If you O2 sensors are over 100k miles old its time to change them, this might help other things besides sluggishness.
Most Cats new or used you cant see much thru them. The best way to test a Converter is with an exhaust gas analizer.

I have a new Cat on my GT and everytime I stand on the gas then stop at a light it starts smellin like poop... and everyones looking around.... "who did it" :sly:

Good Luck

The smell of sulfur is usualy from a rich fuel condition or when under a heavy load.
How old are your O2 sensors ??
How many miles on this 2.3 ??

Thier shouldnt be oil on the IAC tip. :nono:
The TB shaft should be tight on the TPS end, shouldnt be wobbly and the TPS should fit snug but it sounds like its ok.

If you O2 sensors are over 100k miles old its time to change them, this might help other things besides sluggishness.
Most Cats new or used you cant see much thru them. The best way to test a Converter is with an exhaust gas analizer.

I have a new Cat on my GT and everytime I stand on the gas then stop at a light it starts smellin like poop... and everyones looking around.... "who did it" :sly:

Good Luck...

If you just done a head job on it you probably got the cams out of time. Tear it back down and put the cams in correct time

isnt it almost impossible to get cams out time if you locate cams in dowel holes in the cover. could the chain tensioner be bad or maybe the chain.
if i rev motor i can hear a rattle towards number 1 cylinder. its not rod knock
because its too fast. the motor starts and purrs. just no power like the ecm is retarding timing.

The rattle is probably tripping the knock sensor which will cause a low power situation. Did you replace the timing chain, guides and tensioner while you had it apart? A bad tensioner will cause slack in the chain, and a worn guide will make alot of noise.

i hate to say it but no, i didnt replace the chain or tensioner. i know it not good practice but my wallet didnt cooperate. i mean it is what is if its bad.
i replaced the oil pump and pressure sensor as well. with the money involved im close to a overpriced turd.