soulsurvives
Thanks for your report. Too bad the temp sensor didn't solve the problem.
Yes, I get a lot of black smoke. I have a big black exhaust patch on my white garage door where I ran the vehicle on the weekend. And the gas mileage is very BAD, as if it is running way too rich, and the gas mileage is much lower than a lean problem or electrical miss might cause (~8mpg!).
Here's another reason why I think it is a fuel vs. electrically related problem. When I hooked up a timing light, the strobe light does not cut out when the sputtering begins. Also, the tach doesn't show a drop any larger than that due to the reduced rpm's. So if the problem is electrical in nature, it's likely not a complete not-firing, but some sort of reduced firing issue. (Would a weak coil do this?)
I'm pretty sure these motors all have EGR valves, if you give me your motor year and model, I'll look your type up in my Haynes manual (not the greatest manual BTW). Mine is the ported EGR type, without the electronic EVP on top.
Question: Is your gas recirculation pipe and system still intact? Including the 1/2" copper pipe that runs from the intake manifold to the exhaust pipe?