Well, I found I DID have some vacumme leaks. I was determined to find this 'idle control motor'. I found multiple cracked/dried vacumme lines. I had replaced about half of them a few years back, and the propane torch test didnt seem to yield anything. I used to use WD-40, but it doesnt burn anymore. Yep thats right. Formula WD-40 isnt the same as your dads WD-40. I have known this for a few good years, as I used to use this (as taught to me by my father) as starting fluid for 2 cycle engines. This is better for them because they dont oil like 4 stroke. About 5 years ago I grabbed some WD and noticed it didnt behave the same way, so I tried to burn it and noticed it didnt burn anymore!!! Sorry, I digress...
I suspect the leaks were so bad the propane wouldnt make any change. Anyway, I pulled the solenoid valve from the middle top firewall, and tore it down. I still dont know what it does. It has a vacumme loop to the air filter. There is no vacumme from the in line, but I notice when I blow through the return the idle drops!! I suspect a bad seal on the TBI to breather assembly as welll as bad vac lines.
I also saw another solenoid mounted to the back of the throttle body. I had forgotten about it since I put the engine in it. Like I said, I never paid much attention to specifics, just that everything was replaced proper. BTW the engine ran great after the long block swap. Anyway, I pulled that aswell, and here is what I found.
The solenoid mounted top center firewall was clean. I tore it all the way down. It has a fatty coil that registers 27 ohm. Looked so good I didnt even bother to lube the spring, though in retrospect a little lithium grease couldnt have hurt.
The rear TBI mounted solenoid loops the TBI, and had a seperator of sorts on it. Looks like a fuel filter. Tubular, 2 in dia, 3 in height. One port out of the side on the top and bottom. Asummed it was a filter at first. After I pulled the solenoid down it was filled with engine oil. Now this coil was sealed, and kraike, I forgot to test it, but it uses a spriral spring sloenoid valve. very interesting, I have rarely seen such a design. Anyway clean the crud, and mechanical operation and seals looked solid. I think the 'filter' is not a filter at all, but is empty is to keep crap from flowing up into the solenoid valve (like an air lock on a wine vat). I would have thought that such an item would have a harness to identify its correct position. nawwww. Anyway, I aparently installed it upside down, and allowed crap to flow INTO the valve. Seems no worse for the wear, but explains how the stuff got in there.
Somehow I was leery testing the electrical directly because I was hooking up a dimmer switch last night to limit current on a bench grinder, and got confused (ok maybe drunk
but that damn black, red, blue confused me with house wiring black (hot) white neutral :P So I wasnt in a hurry to fry these in case they need current limiting. Furthermore I wasn under the impression they were motors (air pumps?), but they are just air valve solenoid operated. They should last a billion years!
Anyhow to finish my novel here. I didnt test the one coil, and I didnt test any voltage from the wiring. Good god I asumme its working ?!?! I did however pick up 15 ft of vacumme line, and I intend on installing it tomorrow. I hope it will solve some problems. Though I must say at least one of those valves wouldnt have worked new hose or not.
I'll post back with a sequel in the metro saga!!
Thanks guys