What a long strange trip it's been......

[racerxpl]

There is a very long story to tell. the short is that we put a junk yard engine in the car with a mix of add-ons from both the old and the new. It is a 94 corsica with a 3.1 engine.
We finally got it to run more than 4 seconds by turning the idle screw. It is odd how you can take something off and on 3 or 4 times and never notice a little screw.
Now the engine runs a little uneven, it smokes lightly and putt-putts a bit. We noticed that one of the coil pack packs gets hot while the others stay cool. the pack is located above and behind the engine.
Any one know if this is normal?

Also, the top of the oil dipstick broke off and we cannot get the dang thing out!! drilled a screw into it and tried pulling and lifted the car up with it and not a budge. Any ideas on that one?

We, me and my guy, would really appreciate any help.... and if you want to read a car horror story let me know... it starts with radiator fluid shooting out the expansion tank about 2 feet high.....

[Mine999]

I have no idea if this will work but maybe worth a try. Take a large magnet and place it on the side of the dipstick housing and see if it will slide or move the dipstick far enough to get it with a pair of percision needle nose pliers.

With the rough Idle I had recieved the advice from another member to pull the IAC (Idle Air Control) and clean the carbon out of the IAC itself and the housing and while your there clean the throttle body and anything else you can. This helped my car quite abit with its rough idle.

I have a 91' with the 3.1L in it.

[racerxpl]

Thanks, was thinking it might be just a sensor of some sort and I had noticed the carbon but am a little squeamish when taking apart something with a spring. I guess worse scenario I can just put the spare throttle assembly on it.

[racerxpl]

An updated..... it is running nicely now with cleaned throttle body and cleaned air flow sensor. Thanks