What is going on?! on death row!

[MetroLights]

ok... 1992 geo metro.

last week, this dam car started to lose performance.
it started to putt and everything.
there was like no power or anything under the hood. it started to be about maybe 0-60 in about 27 seconds. then, a few days later, there was barely any power whatsoever . i had to get a tow to canadian tire. i asked around, and people told me to change my fuel filter. i took it in, changed the filter. got it back. it was as if i just bought the car! was excellent. a few hours and a few hundred dollars later, the dam car started to putt and lose performance again... i am pissed off.
this car would and still is losing performance, then gaining it back, then losijng it again, then gaining it back... its going back and forth. i do not want it to be the fuel pump, but if so, i will change it. if i put the car in park when the performance is low, and just barely push on the throttle, it sounds good for about 3 seconds then sounds like it is about to stall.
i want to know what should i do? anyone have any suggestions on what is going on? filter didnt work and it doesnt seem to be the tranny, so what the hell?! it might be my engine on death row, if so... i might just buy a new engine... i dont know. this is turning out to be a pain in my butt! al;l help very much appreciated.

[frets14]

Just at a guess, I would think it could be a partially plugged catalytic converter.

[Crvett69]

sounds to me like filter maybe plugged again, you could have got some bad gas with lots of crud or water or maybe someone dumped dirt in your tank. have them run a fuel pressure and volume test on it where they changed filter

[MetroLights]

a filter can clog this fast? within a few hours of not even running? like ok. i got the car, drove it around for about 20 minutes, then i parked it for about 2 hours... took it back out it was fine... then started to go crappy again...

[crazyinkc]

I plugged up 3 filters on a Plymouth Champ in a 20 mile drive. It was due to the gas cap being left off for 2 years and the tank was rusted. Did you blow through the old filter to see if it was clogged? I wonder if the pressure regulator might be going out or the fuel pump. Fuel pumps can work and still be bad by not supplying adiquate volume or pressure. Might even check for a loose timing belt. It would cause valve and ignition timing to jump around. I know its a long shot, just trying to think of things to help.

[MetroLights]

wht do u mean? blow the filter?? and im hoping tht its not the dam pump.. cuz tht would cost me some good $$$

[crazyinkc]

You take the old filter and blow through the inlet side and you should be able to feel/hear air coming out the other side with little effort. If it is hard to blow through, you have a full filter or weak lungs .

[spy1309]

Did you checked the ignition cap? the screws might be loose and the cap might move around from engine vibrations retarding or advancing the timing back and forth.

[METROINFL]

Metro lights, did you find a fix for that? I am having the same problem with my 93 GEO Metro.

[MetroLights]

ok... i took a mechanic on a test drive and he took it in right away after the drive.. they told me tht all they did was give me a tune up and fix the timing cuz it was off... there was a bit of a problem with the transmission, but nothing to worry about as of yet. what they didnt tell me, but i found out on my own, was that they also tinkered with my fuel pump... there wasnt enough pressure from the pump... they fixed it and now my car is running better than when i first bought it... so.. ya.. check your timing on your 93 metro and if thats not it.. i would do the same thing as wht i did... your fuel filter.. get that replaced and then if that still doesnt work.. focus on your fuel pump... unfortunately.. if it is your fuel pump.. there is only one way of fixing that... get a new one unless it was as minor as mine... bu you can use a pump from any similar vehicle: suzuki swift, chevy sprint, geo metro, pontiac firefly... they are all the same... lol.. my metro has firefly parts on the engine and such... but ya... just take a mechanic on a test drive and they will find out what is wrong with it...

[pod]

your fuel pump could have a bad ground check that