95 astro runs rough

[blkmonday]

ok quick rundown...95 astro just replaced fuel pump and strainer, ignition module, plugs, wires, cap/rotor, cleaned egr valve and replaced the ignition coil. still runs rough....it runs like a 77 dodge.
it used to bog down before the new fuel pump...now it doesnt. fuel pressure is right up there now. however it still idles rough...especially when at a stop light with the brake applied. when i cleaned the egr...it wasnt that dirty, but...the valve seemed to stck sometimes when pushed in an out a little. i cleaned it the best i could. can it be the egr. and why dont i get any engine codes or a service light? it starts up no problem but just doesnt feel right. any ideas where to look next?
oh yea..95k miles always maintained

[CD Smalley]

Does the fuel pressure bleed off quickly once you shut the van off??

It sounds to me like a leaking poppet on your spider unit.

[blkmonday]

before i replaced the pump...the pressure would wear off after awhile...like 20 minutes and gradually slowly lower from there...havent tested the after pressure with the new pump. how hard is the spider to change and how expensive is the part..on a scale of one to ten? or compared to changing the pump (which sucked!)...is this worth doing myself?

[CD Smalley]

Part can be found on ebay for around $250.

You have to remove the top half of the intake manifold. 10 small bolts. There's more to it than that. But it's not that bad. I had never done it before and I had it done in about 2 hours.

[blkmonday]

my cousin works at a local dealer...i got them to diagnose it this week for 50 bucks. at this point im willing to pay anything for a good diagnoses before i rip off the intake manifold (after ripping out the fuel tank for the pump) my pressure was low before so i dont think i wasted my time...and i do think its the spider poppet...hopefully not. im hoping they find the cat is bad or the knock sensor and the timing is screwed up. anyways ill keep yall posted so this helps anyone else in my situation.

[blkmonday]

ok had it diagnosed at the dealer (thank god for family..30 bucks and a free rental car) anyways...cd smalley was right. the diagnisis was a leaky injector spider and a fouled o2 sensor (from the injector dumping fuel for so long) also a possibly bad cat (also from the fuel being dumped and running so rich) anyways i got the injection from autozone for 275 and a o2 sensor for 50 bucks. i put in the injector...on a scale of 1-10...10 being difficult i give it a 5. it wasnt bad at all to do would be easier without ac but all in all not that hard. i didnt do the o2 sensor yet...looks like a bear to get to. the van started right up after the injector and i didnt see any manifold leaks so so far so good...seemed to idle ok but i havent driven it yet. ill wait till i do the o2 sensor...keeping my fingers crossed

[CD Smalley]

As far as difficulty goes 5 is about right. It's more time consuming than I expected it to be. I didn't get one of the poppets in place correctly and had to take it all apart AGAIN to push that back into place. That will piss a person off...

[brcidd]

My '94 astro had the same situation- only the fuel line to the spider had a pinhole it it- bled down fast- but anyway- 6 mths later the spider was at fault again- at least I thought- I worked for 2 yrs on and off with replacing spiders - returning "bad" ones etc- come to find out I had a broken wire inside the insulation at the injector connection- the one right on top of the spider assembly- Dealer item only- they wanted $87 for the harness- I refused- made my own- has been trouble free ever since- those wires get brittle in that environment- sure wish I had developed a bench check for the spider assembly- Van would run for about two months then quit- probably had it towed to the house five times over two years- I still have 3 spiders on my bench- that "must be" good- Thought about selling the best one on ebay- I only used it 1 month...Just my thoughts.....

[blkmonday]

i probably would have bought one off ya! i got the spider in...and it starts up so i assume i did it correctly. i didnt do the o2 sensor yet so i didnt bother test driving it yet. im gonna do it tomorow when i finally have the time. im told the cat might be clogged now too because of running so lean for so long..im keeping my fingers crossed. the cats a little pricey...i could probably get a performance exhaust for cheaper than the factory one..so that might be an option. anyone know of any good places to get a bolt on aftermarket astro exhaust? ill keep you posted on my outcome

[jimmypodunk]

Have you done a vacuum check?

[jackastro]

Just purchased 94 astro that sat on the lot over a year. It was fine at test drive but began to run rough at idle by the the time I got off the highway, on the ride home (20 miles). Parked it in my driveway and it would not start. Changed plugs,caps rotor. Only started when I held pedal to the floor. Check engine light came on, code 32 and 23. Replaced EGR. Old one was clogged with carbon. Idles fine now but still have to apply pedal to start. Every once in a while it starts without pedal. Has Rich smelling (stinky) exhaust fumes. PCV rattles when shaken so I did not replace it, looks fairly new. I suspect water in fuel system. I am on 3rd tank of gas running to Empty each time and filling it up, adding gas treament. I can understand water causing starting problem but could water in the system cause rich mixture/stinky exhaust? Things are leaning toward the spider but I have to rule out any others first.
Any suggestions would help me sleep better. Thanks

[blkmonday]

first check your fuel pressure. theres a valve on the rear of the motor on the fuel rail to hook up the guage. if you pressure is low you are looking at fuel pump. if the pressure bleeds off after the vehicle is shut off then your looking at a injector spider. welcome to my nightmare!
a few questions though...
how does it idle once started?
does it bog down on acceleration and lose power?
have you changed the fuel filter?

[jackastro]

It runs great when started and idles fine. It doesn't bog when accellerating. I attempted to change fuel filter but the inlet line nut won't budge,lost some skin on that one. Got any tricks for for stuck fuel line bolts? It runs great has all the power it should yet it doesn't start without pedal(again every once in a while it will start with no pedal) and the exhaust smells very rich. If it is indeed running rich, wouldn't I feel it during accelerating? Could the catylettic be throwing me some rich fumes? Ther is a bug in here somewhere and it might just be stuck in the spiders web! AHHHH!

[blkmonday]

ok first an update on my 95 stro after the spider replacement an a 02 sensor....1000% difference runs like a new truck. im very happy now! i cant beleive how much i missed my astro. im a musician and ive been cramming my equiptment into a 2 dr 98 blazer like a jigsaw puzzle every night until my van was back. the whole job was pricey for parts but worth the effort and not that hard to do yourself if you have a little gearhead experience and a good manual (haynes was my manual and i followed it to the word). local autozone had parts for cheaper than i found anywhere on the net with a waranty. i hate autozone...but they are cheap. so ill give them props here. keep an eye out for brittle wires to the injector...mine were fine but as stated above they go bad and could drive you crazy if not replaced if they are bad. anyways.....as far as jackastro problems...it doesnt sound like your spider or fuel pump to me...sounds more like a sensor. pre 96 vans suck when it comes to computers reading actual problems. after you cleared your computer readings and replaced the egr do you get any readings at all? if it runs fine once its warm...im thinking its a sensor...not sure what one.....anyone have a suggestion? ill check my manual im sure theres something to look at in there...

[jackastro]

sorry to jump into this thread, my message was intended to be posted but it ended up here somehow. Glad to here your astro is back on the road. My astro's intended uses include but certainly not limited to are ogs, guitars, drums,amps,mountain bikes,groceries,furniture etc............
I've got no readings but I think you are right. I'm going to start by replacing O2 sensor. Which could be throwing the cat. off, which would give me funny exhaust fumes, which would be an easy fix. Amen!