Let me add an update to this....I got to work on it a little bit this weekend.
I took a bottle of carb cleaner and started to spray around. Didn't take long to find the leak. It was the whole intake manifold! (and later find out the exhaust manifold bolts, valve covers and the carb bolts were loose too). I looked up the torque numbers and torqued them down(25#, which seems low but whatever). Immediately got my idle and driveability back. I was super excited. I had to call it quits for the day because it was Thanksgiving, but on Friday morning I took it out for a 10 mile drive and in a complete turn of luck (or fate) as I'm a couple blocks from home.... I'm making a right turn, get a loud knock that I write off as suspension noise (happens on that turn every time) and as I accelerate out, the stumbling is back. WTF
So now I'm lost again. Oh, and for what its worth, that trans and coolant leak stopped after I torqued the bolts down. I have no idea if it's somehow related but coincidence seems to say so.
I double checked all the bolts again. All good. Also sprayed the carb cleaner again and that checked out ok.
The only new thing that has developed is that it would almost appear as though I have an exhaust leak now. I'm getting some smoke out of #8 exhaust port. Or at least it looks like it. I didnt drop any oil or anything back there that'd burn so this is the only logical solution.
Do you guys think that knock that I've heard could've been some offsetting geometry between the suspension and exhaust/engine, pushed the passenger side exhaust in some strange direction and cracked the manifold. Or maybe just the gasket. It's not like the truck is surviving on a lot of back pressure to begin with. There's no catalytic converters. So I wouldn't think theres a relation between the exhaust leak and driveability.
The truck is also surging more than last time. That's about the only difference. Otherwise, It still wants to die.
I'm ordering a vacuum test kit today. I thought I may have had an old gauge laying around, but turns out it's a pressure gauge and not vacuum.
Engine oil is still leaking. Havent gotten around to that issue yet
