Runs only with air flow meter disconnected

[Jerlle]

I recently had a problem with the number 1 and 2 cylinders not firing. It occurred during a drive but I was able to limp home on 2 cylinders.

I checked the compression, which was good. I then checked if there was any fuel going through the injectors by having a friend crank the car with the injectors out of the manifold and pointed into a jar. Nothing came out. I had an extra complete injection manifold with wire harness so I decided I'd switch the harnesses (the one in the car was very brittle and cracked.

During the removal I broke the connector going to the air temp sender just under the plenum. So I ended up removing the manifolds and plenum to replace the sending unit. While everything was out I cleaned it up and switched the throttle body that had the single vacuum port with a dual vacuum port I had from the extra injection unit.

After installing everything back in the car it fired right up but then raced the engine up to about 3500 to 4000 RPM. I discovered I had neglected to hook up the air flow meter and did so. After connecting the electrical connector to the air flow meter and doing another check that everything had been installed and connected I started the car again. This time it would not catch and idle. It would fire just long enough to dab the throttle and keep it running by modulating the throttle. While holding the throttle to where it seemed it would stay steady at approximately 1500 RPM it would slowly move there as I increased throttle but tended to take off revving very quickly up to 3000 RPM. In other words the throttle seemed very touchy at that point.

The one thing that I am a little uncertain of is if the wires going to 86a, 86c, and 85 on the left side of the relay box (fuel pump side) are connected to the correct terminals as one or two of the wires had fallen out or broken during the operation. I installed them how I remembered they went and tired to double check with my book but the purpose of the wires (not the terminals, I understand that 85 is ground, 86c is the coil) are readily apparent to me. Since the car seemed to start (sort of) I didn't believe them to be a problem. The fuel pump is running fine as I can hear it and the car doesn't run out of fuel while keeping it running with the throttle.

I attempted to adjust timing and idle air flow to see if that would help but nothing seemed to do the trick. So there is where I am. Sorry for the long explanation but I hoped it would narrow down the possibilities of the current problem.

[Jerlle]

Here is the link to the 914world thread as well in case this gets resolved there and someone else comes looking for a similar problem.

By the way, this is a 1.8 with L-jet.