OK. So anyone still tagging along with these posts is probably getting bored but I'm going to keep the thread going because someday I'll get to the bottom of it and it might help someone else out.

2WD---Idle was checked and running at 750 rpms.

UPDATE. I took it back to the tunex and they called me a couple hours later and said that it was my catalytic convertor. I told them it was brand new and they said...uh, well, um.....it must not be a good enough one. YET ANOTHER LESSON IN NOT TRUSTING SCUM SUCKING MONEY HUNGRY MECHANIC SHOPS!@!!!!!
He wanted $450 to put a new one on. which I'm sure would allow me to fail yet again and stuck letting their replace one part at a time troubleshooting to continue.....

I took it to a different shop who took a look at it. He said that the catalytic should be fine but he did not know why the idle hydrocarbons were so much higher than the loaded.

HE suggested I try to rig the carb so the idle was higher. Since you cannot adjust the idle on a TBI I got creative.

AND THAT'S WHERE IT ALL WENT WRONG. lol......

Here is where I could use some more advice.

I retarded the timing back to 0 degrees TDC and taped 2 pennies to the throttle stop so the idle was sitting at about 1500 rpms. I also added 3/4 of a gallon of acetone to a half a tank whish I'm guessing is 40-50 gallons. I did this just to be safe since apparently acetone breaks down the surface tension of gas and allows it to combust more completely. Now I also tinkered around with the MAF sensor and might have sprayed some carb cleaner in the maf sensor port.....I also cleared the engine codes that tripped from disconnecting the maf sensor BUT I accidently connected pin 7 and 8 before I did 1 and 2 to get the engine code!!!! I hope that didn't mess it up.

ANYHOW . NOW I cannot get the check engine light to go off. It is reading code 43 which is knock sensor AND/OR Electronic Spark Control Circuit Fault.

Needless to say I have to get the check engine light off before I can run it back through emissions.

Any ideas? I'd might think the acetone might cause the knock sensor to trip had I not messed with all the sensors, idle and timing. I may have sprayed some carb cleaner inside the maf sensor as well. GRrrrrrrrr.... what did I screw up here?

 

Gald that you are keeping us posted its all good info, keep it coming.
I really have to question the items you are adding to your fuel...too many exotics and you could have some problems... why not try a regular fuel additive... I have read that acetone can help emissions but I'd be concerned about how harsh it could be in the fuel system...

its a shot in the dark but is the cat close enough to the engine / hot exhaust to get hot and perform its duty? I don't know the correct location but I would guess it needs to be in a certain range....

 

I have to agree with in2pro on this one. Acetone, simply put, is NAIL POLISH REMOVER.

My point being that it's going to eat at surfaces on your fuel distribution system which need to stay properly coated. It may just pay to run a couple tanks of clean regular gas through the system, now that you've straightened out your switched wiring.

Do yourself a favor. Since the last owner(albeit probably well-meaning)got the wiring order wrong, start back at basics, assuming NOTHING. It's been my sad experience that you have to do most real trouble-shooting yourself. Most shops just want to hook it up to an analyzer, take a reading, and make a profit.

Not to be rude, and surely I love you like a brother, so don't take this the wrong way, but nobody cares about your vehicle like you, yourself,(in ANY instance)do.

Theres the very real possibility that once you get that crap out of your gas tank, and run it a little while with the distributor wiring straightened out that it may self-correct. Just set the specs as close to book as you can and give it a tank of clean, unadulterated gasoline.

 

does it blow blue? the next thing that crosses my mind is valve guide seals

 

I have 2 454 G30 vans a '92 (white) & '93 (red 4x4)....stop putting achol in it... put the timming back at 4 deg ( advancing it shows in there comp and you fail ). Both of my 454 put a e-test at: HC allowed 132 at idle is 0 at 15 and 1 at 25 mph, CO allowed at idle 1.32 at 15 its .14 and 0.0 at 25, NO allowed at idle 2208 is 2 at 15 and 152 at 25. What I do before check: change O2 sencer, keep the oil low, get it hot. Open up the tail pipe 3" min so it can breathe. Your loping prob was caused by the cap & rotor, the inside of the cap was torn up so the spark has to travel further makin heat which causes loss of power and irregular idle. Take the air filter out when you go to test for max air going into the block. Both my 454 have passed smog, the 92 this last feb ( just got this one ) but my 93 454 4x4 has passed 5 times doing this ( recemended by the smog place). both are the Tonnawonda motor and have TBI....Both get 11-12.5 mpg on the street and 14-14.5 on the freeway w/ california smog crap on them.....Oh as far as your hi idle the butterfly's wear and dont close all the way( just went thru this w/the red one) put another carb spring on it to pull it back closed. Yes I know TBI dont use springs but add one to your gas peddle linkage it works great......and a cat conveter is a must cause the O2 sencer is further down the pipe, the more crap that goes thru the more your O2 reads and changes the air fuel ratio. The closer you get to FACTORY the more chance you have of passing smog. Then advance it to 11 deg, for more power less mpg. It runs better at 11 but it wont pass smog.