ya man mines a few teeth off and the only probem i have is startiing and it will pop back and back fire wen i get to four grand

 

Do you know how hard it is to check the timing chain?

 

Yes. You must remove the front engine cover. Let's get off this tangent and look at what has already been presesnted.

Poor tune-up hardware like plugs, wires, cap and rotor can cause the symptoms. As well, a bad TPS, bad vacuum lines, vacuum leaks, low fuel pressure, and poor grounds could, too.

I'm not comfortable with the fuel pressure test results. It should be 31 at idle and 39 with the vacuum hose removed from the fuel pressure regulator. If we don't know the results from removing the vacuum line from the FPR, we don't know what fuel pressure it has under high demand. What if the FPR was bad and 31 was all the pressure that was available? It would pop, sputter and backfire through the intake.

 

I found a broke cruise control vacuum line(that's what my dad said it was at least). When the vacuum line was pulled off the regulator it maintained at 30 psi. And started to slowly drop to 28 psi. So could this be fuel pump, regulator, or TPS? I have always been able to hear the pump running.

 

Your fuel pressure is the problem. When you pull the vacuum line from the FPR, is there gasoline in the FPR where the hose was attached? If so, it's shot. If not, good chance your fuel pump is going out or the rubber hose that attaches to it in the tank is cracked, or the filter sock on the bottom of the pump is clogged to a certain extent.
Now we're getting somewhere.

 

There was no fuel coming out on the side where the vacuum hose was attached, when pulled off. Should I check rubber hose first? If that turns out good then pull pump and check sock?

 

I'd be pulling the pump assembly out of the tank next. That' swhere you may find a deteriorated rubber hose on the pump, plugged filter sock or bad pump. Plan on a new pump, not an Airtex, while you're in there.

 

I just pulled pump. The rubber hose still looked new and the sock wasn't even attached to the pump when I pulled the pump out. It was laying in the bottom of tank, but I may have knocked it off. When pulling pump.

 

Id say your pump is shot.
Dont get airtex, and dont go cheap..

 

Would bad pump explain the running rough when shifting into overdrive?

 

Yes. High fuel demand and an underperforming pump don't go well together. Replace the pump.

 

Would a napa fuel pump work good?

 

That's what I use. Just put one in my wife's 88 XJ. Be sure to get a new o-ring to seal it back up with.

 

Ok, I'm glad the napa ones are good. I will pick one up soon as I can. Would you happen to know anything about Dodge rams would you?

 

I had a 98 Ram 1500 from new to 135,000 miles.