Trying to sell this thing but I want to solve this problem first: it sputters badly when I step on the gas, though there are no problems when I accelerate smoothly.

I have really gone through the car interms of timing and tune-up stuff, and some fuel system cleaner really improved the problem. Could it be the fuel injectors? What are some other likely causes? It also tends to die after a few minutes of idling and can be a bit hard to start cold.

Also, is there a good link that explains how thoroughly clean k-jet fuel injectors? Thanks!
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Jakob Lunden 1984 242 DL, 1979 242 GT (For Sale), 1992 245

Your problem sounds like a secondary ignition (coil, coil wire, ign. rotor, ign. cap, spark plug wire or spark plug) problem.

Under a heavy load, there is a lot of air and fuel molecules in the cylinder that are waiting to be ignited. That air and fuel is resistance across the spark plug gap. Ohms law says that electricity will flow in a least resisted path so the ign. coil output is finding a easier path to ground.

Your problem is probably a cracked s/plug or a bad ignition wire.

Try misting the s/plugs and ignition wires with a spray bottle full of water and see if you can see the spark jump to ground causing a dead miss.
Also, you might pull the s/plugs out and see if one is fouled.

Kyle245

Plugs, wires, rotor/distributor cap are all new, so I don't think it's electric. I tested the coil, resistor and computer a while ago and they were all fine.
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Jakob Lunden 1984 242 DL, 1979 242 GT (For Sale), 1992 245

For reference, I did the same thing in my own quest to fix the hesitation on my '82 k-jet - new plugs, wires, dist. cap and rotor. It was NOT an electrical issue.

Sadly, the Bentley manual is pretty half-assed about k-jet diagnostics, and the Haynes is equally worthless. Good luck with your problem, because I never did figure it out. The car is running through the backwoods of PA now, doing quite well, but it still has a slight hesitation on full throttle sometimes.
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'93 244: 'A' cam 4 deg. advanced, 25/22 sways, custom heim endlinks, poly bushings, and a lot more styling customization than I care to recount.

I had the exact same problem with an '82 GL. I mean EXACTLY. And it didn't do it when I bought the car but only after I did the "Seafoam" treatment on it (trickling it into the intake while reving the engine). I have always blamed the Seafoam for screwing it up, but I never had any idea what was wrong. I took apart the entire intake and cleaned it and it helped a tiny bit, but I gave the car to a friend without ever completely solving the problem.
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'93 244: 'A' cam 4 deg. advanced, 25/22 sways, custom heim endlinks, poly bushings, and a lot more styling customization than I care to recount.