this car is sputtering and idling terribly, that is to say about 30 seconds after cold start (during which it idles fine, just rich enough i guess).

the car was running fine, and one day this behavior. it can be driven, but has no power, and will stall out at idle if you turn the wheel without some extra throttle. at the same time, the fuel pump began making noises which reminded me of when the FPR went bad in my '86.

anyway, the first steps i took were to change plugs and wires (needed 'em), and i changed the fuel filter as well as replaced the fuel pump/ accumulator assembly with a known good one. nothing has helped, only the fuel pump no longer makes those noises. oh yeah, i switched out the frequency valve relay as well, and it made no difference. i have an '82 parts car, but i don't look forward to replacing the entire fuel dist. and i don't feel like buying a fuel pressure gauge (probably should). i hate K-jet. my girlfriends '80 260 is an even bigger mystery to me (150%), and Bentley ain't no help beyond extrapolating from Turbo system info.

i know it's running lean - i checked output at the O2 sensor, and i also pulled a plug after a fast idle/shutoff - bone white.

any ideas?

Thanks!