ok...180k+ miles....CEL is on and it's time for inspection coming up...it won't pass inspection with the CEL on in NC where i am....i took to autozone and they came up with 4 codes....my kids lost my readouts so i'm going off of memory since i can't start it to take it back to code it again....the van has a strong exhaust smell when using the outside air button....i think the first code was possibly a p0051?....it had to do with the upper front o2 sensor....the other two had to do with lean mixtures...one on the right bank and one on the left...i'm thinking the codes were p0172 and p0174....i read somewhere that there is a tech bulliten for the intake manifold gaskets for both these codes....the last code i think was maybe a p0158?....IMRC?...i've read you can mod the transistor in the imrc to help out....so...this is how i started...the van was running but really bogged down feeling when driving...not a lot of get up and go....so...i'm thinking start on the easy and go from there....i replaced the upper and lower intake manifold gaskets....then i took loose the imrc box unit....opened the cover...i had ordered a tip102 transistor from mouse electronics and had to desolder the pwb from where the connector goes in the box to get the board out....soldered in a new transisor....resoldered all the bad solder joints....(ones for the motor were not too good..cracked)....put down heat transfer grease on the back side of the transistor...screwed it back down....i did notice the cable let loose when i took out the motor....put everything back together....turned the cable back as tight as it seemed to go before putting it back together....i think i'm going for a test drive and it's gonna do much better....it turns over fine but doesn't even fire.....just keeps turning...so smooth i think it's the battery......finally realize the motor is turning just not firing....recheck everything....all hooked up but then realize after much searching that the imrc cable is broken down underneath where it hooks to the "i've heard it called actuator" where it hooks underneath on the side of the manifold....i think the engine is flooded by this point as the gas smell is really strong....i come back a few hours later and try having someone turn over the engine while i'm pulling the actuator underneath by hand....it fired really hard...almost like a backfire inside....tried again and it fired but didn't start...then just turning over again with no firing...i'm thinking replace the imrc and cable with new ones and maybe get it to running again then maybe the o2 sensor....anyone have any thoughts on it?...i'm kinda worried it may not crank with new imrc box and cable ...and then what?....is it possible something else isn't hooked back up right?....and now my next question is where can i find the imrc box and cable cheapest?....thanks for any thoughts

 

wow...was hoping for a bit more help....did i do something wrong on the post?

 

ok...well....guess i'll answer it for myself in case it helps someone else.....i put in the new imrc(input manifold runner control) unit/cable....it sputtered but wouldn't start....worked with it for about 30minutes...i think it was flooded.....got rid of a lot of black smoke....seemed to run a bit smoother but cel came back on....took it back down to auto zone and had gotten rid of the 0172, 0174 and 1518 codes....still had the 0051.....changed the bank one upper oxygen sensor...basically the top one on the front of the engine...had to reach from underneath and take off the little plastic cover and use an oxygen sensor socket to get to it....had let the engine cool for about 2 hours and it came right out no problem....not even a heave ho.....i used a universal bosch sensor ...cost about 40$ less and took care of the 0051 code....runs a lot smoother now and lots more get up and go