Jeff ,
Thats GOOD that you got the filter in and the TECHRON - on a Monday pm .I wouldn't feel bad about the filter - you did get 54K out of it and it is good time to replace in other ways as well . I didn't point it before but your testing on Sunday ie 5th gear 5000RPM ETC made the filter being plugged less likely so although no cigar you still have eliminated that variable w/o a grievous extra expense .
I know they say 90K but esp with the run of the mill aftermarket filters 60K works for me - when I've cut them open I've never felt too early by anything to matter .
As to the vacuum gauge , thats funny ,I still have a Craftsman from the 1960s that works about as well as anything else including the ridiculessly expensive one bought in Germany . Theres not too much to look for unless things have changed . Maybe some of the others know of a current kit thats sharp .
If I was looking right now heres some of what I'd try to get or evaluate as an option .
1) A decent case/container .
2) If they still offer it some useful fittings etc of different diameters and types that would allow you use the gauge on your bike and other vehicles a little more conveniently .
3)A large and well marked face .
4)Something that looks robust - at least by todays standards . I'm not real big on things like this that are made in the PRC . That maybe hard to work around . In any case we just really need a basic gauge and a line to hook it up with .
5 )As an option an attractively priced package that includes a fuel pressure gauge that you could use here .
Depending on your budget and your whims and wooes about future work you might want to consider something like a Mity Vac kit( VACUUM PUMP/GAUGE KIT ) - they are real handy for many other things automotive . At my current location Murrays which is some kind of Auto Parts regional chain lets you use a full kit( metal ) for free ( 100.00$ refundable deposit ) under their loaner tool program so if you have that option or something similiar over there you could try one out and see if you really wanted one of your own . What ever you do make sure one way or another you have a good gauge interpetation booklet . I have no idea why they keep dropping the number of diagnostic presentations down and while we don't have to be fancy here its just good to have .
One thing I did today was go to a parts store and while there I looked at a cap and rotor for your car . I'm trying to picture the metal hose clamp thats helping to secure your cap ( I had it wrong in an earlier post when I referred to your rotor ) . So does your clamp run vertically or somehow horizontally ? If vertically would it be convenient for you to move it to a different location - at least temporarily or do you think you could somehow tie wrap ( multiple ) ? Don't make this a priority if it isn't super easy super good . In fact lets just skip it for now .
In the meantime lets let the TECHRON/FP3000 do its thing and get the gauge . I realize you have had a busy day but based on what the others are saying here I'd start moving somethings into position in regards to the exhaust manifold . For now I'd take a real good listen and start figuring out if necc. how to remove your heat shield . I'm not there so I don't know but I did see one time on a different vehicle where a loose heatshield was actually rattling more than "normal" because of a pretty big manifold leak so I might take a quick lookie see for that as well .
Having said all that I'm still leaning towards injectors ( spray pattern ) or low rpm fuel pressure
if you have some sort of multi stage or multi pressure value system ie a system that runs a lower pressure or can run a lower pressure below say that RPM where things smooth out .I seem to recall somewhere on some kind of VTEC they did just that .
Final thought - do you happen to have any of the old wires lying around ?
