realy rough idle

[86ranger4x4owner]

Well today I double checked timing and started it up. Then I turned it off and went to start it again and it made a awful noise and its coming from starter area almost like its binding up also it stopped and I turned engine by hand and it worked again. So should I shim the starter or look at flywheel?

 

[Mr.Hotrod]

On my 87 2.3 if you heard pinging while revving you need to back off on the timing... If you heard popping through the intake it's way to retarded. I mostly did my distributor timing manually and after many attempts of adjusting and test accelerations about 10 times i got it right where i wanted it to be... When i first got my truck it was getting probably 10 mpg and felt like driving a VW Rabbit Diesel (It would of beat me) because the timing was so retarded my foot was to the floor the whole entire time and it would take 1 minute to reach 60 mph on flat ground, and when i adjusted my distributor i went from a 1 minute 0-60 to about 20 seconds 0-60 with very low compression in 1 cylinder and blow by. IF you're getting a ping i think your timing is a little too advanced...
This is how slow my pile was with the really retarded distributor timing with 3.42s rears, 5 speed, and studded 205/75/14 tires

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mH-e3Z2Dl1w