Waiting around for parts - bummmmpp!
Here's a little tip for older vehicles to restore some performance/gas mileage. Clean your top end and throttle body - it is very simple. You will need some very basic tools (most likely screwdriver, pliers, and maybe an 8 or 10mm socket), a clean rag or two, and a can of carb cleaner and a can of "top engine cleaner". I like "Seafoam" for the top end cleaner.
Remove your air intake and hold/prop open your throttle plate (if you have an electronic throttle body you can turn the key on and hold the gas pedal down with a stick or something, don't force an electronic throttle body open, you can mess it up).
For cable actuated throttle - spray it down really well and wipe it clean. Continue until it is perfectly clean in there taking care to wipe down the throttle plate and bore as best you can. "Itls like fingering a large robot vagina" is how it was described to me the first time lol
For electronic throttle body - spray the rag and wipe it out, don't spray the cleaner into the throttle body. (Spraying an electronic throttle body down can destroy it, very rare, but I have seen kids do it at the dealership...)
After it is all clean, put the intake back on and fire your car up (you'll likely have to hold the gas to the floor so the car enters "clear flood mode" since you have essentially flooded the engine with fuel by spraying the carb cleaner into the intake). Allow it to warm up and idle (your idle may be high to begin but your car will adjust itself unless it is from like 1972)
After your engine is warm we can now proceed to clean the top end. This is performed most easily with 2 people though you can do it alone if you know how to/are able to actuate your throttle by hand. Shut the car off and remove a vacuum line (I usually use the brake booster line though a smaller vacuum line will make the engine less likely to stall during this). The trick now is to start the car and keep it running while adding the seafoam slowly into the vacuum line. It takes a combination of blocking vacuum by hand, revving the engine, and careful pouring. As you approach the end of the seafoam bottle, your goal is to add enough seafoam to choke the engine and shut it off (you don't want to really dump a whole shitload in but you do want to stall it or at least have your buddy shut the car off as you add the final portion.)
So now after you have added all your seafoam and stalled your engine/shut it off you are going to let the car sit for a while (30 mins - 2 hours or so). If you have set a check engine light during this, now would be a good time to clear the codes if you have a little code reader or just disconnect the battery for a bit.
After sitting, again fully depress the gas to enter clear flood mode and start it up. It will probably run crappy for a little while it clears out all the leftover seafoam/loose carbon deposits. Also during this time you will create an incredible plume of smoke (all the carbon you cleaned out being burnt off). Don't think it won't smoke a ton unless it is a newer car - you will piss your neighbors off. All done! Should have a smoother idle and maybe a little more pep and slightly improved MPG now!
