Could be ignition issues
Hello, I'm new to the forum and haven't had time to check if anyone has mentioned this, but recently I had the same problem so I'd like to contribute.
I have a 98 Sr5 and I changed the valve covers taking everything off and putting back together (fuel lines, vacuum hoses, intake manifolds). When I tried to start it up after I put the final piece (intake tube) back, the engine started right up like it normally would, meaning no labored or prolonged cranking, but it hit less than 1000 rev and died. Normally when I start it cold it would rev to 1500-2000 for a while before it drops to 600-700. I searched online for solutions and it says it could be vacuum leaks or fuel not getting in to the engine, but I checked all hoses and could not find one that's forgotten to put back on or cracked severely. Some additional search told me that it could be the spark plugs not firing right, but I changed the plugs recently and inspected them during the valve cover job as well, and they look nice and clean without oil/fuel on them. Logical thinking tells me that it could be the electrical components related to the plugs, so I checked for the spark plug wires on the driver side (cylinders 2 4 6) which look good, and the coils on the passenger side (cylinders 1 3 5) are securely tightened by the bolts. However, the culprit ended up being the black connectors on the coils. Two of them were loose for whatever reason (probably me being dumb) and I plugged them back in making sure I hear a click. Tried again, started right up and ran for a long time like it normally would. Apparently the engine could not run on one coil and one wire (2 cylinders).