Back firing when spraying in starter fluid is not unheard of even if the timing is correct.... and given the delicate nature of many of the intake controls in use in modern cars manufacturers of the cars and starter fluids both usually recommend against the use of it on EFI vehicles.
As for all the speculation about the KVAFM.... YES, you can run the GTE without one even connected... the car should drive decently all around but I'd highly recommend against trying to push it very hard. However a bad KVAFM can indeed keep the engine from running altogether... funny huh?
And on a related note; The 7M-GE cannot be run without the VAFM (vane air flow meter) connected.
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