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Author
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Topic: 289 firing problem
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adragon8u
Gearhead Posts: 4768
From: Oceano, Ca. member# 2895
Registered: Mar 2003
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posted 03-26-2003 10:02 AM
   
Hi, I recently bought a 66 mustang from a guy I work with, not a bad looking car for the $500 I paid for it. I think it had a 6 in it but somone dropped a 289 in. My question is... the car will run, but only on the front four cylinders(1,2,5,6) 3,4,7,8 are firing as far as the plugs, but whe the car is runing you can pull the wires off the distributer cap without it affecting the idle. the compression, although it's low(90-110 lbs) it's pretty evenall around. the plugs don't appear wet when i pull them out. I've pulled the carb to check if the manifold was plugged(signs of mice on the engine) it has new distributer, cap, wires, plugs. any ideas or thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks
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capri man
Gearhead Posts: 6266
From: doerun, ga.
Registered: Nov 2000
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posted 03-26-2003 10:07 AM
welcome to m&m. i feel sure that you have checked the firing order, right?------------------
mike r
racing is real
everything else is just a game.
81 capri-7.51 @89mph 1/8
1.54 60 ft.
http://prestage.com/site/site_display.asp?SiteID=141
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adragon8u
Gearhead Posts: 4768
From: Oceano, Ca. member# 2895
Registered: Mar 2003
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posted 03-26-2003 10:17 AM
Yes, I suspect that the distributer has been pulled out at one time because my neighbor and I had to rotate the plug wires by one slot on the distributor cap to get it to start and run. it actually runs rather well for just 4 cylinders. do you think that the timing is my prob? should i attempt to pull the dist. and line up tdc better? I was told that shifting the plug wires would work. firing order is 15426378.
i even tried the timing order for a 353 because the cylinders that are firing are close to the same as mine.
Thanks
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adragon8u
Gearhead Posts: 4768
From: Oceano, Ca. member# 2895
Registered: Mar 2003
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posted 03-26-2003 10:20 AM
sorry, i meant 351 firing order. #s 1,2,6,8 are in the same location.
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BlueMule
Gearhead Posts: 1432
From: Kent Island, MD USA
Registered: Sep 2002
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posted 03-26-2003 11:11 AM
Have you had the valve covers off and watched the rockers move?------------------
-Paul 70 Mach1 351C
79 Ranchero GT
97 Expedition XLT 5.4
00 SVT f150 Lightning 4149 of 4966 Born on: 06/26/2000 'life's tough... it's tougher if you're stupid.'
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capri man
Gearhead Posts: 6266
From: doerun, ga.
Registered: Nov 2000
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posted 03-26-2003 11:49 AM
make sure that the dist is not 180 degrees out. remember that the dist turns 1/2 turn for each 1 turn of the crankshaft. moving the wires will give you the same results as moving the dist. ------------------
mike r
racing is real
everything else is just a game.
81 capri-7.51 @89mph 1/8
1.54 60 ft.
http://prestage.com/site/site_display.asp?SiteID=141
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adragon8u
Gearhead Posts: 4768
From: Oceano, Ca. member# 2895
Registered: Mar 2003
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posted 03-26-2003 03:26 PM
quote:
Originally posted by BlueMule:
Have you had the valve covers off and watched the rockers move?
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adragon8u
Gearhead Posts: 4768
From: Oceano, Ca. member# 2895
Registered: Mar 2003
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posted 03-26-2003 03:33 PM
I have not taken the valve covers off yet. two of the cylinders that are not hitting have higher compression than others that are hitting, so I kind of "assumed" that the valves were opening. If the timing is of 180 degrees, will it run at all? let alone on just 4. btw, it's great to get such reponses to my question, and it's also great to be a part of those "elite" few that appreciate a classic auto.
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capri man
Gearhead Posts: 6266
From: doerun, ga.
Registered: Nov 2000
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posted 03-26-2003 04:20 PM
yes it would run sort of!! just put your finger over the #1 spark plug hole and bring it up to top dead center. it should blow your finger out of the hole as it is coming up. your rotor should be pointing close to the #1 plug wire when it gets to tdc. good luck------------------
mike r
racing is real
everything else is just a game.
81 capri-7.51 @89mph 1/8
1.54 60 ft.
http://prestage.com/site/site_display.asp?SiteID=141
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adragon8u
Gearhead Posts: 4768
From: Oceano, Ca. member# 2895
Registered: Mar 2003
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posted 03-26-2003 05:20 PM
quote:
Originally posted by capri man:
yes it would run sort of!! just put your finger over the #1 spark plug hole and bring it up to top dead center. it should blow your finger out of the hole as it is coming up. your rotor should be pointing close to the #1 plug wire when it gets to tdc. good luck
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adragon8u
Gearhead Posts: 4768
From: Oceano, Ca. member# 2895
Registered: Mar 2003
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posted 03-26-2003 05:30 PM
Sorry about all the duplicate replys, I'm having a little trouble getting around this system. I did the finger over #1 like you suggested, actually, I held the sparkplug over #1 and when it blew the sparkplug back I checked, and I'm pretty close to tdc. it's strange that it's only hitting on the FRONT 4 cylinders and not the BACK 4. Not just one side or the other. x x
x x
o o
o o
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SteveLaRiviere
Administrator Posts: 42139
From: Saco, Maine
Registered: May 99
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posted 03-26-2003 06:21 PM
The even, albeit low, compression tells you the valves are actuating, more or less.What are your plugs gapped at? They should be .035" ------------------
'70 Mustang Mach 1 - '72 Mustang Sprint - '94 F-150 Please remember our sponsors,
Mustangs Plus, NPD, Osborn Reproductions, MyFordPerformance.com, and FordRamAir.com
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johnmustang
Gearhead Posts: 5701
From: British Columbia , Canada
Registered: Nov 2001
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posted 03-26-2003 06:27 PM
Timing chain? Timing gear? Broken tooth? Wires are in proper firing order? Points, rotor, cap and condenser all good? Coil good? Vacuum leak? Just a few things to run through. JOHN  ------------------
65 2+2 FASTBACK
87 TAURUS WAGON
98 F150 XLT TRITON V8 4.6, 4 WHEEL DRIVE
Member:Vancouver Island Mustang Association
M&M #1710
MyPhotoPage
MY TRUCK
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adragon8u
Gearhead Posts: 4768
From: Oceano, Ca. member# 2895
Registered: Mar 2003
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posted 03-26-2003 06:32 PM
plugs are gapped at .034 and are new.
quote:
Originally posted by SteveLaRiviere:
The even, albeit low, compression tells you the valves are actuating, more or less.What are your plugs gapped at? They should be .035"
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adragon8u
Gearhead Posts: 4768
From: Oceano, Ca. member# 2895
Registered: Mar 2003
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posted 03-26-2003 06:39 PM
Can't really speak for the timing chain or gear. wires, plugs, points, rotor, cap, coil, condenser, are all new. Vacuum leak makes some sense, but the engine really does sound good for the way it's running. I can reach in through the drivers window, turn the key, and boom! she starts and idles. I've had a couple people swear it was running on all 8 until i start pulling wires off the cap and show them.
quote:
Originally posted by johnmustang:
Timing chain? Timing gear? Broken tooth? Wires are in proper firing order? Points, rotor, cap and condenser all good? Coil good? Vacuum leak? Just a few things to run through. JOHN
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indyphil
Gearhead Posts: 2255
From: Senoia, G.A. USA
Registered: Jul 2002
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posted 03-27-2003 06:10 PM
Are you getting sparks to the cylinders that dont run?
In other words when you pull a lead off a bad cylinder and put it near a ground do you see a spark jump the gap to ground?You could try switching plugs and leads around to see if that makes a difference. Assuming you dont have a good spark for the bad cylinders you could try:
Check that the cap and rotor are good especially the terminals that lead to the bad cylinders. Then check the bumps on the distributor shaft that make the points open when the bad cylinders are supposed to fire.
check for correct ignition voltages as well. If you have a good spark to the bad cylinders:
You might try messing with the carb and looking for vacuum leaks, check the intake manifold at the rear cylinders. ------------------
'68 coupe 289 C code
edel 600cfm carb, performer intake, dual exhaust
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dubstar
Gearhead Posts: 423
From: Long Beach, Ca 1966 A-Code Coupe
Registered: Feb 2002
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posted 03-27-2003 07:13 PM
spark plug wires? sometimes its the simplest things that screw up the difficult things.------------------
Alan
1966 Tahoe Turquoise A-Code Coupe
650cfm Holley 4bbl / petronix ignition / missing valance / sanded to bare metal
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