3.2 running like crap after tune up/ valve adjustment

[mark4ton]

so my wife got me the tune up kit for my 1987 3.2 and i decided to have at it. change the fuel filter, rotor, distributor cap, oiled the felt in the rotor shaft, changed the plugs, replaced penzoil 10w30 with brad penn, and did my first ever valve adjustment. the car was running smooth before all this. but when it would warm up it would smoke blue. which i know my valve guides are worn and i really need a top end rebuild. but i was running smooth and strong other then the smoking.
now the car at idle ran smooth for about 2 min, pretty much until it warmed up, and now feels like its running on 4 cylinders... really shaky and rough at idle, no power on the drive, and really blue smoky at stop lights. this sucks.
so i was thinking, when i did the valve adjustment it was pretty freaking cold outside and my garage isn't heated. it was actually snowing the week i did all this, so maybe 40F degrees in my garage. could this have to do with it?

HELP!

[Tippy]

Did you check oil level while engine idling at operating temps?

Maybe you overfilled.

[JohnJL]

Check you put the plugs back on in the right order on the rotor. And perhaps overfilled oil.

[kodioneill]

Plug wires off or reversed. Closed gap on a single plug. Valves tight. It's difficult to adjust valves with worn guides. Like Tippy said, oil level too high, it should be just up about an inch on the stick when warm.

[al lkosmal]

+1 on the plug wires. Check your plug wires......when you are done with that.....check your plug wires again. It is easy to install them in the incorrect positions.

[timmy2]

Check your plug wires for their overall resistance value while you are at it. Mine seemed to have a stumble and I found one at 2 meg ohms! Mine should be around 4K ohms.
Runs very smooth now with new wires and a new green coax wire to the distributor.

[mark4ton]

i'll double check all the wires.

when i did the oil i did not let the motor get hot, and i went off the oil level gauge when i filled it. i poured until the gauge level was right in the middle. so ill let the motor get hot and then check it with the dipstick.

if there is to much oil do i have to replace my spark plugs? could the high oil level foul plugs?

[mark4ton]

so yes there was to much oil in there. i brought the oil level down.

my wires are wired correctly to the distributor and the distributor is on in the correct direction.

still running rough... new plugs?

[dshepp806]

How much is "too much"..?

Without question, I'd remove all plugs (or just change them),..as well, I'd drop the air box and AFM for an inspection/cleaning,..depending on degree of overfill, really. Some have had overfills that just soak the intake,.....even oil coming from the damned exhaust (major overfill?),..much of which will burn off with time....

That overfill amount will "go" somewhere....I'd just make sure everything is clean (and fresh plugs,..at least, LOOK at 'em)

BEST!

Doyle

[timmy2]

Originally Posted by mark4ton

so yes there was to much oil in there. i brought the oil level down.

my wires are wired correctly to the distributor and the distributor is on in the correct direction.

still running rough... new plugs?

Did you check the actual wire condition as I mentioned earlier? (Resistance, possible light show in the dark)
High resistance or bad connections to plugs will cause trouble.
You said you changed the plugs, are they defective from the box? I've found brand new ones where the ceramic insulator actually slipped down and covered the electrode. 2 out of 4 made for a really rough idle on my Toyota! (Gotta love having parts made in China!)

[rusnak]

I wonder if the O2 sensor is disconnected. Is the idle switch adjusted correctly?

[mark4ton]

Originally Posted by rusnak

I wonder if the O2 sensor is disconnected. Is the idle switch adjusted correctly?

idle switch?

[mark4ton]

i pulled the plugs. #3 and #1 were wet/oily the rest were okay. so i replaced the two. still running rough. no light up show from the plug wires. pulled out each plug wire one by one, pulling #1 made no difference. its not firing... a co worker of mine was over during this, and he thinks i messed up on the valve adjustment and the valve is opening to much. you can hear the tapping for that side of the motor also. so I'm thinking to redo the valve adjustment and double check all the gaps before closing it up... this sucks because i just wasted all that fresh brad penn. and do i have to buy new seals and hardware? its only two short drives old...

[Tippy]

Originally Posted by mark4ton

i pulled the plugs. #3 and #1 were wet/oily the rest were okay. so i replaced the two. still running rough. no light up show from the plug wires. pulled out each plug wire one by one, pulling #1 made no difference. its not firing... a co worker of mine was over during this, and he thinks i messed up on the valve adjustment and the valve is opening to much. you can hear the tapping for that side of the motor also. so I'm thinking to redo the valve adjustment and double check all the gaps before closing it up... this sucks because i just wasted all that fresh brad penn. and do i have to buy new seals and hardware? its only two short drives old...

Did you line up the "Z1" or the other mark near it? Not 100% if you adjusted #1 on the other mark, would it keep the valves open, but may be a possibility. More I think about it, if you had the valves too tight, you'd probably hear the compression leak out through the intake and/or exhaust.

Second, you can reuse the old hardware and gaskets except if you have ripped the gaskets. It is really an experiment. If it leaks, you'll have to replace. If it doesn't, you are good to go. Even if it leaks, it won't be a gusher IMO (unless you tore it and did not see it) and in a pinch, you can drive the car until you buy new ones.

Third, you don't have to drain the oil to redo the valves, just add what you lost.

[mark4ton]

i couldn't see the "Z1" marking on the pulley. i have the AC pulley in front of it and it is covering that. but the only place on the pulley where their are two markings, i went with the marking to the left. thats what it looks like is the right one in the 101 projects picture....

[DRACO A5OG]

Back to the wires, new wires are a very tight fit, you have to insure they "CLICK" down on the plugs and no air is trapped under the boots on the dizzy

[JP911]

Did you verify TDC by checking the rotor position during valve adjust?

[mark4ton]

yes.

Originally Posted by JP911

Did you verify TDC by checking the rotor position during valve adjust?

[mark4ton]

Originally Posted by DRACO A5OG

Back to the wires, new wires are a very tight fit, you have to insure they "CLICK" down on the plugs and no air is trapped under the boots on the dizzy

they're the same "old" wires, these are six years old. i got them all to "click" in

[Tippy]

Cap squarely on dizzy housing? Oil fling out onto any of the contacts?