only 5 firing, need some help!

[ein 6er]

i have a '67 2.0 engine (mileage ?) in my newly aquired '70 914/6, (eng. # 909317). i recently purchased this car in seattle and had an uneventful drive home to florida. the other day i pulled the plugs for a look, they were black and sooty, i cleaned them and went for a 10 min. drive, shut it down for a min. and on restarting it was missing, driving it back to my garage it seemed to fire on all cyl. at higher rpms. back at the garage i pulled the plug wires while it was running and the # 2 cyl. was not firing, no spark in the wire.

so here is the problem ... i've put in new plugs, new wires, new distributor, new rotor, new points( gapped at .016) , i've got it running but haven't checked the dwell or set the timing yet.

but there is still no fire in the #2 plug wire! i've checked and rechecked the connections, i tried one of the old wires on # 2, i have held my finger on the end of the wire and revved the engine and still no spark!

any suggestions?

i don't have a shop manual for this engine, i'm unsure of the correct dwell angle or the timing adjustment. i've noticed in some tech articles that the timimg should be set with the vacuum line disconnected. i see no vacuum line on this distributor, (bosch #0231159001).

hope someone can help, from what i've been reading on this board, you guys are the best!!

thanks, doug waters

[Doug Zielke]

Originally posted by ein 6er:
....i have held my finger on the end of the wire and revved the engine and still no spark!...

Yikes! The "Human Coil Tester"!



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'81 SC Coupe (aka: "Blue Bomber")
Member: SCWDP
Canada West Region PCA
The Blue Bomber's Website
"If it ain't broke...we'll help you fix it 'til it is!"

[Early_S_Man]

Doug,

Check the cap first ... to see if you have continuity from inside ciontact to oustide contact with a multimeter.

Next, pull off trigger wire and connect test lamp or multimeter to contact where trigger lead attaches. Turn over engine by wrench on fan pulley and make sure you get breaker point opening on all six lobes of the distributor cam ... uneven wear on the cam could be preventing the points from opening on #2!

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Warren Hall
1973 911S Targa
1992 Dodge Dakota 5.2 4X4 parts hauler

[jabb]

Put an old plug into the wire to test if it is firing instead of holdoing the wire.
Ground the plug and watch for spark...
Safer then holding the wire to check for spark

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• Joe A.
• 84 911 Targa
• 75 914/6 3.0

[howie944]

Sometimes the simplest of things create the most confusing solutions. I put a new cap and rotor on my 79 SC a while back and had the ol 5 cyl problem. Wires, coil plugs all checked out. Took it to guru. Talk about red faced...When I replaced the cap I missed getting it seated in the "key" and it was canted. Ya gotta check everything. Hell this little escapade only cost me a few bucks but the embarrasment will indelibly etch that "Tech Tip" in my mind. That one rates right up there with the new owner "engine off cold oil check" for me!

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Howie
79SC

[FRED/LI]

I'll echo Howie...it may be as simple as not having seated the cap. The old bosch distributor cap clips would lose some of their bend consequently increasing their span and losing the ability to grip the cap. It's embarrassing to miss this one..Don't ask me how I know. I believe the cap has a key/notch only on one side. It fits one way.
If it's blessed with Weber carburetors, watch for lean misfires caused by minute particles caught in the idle jets. adjusting them with engine running will identify the one at fault. my first was a '67 S in a '69 T body and I still miss that darling.

[ein 6er]

thanks for the suggestions!!

i guess you guys figured out that i meant a new distributor "cap" not a new distributor.

warren, i didn't have a multi tester then (i do now). i thought of the wear on the lobes so i cranked the engine by hand as if adjusting the valves and checked the gap on #2 tdc and it was still at .016. before replacing the points i checked the gap and it was down to .013.

joe, i tried grounding the wire and got no spark, that is why i offered up my finger, i wanted to see if there was even a weak spark.

howie, joe, fred and warren, i'll check the cap again. the new cap does fit a little sloppy, it feels like it doesn't want to fit into the key easily. the old cap fits tight, i tried putting the old cap back on, but no luck. i'll try to tighten the clips up a bit.

yes fred, it has webers! but they seem to be running rich (black sooty plugs). although the PO had bosch plug #s specified for the original 914/6 engine in it. maybe they were too cold?

i'm off to work on it now. i only get a few hours in the afternoon to work on it, and i'll be checking everything again.

thanks again!!

doug

[FRED/LI]

If you can increase the bow/curve of the clip it will hold firmer. Again, check to see if the key and notch are mating. Its a matter of feel to verify if the cap is on right. You shouldn't be able to twist it with a full hand grip. Hope that's it.