running on 3 cylinders

[DEE'S NOVA]

one of the guys reakons thats one of the reasons her car is sounding so rough and wanting to die out so how easy is it to fox or do i have to get the mechanic?

[Nova-Boy]

there could be many reasons why it is only running on three.

Spark plug, HT lead, split valve guide (casuing oil to cover plug), Dizzy. Even drawing air in through the brake servo tube into the manifold caused mine to only run on 3.

Check/clean or re-new your plugs and change arround your ht leads and see if that helps. Clean the contacts on the dizzy cap and get the timing sorted.

other than little things like that it could be machanical fault which would be difficult to fix other than replace i think?

[Aragorn]

start by finding where the prob is

with the engine running pull each lead off one at a time

if the engine starts stuttering real bad put it back on

if its running on 3 you should find a lead which removing makes no difference to the engines tone

once youve found it u need to find out wy its missing - check the plug and the lead (try swapping the lead to another cylinder and see if the misfire moves to the new one) if both are ok and its still missing on the original cylinder check the rotor cap for arcing or worn electrodes

should be one of em - if not its prolly not ignition related - but there is always the possibility of a faulty dizzy or possibly ignition module/coil

[DEE'S NOVA]

it's running really bad it's rough and when you go to drive it you have to rev the hell out of it or it'l konk out.

it was a new dizy cap and leads that are on it and a machanic changed the leads round as i had them on wrong and it would'nt start but now he changed them it starts but is running like a bad of bolts


oil on the plugs nova boy.yeah the spark plugs seem to get coverd in oil/petrol what ever and end up drowned so could this be the cause and how do i fix it m8?

[Aragorn]

it could be timing/fuel if the plugs are black

still could be wrong firing order tho

check the lead order against the haynes manual to make sure they are on right might still be wrong

if they are correct get a timing strobe and sort the timing and that should be about it

[Nova-Boy]

To do the timing:

On the crank shaft pulley bolt turn the crank shaft until the notch it is inline with the ignition pointer on the engine casing. Then without the belt attached turn your cam shaft until the notch on the camshaft sproket lines up with the back plate notch. That should make the cam and crank run in time. With the distributer cap off the rotar arm should be pointing to no1 lead. Now fit cam belt and tighten, ensuring it doesn't slip a tooth whilst putting it on. It may need some slight timing by turning the dizzy one way or another but that will make sure your not going to bash any valves whilst trying.

Make sure that the vacuum advance is working. Flighing saucer ontop of the dizzy. Take off the pipe and give it a suck. If you can suck through it it is knackered! If a diapragm moves in it it is ok.

[mikeoxford]

timing will not effect one cylinder.

if the timing is wrong it will be wrong on all four

thats how ive always been taught :roll:

[burgessovsalford]

Yep Mike's right. You cannot tell if the timing's wrong by taking the leads off one by one...

[Dicko]

figure out which it is by pulling the plugs off 1 by 1, make sure its not runing on 2 that was my problems once had 2 leads on the wrong plugs, it did drive but very badly.

if its not this and u find which 1 it is take the plug out and see if its soaked in fuel, if its not then a fuel problem (if its injection, carb shudnt have any probs here)

if its saoked in fuel its gonna be electrical based.

try swoping the plug for 1 you know works, then try swoping the lead.
if this doesnt help replace the rotorcap.

if this still deosnt work its gonna be the dizzy. it very unlikely to be the coil if its firing on 3.