prezucha

Hi Seattlejester, Thanks and I appreciate your comments. I've read many poor problem descriptions and forum member responses. I tried to explain best I could but being tired and rushed can sometimes not have good outcomes. I'm glad you could assess my problem with the info provided. I will try cleaning the plugs as you suggest and test them. A good idea! I guess I didn't say what happened next... Bought a new aluminum radiator and after a quick test drive water was skirting all over. Radiator has a hole in the bottom! This is the next problem to solve. My son thinks the car drives great though! Very smooth compared to the old engine! I will now install the new magnet in the original distributor when it arrives and get back in the car. Once that is in, with new plugs and wires (I ruined two wires with all the changes I was doing) I will have a local shop sync the carbs and time it properly. Again, thanks you and all for your suggestions and support! Cheers! Paul

Hi NewZed, Sorry just saw your post after posting. Yes, new plugs did it. But why? Hoon? I can guess what that means... Compression is good all across. First thing I checked! If bad, I would go after the guy to have engine repaired... Thanks! Paul

Ok, Seattlejester and Xander, Someone has some 'splaning to do'. I put in new good spark plugs and it fired up right away! Plenty of smoke coming out but that cleared up. I bring a decently running car in to have a header to muffler flange installed and after he does the work the car is running on 2 cylinders! Now the timing was a bit off bringing it to him as I was messing with it a little but it ran "ok" there. Could he have revved it and somehow damaged the plugs in 2-5 because the timing was a bit off? Plugs physically look ok... Car now does run good. No test drive yet but it revs nicely. I feel like I need to advance the timing a bit more but I ran out of play even after allowing most play moving the plate... I appreciate all your comments and please feel free to comment and speculate. I have fixing something without really knowing what happened! I know the plugs made the car fun but why were others bad? Cheers! Paul

Hi Xander, I checked and double checked. The L28 engine has same firing order as 240, correct. I just took off distributor, cap, and wires from my 240 (running great) and put on new engine. Does not run. Will change spark plugs and see. Here's a crazy thought. Cylinders 2-5 have slightly higher compression. Could muffler guy have revved the engine high enough to do damage to those 4 plugs? Never heard of this. Will change and report back... Thanks!

Seattle Jester, Sorry, just reread your posting and you asked what carb... I read "what distributor". The carbs are the Hitachi stock carbs. Looks like 70-71 according to ZTherapy they have the unique heat shield with the "U" shaped cutout and plastic oil filler caps. Just bought the spark plug tester and here are results. Strange. Cylinders 1 and 6,which are currently firing and running the car poorly, have weak spark. All 2,3,4,5 have slightly stronger spark to the tester! Plugs 2-5 are wet! I just took spark plug from 1 and installed in 2 and visa versa. Car started but still the same. NOW, I removed spark plug 2 wire and it ran worse! Replaced. I removed spark plug wire 1 and it ran back on 2 cylinders! Possibly 4 bad spark plugs? How could that be? I bought new ones and will install and report back. Very strange indeed! Later...

Hi Seattle Jester, Thanks so much for your response! At midnight! To answer your questions... Running on 2 cylinders wouldn't get me down to the corner store Or even the mechanic one block away! I thought compression numbers were within 5%. 3 is even better! I will pick up a spark tester today. I removed 2 through 5 and car ran the same so I kind of assumed they weren't firing at all. I know, I know, don't assume. 2 through 5 I would say are moist, not soaking wet. I can barely keep car running now but playing with timing might help. When I say running I am talking barely!! What voltage readings would be helpful? I put distributor, coil, cap, and wires back on my '70. But yesterday I got 11.7 at coil + and - with key on. I will put everything back today and get more voltage readings... I've TDC'ed the car many ways. Feeling pressure in #1, lobes as bunny ears, rotor pointing at about 9:00, etc. Played with distributor so that it's just passing #1 plug. Remember none of this was touched at muffler shop. He simply welded in an 8" pipe to a flange and welded that pipe to existing. Could he have joy rided the car and done something? All electrics seem fine (not clock ). I did put 5 gallons new gas on an almost empty tank... Do you mean that he may not have grounded properly when welding? Do these cars have a ground chassis to engine? My old Sprite did but this doesn't seem to. Fuel pump is mechanical and fuel pours out of hose to carbs when disconnected! Oh, one strange thing is I sprayed starter fluid into both carbs and it didn't do anything! Even the rough idle on 2 cylinders went down! Normally the revs should spike, right? The engine came with a points dizzy but car wouldn't fire. Took the distributor from the engine we removed, a D6K8 with E12-80 module and it fired up instantly! Since the problem occurred I installed the dizzy from my 70, an D6K9 with E12-80 with magnet from the other distributor. This set up works on my car perfectly! I did have a loose ground on coil not allowing my car to start for a day until I found it. Thanks Seattle Jester! I am hoping for an easy fix. My son hasn't driven the car yet with the new engine and he is dying to! Would a loose ground somehow only affect 4 cylinders and not all 6? Cheers! Getting a spark tester now... Paul

Hi all, first posting.. I have a '72 Z which we just did an l28 carbed swap. The engine ran very nicely with straight header. Messed with timing a bit and forgot to set back to sweet spot. Got gas in the morning and took car down to muffler guy to fab an 8" pipe with flange to mate header with exhaust system. The car ran OK down to shop. When I went to pick up car in the afternoon the car would barely run. Sounded like it was running on 2 cylinders. Bought new fuel filter. Dropped the exhaust at flange thinking an animal crawled in exhaust pipe and was blocking it. Nothing. Removed plugs and 1 and 6 were dry, others wet. Towed car home. Removed wires from 2,3,4,5 and car ran exactly as when they were attached. Car was running on only 1 and 6. To make a long story a bit shorter, today I took my distributor, cap, wires, and coil from my sweet running '70Z and installed in '72. Oh, both are running the '79 ZX distributor with E12-80 module. Car didn't run. Could barely keep car running on 1 or 2 cylinders. I was kind of hoping it would still only run on 1 and 6 kind of proving the distributor was acting up... So, my question is, any ideas? Could the muffler guy have over revved the engine and done harm? I did do a compression test and they were 160,162, 168,169, 162, 160. Not bad. Just realized 1 and 6 are lowest compression and those are the cylinders that are firing.... Strange. Bad gas? Why would it fire on 2 cylinders? Removed valve cover, and at TDC the cam gear mark was -v right where I think it should be. Don't think the chain jumped a gear... Anyone ever hear these symptoms before? Any thoughts would be appreciated! Thanks in advance. Paul