David,
I am new at this, but I can share my experience with you about the same
symptoms. It took me three months to figure this out, and after thinking about
it, it was obvious. Don't forget to check for play in your front pulley - the
dreaded thrust washers. Someone that helped me buy my car told me that there
was play there on the pulley, but I could never see it. Some days the car would
run perfect, others it wouldn't start. I never asked anyone what the symptoms
of a thrust washer problem was, just knew it was bad and meant the crankshaft
was moving forward when you press the clutch. It just occured to me two days
ago that the crank is attached to the timing chain, and the symptoms I was
having were due to the car jumping in and out of time.
Try adjusting the cars timing drastically and see if it starts. If it does,
have someone else press the clutch pedal while you get close to the pulley and
see if it moves. That's how I finally saw the light.
I hope this is not your problem, though, unless you're in the process of
rebuilding another engine like I am.
Good Luck!
Charles
Charles_Crawford@amx.com
>>> David Gates <dgates@lava.net> 05/17/99 08:27PM >>>
I got a couple suggestions that I check that the wires were on the right
plugs. Yes they are correct. I checked that several times myself because
it seemed like a plausable solution, sorry I should have included that
tidbit. I even compared the position of the rotor to the valves to be sure
they were in sync, they were of course.
I just checked the rotor and cap and found a little corrosion on the cap
terminals. A touch of sandpaper and all four cylinders lit up! It's still
pretty rough running so I'm going to go ahead and change out the rotor,
cap, wires, and maybe even the coil. It's amazing how you can get a spark
with a tester but not enough current to lite up a spark plug. I'll chock
that up as a learning experience. Lord knows I have had a lot of learning
experiences with these wonderful cars.
BTW, my other car ('73 Spitfire) passed inspection yesterday!! Woo Hoo,
I'm legal again.
Forever a student,
David Gates
Hawaii
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>Date: Mon, 17 May 1999 12:37:29 -1000
>To: spitfires@autox.team.net
>From: David Gates <dgates@lava.net>
>Subject: Firing on only one cylinder
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>List,
>
>In the last week or two I finally found some time to work on my second
>Spitfire ('78). I'm starting to find myself rather stuck on this one
>though. It starts but is extreemly rough, then usually quits within 5-10
>seconds. It appears that only the number 1 cylinder is firing. The other
>three exhaust pipes are cold and the plugs are wet. All 4 plugs are
>sparking according to the little spark tester (looks like a sparkplug with
>a clear body so you can see the spark). The engine I pulled from a
>different car ('76) and has not been running (correctly) in the '78 yet,
>but it did run in the '76. Sometimes when it quits a port on the front of
>the ZS carb angled at a 45 degree angle upward shoots a small burst of
>exhaust smoke. This really tripped me out. I have never seen a carb do
>that. I know that my manifold gasket needs replacement bacause there is
>some exhaust leakage comming from there. I just don't see how a small leak
>in this gasket could cause 3 cylinders not to fire at all.
>
>Despite the fact that I have spark on all four wires, I am a little suspect
>of the distributor. Mainly because it is different from the one originaly
>on the engine. It is electronic, the original was points. I think I will
>get a kit for it (rotor, cap, wires) and see if that helps any. I will
>also put a new manifold gasket on. Apart from that does anyone have any
>other ideas that might help out?
>
>Thanks as always,
>David Gates
>Hawaii
>
>
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