Firing on one cylinder

Paint, body preparation and modification, interior work and electrical
hizzity
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Firing on one cylinder

Post by hizzity »

A while back my 510 (1971 stock L16 with a dual points dizzy) started to run like crap. I changed the plugs, wires, cap, rotor,points, coil and ballist resistor. It now will only run on one cylinder, the other day it was number 4 cylinder today it was number 1. I have tried adjusting the points, the timing and nothing. I have check that the firing order is right a bunch of times, I have tryed all different combinations. If I pull out any of the four plugs and check for spark they all have spark. I have searched one here and every other place I can find to see if some one has the same issue. When i got the car it was only running a single point and i still have it set up that way. My dad who tought auto shop his whole career and has had several 510s over the years has no idea. I have a ka24de I have been planning on swaping in but right now I don't have the time to do it. I just want to drive my car with the small amount of time I do get. I'm not wanting to spend a bunch of money on it since ti will be coming out soon. I think my next step is to try to get a matchbox dizzy. But I remember a while back reading somewhere that the base plate/spacer for the dual point disturbitor is a different height? Any help would be great, sorry for the long rant.
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okayfine
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Re: Firing on one cylinder

Post by okayfine »

You mention doing a bunch of things, but none of the troubleshooting leading you to change out parts or consider other things (like timing) good.

Your title says firing on one cylinder, but in the body you describe that you have spark to all four. So, which is it? Why have you determined your problem is ignition? If you pull each plug and test for spark - if you get spark from each, and it's strong enough to jump the gap, whatever your problem is is something else, no?
Because when you spend a silly amount of money on a silly, trivial thing that will help you not one jot, you are demonstrating that you have a soul and a heart and that you are the sort of person who has no time for Which? magazine. – Jeremy Clarkson
hizzity
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Re: Firing on one cylinder

Post by hizzity »

Well that's what has me stumped. I can get it to run on one cylinder only with the throttle wide open. When it was running I would pull off one plug wire at a time and nothing would happen till I got the the wire that was firing and the engine would die. I wouldn't say the spark isnt great when I would check the plugs. If anything the was a bigger spark when I would pull the plug off the body and there was a bit of a gap and the spark would jump to the body. Maybe the parts guy gave me the wrong type of plugs?
datzenmike
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Re: Firing on one cylinder

Post by datzenmike »

Set the motor to TDC compression on #1 and see if the rotor is under the #1 plug wire on the cap. 1342 is the firing order, counter clockwise. It's easy to get the wires mixed up.
"Nissan 'shit the bed' when they made these, plain and simple." McShagger510 on flattop SUs
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vgwagon
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Re: Firing on one cylinder

Post by vgwagon »

Check for a large intake leak at any of the runners
Denis Gagné
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69 510 VG30e swapped
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okayfine
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Re: Firing on one cylinder

Post by okayfine »

An L barely runs on two cylinders.

Time to start over and verify everything you've done. Right parts? Do they test out within spec? How about all your old parts? Since you changed everything and nothing changed, I'm going to guess your old parts were fine. But you still need to set a baseline for what you have, so you know (and we know) what you have is GTG.

When your car initially "started to run like crap" was it running the same as it is now? Datzenmike suggests chasing down the firing order and if you mixed the wires upon reassembly and it now runs worse than before, this is very likely. This would also explain why you get spark to four plugs but only seem to be running on one - the other plugs are firing out of sequence.
Because when you spend a silly amount of money on a silly, trivial thing that will help you not one jot, you are demonstrating that you have a soul and a heart and that you are the sort of person who has no time for Which? magazine. – Jeremy Clarkson
hizzity
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Re: Firing on one cylinder

Post by hizzity »

okayfine wrote:An L barely runs on two cylinders.

Time to start over and verify everything you've done. Right parts? Do they test out within spec? How about all your old parts? Since you changed everything and nothing changed, I'm going to guess your old parts were fine. But you still need to set a baseline for what you have, so you know (and we know) what you have is GTG.

When your car initially "started to run like crap" was it running the same as it is now? Datzenmike suggests chasing down the firing order and if you mixed the wires upon reassembly and it now runs worse than before, this is very likely. This would also explain why you get spark to four plugs but only seem to be running on one - the other plugs are firing out of sequence.


I have checked the firing order 5 times now and it's right. But I think you are right about staring over and checking stuff one by one. I was just thinking today that shortly before the car started having problems I had replaced to stock starter relay(the small 3prong one on the fender) with a new 30/40a 5 prong relay, could some how that be an issue?
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defdes
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Re: Firing on one cylinder

Post by defdes »

datzenmike wrote:Set the motor to TDC compression on #1 and see if the rotor is under the #1 plug wire on the cap. .
Did you do this too?
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okayfine
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Re: Firing on one cylinder

Post by okayfine »

Starter relay? I'm lookin' at a '71 wiring diagram and I don't see one. Picture? Wire colors? Where do the wires go?

And, certainly, if you install a DP relay in place of a SP relay, you can create problems.
Because when you spend a silly amount of money on a silly, trivial thing that will help you not one jot, you are demonstrating that you have a soul and a heart and that you are the sort of person who has no time for Which? magazine. – Jeremy Clarkson
hizzity
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Re: Firing on one cylinder

Post by hizzity »

The wires are black with a yellow strip. The old one the I replaced looks just like the one the is next to the new one. You can even see where it was when it was painted over.

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okayfine
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Re: Firing on one cylinder

Post by okayfine »

Automatic?
Because when you spend a silly amount of money on a silly, trivial thing that will help you not one jot, you are demonstrating that you have a soul and a heart and that you are the sort of person who has no time for Which? magazine. – Jeremy Clarkson
datzenmike
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Re: Firing on one cylinder

Post by datzenmike »

Yeah looks like the interlock wires. If so it won't affect ignition only the starter
"Nissan 'shit the bed' when they made these, plain and simple." McShagger510 on flattop SUs
hizzity
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Re: Firing on one cylinder

Post by hizzity »

In the past I guess it could have been an automatic, when I got the car it came with a dogleg 5speed.
hizzity
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Re: Firing on one cylinder

Post by hizzity »

Ok so a quick update, I went and got some new plugs and it runs on all 4 when idling but as soon as I put load on it, IE when trying to back out of the garage it will start to miss fire and then blue smoke like crazy. after about of minute of that will start to idle normal again. If I jump out quick and check which cylinders are firing when its running rough it is number 1 and 4 that fire. My pops thought it might be the distributor shaft having excess movement but I checked that and it is solid. I thinking now of doing a compression test and see if I have some cracked rings, But I need to go get a tester first. After that if I cant get it to work and done with this engine and I'm going to start the KA swap.
datzenmike
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Re: Firing on one cylinder

Post by datzenmike »

Can't see how 1 and 4 are but 2-3 aren't firing. Pulling the wires off doesn't mean they are not firing only that firing (or not) has no effect. If 2 and 3 had broken exhaust valves or a blown head gasket between them they will still be firing but not rally having any effect.

Check you valve lash on 2 and 3. Maybe exhausts are too tight. Valves don't close, compression is down, cylinder barely fires.
"Nissan 'shit the bed' when they made these, plain and simple." McShagger510 on flattop SUs
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