Need some help with firing problem

[Matt_Dillon]

Alright I have a 92 ranger I have SAS and v8 swapped. The engine is a 1987 mustang engine stock short block and has early 289 with big valves they have been ported and shaved. Unknown how much they have been shaved. Stud mounted 1.6 roller rockers, Amazon single plane intake, summit brand 750 double pumper carb, and Amazon HEI style distributor.

I’ve had it running just a couple days ago. It would fire right up and idle perfect. Well I just got the right radiator hoses for it and put water in it tonight. Well the water ports on the gaskets didn’t line up perfect and leaked as I was adding water. I’ve fixed that issue and now it’s only running on 6 cylinders. Cylinders 2 and 3 are not firing. I made sure number one was at TDC and marked the distributor and the rotor button before pulling the distributor and intake to address the water leak. Well now it’s not firing as it was before. I’ve gone as far as homing the plug wires and they are cheap wires but are all very close in ohms.
Can someone give me a clue? I’ve checked connections all are good. I’m stumped. I’ve had it running just recently and it was in a ranger I built 10 years ago but this is a different setup.

 

[Josh B]

do you have a inductive test light?

put it around the wire you need spark on and see if it's getting anything from the distributor, that will tell you that much

 

[Matt_Dillon]

do you have a inductive test light?

put it around the wire you need spark on and see if it's getting anything from the distributor, that will tell you that much

No I don’t have one those. But I have tried a screw driver in the plug wire and even pulled the plug out on 2and3 and held them to a grounded piece of metal and there is spark. I gapped the plugs to around 30-35 before I installed them. I haven’t tried swapping a known firing plug with one that isn’t firing.

I don’t know everything but I know enough to make stuff work but this has me stumped. Like I’m thinking it could be a blown head gasket or could it be the valves? I’ve never fooled with roller rockers. I done days of research about how to set them. I started with number one on the compression stroke so both valves are closed and went in the firing order. Tightening until I felt drag on the push rod and then a half turn then tighten the set screw. Is that right?

 

[Josh B]

I am not certain Matt, I have not done them either
Are you working on the 92 or the 96?

Has it ran since you added the water?
Did you locate where the water went and remove it from the picture?
Could it have done any damage to anything while it was running?

 

[Matt_Dillon]

It’s an 87 model engine in a 92 ranger. and yes I fixed the water leaks and I’ve only ran it a few times without water for less than a minute when I did. I was going to try a compression test last night but these early heads have the big spark plug hole and I don’t have that size adapter in my kit.

 

[RonD]

Yes, I would say compression test is in order since adding water caused the issue

You could disable spark(pull the coil wire) and then pull a spark plug out and crank engine to see if you have water blowing out of the misfiring cylinders

 

[Matt_Dillon]

Yes, I would say compression test is in order since adding water caused the issue

You could disable spark(pull the coil wire) and then pull a spark plug out and crank engine to see if you have water blowing out of the misfiring cylinders

I pulled the plugs on those cylinders and no water came out. I did find that the plug on cylinder 3 the gap was completely closed. I re gapped it and tried again still not running right.

 

[Josh B]

How was it completely closed Matt? Unless that one plug has a specific reason for that I would suggest checking them all. There may be a simple reason for this whole mess, which might be solved by just going back through the steps and checking everything

 

[Matt_Dillon]

I should have taken a picture but there was no gap. The electrode was touching.
But I did just go through and readjusted the roller rockers and did find one bent push rod on number 8. They are melling brand stock replacements non heat treated. Good to a spring pressure of around 300. I’m thinking since these heads have so much done they are stronger springs and that and I didn’t get the timing just right may have bent the pushrod.
But I’m going to put a spare pushrod in it and try to crank it without water and get the timing right, let it cool down and crank it again and see how she does then add water after it’s cooled down. I will post updates when I can.

 

[Josh B]

I do not recommend anything without water sir. Time goes by so slowly, and time can do so much

 

[Matt_Dillon]

I was finally able to do a compression and leak down test. All cylinders have over 180 psi on compression test and all cylinders are 30% or below on the leak down test. All cylinders are getting spark. I even swapped plugs from a cylinder I know is firing into one that isn’t. I’ve torn the carb down as far as possible and cleaned everything, I’m completely stumped at this point.

 

[superj]

triple checked the wires are not swapped on those cylinders? i ask because i have done it almost every time i changed wires or plugs.

 

[Matt_Dillon]

I’m gonna tell on my self but yes that was the problem. In the frustration of having to remove the intake and distributor twice I forgot it was an HO engine. So I wired it with the 302 firing order and not the HO. I felt so dumb still do but it was driving me mad.

 

[RonD]

Good stuff

If you work on gasoline engines and NEVER got firing order wrong even after checking it twice then we know one thing for sure...................you are a LIAR, lol

While its not a badge of honour it is a right of passage on the path to be a true mechanic

Wait until the crank no start turns out to be NO GAS IN THE TANK, lol
Been there done that, TWICE, might be a 3rd time but I do check now

 

[Matt_Dillon]

Wait until the crank no start turns out to be NO GAS IN THE TANK, lol
Been there done that, TWICE, might be a 3rd time but I do check now
[/QUOTE]

oh I’ve had something similar happen with a rail job. No crank no start. Had gas. Just mostly water