Life expectancy on a bad cylinder

[ohmrchristopher]

So I am pretty sure I have lost my #3. It smokes a lot of oil when I am coasting, and when I pull off the plug boot thereis no change in engine noise. I also have little or no power up and hill.

So can I make a 5 hour drive to Seattle? More so how long can I drive in this condition? If I can make it 2 months I'll be working full time and can buy a new engine.

 

Lastly, if I wanted to swap a L20 distributor (single point) for my worn out L16 (dual point) is it just drop in or do i have to rearrange the wires?

 

Thanks

[ggzilla]

Remove and clean (or replace) the spark plug and it may start firing good.

 

Change the torn valve stem seal now and it might stop fouling the plug.

[ggzilla]

Lastly, if I wanted to swap a L20 distributor (single point) for my worn out L16 (dual point) is it just drop in or do i have to rearrange the wires?

Yes, you'll have to unplug the wires from the small-cap and put them into the large cap used by the L20B.

 

To make it easy, along with the L20B distributor get the matching base pedestal and timing plate.

[Guest Rick-rat]

If your coming from Canada to Seattle should be no problem, on the globe it looks downhill all the way. Going back will take a little longer :rofl:

[ohmrchristopher]

Yes, you'll have to unplug the wires from the small-cap and put them into the large cap used by the L20B.

 

To make it easy, along with the L20B distributor get the matching base pedestal and timing plate.

 

I made sure to take the baseplate, I wasnt sure about the oil pump timing or whatever. Is that only when you go to a matchbox? 

 

Its not so much the plug fowls (I've bought new ones for tomorrow) But I think the rings are gone, I just dont want bits of rings to get in to the oil and weck anything

[Sealik]

Assuming you confirmed spark at #3 "plug boot"...<...spark plug?

[ggzilla]

Give it a compression check to find out. Broken rings will still have low compression on the wet test.

 

Oil pump?

 

Use the L20B timing plate, which is usually bolted to the bottom of the distributor. But if you bought it used the plate may be missing.

[ohmrchristopher]

oh yeah I've had the plug in and out of the block (held to block to ground) and whitnessed spark. Its just that when I disconnect the plug boot from #1,2,4 there is a noticable bog in the engine I can hear, because now its running on one less good cylinder. But if i pull the plug off the #3 it doesnt really do much. It could be my vavles are so shot but I am going with rings because of the oil smoke when coasting downhill.

[ohmrchristopher]

Give it a compression check to find out. Broken rings will still have low compression on the wet test.

 

Oil pump?

 

Use the L20B timing plate, which is usually bolted to the bottom of the distributor. But if you bought it used the plate may be missing.

 

I took that, I said that. There was a L20 at the JY and I took the baseplate with distributor. Maybe its the KA oil pump that works 180* out from the L series ones. Idk but if you say it drops in plug-and-play I can do that. And Ill time it to the manual for a L18/L20

[datzenmike]

Matchbox won't fix 90 or lower compression. Pull the two rocker arms from the #3 and run it. This will cut the smoke and oil burning from that cylinder. 

[Sealik]

Other than larger internals....the KA pump is no different

Placement of oil pump spindle determines distributor rotor position.

 

Maybe # 3 oil seal is NFG......and the valves are compromised.....?

 

I would check valve lash....then proceed with a leak down test

[ohmrchristopher]

I am not putting on a matchbox. Just a swap from a dual point to single point.

 

I have checked vavle clearance at rockers, I will check lash (if thats different)

 

I am not putting on a KA oil pump, I just ask because I put the bigger L20 distributor in over the winter and I couldnt get it to run, so I thought I had to retime something.

[datzenmike]

Matchbox Any new distributor won't fix 90 or lower compression. Pull the two rocker arms from the #3 and run it. This will cut the smoke and oil burning from that cylinder. 

[ohmrchristopher]

yeah I guess that will work, Ill actually run a compression test tomorrow. If its lower than 90 I'll do that otherwise I will just make do.

 

If I drop the oil pan is there anything I can see? Hopefully not any ring bits in my pan.

If I felt like taking the head off (which I dont) I could change the rings insitu but thats another weekend. :/

[ggzilla]

Why drop the oil pan? Diagnose the problem first. Wet & dry compression tests are a good place to start. If the wet test is still under 90 psi, the leak down test will help pinpoint the leak.