Overthinking the problem...

[datsunaholic]

So, back in 2008 (yes, 8 freaking years ago, judging by the tabs that expired in 2008) my '83 720 developed a persistent miss.  Cranking it sounded like no compression in one cylinder.  Still started and ran but the miss was quite obvious.  Since the engine was using water and had 250,000 plus miles on it, AND I had just bought a replacement engine (which I had test driven in its truck beforehand) I parked the truck until I had time to "get around it".

 

Well, everyone that knows me knows I rarely get around to it because there's always something more pressing.  The bed of the truck became storage for spare body panels and the canopy roof became buried in leftover PVC pipe.

 

Over the last 3 years I've been slowly moving the fleet to my new place, and what could start I did start, including the 720 which had been sitting in the backyard for 5 or 6 years at that point.  Stuck a battery in it and it started right up, no miss.  Once it warmed up, though,  the miss was intermittent.  Drove it up on the trailer, hauled it the 75 miles then drove it off and parked it in the barn.  A couple more years go by.

 

Occasionally I'd start it up to move it since it was blocking the door.  Sometimes it'd miss, sometimes it wouldn't.  It was quite odd.  But it always started.  I left it outside again a couple months ago, but today needed to move it because it again was in the way.  Plus the pile of PVC pipes had rolled off in a windstorm and were all over the yard.

 

Started right up, no problem.  I had the hood open since I had to put a battery in it, but it was idling so quietly that I could hear the distinct sound of an electrical arc.

 

Well, last year I'd jumped to conclusions thinking something had gone badly wrong with my Pathfinder when it turned out to simply be a bad #1 plug wire.  So I thought, hmm, maybe this is that simple.  I was looking for an arc, and noticed the #4 Exhaust plug wire was moving around WAY too much.  Figuring it had come off the plug, I shut off the engine and went to pull it off.

 

No, the wire wasn't loose.

 

The spark plug had backed out.

 

Yeah.

 

All this freaking time.

 

And I should know better, it had happened before with this same engine (different plug, though. and that one had come all the way out).

 

Runs like a champ.

 

On gasoline put in during the Bush administration.

 

 

 

[uberkevin]

But no pictures.

[datsunaholic]

But no pictures.

 

Of course not.  It's a yarn, a tale, a landlubber sea story.   Now, if there was something visibly interesting, and if I'd had a camera handy, oh and if I had a photo sharing account (which I don't) then, well, there probably still wouldn't have been any photos.  Sorry, didn't think about that while rearranging the yard ornaments.

 

 

 

 

But I do take requests...

[KoHeartsGPA]

Nice, this proves that sometimes procrastinating pays off :thumbup:

[datzenmike]

It's OK Doug I've seen a spark plug before.

[bananahamuck]

I adjusted the valves TWICE and replaced the idler pulley on my sons 84 Toyota celica... He came home after school and a few of us were standing there so we popped the hood and listened,,,,,, sparkplug was about to fall out and was probably only held in there by the wire probably that whole time.. :rofl:

 

Hasn't rattled since

[KoHeartsGPA]

The little things :rofl:

[banzai510(hainz)]

I found a Kid in Enumclaw with a 240sx and said he had a 1st gen KA 12valve for sale. I told Jeff(Icehouse)

Jeff got if for nothing cause the guy was renting and was getting kicked out at end of month(typical Datsun Nissan thing)

Jeff took it home change the spark plugs got it running fine.

Guy pulled the motor for nothing

 

It happens to all of us sooner or later

[q-tip]

It amazing what you can over look. A good friends brother has a vw bus with the early fuel injection on it, he working it it for about 6 hours with zero success in getting it to run. He was testing grounds seeing if the injectors were firing put 3 different coils in it and still nothing. I walk up see that the plastic cap on the maf sensor was off and the little brass tap the shaft of the maf contacts is bent, so I stick my first get in there bend it over and tell him to try it, fired right up. He was in shock that i t was something so simple. He was working on it all day and I was there 5 minutes and fixed it.

[Draker]

Or ripping your electrical system to bits because the car isn't starting.....

 

 

 

 

But your tank is empty. Not me.... but another dude on here. Ainnobiscut I think.

[Outta_OC]

I got up this morning around 5 and came out to check my plugs... Then went back to bed and waited for datzen Mike to give me more info cause the plugs are tight :( hahaha