Mallory Unilite + Promaster + Ballast = PURE SECKS, Engine now starts, after some pain Options

[SGB]

ALLRIGHT!!

These cars are actually drivable now that you have a little torque. Coming out of a corner used to be frustraiting, but since I got Malloried, it is fun! I can actually provoke spin.

[Jake Raby]

my hat's off to you Jake, thanks for your phone call for explaining how the valves work in relation to the piston, you rock

WORD UP!!!

And people say our parts are expensive! Find that friggin service anywhere else, I DARE YA!!

Glad you got it squared away. I could tell on the phone that you were very confused and had many of the sequences of the engine out of whack. My best recommendation for you is to buy the John Muir "Complete idiot" manual and read it cover to cover. I have the original of this book that was written in the early 70s and it was the biggest help I ever had as a kid learning how an engine functioned and the location of components and what they did. The text and illustrations are great for the beginner.

See, what you have done is what one HAS TO DO to ever build the confidence for bigger, better and fsater projects down the road- nothing wrong with a bit of a challenging mechanical experience, they build character.

It's almost like the poster I saw that made me want to join the Marines that said " We don't guarantee you anything but a challenge".

[purple]

A lot of that confusion came from the fact that I was only used to dealing with 2 stroke 1 cylinder nitromethane RC engines with no valves, glow plugs, and the fuel came in through the crankshaft!

I made the mistake of thinking leaving the plug in #1 was good enough. What turned out to be the best thing was taking off the valve cover, observing #1 intake valve open and then close, then i'd take some flexible wire loom and put it down into the spark plug hole, then rotate the wheel backwards and see the tubing get moved around by the piston and then see the flywheel scribe mark come up at the back behind the engine tin, then the scribe on the impeller using an inspection mirror.

Thanks to you too Joe, I look up to you for having autox vids on youtube. I show those to people all the time.
Keep your trailer parked, I now no longer have a paperweight, and yes, you told me so.

Thanks jake for explaining which valve does what. Now my question is this:

I got a set of feeler gauges with my new plugs and they were way better for gapping the plugs than those little ring things. Since I have hydraulic lifters, how do I adjust the valves? What clearances am I looking for in there?

Oh, another nice silver lining, the pushrod tube retaining clip is in there for the drivers side, how cool is that eh?

[purple]

It's funny how one project begets another... I was under the car pulling the valve cover bail with a towel, thanks rhody for that advice, it worked great!

I bumped up against the shifter rod and OMG that thing is sooo loose!

The bushing that holds the rod as it goes to the console moves around in the hole, the cup on the end of the ball is all over the place. I'm amazed I can shift this car at all the way this stuff is loose.

I need to get that rubber boot that goes onto the rod in front of the shifter cover, which isnt on the car and never came with it.

Amazing this car drives at all. I should make a list of all the serious driveability issues i've fixed on this little thing. So, off to JWest to get the little rubber boot thingy

[So.Cal.914]

I'm getting to the point where once this POS runs i'm gonna sell it. It just sucks having a car I cant drive because the engine overheats and pieces are missing off it.

I should have listened to my buddy and gotten a miata, yeah sure it has no character, but at least I can drive the goddamn thing

Bad day? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/poke.gif)

My best recommendation for you is to buy the John Muir "Complete idiot" manual and read it cover to cover. I have the original of this book that was written in the early 70s and it was the biggest help I ever had as a kid learning how an engine functioned and the location of components and what they did. The text and illustrations are great for the beginner.

I got one in 75, great book. Lots of info and introduced me to the horizontally opposed engine.

Hang in there. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[jaminM3]

If you would of done one of the first things everyone told you, you wouln't of got so frustrated. I knew from the first page you were on the exhaust stroke. I think there is a couple other threads that have resulted in the exact same problem.

Just quit hating your car because someone mistreated it. The car is the real victom in this story....

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/ar15.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/rolleyes.gif)

[purple]

If you would of done one of the first things everyone told you, you wouln't of got so frustrated. I knew from the first page you were on the exhaust stroke. I think there is a couple other threads that have resulted in the exact same problem.

Just quit hating your car because someone mistreated it. The car is the real victom in this story....

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/ar15.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/rolleyes.gif)

Read the whole thread bub (IMG:style_emoticons/default/av-943.gif)

[jaminM3]

I read both threads and know of your high head temps...

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/headbang.gif)

My post is still true IMHO. You knew you had spark and gas and were still getting frustrated even know you knew it had to be timing?? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/confused24.gif)