I got the engine started tonight. And as it was running it was missing bad as if though it was running on only 3 Cylinders. But as i take the RPM to around 3k it starts to run really smooth. I cant help but to think that i might have a Fualty injector that is having a hard time opening up untill there is some good pressure behind it. I havent had the chance to Check for spark at all the cylinders or do a spray check on the injectors. Im just trying to get a plan on were to start first.
Also the right bank has a exhust leak that is comming from the head to headers I can look up and see where it left a dark spot on the Copper caskets. Have any of you guys tried exhuast sealent (it is a copper color) to try and fix this. and yes i checked the torque on the studs.

First figure out which cylinder is missing. Check the plug to see what kind of spark you're getting if any & see how the plug looks (wet/dry, black, gummed up, whitish powdery). See if the missing cylinder injector is getting fuel or getting its impulse from the ECU. Make sure you have the correct injector terminals on the right injectors. There is a list of which wires go from the ECU to what injectors in the Haynes manual. If you have points check your dwell. Then check your timing & make sure your vacuum unit works (advances). If this is all ok I'd go to fuel pressure & see if the regulator is puting out 29-30 psi.
What engine & year do you have?

EDIT: I see by your VIN you have a 75... is it 1.8 or 2.0?

.....b

It is a 2.0, as for the spark plugs they are brand new. and all i was able to do with the timming is set it to were the engine would run. I dont want to run the engine to get it to operating temp untill i figure out the Problem so i cant set the timming. I check for the injectors pulse with a Niod light. Also i dont have a dwell meter. is there a way to set Dwell with out one?

It sounds like you did a static timing... Good
Now you need to do an actual timing with a light. It could be off enough to make it miss. Let it warm a wee bit before taking it up to 3500 & check the timing. This could be the whole problem. When you increase the RPM's your advance may be getting it close to the proper timing adjustment & that's why it begins running smooth. As for dwell I don't know of anyway to set it accuratly w/o a meter. They are really cheap if you go to a bargain auto parts ($15 - $30). Check out this article on the Bird Board & it might give an idea how to get it close.

Timing and Dwell



I haven't heard of one. You may not have gotten the face of the header flush to the gasket & head or a piece of encrusted crap might be on the face of the header, the gasket or head. Check that & let us know what you find.

good luck.

......b

The copper sealant won't hold. Make sure that the heat exchanger pipes are level and flat with respect to each other. Some people file the tops of the tubes with a large file--large so they can do both at once to make sure the are on the same plane.

An exhaust leak at the head like that can damage the head and actually blow the aluminum out. Not good...

--DD

So does using a dwell meter more accurate then using a feeler guage for setting the points?

Yes. A feeler gauge will get you close, but the dwell meter tells you exactly what is going on. I found that in order to get the right gap I needed to use a smaller feeler gauge than the .016 that was recommended in order to get it to the right dwell numbers. Had I only used the feeler gauge, my gap would have been way off.

Of course I ultimately fixed the problem by putting in a Pertronix Ignitor so that I don't have to mess with points at all. It's probably the best single purchase I've ever made for a Type IV engine.

I went out and Bought a dwell meter today. Chacked the dwell first thing at it was at 50. after using it I would much rather use the meter then the Feeler guage.
I fixed the exhust leak today just by removing the right back header and using a file like you sugested and retightned the header bolts in 1/2 turn sections to ensure even pressue on the gaskets.
Also the crapy running was fixed my a missplaced Vaccum hose. Im still fighting trying to figue out were all the hoses go. I removed the Air pump. and the diagram that is from pelican parts shows stuff i dont have. But i hope that just through Trial and error i will finaly figure it all out. Then im going to make a diagram just so i dont have to go through this again.
Also i foun that my Throttle pedal is stuck. If i push The pedal in it does not return, I have lubricated the heck out of it and still same problem. Has anyone ran in to this before and found a fix for it?

I gotta ask...

is there tension on the throttle return spring at the throttle body? If so your cable might be kinked or bent somewhere when you installed the engine.

....b

Yeah the Throtle it self returns great. when i get in the car and push the pedal down it moves everything to wide open the way it is supposed to but just does not return unless i get down there an Pull the pedal back. I lean towards the pedal sticking becuse the car has not been driving (or assembeld for that matter) since 1989.

Hmmmm... the only thing I can think of doing next would be to disconnect the cable from the peddle & see if the cable returns on its own. You might need some channel locks or vise grips... I dunno cuz I ain't never had this prob.

How close to Boring are ya?

....b

I've had a sticky throttle pedal before.
The first time it was cause by an old throttle cable and the cable
sticking inside of the sheath. Replaced the cable and it was
amazing how well it worked.

The second time, was when I accidently crossed the clutch
and accelerator cables in the tunnel when installing a new
clutch cable.

Believe it or not this was not immediately obvious. It took a
week or so to show up. At first the accelerator pedal got
a bit sticky feeling. But then the problem became very obvious.
The accelerator would be a bit sticky but the main problem was
the the pedal would floor when you push the clutch
to shift- Not good!

Last time that happened on my former 4-cyl car, it was a valve
that wasn't fully closing that showed compression near zero, but
then as you revved it came close to normal. Like you say, needs
3000 to be smooth again. I hope that your problem is simpler.

I finaly found my problem tonight. It was the fuel filter was cloged! I had the tank send out and cleaned and resealed, replaced all the fuel lines exect for the 2 hard lines that run through the chasis. I blew compressed air through the lines initaly to make sure that there was flow. I think that the old fuel was still attached to the walls of the line though. so it probaly got washed back to the tank to pass through the Fuel filter and got stoped as it should have. I feel pretty stuip over looking the fuel pressure. I took a while for me to remember that lack of fuel pressure will not viperize correctly when going through the injectors cuasing it to pool, and then not burning corectly. Hence my RICH miss.


I live in Aloha right off of TV hwy.

I still have some vaccum issues to work out. At idel i only have 5 hg of vaccum but at around 2k i get proper vaccum. i hope to find this issue shortly.

With the pedal sticking: I purchessed a Pedal bushing set today. was planning on installing the bussings tonight before i got mixed up with the fuel filter. A co-worked sugested the bushing, saying that he remembered the 914's haing issues with them back when he still worked on the Porsche side of the shop. so right now i have the bushing's sitting in a oil bath leting the bushings asorb the oil before installation. But i will let you know what i come up with when i fix this problem