Okay so I flat towed the LE down to Monterey CA 2 weeks ago. Car ran great while there. When I got home it was backfiring & running like crap. It has no power & won't stay running. The only strange thing was when I hooked it back up to bring it home. I got it all hooked up & forgot it was in gear (reverse). I put my Excursion in drive & had resistence. I didn't move more than 5 ft before I stopped. I went back & took it out of gear. I also had the ebrake on which I put down too. Started the car real quick & no problems. Turned it off & headed home. When I got unhooked at home it ran like crap

So far I just checked all my hoses to be sure everything was on. I checked all my spark plug wires & they were as should be. I popped my distributor cap & saw nothing obviously wrong. Car doesn't want to stay running so I haven't pulled any spark plugs wires to see if it makes a difference. Just looking for some suggestions of things to check. It does have gas

My knee jerk response was your timing is off. But I'm not very smart and really bad at diagnosis.....so you can probably eliminate timing as the problem. Good luck Jamie, you've got almost a month to sort it out before you need to bring it to the BBQ.

The little braided ground strap between the distributor advance plates can cause this if it's breaking loose.

I'll check that. Couldn't see how I would have screwed it up by pulling it in reverse that tiny bit. Figured it is something that just came loose on the trip. I just haven't found anything yet. Haven't had much time to look at it either . I'll get time saturday . Was just hoping all of you in your infinate 914 wisdom. Would give me some things to check

Check to be sure the distributor is seated completely against the engine case. Or pull the cap and see if the rotor will spin or if it's still engaged to the drive gear. Also make sure the spring loaded center pin in the cap is still there.

All good there. I even swapped the cap & rotor with my backup. No change at all. I loosened the distributor bolt & advanced it a little. Still ran bad but acted like it when advanced. Retarded it a bit & it ran worse. Rechecked all my hoses & FI connections & all look good

It is a cursed piece of and should be banished to a life in hell with a lousy 914 owner who doesn't take good care of his cars. Send that turd down here to me and I will punish it but good!

You know what's coming Jamie...













Tow it down to Mark and he'll have it running in no time

Yeah thats only $400 in gas & a full weekend driving. At least it is running. I should be able to figure it out eventually. Really seems like the timing all of a sudden is way off. Just not sure how that happened.

Holy Crap! Not again.

Over lean fuel condition can make it pop and backfire. Check your filter and fuel flow.

Good idea! I've got a spare filter. Easy enough to throw on to rule it out

Check your injector output too!

Trigger point grounds checked?

I had the same thing happen driving home one day. One set of points grounds came loose, unfortunately it took a few days and switching everything else before I checked the grounds.

My guess: Pulling it in reverse and forcing it to turn forward. Maybe you jumped the distributor timing by a gear notch. Especially if you can adjust the distributor and it changes the way it runs.

That's my UN-educated guess.

I am told that running your engine backwards (specifically, this was in reference to spinning at an autoX and not getting the clutch in) can rupture the diaphragm in your MPS.

Worth a check.

--DD

Jamie,
I am in the same camp with the fuel filter. Might also check the injectors if there is anything in the fuel system breaking loose.
Tom

I don't have a spare MPS so I can't swap a new one in. I can give it the blow approach to see if it has pressure. I have some spare injectors off a 75 I can try. Easy enough to swap & wont screw anything up. I'll check the trigger points after the fuel part swaps.

I want to spend some time on my v8 though. I've got to rewire my relays. Then I just need to reinstall my interior. I've been a little stumped on how I want to do my firewall cap though. I'll rig a temporary one tommorow so I can get my interior done. I really want to drive it as it has been longer than the LE now

Sometimes good to take a break.

I've spent a great deal of time in Monterey, even purchased my bus there. I wonder how many members of this forum live on the MRY peninsula? I assume you were at Laguna Secca? Incredible venue.

I don't know much about type IV, but from reading about a hundred "engine trouble diagnosis" threads, your symptoms closely match distributor misalignment or bad ground. Seem to be lots of turned-around dizzy's out there. But if you are certain that after the aborted tow start, you: "Started the car real quick & no problems. Turned it off & headed home. When I got unhooked at home it ran like crap," then, as others have already said, your symptoms align with a fuel system clog or a loose ground in ignition system.

I do know that you can pull a couple of ticks of vacuum with your mouth. If you then cover the tube with your tongue and wait, it's easy to tell whether your MPS is holding Vac. Sounds kinda unsanitary but hey, I'm from Kentucky....

That's all I can add. Good luck with your cars. V8 sounds like a big project.

Took the MPS off & blew in the hole. It didn't seem like there was a leak? I pulled the distributor & checked to make sure it was in right. I pulled it up enough to rotate it. It did not want to sit 180 degrees. So I don't think it jumped. I'd rotate it with the rotor & it up just a little. It would only drop & stay in the one spot. So I guess I am onto fuel. I worked on my v8 today mostly. Made some good progress there

Bought another MPS to check take that out of the equation. Wouldn't you know it it fixed the problem. I have just a little stumble around 3500rpm. Also I get the occasional pop. It is running pretty dang good again though. I probably have to adjust where my distributor is. I am sure it is off just a bit from me messing with it. Took it for a nice drive tonight though. I am going to give it a good wash tommorow & get a few more pieces installed on it

Check your Fuel Pump and regulator as well. I just had the same thing happen.

Glad to here the mps helped you out.

Jamie, pops and backfiring will waste your mps as well. Glad to hear your car is rolling again.

Okay so I am still getting some stumble & popping. Stumble seems to be around 3k rpm's. Also wants to heat up on the highway. Tommorow I am changing out
Fuel filter, Fuel regulator, Doing an oil change, dbl checking all my points. I also have to pull the tranny for a leak at the tailcone. Looks to be there backside of the intermediate plate & the tailcone leaking. I have a new gasket for it & will dbl check to make sure it isn't the speedo leaking.

If I can get it all dialed in I may just take a nice long drive sunday up to a BBQ

Have you checked to see if you have compression on all cylinders? Running the engine backwards does weird stuff. Especially if it spun the motor to high revs with the low ratio reverse has.If you find a cylinder with low compression, I'd check your push rods, you may have bent one or worse.

Make sure your valves are adjusted. I think you may still be lean

I will check my valves. I know my tranny was leaking but looks like I have an oil leak somewhere too. I will be looking into that more today. I am pulling the tranny this morning. I've got to get my heating tubes all together too. One of the things that disapeared when it sat at the shop not getting worked on for a year . So I need to see if I can put together what I need from my spare parts .

Something about having the day to work on my 914 just puts a on my face. Not quite as big as when I get to actually drive them. Still a good day though

Jamie,
You know about plug wire #3 causing problems with the MPS? Route it under the intake for #3 so it is further away from the MPS.
Tom

I have heard of that. I will reroute it just to be safe.

Man this is the first time I have pulled the tranny with the motor still in the car. Came out no problem. Having a hell of a time trying to get it back in though . I can see why it was leaking from the rear cone/intermediate plate. This rebuild was done at tranny clinic. There were 2 problems. The wrong gasket was used & the old gasket wasn't cleaned off. Not a huge deal but I am oulling the stack to make sure the gasket in the other side of the intermediate plate didn't get the same treatment. I've got another tranny I rebuilt at the last clinic ready to go in this ones place. Figured I'd have it back in no problem but didn't happen. I'm sure it will pop right on tommorow .

I'll be ordering the tranny gaskets along with some for my taco plate that is leaking. I think that has 1 seal, 1 gasket & one oring That sound right?

I'm calling it a day in the shop as I am tired. Been a busy week & I need some recliner time.