Okay, so my '73 1.7 has been misfiring and without power. I checked the dwell, it seems fine. Plenty of spark on all plug wires. New plugs. Tried pulling the injector wires at idle, and on cylinders one and two, the car will die quickly when either wire is pulled. On cylinders three and four, however, this is not the case at all. The car will continue to run just the same (to my ear and according to the tach) indefinitely. I figured it must be either an injector issue or a wiring issue. I swapped the cylinder 1 and cylinder 3 injectors, and the problem stayed with the cylinder, not the injector. Shit.
So I replaced the wiring harness with a spare Todd sent me home with. Still having the same issue. Fuch!
Any other ideas? A local shop told me I had a vacuum leak. Hmmm. Tried replacing the hoses, but didn't help at all.

I've got an XR700 sitting here, thought I might install that. Figured if it did turn out to be the points, that would solve it. Basically just reaching.

Help?

Thanks!
Cole

check the injector point on the distributor

The injector trigger points. (lower part of the Dizzy)
The injector Grounds (Under plenum, passenger side.)
Make sure the wiring to the injectors is correct...i.e. the injector wires could be flipped, so the injectors are all firing at the wrong time.

Also, check that the ignition wiring, the firing order, is correct, the car will run (like crap) if the plug wires are put on backwards..

Rich

...

check continuity from center to either outer tabs with ign off. there should be one brief closed circuit per rotor revolution. It sounds like one side on yours is not closing, indicating that they are worn out. If so, it's useless to clean or monkey with them. Buy new so you can enjoy your car.

Hmm. Okay, I'm not really sure what I'm supposed to be measuring here. Am I supposed to disconnect the wiring harness fomr the 3-prong plug on the back/bottom of the diz, and with the ignition OFF, turn the wheel while keeping the multimeter on the center and an outer tab inside the little plug on the bottom?

I'm pretty sure Todd installed a new set of these when he was having similar issues with the car. I pulled the diz this afternoon and looked at the trigger points, and they looked great, other than the assembly on the right (if it's in the same position as when it's in the diz, and looking down on it. ). Over there, it looked like the points that touch one another were a little off-kilter, though still touching. I just pushed the little metal tab with the point on it up a little bit, and then it was identical to the left side.

The car refuses to start now (even before I removed the diz), but I'm reasonably sure it's out of gas.

Installed a Crane XR700 today (though not timed, as it won't start) while I was under there.
Guess I'll try and get someone to get me some gas, and I'll work on getting das kleines weibchen started. At least by the time I get the probelm sorted, I'll have pretty much a whole new FI and ignition system in there.

Cole

Are you related to britt?

You have changed to many things.
Go back.

the FI trigger points.
Take out the dizzy.
In the lower half of the dizzy is a part that has two screws holding it in, and has a plu connector for the FI harness.

Take out the two screws, and carefully pull out this part, your FI trigger points.
Take an ohm meter and test to see that each side makes contact when they are closed, you might need to adjust the angle, or possibly clean the points to get them to make contact.
Use the meter on OHMs with this part disconnected from everything.
Once you get those working again.
Put them back in the dizzy
Put the dizzy back in
Did you remember the previous position of the dizzy prior to removing it?
If not, you need to static time it to get it close to correct, then use a timing light to get it perfect.
If the timing is wrong, it wont start
If the dwell it wrong it wont start
If you forgot to plug one of the FI plugs back in, it wont start

Rich

I'm related to Britt through the trigger points we're discussing. They were his, two owners ago... I think. So yeah, we're basically brothers.

Thanks for the step-by-step. I did make sure to note the position of the diz before I removed it. The points looked super-new and clean, with gobs of blue grease on the diz shaft side of the assembly.
I'll go back in and test it later in the week, as work allows.

Thanks again,
Cole

Before you get carried away make sure to check the Kuhneuter valve and clean the flux capacitor

--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(scotty b @ Jan 3 2007, 07:49 PM) </div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->
Before you get carried away make sure to check the Kuhneuter valve and clean the flux capacitor
[/quote]

Thought those only came on the L-Jet systems????


Cole

[quote name='wrpspddrvr' date='Jan 3 2007, 04:50 PM' post='842 085']
--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(scotty b @ Jan 3 2007, 07:49 PM) </div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->
Before you get carried away make sure to check the Kuhneuter valve and clean the flux capacitor
[/quote]

Thought those only came on the L-Jet systems????


Cole
[/quote]

Damn you're right I wasn't paying attention to your setup. Your car needs a new rhomulan bypass chord. That's what you have going on

[quote name='scotty b' date='Jan 3 2007, 07:54 PM' post='842089']
[quote name='wrpspddrvr' date='Jan 3 2007, 04:50 PM' post='842 085']
--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(scotty b @ Jan 3 2007, 07:49 PM) </div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->
Before you get carried away make sure to check the Kuhneuter valve and clean the flux capacitor
[/quote]

Thought those only came on the L-Jet systems????


Cole
[/quote]

Damn you're right I wasn't paying attention to your setup. Your car needs a new rhomulan bypass chord. That's what you have going on
[/quote]

I'll make sure to replace that about the same time I sort out all the leaks in my fallopian tubes.

Cole

This is from personal experience....

Check your firing order. If you swap 3 and 4 on the distributor, it will run, but neither 3 nor 4 will make power. They will just sit there, fat, dumb and happy.

This can happen if you mentally reverse the distributor rotation, and setup the plug wires that way.

Easy way to remember how to wire a 914 /4 engine....


Left side of the car.. cross the wires and hook them to the distributor towers on that side.

Right side of the car... hook them to the distributor towers directly.

Here's a crappy line drawing done with MSpaint to illustrate the point.

Click to view attachment

Clay P are you sure you are showing the wires correct??? . 1 4 3 2 clockwise. Is the firing order.


Sorry I took a look again you Got it 100% right.

excellent info Clay...something that "simple" should be ingraved in my mind...for at least a couple dayz...