General 1981 Spider missing. Please help!

[TrknFld]

My 1981 Spider has a chuga chuga sound especially when going up hills. Sounds like it's missing. I've replaced the spark plugs. When I removed the wire from #1 spark plug, the engine doesn't change sound. When I remove the #1 wire from the distributor cap, I see a spark. I cleaned out the cap, freshened up the terminals, and put everything back. Same chuga chuga, no change when I take off #1 wire, but there is a constant loud clicking sound now coming from the distributor cap. Is this a bad cap? Bad rotor? Bad pickup? Something else entirely different? Please help!

 

[Davren]

Take the distributor cap off the distributor without removing any of the 5 HT leads. Position the cap so you can see inside it or hold it with insulated pliers and get someone to turn the engine over. If you can see sparks jumping about inside the cap, you need a new one.

Disconnect the king lead (HT lead that goes from the coil to the cap) from the cap and hold it, with insulate pliers, so the end of it is few millimetres above the center of the rotor arm and get someone to turn the engine over. If sparks jump the gap, you need a new rotor arm.

Any sparks would be more obvious if you check it in low light or dark conditions.

Dave.

 

[narfire]

I had a similar problem... sort of. Here's another thing to check. Pop the dist. cap off,for that matter take the dist. right out to check this. I had the bushing that the plate for the pick up sits on, become worn out, so every time the lobes on the dist. shaft spin to the pick up, the pick up tilts forward and contacts the lobes giving a interuption in spark and a clicking noise.
If this is the problem, need to replace the pick up and also re-bush the dist. shaft at the plate. While your at it change the dist oil seal. Otherwise try and find a used dist that does not have this isssue or buy a new one (around $450-500 complete in Can.)
Good luck
Narfire

 

[TrknFld]

Thanks! Saw sparks both places, inside the cap and between the king lead and rotor. Replaced both. Clicking is gone but the engine still sounds like it's missing and has no power. What should I check next?

 

[TrknFld]

Could a bad bushing cause these symptoms even though the clicking is gone?

 

[narfire]

Thanks! Saw sparks both places, inside the cap and between the king lead and rotor. Replaced both. Clicking is gone but the engine still sounds like it's missing and has no power. What should I check next?

If the bushing is sound,that is the pick-up is not tilting forward and contacting the lobes then....
The white wire from the pick-up is clear of the ex.manifold?
Check timing? 10 deg btdc I think for the FI engines.
Check compression. If one cylinder is out of whack ie 10-20+ psi low compared to the others, then the fun begins.
I had one cyl. 30 pounds less,the engine did not seem right /had a ticking noise found one cyl.'s valve clearance was way out(intake). Re-shimmed all the valves to correct clearance (about 2-3 hours for a non mechanic-me ) Now 130 pounds accross the board, sounds and runs way better....til the next issue.
good luck

 

[TrknFld]

I've changed spark plugs & wires, distributor cap. I feel no play in the distributor when I try to move it. (I read that might be an indicator of a bad bushing?) Adjusted the timing to 10 deg btdc. The timing was pretty far off and it now starts up easily when I turn the key. "Chuga chuga" problem is still there. From the previous help, it sounds like compression is the next test. Any trick about what type of compression tester I need to get? Does it need to be a certain kind... metric? Or are they all pretty standard?

 

[GeorgeT]

When was the fuel filter last changed? Possibly a weak fuel pump.

 

[TrknFld]

Changed the fuel filter and fuel pump checked out fine. Thanks for that.

Problem still there.

What's the secret to compression testing to get an accurate reading? I've got a pressure gauge, but it jumps up and down only registering for a split second then back to zero. I cannot get an accurate reading. Do I have the wrong gauge? Is there a trick I'm not aware of? How about hooking up a timing light to the corresponding wire from the distributor and pointing that at the gauge?

 

[Davren]

You need a gauge with a non-return valve. Dedicated vehicle compression tester gauges usually have a thumbscrew to release the pressure (and reading) after you've tested each cylinder.

Dave.

 

[TrknFld]

Thanks! I got the compression tester with the non-return valve. I took the spark plugs out and tested the compression cold. The readings I got were 137, 137, 132 & 130. Then I put the spark plugs back in and ran the engine up to normal operating temperature (190-200). I repeated the compression test immediately after turning off the engine and got 152, 150, 150 & 149. I didn't see much difference, so I did not run the "wet" test. Am I correct in my conclusion that these are pretty close? Or should I also run the wet test also?

The "chuga, chuga" is still present. Slow, no power when going up hills, bad overall performance, etc.

What should I check next?

 

[GeorgeT]

Plugged catalytic converter?

 

[TrknFld]

Thanks! I'll check that next.

 

[TrknFld]

Took off the catalytic converter and still poor performance.

I enlisted the help of my neighbor who has a little auto mechanic background. He helped me isolate the problem in a place I missed. The engine is missing in the number 1 cylinder. When I remove the wire to the #1 spar plug while the engine is running, it makes no difference. The plug is new. The wire is new. There is spark coming from the distributor cap and wire (I felt it!) Compression is fine. The Fuel pump checked out. I put in a new fuel filter. It seems as though there is no fuel getting to the cylinder. Is the fuel injector to #1 bad??? How do I check/fix that?

 

[GeorgeT]

You need to get the Bosch Fuel Injection Diagnosis Manual available online on several forums. There is a procedure for diagnosing injector problems. It probably is a bad wire going to the injector or a bad injector. The manual gives the procedure for determining which.

 

[TrknFld]

When I got the hose off of the #1 injector and looked down into it, there was a red powder (rust colored) filling the intake. I tapped out the dust and soaked the injector in lacquer thinner. I tested the wire to the injector with a noid tester and it checked out. Now I'm just waiting on shipping of the new upper and lower bushings. When they get here, I'll put the injector back in, plug it up, and give it a whirl. Any steps I'm missing or precautions I should take?

 

[TrknFld]

Ran like a charm for about a week. Now the chug-a chug-a is slowly creeping back. I presume more rust finding its way to the #1 injector. Is there a way to flush the fuel system to get rid of the rust?

 

[narfire]

Took off the catalytic converter and still poor performance.

I enlisted the help of my neighbor who has a little auto mechanic background. He helped me isolate the problem in a place I missed. The engine is missing in the number 1 cylinder. When I remove the wire to the #1 spar plug while the engine is running, it makes no difference. The plug is new. The wire is new. There is spark coming from the distributor cap and wire (I felt it!) Compression is fine. The Fuel pump checked out. I put in a new fuel filter. It seems as though there is no fuel getting to the cylinder. Is the fuel injector to #1 bad??? How do I check/fix that?

If you have acces to a noids light,I think a geo tracker fits a fiat, try that. It checks to see if you have power to the injector. If you have power and still a bum cylinder then injector could be fouled or pooched. take the nut off the retaining plate and pull the injector out,likely have to do all the plates. Look at the tip see if it still has its shape and all the tip is there. I have heard that an sonic bath might clean it up but I just went for a used injector that came from a running engine. That solved my problem
Good luck

 

[TrknFld]

Performance improved, but not all the way back to what I was used to. Finally a few weeks ago, I let the fuel level get down lower than usual (below 1/4 tank) and when I went to restart at the gas station, nothing. It turned over and ran for a couple seconds, then died. I wound up having it towed to my house. Syphoned the gas out of the fuel tank (quite a bit of rust on the inside. Changed the fuel tank, fuel tank sending unit, and cleaned out the line from the fuel pump back with air compressor.

When I put gas back in and tried to pressurize the fuel line by manually opening the door in the air flow meter, I heard a click each time I moved the air flow meter door, but that was it. No whirring or pumping sound. It seems as though the low fuel level in the gas tank might have let rust get into the fuel pump and ruined it. Does this sound right? I took out the #1 injector and found nothing in it. Can I just change the filter and pump? Or do I need to do more up the line toward the engine? Thanks for the help.