Ok, just got done doing the headgasket on my y8. Start it up and it runs like ---- :1 So i figured the timing was off because it wouldn't rev very happily and the motor was moving like crazy fighting itself. So i checked the cam timing today and it's definately dead on. So i started trouble shooting other things, i've confirmed that all injectors work, and i found that when i unplug 1 + 4 it almost stalls, and when you unplug 2 + 3, nothing happens; leading me to believe those cylinders are not working.

Seeing that i don't have any help right now, i did a running compression test, and threw the spark plug in the spark plug wire and grounded it. I got 90 psi running compression on cylinders 2 and 3 and the spark plugs were firing. Yes i know it's not a real compression test but i wasn't about to rig up some elaborate starter switch using only speaker wire since that's what i have

In any case, i'm a little stupmed on this one. The only other thing i could think of that I did is the valve adjustment but i set all of then to .007 on the intake and .009 on the exhaust, and even if i were out of spec my a thousandth, i don't think it would affect it that much, and have it be to both middle cylinders. Any help would be appreciated.

 

did you rotate the motor for each cylinder when doing the valve adjustment?

 

yep, to the book

Got some updates... Did a true compression test, noticed that the spark plugs from cylinders 1 and 4 (the ones that run), were soot black, and 2 and 3 were washed with fuel. And here's the compression test results...

cyilnder 1: 90/180
cylinder 2: 105/190
cylinder 3: 110/175
cylinder 4: 110/170

seems normal right?

 

ok....to get this straight.

Car was running fine before the hg change. So you did a hg change and now its all fuked. cyc 1 and 4 seems to be working but not 2 and 3. You checked spark and spark hits all 4 plugs. Hmm. Does it sound like theres not enough air going into the engine OR.....like your air is sucking lots of air in? If you are off by 1 tooth you will hear the diff too. You definitly missed something. Redo the install NOT INCLUDING the hg. Take everything off to the cams then re install... reset the timing, adjust valves again. I'm sure you missed something inbetween.

 

firing order pwned me

see problem is i was finishing up late last night, and not thinking, i threw the plug wires in, going counter clockwise, like the motor. Only problem is, when you're looking at the distributor from the passenger, it's actually going clockwise. Hence 1 and 4 were in the right spots, 2 and 3 were 180 degrees out, which is why the engine was running like a diesel with one motor mount. Also the pcm sensed the stupid ammount of oxygen in the exhaust (because it was flowing through cylinders 2 and 3), and richened the ---- up out of the mixture, which explains why 1 and 4 were black. God i hate it when i'm a dumbass.

*waits for JD to kick me in the teeth* :1

 

These things happen.. Its' always a relief when the problem is nothing major!