new points, and a fouled plug question.

[jonzcustomshop]

1965 chevrolet 283 2bbl

first off the plugs, I pulled them and changed them last week, they were quite plugged up with carbon.. they were probably on there from before I got the truck.
plug #7 (lr drivers side) was fouled.-soaked in oil(?) and smelled of gas.
a couple of others also smelled strongly of gas.

the new plugs turned the 283 into a monster!
lots of power!
however the last couple of days it has started running rough again... I pulled #7 first, and it seems to be fouled out, smells of gas and dosen't seem to be firing.
pulled all the other plugs, and they all seemed like they were firing, dry spots on each, but they are all already starting to get dirty with carbon.

so, is there anything I can do about that # 7 cylinder?
what is wrong ?


next is the pionts.
I pulled them , and they are getting that peak/valley build up.
so I bought a new set, and have double checked that they are the correct ones, and installed them today. could not get the motor to fire.
I tried adjusting them up and down , but would not fire.
I put the old ones back in , and it fired right up.

did I get a bad set of points?
I was under the impression that i could put them in , and fire it up , and set the dwell with a dwell meter.
do I need to gap them first and then set the dwell?
or did I get a faulty set?
thanks.

[aerotruk63]

Remove the sparkplug and attach the wire to it. Do you see a spark? You might want to change the plugs for a hotter range on an older engine, they'll help burn any oil that's getting into the combustion chamber. Did you put a vacuum gauge on the engine to see what's going on. The vacuum gauge was the era's diagnostic tool.
http://www.secondchancegarage.com/public/186.cfm

[jocko]

as for the point gap - yes, I believe you should ballpark it before trying to start - .015-.020 gap (measured when cam is on a high spot) should get it running enough to then set the dwell with a meter (approx 30 deg is what I usually use). I guess, theoretically, if you had an out of whack adjustment and the points weren't actually opening at all, the engine would not fire up - so maybe that's what's happening. Bottom line - as long as the points "break" open a little bit - the engine should fire - but if you didn't adjust them at all, it's possible they are not breaking, which in turn won't allow the engine to fire up, etc. Hope that helps. (the fact that it works fine when you put the old points back in indicates that the coil, wiring, etc is all good to go)

As for ol #7 spark plug, sounds like it's time for some "Old #7" literally.... I would try Aerotruk's suggestion, then I'd be stumped (if it is actually firing). Kinda sounds like 2 separate problems - gas AND oil in the cylinder. Possible that the excess oil is keeping it from firing, then that leaves you with the gas smell since it's not igniting(?) - so maybe root cause it an oil leak (i.e. leaky valve guides, etc) (but to be honest, I'm not real sure on the plug problem)

[markeb01]

The points with the external allen screw adjuster are normally set within a range that will get the engine started, but just like spark plugs it’s not good to depend on them being right. The easiest solution would be to reinstall them, crank the engine until the rubbing block is at the peak of a distributor lobe and set them with a feeler gauge. Then you can fine tune with a dwell meter.

On the cylinder issue, easiest thing first would be to check the plug wire for resistance and see if that wire is worse than the others – and the cap for a bad contact. As noted earlier a vacuum gauge can diagnose a lot of problems. If that doesn’t show anything it might be time to run a compression check and see if that cylinder isn’t sealing correctly.

[jonzcustomshop]

went and bought a new cap and rotor today, will see how that works , the guy at napa sowed me an anti fouler for the plug that moves it up away from the oil, that might be a last resort until I can get the engine fixed if there is a problem with the rings.

areo that vaccum link is amazing, I will have to turn up a guage and try it out.

one thing that vaccum link mentioned was thin oil, that was washing past the rings ect...
I am running 10w30, is there a thicker viscosity I should run or try?

I checked at napa and the autolite 295's are the hottest plugs I can run, so no luck there.

[aerotruk63]

Try straight Lucas Oil additive! LMAO. Nothing will make it passed the rings, mind you it probably won't travel anywhere else either! LOL!

[markeb01]

Perhaps 20-50w motor oil might help a bit if the rings are tired. I've used that in some of my older motors and it seemed to help.

Long ago I had a 49 Plymouth with no rings left at all. To slow down the oil consumption I mixed my own blend of motor oil using 1 qt of 90wt transmission fluid, 1 qt of off brand STP, and 3 qts of 40wt reclaimed oil (it was really cheap and came in a five gallon tin). It lasted much longer than straight 30wt, but I had to push in the clutch when descending hills or it would lay down a smoke screen like a destroyer! Oh, and when it got cold I couldn't turn the engine over without leaving the car out in the sun to warm up first.

Not exactly an environmentally friendly solution today, but I was young, broke and going to school at the time.

[jonzcustomshop]

lol that smoke screen could come in handy!
I will try out the 20w50, and see if that helps.

I just need to make it to sppring, and I might (fingers crossed) have another one going, and be able to park this one and show it some love!

[bobcostas]

Markeb, you're my hero. I'll call you the MotorAlchemist.

and Jonz, i've heard of some points coming with a "protective film" over them. when i put new ones in my 'vair, i ran a piece of 200grit over it first just to be safe. that might keep the points from working.

[jchav62]

Last year I was running an oil burning 350 in my '73. It badly need valve seals/guides. It would foul 5 and 7 sometimes. I would change one or both about once a month or so. I just leave clean plugs in the glove box. Worked great, but I did get tired of doing that after a while. My guess is is that your 283 has the same problem. Valve seals...