1986 Mercury Lynx 1.9L HO Running very rough after bottoming out.

Recently bottomed out suspension leaving a parking lot and the card started running very rough.

Replaced plugs, wires, cap and rotor as they were all fairly old.

Didn't help a bit.

Engine idles extremely rough, smooths out a bit when RPM increases and has decreased power.

Checked aligment of crank and cam marks and rotor and timing appears OK.

Haven't checked compression, fuel pressure or vacuum yet.

Any suggestions?

Thanks.

Reply to
xlh1460
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Ok, more info, should have checked all of this first.

Spark OK on all 4 cylinders.

compression on 1 and 2 is around 35 psi (yikes)

compression on 3 and 4 is around 150 psi.

Am I looking at a blow head gasket?

Is the fact that this started after bottoming out the suspension a coincidence?

I guess it is either time to pull the head or just go car shopping.

Reply to
xlh1460

seams very likely a blown head gasket between 1 and 2. bottoming out the car won't cause a blown head gasket.

Reply to
ShoeSaleman

If you numbers are correct, you've been driving on two cylinders for some time and the bump just waked you up. I doubt you numbers completely. I don't think you could drive it on two cylinders. The plugs in those cylinders would have looked terrible. You didn't mention that. Have somebody else look at it.

Reply to
Al Bundy

It seemed unlikely to me to. Just about have the head off. Will find out soon enough. Hope it's just the gasket as I have grown kind of fond of this little machine :)

Reply to
xlh1460

It seemed unlikely to me too. Just about have the head off. Will find out soon enough. Hope it's just the gasket as I have grown kind of fond of this little machine :)

Reply to
xlh1460

Al, the car definately was running fine and then wasn't.

I don't know why you would doubt my compression numbers. I double checked them.

I have no idea why you would assume that I was running on 2 cylinders from some time, it went from running fine to barely running at all.

Where the heck did that leap in "logic" come from?

I suspect if I would have had compression readings from before it started running poorly they would have looked much better.

Thanks anyway.

Reply to
xlh1460

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