increasing compression

Well, the engine has been running fairly decent the past several weeks, ever since the snow started (a couple days after the above mentioned test).

Based on the discussion in this thread, I called a friend of mine who works on cars to find out where he's working now and if he'd look at it. He doesn't do engine work, unfortunately. He did recommend another shop, one which my parents have used in the past. This morning I took it there, and they said the computer indicated the engine was skipping sometimes. The tech threw water on the wires and saw plenty of sparks and that caused the engine to start bucking. Sounds like what it would do while I was driving it. They replaced the wires and the distributor cap and rotor. It's running really well now. It isn't so loud, has more power than earlier this morning, and is very smooth. It seems to have been a rather simple problem after all. Too bad the first dealer didn't pick up on that!

It looks like this truck will last me a while yet. (a very good thing, considering how much it has cost me so far!) Time will tell if the wires was the only cause of the problem.

-D

the reason for the sudden change in the way it runs is called by some the sucker factor. the first shop's mechanic told the boss hey, we got a sucker here!! the boss said you need a new motor, it will cost you $3500. you believe him some what.

the second shop, said hey boss, this guy is getting the shaft by them crooks down the street. they told him he needs a new motor, when all he needs is a $100 tuneup.lets help him out.

the moral to this story is, only do buisness with shops you know,or come highly recomended by respectable people

Or maybe "lets make a loyal customer out of this guy"?

Even a recommendation isn't a sure thing tho, my son went through that one already. :/ The next recommendation (by friends instead of relatives) was a winner tho. :)

Doggonit, if/when my old clunker misses I check the resistance of the plug wires with an Ohm meter... I have it written down what they were when they were new along with several other resistance, voltage and voltage drop readings. About a half dozen of them involve the electronic points replacement module.

Do yourself a favor and buy a cheap analog meter and learn how to use it right here! I swear, you will be glad you did. :)

Alvin in AZ (retarded signal ape) ps- if this dumb railroader can learn to use one, you can too

|engine was skipping sometimes. The tech threw water on the wires and |saw plenty of sparks and that caused the engine to start bucking.

Wow! A diagnostic procedure I haven't heard of before! Very interesting.

Rex in Fort Worth

You are a clever man. Don't sell yourself short.

If it doesn't work during the day, try it at night too.

don't just dump the water. use a spray bottle. the fine mist seams to permiate into bad wire better. and just because the wire has good resistance does not mean the wire is good, easiest check is to swap wires with another cylinder and see if the miss changes with it or try an old wire or one from another vehicle

Maybe.

The tech at the first shop didn't meet me before hand. They have a two-level setup where the customer interacts with a Service Advisor (who, at least in one case, used to be a tech). The Service Advisor then tells the tech what the job is (and when to do which jobs). The first shop did quite a bit of good work on the vehicle before. Could just be that the tech I got that time made a mistake in the test or is less experienced or something like that. Both the advisor and the tech were quite apologetic when informing me my engine was shot (and didn't recommend the investment of a new motor either, I'm the one who asked for a ballpark figure on the cost).

I didn't tell the second shop about the first shop. The only thing I told them was the symptons I was having and that I thought it might be a stuck valve. I also told them that I was told I had no compression in two cylinders when they asked if I meant the EGR valve. I didn't tell them how I knew about the compression or that I even had the vehicle at a different shop or what they had told me.

This is a good point. Gotta start somewhere, I guess.

I think there is something else not right with the engine too. It is running better now, with no "hiccups" at all, with the new wires, however I think it is a bit noisier (again) than it should be. It also idles a bit fast. I may investigate some on my own, or just leave it be since it is completely usable as-is.

FWIW,

-D