Originally Posted by 89IROC&RS
ok, i hate to be the bearer of bad news, but the prognosis is not good. first off, it looks like you have a leaking exhaust manifold on the left side where the smoke was coming from the spark plugs, that or there is a major oil leak that is seeping on the manifolds. but as for the black smoke pouring out, it sounds like you desperately need to rebuild the engine, new rings at the least, but with that many miles, new bearings would be a no brainer while everything was taken apart already. but the motor should be salvageable. you said you put in new plugs, did you go aheaad and do the whole tuen up? as in cap, rotor, and setting the ignition timing? that might help. also, to determine if you have blown piston rings, get a compression tester, you said you dont know alot about cars, so please dont take offence if i tell you something you already know, but ill assume you dont. a compression tester is a air pressure guage that screws into your spark plug hole. take out all your spark plugs, and go around the engine one cylender at a time. at each cylender, screw in the guage, and bump the eingein over four times. thats four whole times all the way around. write down the PSI rating. should be around 120 psi, but the number isnt that important. what is important is that all the cyenders are at about the same rating, if you have widly varying pressure readings, your piston rings are blown. you can also have damaged valves, which will create a backfire, and rough running, but i think you would think the engine was about to explode in that point, so i dont really think thats what you have. slso, look at your PCV valve, (positive crankcase ventalation) should be in one of the valve covers, and run a tube into your intake manifold. if there is an enormous ammount of oil in it, or if the inside valve does not rattle back and forth when you shake it, you probly have blown rings. if its ok, then go according to the pressure test. also, look at your wiring, from the distributor to your cylenders, and make SURE that you have the right firing order, if you cross two of the wires, it will still run, but your tach will bounce up and down very rapidly. and may under stress and long term use, cause the kind of engine probems you are having. my advice, do the compression test, do the full tune up, and if it all looks normal, and is still running poorly and smoking, bite the bullet, and take it to someone who knows more about it and can diagnose it in person, its very hard to give accurate advice from the internet, too many variables, but mad props for jumpin on it and tryin to fix it yourself. good luck
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02-26-2009, 02:28 PM
