1500 SP not firing on cylinders 1&2

[jspbtown]

I am working on a H code 1500cc motor that doesn't seem to be firing on cylinders 1 & 2. I come to this conclusion based on the fact that after having it running for a few moments that the 1 & 2 exhaust pipes are cool, while the 3 & 4 are much warmer.

Some facts:
* Compression in 1&2 is between 140-150lbs
* Stock Vac advance distributor (overall condition unknown)
* New (el cheapo) wires that I have tested for continuity
* New plugs
* Valves adjusted correctly
* Rebuilt Pic30 carb: The idle solenoid (near the choke) is wallowed out
and loose.

It has a vacuum leak and I am hoping its the carb. Spraying fluid around intake/head connections does nothing. If I partially cover the carb throat it runs better but still is not firing on 1&2. New carb on order just because of the wallowed out solenoid.

New SVDA distributor also ordered (just cause I have no idea on the condition of the old one)

Could I be 180 degrees off?

Other suggestions?

[Devastator]

Have you pulled the plugs and verified that you are truly getting spark? Cheap plug wires frequently have problems, regardless of continuity.

[jspbtown]

I have not pulled the plugs to look for spark. I will do that.

[Devastator]

Have you done any distributor work on this lately, or did it just stop working one day? What are the circumstances behind the miss? Have you checked the rotor and the cap?

[jspbtown]

Its an old engine I had laying around that I am refurbishing for a kit.

It came with an 009 that I started the process with. I had no idea as to the condition of it, and since it was running crappy I swapped that out and put in a stock dizzy. Before I dropped that one in I checked the diaphram (it held vacuum), inspected the cap/rotor, and adjusted the points. No change.

It hasn't run in years, but it has very good oil pressure and excellent compression.

[Devastator]

Could there be something "living" in the intake manifold? (I had a heck of a time trying to get my engine to run one time, only to discover that I'd left a rag in the intake runner ). I've also had the dizzy pop out of the drive tangs and give me fits, but that misses on 3 cylinders usually.
Check the plugs for fire before anything else.

[jspbtown]

Will check the plugs for firing.

Nothing in the intake. I took all the parts off the engine and gave them a thorough cleaning and painting before re-installing.

[jspbtown]

OK...some further info.

I took each right side plug wire off and had a very good spark. The motor did not change in sound.

I then took out both right sided plugs and wiped them clean. No difference.

I then made sure #1 was on the compression stroke and made sure my dizzy was pointing to #1

I then took a left sided plug and swapped it to the right side. Started the engine. Left side got real warm....right side stayed cool to the touch.

I also verified compression in both right side cylinders. Just under 150lbs in each. I also removed the right sided valve cover and rotated the engine by hand and made sure all the valves were opening and closing. I also checked the clearances too...0.006.

I then took an old Bosch plug out of a spare motor...put it in #1 and tried it. The exhaust got a little warm. The motor then died out and now won't restart.

I think I am not getting a spark. I used a test light on the secondary side of the coil and when I rotate the motor by hand the light lights and goes off. I have 12v at the coil. Since I had no help all I could do was take the coil wire off and put it near a ground. I had done that earlier and could hear the arc. Now I cannot. The engine always fired right up but ran poorly. Now it won't run.

So.....I know I have a vacuum leak. A new carb will be here wed. I have a new SVDA dizzy coming as well.

But...could my plugs be wrong? Why would they fire on one side and not the other?

Could I have fried my coil?

I am stumped.

[Devastator]

A malfunctioning coil can be hard to discover. Check the spark at the plug. The spark from your spark plugs should be blue and not yellow. This is how I discovered that my coil had croaked. Do you have another that you can try? Sure sounds like a coil problem to me.

[Jim Ed]

... I've also had the dizzy pop out of the drive tangs and give me fits, but ... .
Check the plugs for fire before anything else.

I've found that the cure for that is to try another hold down clamp or to add a shim or two under the lower distributor drive shaft.