Alright here is the deal...

Tuesday, I was driving back from Walters, OK in my 89 Chevy S-10. Walters is about 20 miles from Comanche(where I live). The S-10 has had a small top-end rattle for about 6 months, and I was thinking about what I would do if the motor ever failed me.

About that time, I heard this loud noise. Kinda like somebody sticking a lead pipe into a big industrial fan just enough to barely hit.

I turned down my stereo to make sure it wasnt just a bad copy of a song. After turning down the stereo, I still heard it. I decided I better pull over. About that time, I noticed a big cloud of light blue-grey smoke behind me. I knew something was very wrong...

As soon as I got slowed down to like 30mph, the motor died, and I coasted to a stop. I got out and popped the hood expecting to see something protruding from somewhere. I looked on the ground, and found no oil.

I checked the dipstick, and it was low, but still in operating range. An old man pulled over and asked if my truck had overheated and if I needed water. I told him I think my truck threw a rod, and oil might help.

Less than 5 minutes later, he returned with 2 quarts of oil. I immediately removed the oil cap, and saw a little bit of smoke flow out. I poured the oil in, and crossed my fingers hoping it would start.

It did, and I decided to try to make it home since I had about 5 miles left. I drove all the way home at 35mph since I only had 3 cylinders left.

I got it up in my yard, and it ran really bad, and something was obviously way out of balance, almost stalling out. Yet, it would not die! I finally had to shut it off.

I had just filled the friggin thing up, so I had to syphon all 17 gallons out of the tank, and put it in my Patrol.

The next morning, Wednesday morning, I started up the Patrol, and it ran really rough. It ran very rough all the way to school. So rough, that it would only go about 30mph in 3rd gear. It would cut out so badly.

It ran just like that all the way home, too. I couldnt even drive it to tech school! Not that it mattered much. It was my last day for this semester anyway.

I found that the filter was severely clogged with dirt, so I decided I better replace it with a new one.

I worked on it all day yesterday(Thursday) trying to figure out what its malfunction was. I tore the carburetor apart and put it back together. I found absolutely nothing wrong with it.

So I figured maybe it could be the points. I remember my neighbor remeniscing over his past experiences with his electronically-challenged trucks.

I set the point gap to .020 as it says so in the manual. I even cleaned up the surfaces, because they were slightly corroded. Seems odd for me to find that knowing the points are 2 months old.

It still ran like junk. So I decided to check the spark plugs which I installed 2 weeks ago. They were all carbon fouled, and the closest piston to the firewall was still wet with gasoline.

So I decided to see if they were sparking. I started the Nissan up, and checked to find each plug wire was good as all were getting spark.

This morning, Friday, I could not get it to start at all. When trying to start it, the motor would almost "hiccup". Or atleast, thats what it seemed like to me. Either that, or it felt like something really big and strong was grabbing ahold of the motor and stopping it for a brief fraction of a second.

Im stumped... I think it could have something to do with the ignition knowing that I had just rebuilt the carburetor, and the spark plugs are carbon fouled meaning that there was alot of unburnt gas.

Im not asking for pity, or anything like that. Im just explaining my situtation, because I wouldnt have normally asked for help on here, because I know this is more for tech discussions. So, what do yall think? Just a simple suggestion as to what might be wrong would be much appreciated...

Ouch, sorry to hear about your S10.

As for the Patrol, is the float bowl in the carb getting too much fuel? Almost sounds like the engine is flooding out. TOo much fuel would also definitely cause it to bog down like it did on the road. Only thing I can think of that would defiitely cause that (besides incorrect jetting) would be a float valve that doesnt seal properly. The fuel pump ends up filling the float bowl and it dumps a ton of fuel in the engine. Can you double check the float bowl level easily on that carb?

Mabye we should get jason to post his 280zx distributor conversion pics. If the ignition is the proble, then the zx dist may be a good solution, since its pretty much plug and play.

same gas from the s-10 in your p-trol? sounds like bad gas?



It Never Ends...

Its brand new gas. Put in right before it threw a rod...

hmmm.. how about the exhaust on the patrol... when it runs, does it spit out black smoke or not? Could be that the carb is fine and the ignition system is really the culprit.

Mabye even try swapping coils with the S10 to see if the coil is bad? If the spark is terribly weak, it wont run well at all. Also, check all your electrical connections to the coil and distributor. If they look oxidized, clean them up.

Okay, I pulled the carb off, disected it, cleaned it up, and put it back on. Still, no change! Runs like junk!

Ill try the coil swap...

I have got bad gas at the pump. Dirty, funky watered down gas that made my truck run like crap. Try sucking from a gas can that has very clean good gas in it....

if his s10 was running fine off it, it probably isnt bad gas.

Well, I just tried a coil from an AMC 360. It actually starts now, but it still runs like junk. If I hit the gas, it will stall out...

Its not bad gas... Its good gas. The place I got the gas from has a gas truck come in every other day just to give you an idea.

Its quite a busy place. Gas is cheaper than any of the other places in town, so it goes quick.

Darn coincidental problems Keep at it, something will turn up.

.....................
'98 FAD FrontyKC
156,000 miles
Packin ARB'd 9"(5.00)& Tornado w/ Dual Remotes;-)
Mobi-ARC 200 is tits!( can I say that?)

does the carb have a choke on it? If the choke is wide open on a cold start, you'll have a heckuva time keeping it running. After it warms up, this shouldn't be an issue tho.

Hows the timing on it? electronic ignition is definitely a worthwhile upgrade, and can be done pretty cheaply - Jason did his using Z parts.

Only other think I can think of is a bad vacuum leak...maybe around the base of the carb....look for cracks, or gaping holes. I know there's not much (if any) vacuum lines, but you can still get a leak if the carb is not seated against the manifold properly.

Beyond that I'm stumped.


1998 Frontier 4x4, 2002 Xterra 4x4, 1983 280ZXT, and a ratty old Sentra
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Card Carrying M.E.S.A Member (Modified Easterly SWANKy Associates)

As I set the choke to a certain point, it doesnt try to stall out as I hit the gas. It sputters to a certain extent, but it does not stall out... Im fixing to take it around the block a few times to see if it will still stall out...

Well, I took it around the block a few times. Had to be the longest blocks in the whole friggin city. That thing cut out the whole time... all that time, I was trying to get the choke right.

There is no vacuum leak. I already checked for that. The gasket between the intake and the carb is brand new. As is all the gaskets within the carb.

And the only vacuum line I have is one running from the intake manifold to the distributor.

When it was halfway closed/halfway open is when it ran the best. Still ran like crud though...

I'd be suspecting the ignition/points system at this point. How plentiful are old 280ZX distributors out there?