Check out this sight. It is the best I have seen for teaching how to adjust valves. http://www.atlanticz.ca/zclub/techtips/

thanks for all of the tips it made it easier to do.

well some were a little lose so I tightened them up and also put the guide back in place.

tapping noise is gone but that cylinder is still not firing.

the wires are the old ones but there is a spark coming out of the wire and if I switch wires it still doesn't fire up with a wire from a cylinder that does fire up, and yes I swap both ends of the wire to make sure.

so it is either the cylinder but why? or could it be the distributor? I replaced the cap and rotor though.

So any tips or ideas would be welcomed

keep in mind that I had the engine running fine until this happened

thanks for all of the tips it made it easier to do.

well some were a little lose so I tightened them up and also put the guide back in place.

tapping noise is gone but that cylinder is still not firing.

the wires are the old ones but there is a spark coming out of the wire and if I switch wires it still doesn't fire up with a wire from a cylinder that does fire up, and yes I swap both ends of the wire to make sure.

so it is either the cylinder but why? or could it be the distributor? I replaced the cap and rotor though.

So any tips or ideas would be welcomed

keep in mind that I had the engine running fine until this happened

How do you know that cylinder isn't firing?

Check/replaced spark plug?

How do you know that cylinder isn't firing?

Check/replaced spark plug?

New plugs and swapped between positions

The reason I say it is not firing is that the engine is running very rough as in not all cylinders and as I pull the spark plug wires that one cylinder makes no difference in the way the engine runs the others you can tell a difference in the engine.

You may be able to spread the male connector on the wire at the dist. cap end with a needle nose pliers to try to make the connection there a bit more snug.

I have a similar intermittent problem, where the wire that is closest to the passenger fender (on the dist. cap) slips off the distributor post, causing a nasty stumble, but the motor still runs.

thanks for all of the tips it made it easier to do.

well some were a little lose so I tightened them up and also put the guide back in place.

tapping noise is gone but that cylinder is still not firing.

the wires are the old ones but there is a spark coming out of the wire and if I switch wires it still doesn't fire up with a wire from a cylinder that does fire up, and yes I swap both ends of the wire to make sure.

so it is either the cylinder but why? or could it be the distributor? I replaced the cap and rotor though.

So any tips or ideas would be welcomed

keep in mind that I had the engine running fine until this happened

What did you set the valve clearance at? Is this an engine that has been running all along , or one that has been setting for a couple of years? Just wondering if maybe a valve stuck open and was struck by the piston. This could account for the lash pad to coming off and if the valve is bent the cylinder could appear to not be firing . But is just leaking compression . If you have a old spark plug , connect it to the wire to the suspect cylinder and just lay it on the valve cover to ground it and start the engine and see if it is getting spark. Gary

What did you set the valve clearance at? Is this an engine that has been running all along , or one that has been setting for a couple of years? Just wondering if maybe a valve stuck open and was struck by the piston. This could account for the lash pad to coming off and if the valve is bent the cylinder could appear to not be firing . But is just leaking compression . If you have a old spark plug , connect it to the wire to the suspect cylinder and just lay it on the valve cover to ground it and start the engine and see if it is getting spark. Gary

that is what I am afraid probably happened

the car had been sitting for a while, but I would have expected this to have happened sooner, I have had the engine running a few times, and it was smooth and I also long enough to tune the carbs without an issue

Re-check the valve adjustment on that cylinder - first time through you may have one that slipped out of adjustment...

If everything is OK on the valve adjustment - run a compression test. It is possible to have a small piece of carbon stuck to the exhaust valve - holding it open. It is very very rare to have a valve stick and get hit by the piston in an original, stock, never milled head - L24 with 123K miles on it, let alone 23K miles... Something else is going on more than likely. Could be a blown head gasket... a bad spark plug (very rare but it happens)..

keep looking...

Carl B.

I will check the valves again, and also do a compression to see what is up

ok, I checked the valves again and a couple were slightly off but nothing major.

so I did a compression, with these results:

190

200

200

0

200

180

They seem kind of high maybe my gauge is off, but either way that one cylinder I said was not firing has 0 compression,

not even a puff of air in the gauge or did it even move the needle at all.

So I am guessing headgasket is not an issue, piston rings not an issue, it just seems that maybe one of the scenarios

of the valves is it, either something is stuck keeping it from closing or it got bent and it is not closing.

But of course I am open to suggestions

Well, hate to say it, but you're going to have to open her up.

Oh dear. Pull the head. Don't forget to insert a wooden wedge to stop the chain from falling down the front cover.

Could still be a head gasket, valve issue or time for a rebuild.