Help - running rough, new plugs, wires, cap and rotor

[SunlitComet]

Will get mine later and will try to give you a gypsy on yours later today.

 

[gulleyman]

My 2 cents.

Boy this is like reading my life story between Oct. '09 and Mar. '10. Spent a crap load of money throwing parts under the hood and the problem turned out to be a cracked head.....Gulley, originally your problem sounded like a bad fuel pressure regulator that was dumping fuel (#6 plug fouled first). If you replaced that along with the spider no problem. Everything you have done I also did. I was over thinking the problem and after replacing the electronic parts it turned out mechanical. Milky oil tells me you have something mechanical going on.

I guess my advice would be, at this point, if you are not able, have a mechanic pressure check each cylinder for leaks. Are your plugs fouled with water, gas or oil?

Check out the pics I posted today, I'm pretty new at this but it looks like oil to me, they reek of gasoline too.

If it is a head problem, considering the mileage you have, I would replace the engine (or have it rebuilt) instead of just the heads. The time and trouble to replace just the heads will be about the same as pulling the engine and dropping in a new one. If you do replace it I would stick with a GM rebuild. I don't trust what comes from the engine companies out there. But that's me. I also, for the most part, stick with GM parts.

I was thinking the same thing, even found a couple 383's and 454's on Craigslist I thought about swapping in but I have to make sure the problem won't still be there even if I drop a fresh motor in it

And stay away from that dealer. $400.00 to replace a dist. cap?! A 30 minute job tops. I did one once at a rest stop in Oklahoma.

Roger that, LOL, don't think I'll be darkening their doorstep again anytime soon!

With the help of the folks on this forum and a couple others, I am in the process of building an on-board PC with OBD2 diagnostics built in. I already have the PC so I just have to buy the OBD2 peripherals and software. If it works out we'll be able to dig deeper into the issue without me personally paying the dealers rent in diagnostic fees and idiotic recommendations.

I'm also going to take it to another mechanic that's been honest with some friends of mine, he used to be a mechanic for the dealer but he left and is doing it on his own now. Hopefully he can wave his magic wrench and all this will go away for a nominal fee

---------- Post added at 11:49 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:37 AM ----------

OLdsalt I hear you mine is suffering like gulley's I finally finished all the electronics fault repair and replaced the wrong plugs that were put in it and that alone made it worse....my left head is going to have to come off for inspection. I am already broke and this deal announced for unemployment compensation just left me hanging in the wind...Until I can get a working vehicle I can not get back on the road for work again. To top it off my registration is incomplete because I have no smog yet and the apartment manager is cleaning house of vehicles on the property. ...So I have to find some place to store it at more cost.

Dude, that blows, sorry to hear 'bout all that. Hopefully we'll all be back on the road again sooner than later

 

[SunlitComet]

Found storage for a few weeks to delay loosing it. Just a brief look at those fuzzy pictures of new plugss is the black coating dry fluffy powdery sorta kinda or is that wetty oily looking? May be a fork in the road kind of thing. Will be back later tonight.

 

[gulleyman]

I think it's "wetty oily looking" even after being out of the truck for at least a week so it' not gas...

 

[Nikolai553]

I've been reading this thread and links for the past hour now ( very good info though ) and to me it sounds like you have spent a small fortune on just trying to find the problem. I believe it may just be time to pay the $1000 or so and replace the whole engine with another engine. Because it seems like you have a long way to go towards spending more money on this same issue.



Oh and I like the idea of having a portable laptop that has diagnostic capabilities. That is definitely on my list of "to haves".


well thats my opinion at least

 

[gulleyman]

...sounds like you have spent a small fortune on just trying to find the problem. I believe it may just be time to pay the $1000 or so and replace the whole engine with another engine. Because it seems like you have a long way to go towards spending more money on this same issue.

Welcome to the forum I'm actually only into it for about $400 at this point, looks like the OBD2 peripherals and software may only be about $200 plus gotta make sure I don't drop a grand on a fresh engine only to find out it still has the same misfire

Oh and I like the idea of having a portable laptop that has diagnostic capabilities. That is definitely on my list of "to haves".

Check out my other thread if you want to "geek-out" on the carpc, go'on you know you wanna...
http://www.tahoeyukonforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=20898

 

[Nikolai553]

Welcome to the forum I'm actually only into it for about $400 at this point, looks like the OBD2 peripherals and software may only be about $200 plus gotta make sure I don't drop a grand on a fresh engine only to find out it still has the same misfire

thank you and wow! only $400? after page 8 it seemed you were spending alot more then that.

Check out my other thread if you want to "geek-out" on the carpc, go'on you know you wanna...
http://www.tahoeyukonforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=20898

I did read that thread actually, but believeeee me when I say I will geekafie my interior ;D

 

[SunlitComet]

Gully will not get my pics up tonight maybe tomorrow but I have included plug chart but no pictures(look in the back of any haynes manual. Wet oily heads towards bad rings or valving trouble. Compression say your rings are fine so i would like to question valving. Was this on all the plugs? Can you tinker manual camera settings to improve photos maybe with a white sheet background?

 

[gulleyman]

Thanks sunlitcomet, those were the best I could do with my phone. I have a really nice Nikon but I don't know if the pictures will be small enough to post here. I'll try to figure something out tomorrow.
Nikolai, be sure to post up when you do

 

[Joe M]

I attempted to read all the posts, but was wondering if you have ever cleaned your mass air flow sensor. The reason I ask is because you mention the engine improved with a reduction in spark plug gap. So, there is definitely enough spark, and the fuel is not the issue or is the oil into the cylinder. So that only leaves the oxygen into the cylinder. If the MAS is dirty it could be sending incorrect information to the ECM, causing the computer to over compensate for the incorrect info.

My first thought was cap and rotor or coil, but once the fowling-out moved from one cylinder to another that seems like the ECM. But the ECM is either bad or is receiving a bad/incorrect reading for a sensor.

I only mention cleaning the MAS because it costs practically nothing to do and should be maintained with an aftermarket intake assembly.

Good luck.