Series 3 which lead to which spark plug?

Turboman · Aug 29, 2020

85Santana3 said:
I am not sure if by blown head gasket you means just the gasket or the head of engine. The gasket alone is not expensive and easy to change, top of engine once I had to change and is quite expensive. Which one do you mean?
I watched a few youtube videos and did a test one suggested (opening radiator cap and letting engine get hot, then closing the radiator cap and watching the reservoir) It passed that one. I will do compression and other tests to be sure this week. I have a feeling my carb is the culprit (hopefully)

If you change the gasket, use a quality composite gasket on rebuild, Payen or Elring are the best.
The copper gaskets are nothing but trouble.

85Santana3 · Aug 30, 2020

Colthebrummie said:
When you say the spark plugs are black, are they dry and black or oily and black. Col

Black and very dry. I couldn't even wipe them off.

You asked if the choke is jammed open? How should it look if it correct? It is open at a 55 or 60 degree (to horizon). In fact it is as open as it can be becasue there is a little pipe thing that stops is from being more open that that. could that be the problem? I had opened the chocke cable completely.

I also took the air thing off, I have tried to adjust the two screws on carb., no change in any of these tests. I was checking youtube videos for similar problem . There seem to be over 14 different possibilities, including blocked exhaust (catalytic converter blocked) I was checking to see if these things even have a catalytic converter or not, I doubt it for an 85 model. Today somebody asked me if the sparks are orange or blue. My sparks were all orange and yellow. The guy was thinking it is spark plugs and leads problem. He says weak sparks will cause all these symptoms. Tomorrow we shall do some tests and change the spark plugs and leads, open the engine top and figure out what the heck is wrong. This had happened to me 6 years ago but for the life of me I can not remember what the reason was. In the list of 100 or something thing that had gone wrong with my truck one easily forgets.

Turboman · Aug 30, 2020

85Santana3 said:
Black and very dry. I couldn't even wipe them off.

You asked if the choke is jammed open? How should it look if it correct? It is open at a 55 or 60 degree (to horizon). In fact it is as open as it can be becasue there is a little pipe thing that stops is from being more open that that. could that be the problem? I had opened the chocke cable completely.

I also took the air thing off, I have tried to adjust the two screws on carb., no change in any of these tests. I was checking youtube videos for similar problem . There seem to be over 14 different possibilities, including blocked exhaust (catalytic converter blocked) I was checking to see if these things even have a catalytic converter or not, I doubt it for an 85 model. Today somebody asked me if the sparks are orange or blue. My sparks were all orange and yellow. The guy was thinking it is spark plugs and leads problem. He says weak sparks will cause all these symptoms. Tomorrow we shall do some tests and change the spark plugs and leads, open the engine top and figure out what the heck is wrong. This had happened to me 6 years ago but for the life of me I can not remember what the reason was. In the list of 100 or something thing that had gone wrong with my truck one easily forgets.

It doesn't have a catalytic converter. But if the exhaust is badly rusted inside, rusted baffles could be blocking up the silencer.
Sparks should be blue. Condenser and coil are worth looking at, as well as the leads.

85Santana3 · Aug 31, 2020

Update in case anybody had the same problem in future:
Changing the spark plugs and leads solved the problem with engine weakness. To be on the safe side I changed dist. cap, condenser and the other curly thing. Of course Don Santiago still smokes like a chimney but does it strongly and powerfully. That is another problem with carb for another day.
thanks everybody for your help

wireman · Aug 31, 2020

85Santana3 said:
Update in case anybody had the same problem in future:
Changing the spark plugs and leads solved the problem with engine weakness. To be on the safe side I changed dist. cap, condenser and the other curly thing. Of course Don Santiago still smokes like a chimney but does it strongly and powerfully. That is another problem with carb for another day.
thanks everybody for your help

What colour is your smoke? If its blue then it probably isn't your carb, more likely worn rings or valve stem seals. But as you say that is for another day and another thread...

Series 3 which lead to which spark plug?

Turboman

Mab An Gov

85Santana3

Active Member

Turboman

Mab An Gov

85Santana3

Active Member

wireman

Well-Known Member

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