Having trouble getting her to run right

[orangebug60guy]

checking the valves is easier than doing a compression check. I think. Make sure your float in the carb isn't junk. make sure if running a mechanical advance dizzy that all ports on the carb are plugged. Vacuum leaks occur here. If you have a beetle intake on your engine make sure any and all vacuum ports are also plugged.
_________________
Arachibutyrophobia- Fear of peanut butter sticking to the roof of the mouth.
Coprastasophobia- Fear of constipation.

[kirbyland]

I think your compression seems ok if cold- so valves should be adjusted close enough to run. While you pulled the plugs to do the test- did you switch them around as I suggested? Just to see if then the same problems persists on the same side? Narrowing the possibilities is the way to fix it- especially if it's spark related. Are you positive the plug wires are in the right order? It's pretty easy for the 1/2 wires to get twisted behind the generator- but I'd think it would back fire on you. Have you pulled 1 wire at a time from the dizzy while it's running? Then hold it close enough to the cap to arc/spark. A good way to narrow stuff down-

[kirbyland]

anything?

[glifahrenheitcameron]

Orangebug60guy: The float is fine and all ports on the carb are capped.

Kirbyland: I have not switched the plugs around yet. Yes I am sure that the wires are going to the correct places. Yes I have pulled wires from the distributor cap and made sure that each one was sparking.

So time for an update. I went through, adjusted the valves, fixed a loose rocker arm, made sure that all of my plugs were gapped properly, and double checked the wires going from the cap to the cylinders to make sure that they were all going to the correct places. I also put new gaskets where the intake meets the heads. I'm going to crank it up today and see what happens.

[kirbyland]

Good luck- let us know how it went. If you switch the plugs, and still have the misfire on the same cylinders- then I would guess bad plug wires- losing spark between the cap-and plugs.

[glifahrenheitcameron]

Kirbyland: I have tested the plug wires by leaving one end on the distributor, uplugging the other end, hooking a spark plug to them, held them close to a metal surface, and then turned the motor over. There is spark with all 4 wires....so no issue there.

[kirbyland]

fire it up yet?

[glifahrenheitcameron]

I went through and made sure that the points were adjusted properly, I messed with how the throttle cable is screwed onto the carb (tightened it up some), and I messed with the carb settings a little.

............IT RUNS PERFECTLY!

I'm not sure exactly what finally triggered it to run correctly since I did so many different things over the past days, but I would have to say that the biggest issue was probably the vacuum leak that it seemed to have on the passenger side.

I put the rear up on stands and made sure that all of the gears worked fine for driving, and I was able to back it up the driveway last night and pull it back into the garage......it doesn't have any headlights or park lights yet, so all road driving will have to be saved for the daytime.

I'm also getting a clunking noise from the alternator....I can hold onto the pulley and i'm able to rock the shaft back and forth which makes a noise......I don't think that it's supposed to do that.

All in all, there's some more issues to sort out.....but the biggest thing is that the bus finally runs how it should. A big thanks to everyone for the help