Dohhh!

[AccordNut]

i dunno whats up with this crap, i went home to install my new distributor, coil, wires/plugs but when i go to put the spark plugs back into cylinders 4 and 3, both threads are jacked! the plug only goes in about half way as if the threads are clogged or something. i tried cleaning them off but that didnt help....so i had to re-drill the holes with my spark plug kit(i left the head on i think some aluminum shavings went into the cylinders) and i put new threads into the holes but they arent in all the way so my plugs are still sticking out farther than they should but does it matter that much? i also didnt gap the ngk iridium plugs at all, and i installed the accell ss coil. does that matter either? the car runs ok, but lacks power big time...the engine is making somewhat of a knocking almost popping noise through the lower rpm's and im thinking its b/c the cylinders arent igniting right? if this is the case i need a new head huh....dooohhhhhhh, my poor baby

[A20A1]

The plugs will work better if they go in all the way. I'd check your ignition timing with the new distributor.

[snow_man_20]

Could be cross threaded. Try taking them out and put oil or somthing on the threads and try again. It's eazy to cross thread them and not good when you do so make shure thay go in straight. I wouldn't drive it unless you get them in all the way, it may spit it out, and that couldn't be good. Also like A20A1 said, you need to check your timing.

[AccordNut]

how do i check my timing? didnt know the FI ones could be adjusted...the car actually still gets 30+ mpg its just the power is gone

[Immeraufdemhund]

yah you can turn the dizzy on both models. I had to retard my timing just a smidge when i got the accel ss coil. or atleast i think i retarded it..maybe it retarded me. the shavings, if they were small and oil/ grit free, should have just been spewed out the exhaust port. (wouldn't recommend doing that very often though) i remember one of my spark plugs were not in all the way on my head and it didn't seem to affect it much. If you need another head i have one from a 87 lxi. She had 232k miles on her though. She didnt' give me any smoke or any problems though. but hey if you rebuild it you shouldn't have any other problems.

i'd say definatly check your timing though.

[AccordNut]

so how do i turn the dizzy? i know it has a little play back and forth if i loosen everything but not much, is that what you mean? or do i have to take it off completely and do something with it....which way is advance/retard

[smufguy]

our engine spins forward, which means, ur standing on the passenger side and looking at the motor, its spinning clockwise. So Counter clockwise is Advance and Clockwise is Retard.

U need a timing light to see how much u been moved, usually the bolt at the center of the hole is a perfect measure of being at the dead center, but its just eyeballing.

[POS carb]

you should not change anything else. if the problem started after you played with your spark plugs it can't be caused by the distributor unless you loosened/removed it
a popping sound it what you will here if you have a compression leak. bad ignition timing will sound like your pistons are rattling when you step on the gas, trouble cranking, rough idle. Hold a lighter near the spark plugs (fan off of course) and see if the flame flickers near any of the holes.

You probably just have bad threads on the head and in all honesty it can only get worse so if you are going to try and fix it have a helicoil kit ready in case you need to re-thread the holes. For now loosen the plugs, tighten, loosen, tighten, back and forth, slowly screwing the plug farther into the head (about a 1/4 turn at a time, put pressure down on the plug if you can) the slower you do this the better your chances are of saving the head. If you're lucky you'll just have a new thread pattern :b

[A20A1]

I think he said it wans't the plugs but the insterts that isn't in all the way... so the plugs don't go in all the way either.

[AccordNut]

yeah i tried putting some inserts in and i guess i didnt put em in far enough, the popping sound actually doesnt happen now that ive played with the dizzy a little...but i know the car has more power than it does right now. its ok though im still gettin great gas mileage. i was planning to do a rebuild within the next year anyway so ill just wait to deal with it and hope it hangs in there, thanks