Re: RE: Is my engine dying? (longish)

From: Sterling (srdedic1@earthlink.net)
Date: Fri Nov 02 2001 - 13:43:51 EST


Another option for the cap and rotor is Ecklin, from Napa. Also has brass
contacts. No difference in price, but another option if you can not find
Borg Warner parts locally like couldn't.
Sterling
----- Original Message -----
From: "Andy Levy" <andylevy@yahoo.com>
To: <dakota-truck-moderator@bent.twistedbits.net>
Sent: Friday, November 02, 2001 12:24 AM
Subject: Re: DML: RE: Is my engine dying? (longish)

> Thanks Ron. I'll probably have to order the wires & looms, I don't seem
to find
> much in the way of the good stuff around here in the shops. Do you have
the p/n
> handy for the Borg Warner cap & rotor? Hopefully I can track those down
> locally. I may as well replace it all anyway at this point, with 21K on
these
> parts.
>
> Ronald Wong wrote:
>
> > Andy,
> >
> > I'd be suspicious of one of the three items on your list. Cap, rotor,
or
> > wires. Ticking sounds can be indicative of spark leaks. This happens
more
> > with power ignitions and coils like the MSD setups but can also happen
to
> > OEM stuff. Look inside your cap and see if you can see carbon trails.
That
> > would indicate arcing inside the cap. Check your wires for weakening by
> > engine heat or cracks in the insulation. Check the tips and make sure
there
> > are no breaks. If you're going to replace the wires anyway get some MSD
8.5
> > mm or equivalent. That's great insurance, even if you're not going to
do HP
> > ignition parts. When you do the wires get some "Made 4 You" wire clamps
and
> > holders to keep your wires up off your engine. Best caps and rotors are
> > Borg Warner ones with the brass connections. I hope this fixes your
> > problem. Good luck! :-)
> >
> > Ron
> > 00 PB SLT QC 4X2 5.9 46RE 3.92 LSD
> > For modifications see my DML Profile (URL follows)
> > http://www.twistedbits.net/WWWProfile/dakota/Kw9pV1EkFeOYY
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: owner-dakota-truck@BUFFNET.NET
> > [mailto:owner-dakota-truck@BUFFNET.NET]On Behalf Of Andy Levy
> > Sent: Thursday, November 01, 2001 8:16 PM
> > To: dakota-truck-moderator@bent.twistedbits.net
> > Subject: DML: Is my engine dying? (longish)
> >
> > Hopefully that'll grab some attention. My engine has always had a
> > little bit of a ticking noise to it, but for the last month or so, it's
> > been worse. It's rhythmic with engine RPMs (as RPMs go up, the
> > frequency goes up). I normally run 87 octane, but Tuesday night filled
> > up with 89 and tonight I poured in a 20 oz. bottle of Techron. Doesn't
> > seem to be any better yet. I considered that it might be an exhaust
> > leak, but it seems to be coming from the engine area.
> >
> > When I'm "coasting" I can't really hear it. Under load, I hear it loud
> > and clear. Typically accelerating on flats or holding speed uphill.
> >
> > My gas mileage has also been poorer than I think it should be. I'm
> > getting 13 MPG *at best* in town, and am hard-pressed to get over 16.5
> > at 70-75 MPH. I used to be able to pull 17-18 at those highways speeds.
> >
> > Last September (21,000 miles ago), when I was at the dealer for the
> > dreaded ping, they replaced the cap, rotors and wires with OEM parts.
> > They also re-indexed the distributor, as it was 5 degrees off, and
> > flashed the PCM. My Autolite 3923s are about 15 months old (July
> > 2000). Yes, I'm sure they've been in there too long, though I pulled
> > one last summer and it looked good.
> >
> > At Daktoberfest, Jim Knox thought he heard a misfire when I had it in
> > Neutral and got the revs up.
> >
> > 2 weeks ago, I pulled the TB and gave it a good cleaning. I did look
> > for oil inside the intake manifold, but didn't see a large quantity,
> > just a film, which I understand is normal.
> >
> > So, here's my list of things I'm going to do/replace (hopefully this
> > weekend). What else should I put in here?
> > Cap
> > Rotor
> > Wires
> > Plugs (3923s again)
> > Clean air filter (K&N cone)
> >
> > Would it be worth pulling and cleaning the fuel injectors? What's the
> > procedure for this, and do I need a special socket?
> >
> > I really, really, really do not want to bend over and pay the dealer to
> > look at this. I'm well out of warranty at this point. I want to do as
> > much as I can myself before resorting to a dealer visit. Is it possible
> > that my belly pan gasket is only very slightly leaking, not enough for
> > oil to come in? Valve lifters?
> >
> > --
> > -andy
> > andylevy@yahoo.com
> > Maintainer, DML FAQ - http://www.dakota-truck.net/faq/
> > http://home.twcny.rr.com/andylevy/dakota/
> > '99 CC 4x4 318 auto
>
> --
> -andy
> andylevy@yahoo.com
> Maintainer, DML FAQ - http://www.dakota-truck.net/faq/
> http://home.twcny.rr.com/andylevy/dakota/
> '99 CC 4x4 318 auto
>
>



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