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MG MGA - suddenly missing.....

I've suddenly stopped firing on the second cylinder. I've checked plugs and distributor but all seems Ok. What next please? (The only recent job was adjusting the tappets)

Nigel Munford

Hi Nigel. You should likely check the valve adjustment on the bad cylinder before doing anything else, just to be sure that is not causing difficulty. Then: The distributor cap could be cracked, or it could have a carbon track inside, either of which could likely cause the plug not to fire. You could also have a bad ignition cable feeding the non firing spark plug. Additionally, you could have a bad spark plug. It is amazing how often a spark plug will look good, but actually be defective. My personal recommendation is to buy 4 new spark plugs, and install them before continuing. (this is inexpensive.) If this does not cure the problem, then replace the one spark plug cable. If that does not work, then change the distributor cap. The problem will NOT be in the distributor, since the other 3 plugs are (presumably) firing OK. Cheers, Glenn
Glenn

If you know its 2 that's not firing, take a good plug e.g. from no 1 and swap them over. If the leads will reach swap them too.

It could be a head gasket - I had mine fail between 3 and 4 and the symptoms were the same as missing. Try a compression test.
Dan Smithers

Nigel

If you have plug leads with a carbon type core, remove the offending No 2 lead and check for a burnt looking end(s) especially where gripped by a screw at distributor.

If looking shot, trim end and stick say an inch of copper wire (strand out of a bit of mains cable) up into the end to give the screw something to grip on. They were designed for copper wire not that carbon stuff anyway. It won't happen again and do the rest while you are at it.

That's what mine did anyway.

Pete
Pete Tipping

Thanks all.
I took the plug out, attached to the cable and started up,to see if it would spark, and got a face full of water from the plug hole.
Head gasket has gone. Oh well....
Nigel Munford

Sorry Nigel, but I laughed out loud when I imagined how it looked. On the bright side of it; now you can properly decoke the head.
Willem van der Veer

This thread was discussed between 09/09/2006 and 11/09/2006

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