Constant missing, advice?

[Gwywnc]

I have a 1984 subaru gl, it has been missing since I bought it. It is only missing on one cylinder. I have replaced the plugs and wires and the distributor cap and the one cylinder still has a mis. The plug is getting spark. I can't figure out what else could be wrong. Anymore have any advise? Thanks

[brat82]

Have you done a compression check? Adjust your valves/check valve clearance?

[Gwywnc]

I haven't done any of that, is there a way to check the compression at home without a tester? And it says not to adjust the valves

[JuhaKankkunen]

Check valves. Did you check if you have motor oil level descend?

[JuhaKankkunen]

Because what happened to me last year was that i had a ring problem so there where some oil consumption and the spark get wrong so it produced the missing cilinder. So i rering, did heads gasket and now its running like a brand new engine!

[brat82]

Not to adjust because you have hydraulic lifters?  Do you know which cyl. isn't firing?  Pull one spark plug wire at a time with engine running and see which one DOESN'T change engine operation, thats the dead one. Then you can check the valve adjustment of that cyl.  If you are dealing with hyd.lifters, just remember how many turns you back off adjuster, so you can put it back in that position if thats not the problem.  

 

Compression test would show you all cyls. in relation to each other, psi. If you found a dead cyl. with comp. guage, you could then back off adjuster, and check compression again and if it came up(psi), the valve/s on that cyl. were open, no compression. Then you just need to readjust lifter. You could check what the lifters are set at, by checking the one next to the dead one, when it's in firing position(where rotor is pointing in dist. cap etc.)