this maybe related to my earlier post on dieing and restarting.

 

okay, i've been out messing with my 84 wagon about half the day, to recap i've put new plugs,wires,cap,rotor,coil,all filters, and fuel pump. also did compression test-pretty good (1-165,2-160,3-160,4-155) and the firing order is correct, checked several times to make sure. been getting 17-20 mpg, idles rough, so did some checking the passenger side cylinders (1&3) fire, drivers cylinders (2&4) don't fire, but they have spark. put old plugs, wires,cap and rotor back on same thing, you pull the wires off the spark plugs for the drivers side while running nothing happens still idles rough, pull one off the passenger side dies.

 

so i'm thinking its a distributor problem.

 

what does the subaru community out there think??????????

Bad distributor cap,rotor,ignition wires; startthere.

Bad distributor cap,rotor,ignition wires; startthere.

i have already put new on and put the old back no change from new to old or back again.

Bump!!!!!!!!!

Sounds stupid, but usually things like this are the simplest little thing, not the big expensive thing. Start with a logical system. Try to isolate exactly which plugs are getting spark and which are not. Check, even if you think you have, that each plug wire is going to the correct point on the cap and to the right cylinder. Take a good hard look at the cap and rotor, real close. Pull individual plugs and take a look at them for abnormalities.

 

I would think the key is isolating which cylinders are firing and which are not by process of elimination. You need spark, air, fuel, timing, compression on each cylinder to fire properly. Check each cylinder systematically for each of these elements.

 

Not trying to sound too basic, but I have found over time it is usually the little things that get overlooked, not the complex things.

Both P side cyls fire properly, and neither d side?

 

hmm...

sorry, should have read your initial post more thoroughly before replying.

 

If you are getting spark to all cylinders but not firing on two, it has to be a fuel issue. If the d side plugs are sparking nice and white-blue spark, I would think it is not dist related. Fuel? Timing?

here is a way to check your plugs, wires, cap, coil. start that the disty, check to see if there is spark coming form the cap to the wire, on each cylender by pulling the wire and then start the car so you don't get shocked to ************ trying to pull the wire while the car is running. if there is no spark between the cap an wire, try a differnt cap or check for any damage on the rotor or cap on the inside. do this to all cyclenders and the the way to the plug. hope you can understand what i'm explaing.

exactly, when you say the cylinders that are not firing have spark, where? is there spark at the plug if you pull it and ground it?

Vucuum leak in the manifold closest to the cylinders not fireing. When you pull the wire on those cylinders, the engine doesn't change pitch because the vacuum leak is affecting them the most. Explains your rough idle too. Spray around with WD40 to look for a leak.

 

GD