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Old 10-19-2014, 11:44 PM   #1
Ian Curtis
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Default A 3 cylinder adventure

Hi All,

I recently went on a 100 mileday trip from Snohomish WA to Camas Beach State Park. Enroute, I noticed that my truck seemed underpowered, with a top speed of 43 mph on level ground if the speed detector signs are to be believed (speed-o-meter was in that range too). With rapidly fading daylight, I did a quick check, noticed nothing obviously wrong and headed home on the highway, where traffic was doing 45 so I wasn't too much of a drag.

A few days later, I started it and could here a sharp occasional "tick". I pulled open the hood, and noticed something VERY obviously wrong... the spark wire on #2 was gone! I guess the vibration cracked it at the base of the spark plug, because the part with a hole in it was still on the spark plug.

After replacing the spark wire (thanks to a local club member with a spare!), I let it run for a a minute while I grabbed my camera to take a video, and when I came back out the noise was gone. Went for a short drive & my power is back and the noise stayed gone, so it may have been this way the entire drive. Other than the very obvious damage to my ego, is there any potential engine damage by missing on one cylinder for a hundred miles?
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Old 10-20-2014, 12:11 AM   #2
Mike V. Florida
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Default Re: A 3 cylinder adventure

As the compressors ran for thousands of hours with only 2 cylinders, i would say no.
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Old 10-20-2014, 02:23 AM   #3
pooch
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Default Re: A 3 cylinder adventure

Maybe a slight fuel wash on the cylinder wall, thru unburnt fuel going up and down with piston, and maybe a little oil dilution, but prob nothing to worry about.

Change your oil and happy motoring.
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Old 10-20-2014, 05:09 AM   #4
John Kuhnast
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Default Re: A 3 cylinder adventure

What is the effect on the exhaust with the unburned fuel running through the engine?
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Old 10-20-2014, 05:38 AM   #5
Mitch//pa
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Default Re: A 3 cylinder adventure

definetly change the oil as pooch said.
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Old 10-20-2014, 09:53 AM   #6
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Default Re: A 3 cylinder adventure

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Quote:
Originally Posted by John Kuhnast View Post
What is the effect on the exhaust with the unburned fuel running through the engine?
You'll probably fail a smog test.
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Old 10-20-2014, 10:09 AM   #7
tbirdtbird
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Default Re: A 3 cylinder adventure

usually a 4-lunger running on 3 cyls shakes so bad as to knock your teeth out....
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Old 10-20-2014, 12:54 PM   #8
Tom Wesenberg
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Default Re: A 3 cylinder adventure

I've driven V8's that are hard to tell when you loose one cylinder, but as Tbird said, on a 4 it should be very noticable. Also with the missing plug wire, the spark had no where to go, so the coil worked extra hard building up higher voltage to try to make it jump to the closest ground. Hope the coil or distributor didn't develope a short due to the missing plug wire.
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