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4.3gl frustrating ignition problem! Driving me mad!!!!!!

Sicobra

New member
I am really hoping someone can help me as I am pulling my hair out over this problem. I have a 4.3GL Volvo Penta engine with the EST style distributor in my sports cruiser and despite replacing the plugs, leads, distributor cap and rotor all the usual service items I have an issue with intermittent missfires on plug leads number 1 and 3. I have found this while using my timing light, it fires the light consistently and evenly on all plug leads apart from these two, the timing light flash is sometimes regular but often irregular on these leads only!!!).
I found a surprising amount of build up on all the plug contacts inside the new distributor after about 20 hours running and I am also surprised at how big the gap is from the rotor arm tip to the internal cap contacts(what should the be? They are about 3mm on mine!)
Can anyone tell me what I am missing or doing wrong? Could it be a problem with the ignition module inside the distributor? I am getting very frustrated with this problem as the engine starts great, runs OK except for this annoying slight missfire which is stopping it run as smoothly as it should.
Please, please, please put me out of my misery!!!!!!!! Cheers, Simon
 
Maybe it is not an ignition problem ?---------------Does a compression test show anything ??--------Blown head gasket putting water in those 2 cylinders ?
 
Guys, thanks for all the advice, it has been a great help and we have now through trial and error managed to sort the problem and it was all down to faulty spark plugs! I can't believe it after all the messing about, we had tried more new plugs in the first place and it made no difference, a friend mentioned he had access to a professional plug tester and took all twelve newly purchased plugs away for testing, result, 8 were bad!!!!!! Took them to our supplier who made a call and once the batch cross reference had been made to his supplier it seems that he had been missed out from a recall from the manufacturer for a batch of faulty plugs and I got them, he had over 100 sitting in his stores which have now all been returned. I may have been the victim of this situation but at least I know that no one else will be put in the same situation. Thanks again for the advice, cheers, Si
 
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