SUnny frickin beaches batman - trouble has reared it's ugly head!

Whale, sorry for your continued issues.
Remember, 1-5-3-6-2-4

Advanced is rotating the distributor body counter-clockwise, and it sounds like it may be retarded. I'd also check that plastic gear, but BEFORE you do, locate one in the area. With your luck, it will break during removal!

STANDARD MOTOR PRODUCTS DG11, Dorman 90450, Rock Auto has 'em for under 5 bucks, so the parts store should be under 10.


if you want to read a bunch of /6 guys arguing about how to install!

http://www.forabodiesonly.com/mopar/threads/slant-six-distributor-drive-gear.116798/



As far as the marks and lack of them, it's probably not worthwhile at this point to get a TDC tool and mark it yourself, but just get it running well again for a home-bound trip. I suggest reading an old post of mine...
https://vintage-vans.forumotion.com/t30603-tuning-an-engine-with-a-vacuum-gauge
This should do a couple things: get it running as well as possible and check the basic health of the engine.

I agree that it's tough to work on a /6 with the doghouse in place. It seems that almost everything you need to work on is hard to reach. It really is worth the effort to pull that passenger side. GOOD LUCK!

Some of you may not be aware, but this is not a stock engine...
.060 pistons, deck shaved a couple thousands, head shaved a couple thousands, head ported and polished, ISKY cam, MSD6AL electronic ignition, and whatever else I put into it at the time! Can't remember it all... I know I have the specs written down somewhere, I just forgot where!!! LOL - I have a 727 auto with a shift kit in it along with a 3.55 rear end behind that... it giddeeup and go's when I want it to... OR AT LEAST UNTIL THE OTHER DAY IT DID!!! For years and years too!!! Dammit!!!

lol

It may not have anything to do with it, but when you mentioned carwash it reminded me of a time gotavan and I had to help a guy push his hotrod out of a drivethru lane at Tim Hortons on our way to Bakers. He also was running that MSD ignition system and had just exited a carwash . I don't know anything about them ..yet,  but it was a moisture problem in the control box, I think that's what he said anyway. Believe his cure was a hair dryer after he got it home as it had happened before..

The box itself is inside the van. I bolted it to the back of the doghouse - inside the van - to keep it away from the heat and wet of the world. The only thing I think it could be is some of the wiring that hangs underneath may have gotten wet. I checked all of it and wiped it all down with paper towels trying to find obvious spots that would be wet or got seperated by the hose, but do not see anything.

Right now, I installed new spark plug wires and a new fuel filter along with a bottle of gas dryer in the tank. I could not fire it up to see if that has done anything because of where I am. The noise would bother the neighbors. Still have a couple of hours to wait for everyone to wake up and start getting out and about before I can go test it...

So, I fired it up and no change.
I grabbed my compression tester and hooked it into #6 - nothing...
Took it and put it into #5 - nothing...

WTF???

Well, #5 and #6 are showing 20 pounds and the 4-3-2 are showing 100 and #1 is showing 115 pounds...

With two of them side by side, I am thinking head gasket...
THere is no outward signs though - no water in oil or oil in water and I never saw anything out the tailpipe either!

It is probably just weird ass timing that it happened after I cleaned the bottom of the rig - and it had nothing to do with it at all!

Which means, that as usual - my timing sucks!!! LOL

So far the best I can hope for is to get towed for $65 - then dropped off at the guys shop that works on classic stuff - and wait for him to get to it - and he charges $110 an hour! I have to leave my home away from home with him. He says his place is fenced and alarmed so there is nothing to worry about, but still! At those prices I told him that one day of his work would cost me all my income for over a month!

Looks like I will be trying to do it myself now - probably in my sisters garage too!
Unless her friend that owns a landscaping business has room for me to park over at her place and work on it...

I need to put together a list of gaskets and crap I need to get at the local autoparts store now too...

This is gonna hurt way more than one way I tell ya!!!

Anybody close enough to Orange CA that I could get towed to and camp out while I work on this thing? LOL

I just realized a little bit ago that I do not have my torque wrench with me - so I would have to borrow/rent one to do this...

Might even end up just cleaning my sisters garage to make enough room for her to park her car in here next to the van while I work on it here!

Hey Dan,,,,,,let me put up a Help Wanted sign for you,,,,,,,

LOL!!!!

THANKS!!!

I had a problem once... If it wasn't for Donivan I would never had found it.The van ran fine at idle as soon as I gave it gas missing like crazy.... It turned out the distributor lost ground at the advanced plate.....I would check there all i did was clean contact points and bingo... But I always said if it wasn't for Donivan I would have been stumped for a life time....

Well, it's all back together and running well and I am getting ready to head back north! Thanks for the help Donivan and others!!!

Anyone up I5 through southern CA hit me up if you wanna say howdy on my way through your neighborhood!!!

Later,
Dan