The Father-In-Law has a '94 Chevy pickup with 111,000 miles on it. Recently it began running a bit rough, and we put some alcohol in the gas, in case the problem was caused by water in the tank. The missing only got worse, so I knew it was time for a tuneup. I have changed his plugs a few times, but never had changed his distributor cap and rotor. While I was in the local parts store, I also bought new plug wires.
Click on the distributor cap to see just how gnarly it was. The new parts have it running like a new car again. You can work on your own car and save $$$$! The hardest part of this job for the novice is hooking up the plug wires to the distributor cap in the correct order. Draw a diagram before you pull the old ones, or note which electrode is Number 1, and know your firing order. Piece of cake!
Click on the Under The Car label to see more service jobs you can do at home.
Work on your own car and save money?
ReplyDeleteAhh. . unless you traded instrument flight instruction for an old MG.
When the clutch plate went out, we had to pull the whole transmission to get at it. Oh joy.
I think the flight student got the better deal in that trade.
That first clutch is a learning experience. A cement floor, jacks, and a good tool chest really help. I once had to change a clutch on an old International truck parked on the shoulder of a highway. I got it done, but looking back on it, I think that is where I got my hiatal hernia. I named that truck Nightmare Alice.
ReplyDeleteI usually just swap one wire out for a new one,,onto the new cap.
ReplyDeleteOld cars and trucks- a '70 Nova 6 and tranny into the shell of a '38 Chevy pick-up.
That Nova engine will run forever; Chevy 6's are great. Chevy V-8 distributors are a pain to reach back there at the dashboard, so I made the leap to ripping off all the wires. I stay bent in the middle for less time, and there is some shock value for spectators, which can be a lot of fun. Fords number the cylinders differently, and I have to be more cautious, since I am not as fluent in Ford distributors.
ReplyDelete