I'm getting ready to swap out a 12a and put it in an 84 GS ... before I do this I want to make sure I target some problems so I can fix them while the engine is out of the car.

So I have a few concerns and wanted to know what you guys think...

First off I was having some overheating problems with this 12a.. found out the radiator was plugged and a few other things.... I didn't drive it more than 5 minutes once it started overheating but after I flushed the coolant and put in a new thermostat it wouldn't start. It would turn over barely.. kinda clunky and the starter seemed labored.

I changed the wires, cap, rotor and plugs still wouldn't start.. got it push started and seemed to run kinda rough but it was idling on its own.. started overheating again in idle even though it seemed coolant was moving through. After I turned it off I went through a check and noticed a couple things:

1. The air filter had become very dirty in a very short time.
2. When I checked the oil it smelled a little too much like fuel, when I looked down the cap, a white buildup was growing from the cap and down the tube where you pour down the oil.
3. When I pulled out a plug to test the spark.. there was wet oil on it.


I'm kinda new to all this and I was hoping someone would be able to give me some clues on where to start to troubleshoot this.

Thanks ahead of time for anything you all have to say about this.

 

btw the oil itself is not milky... just buildup at the top where the cap is. Forgot to say that....