tonight I was out trying to figure out if my carb is fucked up or if my vacuum advance on my distributor isn't working correctly, and at the top of third gear (6500-7500 rpm) and when I shifted into 4th gear, the 7 made a racket that i've never heard before. I am having troubles accelerating hard through gears 1-2-3, and third spinning on the output shaft, so i'm thinking it's the tranny, but take a listen. the final accelerating run when i catch the sound on camera (took me about 8 tries on the highway) starts at 1:40, and the sound hits at 2:00. When the sound starts, i'm at 6k in thrid gear (as you can hear in the video, my camera makes anyone sound like a damn alien). I know it isn't the shift buzzer, because that is almost un-noticable in my car.

http://media.putfile.com/MOV000043826

 

bump

 

"Right there!!! What the hell is that?!?!?!?!?" lol, it sounds good up until that strange noise. I have no clue what it is so.... Bump.

 

That was a lot of video

Haven't the foggiest what that sound was

 

Not sure, but it's very sick sounding. Also sounds like you've got some exhaust rattling. I would check your timing with the advance connected.

 

Almost sounded like really bad detonation. Hard to tell though, since there was so much other racket on the audio track. Definately get a timing light and check the timing at idle and at 4000 RPM. (Full advance is at 4k)

 

i agree with moses detonation check timing

 

hmmm, doesnt really sound like detonation. i know all too well what that sounds like... but it could be spark related. sounds like it's just cutting out under that load. weird.

 

i'll pull my plugs when i get out to my parents house and clean them with some carb cleaner. I don't think my timing is getting advanced at all because my car falls on its face at about 5k rpm.

EDIT: i'm just going to clean my plugs because no one around here carries stock NGK plugs, everywhere is special order, plus the plugs only have like 500 miles on them.

 

i thought detonation was supposed to sound like a hammer hitting metal. and what is stock timing at full advance? (i'll look in my haynes manual to see if i can find it)

 

i think stock full advance is 20 degrees at 4,000rpms. the "hammer hitting metal" sound is spark knock. that would be too much advance. your situtation doesn't sound like that. it just sounds like you aren't getting spark at all hardly. could be an ignitor, coil, shitty cap, rotor, etc...

 

well, i was out at the 'rents house (no hand tools at my house), and i started checking for spark. pulled the leading plug on rotor 1, electricuted the **** out of myself, and got really good spark. i have 3 pops, so all my seals are in tact. pulled the leading on rotor 2, and check out the insulation around the electrode. it's all busted up and loose. needless to say, i ripped off all the arcing points (not sure what they're really called), filed down the rough spots, and got all the loose ceramic out of there before it got loose inside my engine and wreaked havoc. on my way back to my house, she didn't run any different than before, so i may have been running only trailing spark the entire time i've owned the car. stopped at Murray's and ordered 5 BR8EQ14's, one for the shitty one and 4 for down the road. $5.99 apiece, i was shocked! they will be in tomorrow morning at 9am. i'll update after I get the new plug in and get some freeway runs in to see if that makes a difference.

 

Better take the time to verify your timing.

 

i bummed my parents timing light, and i'll prolly head over to my "work area" (local, well-lit high school parking lot) and do it tonight with one of my buddies. do i hook the lead to the leading or trailing plug? i replaced the one plug, and the problem has diminished, but isn't completely gone. it may be where the stock drain plug is missing in my drivers footwell, the wind coming in through there and making an awful sound (i plugged this hole with my foot on the highway when the sound started, and it seemed to go away.

 

Timing light goes on the front lower plug to check your leading, and the rear lower to check your trailing.