Lost cylinder

[RIVIERA]

"HELP"
At the last BBQ, did any body happen to find a cylinder in the car park, if you did it belongs to me I lost it and had to drive home with only SEVEN as the car only has 281 ci's I have lost about 35ci's. Any help in finding the missing 35 ci's would be greaty appreciated.
John

[68PONY]

Maybe you should go back there and put up some lost cylinder sighns with a reward for anyone finding it.
sorry i could not resist.

[RIVIERA]

Thank Chris, and I know I am leaving myself wide open here but I am having trouble in describing what they should be looking for,

[65pony]

how did you lose a cylinder?? I'm having some trouble trying to picture it...

No need to worry though, if we drop one more you will be able to have a good size engine!! :gotya:

[joe74ta]

how did you lose a cylinder?? I'm having some trouble trying to picture it...

No need to worry though, if we drop one more you will be able to have a good size engine!! :gotya:

Hey Joel if you get your bum down there and find it you will be one step closer to that V8:rol:

[Muzzy 66]

John I beleive there is to be a Referendum in 2011 on old blokes having engine capacity well beyond there requirments,so just think your ahead of the ball game.:golf:

[sms777]

John.
Let's calm down a little, this is your doctor here.
Obviously you have already had a cold drink and some sedatives so let's analize the situation here.
Lift your hood carefully without straining a muscle or two. Those Buick hood hinges can be very tight, so be easy.
Now. Look for your distributor. It will have nine, i repeat nine, ignition leads coming out of a big black round cap. Now you will be thinking i only have eight cylinders(originally). The one in the middle is for the coil, you dummy! So... carefully trace each ignition leads to the end till you find a spark plug. Now... if there is a spark plug missing at the end of one of these leads you have lost a cylinder. Now you have a problem. If all spark plugs are intact then carefully undo every one of them, be sure to place them in order of removal. If you have to draw a little map so you know where you took it out of do it now.
Now. Look at the coulor of the tips and see if any of them different to the others. They all should be dry and light brown colour. If you see one that is black and wet looking you have find your cylinder that is not firing and gone missing. Replace it with a new matching plug and fire it up to see if it works. If not then it could be more complicated.
This where i come into the picture.
Good luck

[Steve]

If you cant find your cylinder i have a chev 305 block here that you can cut one out of to replace yours !

[RIVIERA]

John.
Let's calm down a little, this is your doctor here.
Obviously you have already had a cold drink and some sedatives so let's analize the situation here.
Lift your hood carefully without straining a muscle or two. Those Buick hood hinges can be very tight, so be easy.
Now. Look for your distributor. It will have nine, i repeat nine, ignition leads coming out of a big black round cap. Now you will be thinking i only have eight cylinders(originally). The one in the middle is for the coil, you dummy! So... carefully trace each ignition leads to the end till you find a spark plug. Now... if there is a spark plug missing at the end of one of these leads you have lost a cylinder. Now you have a problem. If all spark plugs are intact then carefully undo every one of them, be sure to place them in order of removal. If you have to draw a little map so you know where you took it out of do it now.
Now. Look at the coulor of the tips and see if any of them different to the others. They all should be dry and light brown colour. If you see one that is black and wet looking you have find your cylinder that is not firing and gone missing. Replace it with a new matching plug and fire it up to see if it works. If not then it could be more complicated.
This where i come into the picture.
Good luck

[RIVIERA]

Thanks for your assistance SMS777 but unfortunatly it is not the Buick, it's the Mustang, 2 coil packs and fuel injection and it has Platnum Plugs (what ever that means) and the top of the engine is a mass of pipes and wires. It is booked into the emergency Dept of the local Ford hospital next week for exporitory surgery and they are hopefull that they can find the missing cylinder. I am quite impressed that she was able to get home under her own power unlike some other GM patients that required an car ambulance to transport them home.

John