Bad Miss!!!!

[Racer #42]

I run a malibu and i am havin bad missin problems. New autolite 26 plugs, new plug wires, and new dist. Its also running hot. Need help plz. It has a new yellow top battery... ?????

[LowTechRacing]

I run a malibu and i am havin bad missin problems. New autolite 26 plugs, new plug wires, and new dist. Its also running hot. Need help plz. It has a new yellow top battery... ?????

What kind of timing do ou have in your engine? What do your plugs look like when you come off the track?

[dirtcarracer]

maybe you could also try getting a different type of plug, i used to use autolites and my motor would miss, and i changed to ngk racing spark plugs and it fixed the miss. hope this helps if you try it. good luck.

[Chaps46]

maybe you could also try getting a different type of plug, i used to use autolites and my motor would miss, and i changed to ngk racing spark plugs and it fixed the miss. hope this helps if you try it. good luck.

I have had the opposite problem. I'd run the NGK's about two night and then have a miss upon start up the next day. Went through 4 sets before I switch to Autolites and haven't had a problem. Running AR135's.

[Racer #42]

Man when i come off the track i turned it off and pushed it to the trailer and pulled 2 plugs on each side and they all look good i guess. They had a grey look to them. Not burnt. One did have alittle oil on it. I mean very little. And we run my timing on 35 with the dist. locked down.

[dirtcarracer]

Man when i come off the track i turned it off and pushed it to the trailer and pulled 2 plugs on each side and they all look good i guess. They had a grey look to them. Not burnt. One did have alittle oil on it. I mean very little. And we run my timing on 35 with the dist. locked down.

you can also try to mess with the timing also, i mean you never know. or the ignistion. good luck

[anthonycacace]

Are you sure it is in the ignition? Do you know the fuel pressure and can verify no issues there?

Is this a new build or did you simply tune up an old engine that starting misbehaving after? Was this tune after sitting all winter and upon first start up?

The new distributor, was it new used or new new? A module can cause this sometimes.

The hot condition in combo with a miss leads one to believe the engine is lean, but a lack of white (although can be gray) on the plugs negates this some. Do a Google search for spark plug color chart and this will give you a starting point for how to read the engine conditions indicated by the plugs.

[Racer #42]

Are you sure it is in the ignition? Do you know the fuel pressure and can verify no issues there?

Is this a new build or did you simply tune up an old engine that starting misbehaving after? Was this tune after sitting all winter and upon first start up?

The new distributor, was it new used or new new? A module can cause this sometimes.

The hot condition in combo with a miss leads one to believe the engine is lean, but a lack of white (although can be gray) on the plugs negates this some. Do a Google search for spark plug color chart and this will give you a starting point for how to read the engine conditions indicated by the plugs.


This is a brand new motor from intake to oil pan. However the motor that was in it before this motor also had a miss to it, but with the new motor its worse. So the car has ALWAYS had a miss to it we just switched motors and it got worse. So im thinkin its in the wiring on the car, but i dont know. Yes sir its a new new dist. I did re use the fuel pump, but it was new this year. And it was the stock fuel pump from oreillys. Im was running 83 jets and a guy told me to put 78 in it and all i had was 77 so i put them in it now and aint started it up yet. In the process of putting a new radiator on it.

[Chaps46]

I'm assuming you are running and HEI? Make sure you are running atleast a 10 guage wire from your battery to the switch and into the distributor. If it is old wiring make sure you don't have power wire grounding out. Just chased down that problem in my car. Found the power wire from the solenoid to the switch passed through the firewall and was pinched between the sheet metal and the bar. It was not cut bad but was definitely grounding out intermittently.

[Rottys1]

Had this same issue a few years back ended up removing the memory tach problem solved. The tach was shorting distributor and would burn through #3/5 cylinder walls if not caught soon enough it will blow the head gasket. Too bad it took 3 motors to figure out.

[247malibu]

Have you got a vacumn leak, ?Have you used a vacumn gage on it & watched the needle ? What kind of adapter do you use ? Any air leaks around the adapter ? Have you tried another dist just to eliminate that or carb ? Also try NOT running the tach one race,,pull the tach plug loose from dist & try a race without the tach & see if it still misses.

[wristpin]

remove the tach wire. Seen it alot.

[anthonycacace]

I would definitely check the simple stuff mentioned and those items effecting both engines first: dist power wire size, look for it grounding out, remove the tach wire (never heard of that but I can see it as a cause of shorting out the HEI module), carb float level and other carb adjustments/checks (air valve, make sure the accelerator pump does not have any tears in the rubber, etc).

Had a similar problem when running a Q-Jet and tried many adjustments to no avail. It never had an end of straightaway miss, but the only way to get the car out of the turn without missing was to ease on the gas and wait for the car to settle before matting it. However, putting on a Holley center hung float carb solved the issue.

GOOD LUCK and hopefully someone gave you the right answer or at least lead you in the right direction. I find the best thing to do is use the KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid) method anytime in dealing with technology. Sometimes the simplest thing (EG the tach wire) can bring it all to a halt.