Engine misfiring

the lurching under acceleration was a fuel problem, most likely an excessively dirty fuel filter.

the explosions are no doubt related to replacement of the distributor, possibly you have the plug wires crossed somewhere. explosions in the exhaust are caused by unburned fuel in the tail pipes or mufflers, resulting from a cylinder that isn't firing (or in this case, not firing at the right time).

your friend on the DTBB, George

thanks for the quick reply! Im pretty sure i put all the plug wires back to original place since i marked them, it is probably this cause it wasnt like this before messing with it! but its stumping me because i double checked the wires and they all look properly conected?

ABSOLUTELY DONOT!!drive it that way!!! That is exactly the way my car was doing just before it blew up!!! Do exactly what George says or you will be risking your future happinese!!! STOP AND DESIST!!!!

Dougo had exactly the same problem after replacing his breaker point distributor with an MSD ready to run distributor. The engine would run, but not well. Operating the headlights or power windows would kill the motor.

He had wired the new distributor into the car using the same power wire for the coil/distributor as the oem coil had used. The MSD ignition draws significantly more amperage than the oem breaker points. The voltage drop created by the higher current as it flowed through the resistance wire and the ignition switch, left insufficient voltage to operate the new ignition.

I verified this by taking a 10 foot length of 12 gage wire with alligator clips on both ends, ataching one end to the battery positive terminal, and the other end to the proper coil terminal. The car then ran fine, power windows & headlights no longer affected the motor's operation.

The fix was to supply the ignition with battery power sourced from the starter relay, via a relay mounted in the engine bay. The relay was operated by the wire from the oem ignition that Doug had originally used to power his MSD ignition (the oringinal coil power wire).

Your friend on the DTBB, George

I hear ya george! You got one of them 12 foot wires with clips. I appreciate how very specific you are with your posts. It is a matter of eliminating possibe problems. I love to truble shoot. I just hate it when it is my own stuff. With this particular problem==== ok before dist change... bad after= i had a similar problem that was corrected with wide gap plugs MSD will jump .055 easy. Once your plugs get fouled from misfiring they should be replaced. At least then you can eliminate them as being part of the problem. It is easy for me to through your money at the problem

Of the three electronic ignitions that I have used (or am using), none will fire a fouled plug.
In fact the design of Ford Duraspark system will not fire with fouled plugs at all.
When a plug is completely fouled it is completely coated and insulated. Current no longer can find a way to ground itself through the plug and stops flowing. No spark.
I use the Eastwood plug blasted on my compressor. It works pretty well to clean the plug will little hastle.

quote:

ronic ignitions that I have used (or am using), none will fire a fouled plug.
In fact the design of Ford Duraspark system will not fire with fouled plugs at all.
When a plug is completely fouled it is completely coated and insulated. Current no longer can find a way to ground itself through the plug and stops flowing. No spark.
I use the Eastwood plug blasted on my co

I think current flows too good on fouled plugs, upon the surface, and doesn't bother to jump the air gap. fouled plugs are too conductive, not less.
Beware those plug cleaners, one missed piece of SiC media loose in an engine can score a cyllinder like crazy.

The safest thing to do is to change to new plugs.
The plugs do have to be carefully checked for everything before the go bqck in.
I use 80 to 100 psi of air to blow them out and then check for trapped particles.
The more one changes the plugs the more at risk you are.
Carbon is the main component of the contaminant on the fouled plug. If some of the gets loose it will score the walls also, not to mention carbon from the valves of valve seats or oil hardened on the valves from valve sem accumulation.
It's a tough world out there...be careful