87 L98 missing after upper engine rebuild
Racer
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 460
Likes: 1
From: Oliphant Ontario
Your 87 has headers from the factory which means you can try the squirt bottle test too. Start a cold engine, let it idle long enough that when you squirt water on a header tube it rapidly boils off. Squirt each one, the one that just steams and is easy to keep wet isn't firing.. Only works if it is completely dead on that cylinder but its easier on the nerves than pulling plug wires (which isn't stressful at all until it nails you once 
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 5,356
Likes: 2
From: No HOA, New Hampshire
Cruise-In X Veteran
St. Jude Donor '09
Don't think so as I have checked all vacuum lines.
It may be in the distributor as I had a broken plastic cover on the connector assembly that goes to the ignition module and pickup coil. Superglued it but it cracked again with all the distributor on and off. (I also had it off a tooth or so.) Hope all that it is is a connector but it might have some electronics in it. Will find out after I do these other checks.
Mark
It may be in the distributor as I had a broken plastic cover on the connector assembly that goes to the ignition module and pickup coil. Superglued it but it cracked again with all the distributor on and off. (I also had it off a tooth or so.) Hope all that it is is a connector but it might have some electronics in it. Will find out after I do these other checks.
Mark
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 35
Likes: 0
From: Tennessee
Appreciate the info Sandpiper59. When I first started checking a few months ago I found out what the "HEI" means even using insulated pliers with gloves on. Has made me a bit gunshy on pulling the plug wires again. I don't think I have a completely dead cylinder, actually thing I may still have a valve adjusted too tight but good info to go by.
Really could use some input as to if I adjusted the valves correctly per my earlier description.
When it warms up a bit I'll try some of the suggestions to narrow it down and maybe be able to focus on one cylinder.
Thx.
Really could use some input as to if I adjusted the valves correctly per my earlier description.
When it warms up a bit I'll try some of the suggestions to narrow it down and maybe be able to focus on one cylinder.
Thx.
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 35
Likes: 0
From: Tennessee
C4 Valve Lash Adjustment per Lars
I'm way too long in finishing up this topic but for those interested, I got my 87 L98 running back in March after re-setting the valves twice by the GM manual, then finding Lars Grimsrud's tech paper from 2/7/2001 that discussed why not to do it the way GM says. Took about 45 minutes that time and started up smooth first crank. Title is "How to Adjust Your Chevy Valve Lash" and its a pdf floating around somewhere.
Just wish I had read it sooner...
Just wish I had read it sooner...
Burning Brakes
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 995
Likes: 1
From: Naples Campania
I'm way too long in finishing up this topic but for those interested, I got my 87 L98 running back in March after re-setting the valves twice by the GM manual, then finding Lars Grimsrud's tech paper from 2/7/2001 that discussed why not to do it the way GM says. Took about 45 minutes that time and started up smooth first crank. Title is "How to Adjust Your Chevy Valve Lash" and its a pdf floating around somewhere.
Just wish I had read it sooner...
Just wish I had read it sooner...
It's surprising how often doing the GM thing is doing the WRONG thing.
