How to check if all 8 cylinders are firing
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How to check if all 8 cylinders are firing
I've been reading a lot lately where folks say that a engine could be running on 7 cylinders, and to check if all cylinders are firing.
Pardon my lack of knowledge here but just how do you check that?
I think checking the plug wires is one part, what else needs to be done to manually check?
Pardon my lack of knowledge here but just how do you check that?
I think checking the plug wires is one part, what else needs to be done to manually check?
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It's pretty easy, really. While the engine is running, pull injector clips one at a time and listen to see if the engine starts running differently. when you pull one and the engine is unaffected, you've found the cylinder that's not firing.
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I've seen a few occasions where an engine has sat for a while (like when waiting on parts, or a new short/long block), and when it's finally fired up again, one or more of the injectors is stuck closed from having sat a while. Pulling the clips as outlined above will isolate the stuck injector(s), and a soft tap with a hand tool is all it took to free them up. Big cams with a lot of lope can mask a non-firing cylinder, especially when newly installed and the owner/operator isn't familiar with the engine's good-running sound.