ASK RAY

DAUNTING DODGE PART 3

Q: I enjoyed your diagnosis of the Dodge with timing problems ( HMM #211). I have a question about your assessment, not as a critique of you, but to improve my inner mechanic (and someday get my Ford 460 CJ running correctly).

In “Daunting Dodge,” the owner had an erratic timing mark on his 318, and I agreed with your assessment that its almost always a stretched timing chain or distributor-related problem.

But he came back later and said it was actually the ground for the distributor. Okay, interesting.

This is where I derive my question: You said you thought with this result that he was also running lean on the same two problematic cylinders (#1 and #6). How did you determine that he was running lean, and furthermore, why recommend he tighten down his intake around those cylinders? What is your connection between running lean and some type of electrical connection not functioning correctly?

I greatly appreciate and insight you