My mates 2.0 pinto was driving fine on the motorway then started to miss a bit and lose power gradually until the point the juddering was worse and wouldnt go above 20mph and worse with more throttle. Then stopped altogether. Webber Dgav carb spits fuel up and out the primary choke now and then if turning the engine over. Took the plugs and and found 2 wet plugs with compression and 2 dry with no compression. Am I right in guessing the timing belt may have slipped?

head gasket failure between 2 cylinders?

[Edited on 13/2/10 by mookaloid]

nip up the head and see is its ok
or sniff test it.

Cam rocker ? come loose or snapped

quote:

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Originally posted by mookaloid
head gasket failure between 2 cylinders?

[Edited on 13/2/10 by mookaloid]

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quote:

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Originally posted by thunderace
nip up the head and see is its ok
or sniff test it.

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ok head gasket failure between 1 & 2 pots..

quote:

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Originally posted by mookaloid
ok head gasket failure between 1 & 2 pots..

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Well it's hard to be 100% definite, but that's exactly what happened to mine with the symptoms you describe.

I guess you could take the plugs out and pour some light oil down no 1 plug hole. then turn the engine by hand a few times to see if any of the oil gets into no 2 clyinder - check with tissue paper down the plug hole.

You could check all the cam timing before taking the head off and inspect the cam shaft for damage too.

if the above are ok I'd put my 50p on it being the head gasket

good luck!

Cheers

Mark

Zetec transplant??

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Originally posted by coozer
Zetec transplant??

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has the head been converted to unleaded with new valve inserts?

i had a pinto head crack under one causing loss of compression

ps another vote for zetec conversion

I'm with the headgasket gang. Sounds favourite to me.

You could do a sort of modified leakdown test. Remove plugs. Blow air into cylinder 1 with its valves closed. Listen/feel for where it's escaping. Might hear it escaping into crankcase (holed piston, broken rings) manifolds (valve/seat damage) number 2 cylinder (head gasket failure). Or just bite the bullet and change the head gasket. After all the heads comming of anyhow!