Engine misfires

[Carleschultz]

Good day to all, I am now the owner of a 1952 M38. This car has been completly restored but is having an issue with running correctly. I replaced the points and plugs but can not get a smooth running vehicle. It backfires and runs rough, my mechanic is reccomending getting an entire distributor asseembly to try to correct the issue. we have adjusted the fuel air mixture to no avail and advanced and retarded the spark by adjusting the distributor position to no avail. could it be the coil? does anyone have any ideas? any help would be appreciated!

[wesk]

I would start by not jumping from possibility to possibility and settle down into a standard troubleshooting regimen. If you do not yet own a copy of TM 9-8012 then download the free PDF copy from our downloads page
http://www.willysmjeeps.com/v2/modules. ... tit&lid=90

Go to the troubleshooting chapter which begins on page 72, use paragraphs f, g, h & i for starters. Understanding the mechanics of performing certain tests required in these troubleshooting charts may be difficult if you have never done them. This would indicate a need to seek help locally with following the procedures in the manual.

The bottom line is that "Shotgunning a problem" (this term means following no sensible regimen or order ) results in throwing a lot of hard earned money at a problem by just swapping randomly selected parts for replacement without thoroughly testing the vehicle to determine first which parts are needing repair, adjustment or replacement.

Also it is a great help to establish up front the circumstances that brought you to this point and problem. IE was the engine running well at some point in the recent past? Was anything done recently to effect this performance change? When did this problem first appear. Under what conditions does it appear. What affect if any is achieved by changing any of the operating conditions.

Advice can be helpful or not helpful and still be offered in good faith. IE a member tells you that his jeep backfired and installing new points and condenser fixed it. Another tells you his jeep backfired and overhauling the carb fixed it. Another tells you his jeep backfired and adjusting his valves fixed it. Still another tells you his jeep backfired and replacing a defected carb base gasket fixed it. If you follow each of the above recommendations you will spend a lot of money and time and may still have a jeep that backfires. This is why as a professional mechanic I can tell you from 50 years of experience that first you troubleshoot and test. Then you only adjust and or repair the items that the tests indicated needed adjusting or repair.

[artificer]

I'm with Wes on this one.

It backfires and runs rough, my mechanic is reccomending getting an entire distributor asseembly to try to correct the issue.

I would be looking for another mechanic as well because what your current guy is suggesting is not what a real mechanic would recommend.