Hey guys,
I apologize for the length of this post but I figure the more detail, the more helpful you guys will be.
Came home for spring break and changed the valve cover gasket on my 91 XR2 (my sister's been driving it, but it was having what I read to be the "symptoms": oil getting into the spark plug wells (topside) and then hesitation and running rough, occasionally).
Gasket replacement was a breeze, everything came off and went together perfectly. Then, when I went to start it, the following occurred:
1) Tried to start the car, cranked for two seconds, then realized I had left the coil-to-distributor wire off, so went and attached that.
2) When I tried to start it again, it quickly backfired (or something... it made a backfire-esque noise). I stopped, obviously startled.
3) Next, it would crank and crank but never catch. I was getting smoke rising from somewhere around the engine (hard to pinpoint).
4) After letting it sit overnight, today I went out and after a series of crankings, it caught and ran. It was idling at the usual RPM, but it was (I think) missing. It basically sounded "like a tractor" as my sister said. My guess is missing on a cylinder.
5) After taking the plugs out to check them (1 and 2 were fouled), and cleaning them, I reassembled everything and I'm having no change. Still cranks and won't catch (I have been unable to reproduce the idling of earlier today). I'm still getting mysterious smoke wafting up from somewhere inside the engine compartment. It's not anything thick, just wisps.
Any help would be so very appreciated. I'm stumped as to where to go from here.
Also, if you need any more info or clarification I'll be happy to provide.
Thank you so much!
Scott
