Hi guys. I just changed the o ring on the distributor and pulled apart the rear tappet cover to resolve a leaking gasket. I started it up and it is missing pretty badly, down 1 cylinder at least. Want to make sure there is no way of putting the dissy in the wrong way, it seemed to slip in ok when I put some oil on the o ring. All plug leads are seating correctly and I have been over my work and everything is connected as it should be.

It shouldn't be possible to put the dizzy in 180° out but if things are worn quite badly it could be possible as the drive offset isn't huge. I know you've checked your connections but most likely is swapped HT leads, very easy to do. Also check that none of the spark tubes is filling with oil, if you haven't already you might need to replace the spark tube seal caps. The HT leads can sometimes be a bit of a bitch to seat down properly on the plugs, you need to give them a really good shove to pop them fully down. There have been instances of folks crimping one of the injector leads under the plenum when it's gone back on, also very easy to do as there isn't much slack. I'm sure you've already done this but I'd go over every connection to make sure it's properly fitted and triple-check your firing order. You must have removed the plenum to get to the rear cover, make sure all vac lines are tightly connected and not leaking.

Thanks for your quick reply. I was thinking if it was 180 out it should be backfiring. I did not remove the leads from the distributor cap to make it easy for me on assembly. Good point about the injector leads, I will have a look over in the morning. I changed the rear spark plug seals with the gasket. The cap surely can only go on one way?

The cap only goes on one way, and the end of the dizzy shaft has an offset flange that locates with a slot in the end of the camshaft. The offset is not very pronounced, so if the slot is worn it can be put in incorrectly (though I wouldn't have thought it would run at all that way, but could be wrong). When refitting the dizzy, I normally kinda wobble the rotor while drifting the dizzy back in, that way you can feel as the flange locates in the slot.

I kept an eye on the position of the rotor when I removed it and am pretty sure it was in the same position when I installed it. I did the same thing, moved the rotor back and forth and it slid in. First attempt was difficult and then I oiled the o ring and it pushed in. I checked the injector harness, no problems they are sitting in their proper location. The plug leads look ok, I tried pushing on them and seem fine. I could not reach the centre lead on the back bank though but it looks to be seated fine. Could even be a knackered lead maybe?

Are they new plug leads? I had an issue once where the spark plug gaps were out, but using older leads this problem was less noticeable, once installing new plug leads the issue was more prominent, so checked and regaped spark plugs and was all good.

They are not new plug leads but there are new plugs in it. I just checked a couple of photos I took when I had the distributor out showing the oil leak running down the gearbox and it shows the distributor cap sitting up and also the coolant pipe taken off to give better access. Wonder if it is simple as me getting some coolant inside the cap when I swung the hose up out of the way. Will check in the morning, could be as simple as that.

I checked inside the distributor cap no water evident, unplugged the distributor connector and sprayed wd 40 in it and the cap also, no joy, still missing. I am in a bit of a quandry at the moment, it is adding up it might me the leads and have to pull it down again, the only question left is the distributor, I am not sure if it can only go in one way. It was not installed with great force, a firm wriggle in by hand and it mated flush before I put the bolts in. One bonus is that there does not seem to be anymore oil leaks.

If you have only 1 cylinder misfiring but the others are doing their job, you have put the distributor in correctly. 180 degrees out would mean the plugs fire at the top of the exhaust stroke rather than the compression stroke, and the engine would not run at all. Maybe give a bang or two as unburnt petrol is ignited with the valves open.

More likely to be a damaged ignition lead. They get brittle with age. It's easy to pull the lead itself out of the crimped metal end that plugs into the distributor. Easy to check though, just pull on each plug lead at the distributor and the disconnected one comes right out. (Ask me how I know, lol)

As Max said, the distributor only goes in one way, and if it was 180 out, it wouldn't run at all.
I'd say you have a stuffed lead.

Damn I hate these kinds of situations, where you pull stuff off to get to one thing, put it back together and it's upset something and created a brand new problem.

If some muck or liquid got in to the cap it could have caused something like this but is probably more likely to be a lead.

Once upon a time I had pulled the leads out to do the plugs, and one of the tops of the leads stayed on one of the spark plugs..!

Anyway, give the points a light sand on the ignition cap, also the rotor. Test the leads with a multimeter. Hopefully you will either fix the issue or find a dodgy lead :)

Thanks guys, I am not looking forward to pulling it down again but it has to be done I guess. I was thinking of putting NGK leads in, have heard not so good stuff on top gun, not sure about the eagles, they are so expensive. Any suggestions?

I just changed the o ring on the distributor and pulled apart the rear tappet cover to resolve a leaking gasket. I started it up and it is missing pretty badly, down 1 cylinder at least.
'tis a bit hard to lose just one cylinder. It should still be there alongside the other 5 - unless you whole engine is missing. But then, that is what your thread title suggests too. In that case, I have a spare one...

Thanks guys, I am not looking forward to pulling it down again but it has to be done I guess. I was thinking of putting NGK leads in, have heard not so good stuff on top gun, not sure about the eagles, they are so expensive. Any suggestions?

Just go genuine ones, they are comparable in price and will last longer than any of the other brands.
You'll probably find the leads you have fitted currently are the original ones.

Thanks I will give Mitsubishi in Penrith a call, might be surprised on pricing. Macropod on closer inspection it looks like someone done an oxy job, bit like the starfire motor, an old red motor with an oxy job done on it.

Just called Mitsubishi and they quoted $169 but no stock in Australia, all in Japan

Just called Mitsubishi and they quoted $169 but no stock in Australia, all in Japan

Mal has genuine sets available on his eBay store, cheaper than the stealership, LINK HERE (http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Spark-Plug-Leads-suit-Mitsubishi-Magna-6G72-6G74-NEW-GENUINE-/201006540722?pt=AU_Car_Parts_Accessories&hash=item2eccec67b2)

Leads are expensive in any case, why are we talking about replacing them without testing them first?? :/

Thanks Ammerty, time is a factor for me also, have a funeral to go to in Brisbane and the date has not been set yet, just want to get it done quickly and have the car ready. Mal has some decent prices and will be purchasing other stuff shortly. Neo I have a miss and everything else looks ok just seems to be the obvious culprit.

Hopefully it is the issue then.

The front leads are genuine and do not look too old though the rears are different, made by Australian Controls, never heard of them before.It is a delisted company, so who knows how old they are?

Excuse the double up

Well it looks like the problem still remains, driving on the road it is like a chaff cutter, I really believe now that the timing is out. The check engine light has come on so I will have to read up on here if there is a link. I have a service manual bit cannot seem to find it under engine electrical or body electrical.

Ignition timing on the Magna is controlled by the ECU using signals from the crank angle sensor behind the crank pulley and the camshaft position sensor inside the distributor. The distributor itself has nothing to do with ignition timing. It simply "distributes" the spark to the right plug.

Thinking the distributor can be turned to change ignition timing is Old School thinking and not relevant to the Magna. So you won't find anything in the manual about setting the ignition timing.

Got to be the distributor cap, ignition lead or spark plug, or injector pulse not getting to one cylinder.

Have you identified which cylinder(s) is the problem?

Thanks again guys for the replies, MadMax the only other variable is the distributor, I pulled it out and put it back in, replaced leads one at a time so cannot be the leads in wrong place, car was running fine before then and if it was fine it would not be running like a dog. The service manual does have a section on ignition timng though I was looking for a way to read fault codes and could not find it in the Repair manual. I will be getting in touch with my mechanic today and get him to scan it and fix my stuff up.

Sounds like you have leads crossed somewhere...As if on wrong plug.

Sounds like you have leads crossed somewhere...As if on wrong plug.

Pretty much impossible on the 3.5L V6, due to the length of the leads and the way they run along the engine - with standard leads, anyway.

More likely a dud sparkplug, or break in one of the plug leads.

OP really needs to identify which cylinder it is, first. Then measure lead resistance with a multimeter.

Pretty much impossible on the 3.5L V6, due to the length of the leads and the way they run along the engine - with standard leads, anyway.

More likely a dud sparkplug, or break in one of the plug leads.

OP really needs to identify which cylinder it is, first. Then measure lead resistance with a multimeter.

Yea as mentioned in previous posts ^^


I don't understand the fascination everyone has with replacing components before and testing is performed.

The factory manual is provided freely on the web and has all sorts of diagnostics to perform in the event of an engine misfiring. As well as testing techniques, ohm ratings and expected voltages to be seen etc.

Stuff that, reading the manual is for sissies! lol

Pull the spark plugs, see which one is wet, and change that plug and it's lead! Problem solved!

Neo, I have no idea either, seems to be that people will not spend a few bucks getting someone to look at a car but they are happy to spend hundreds or more on getting new "guesswork" parts....

Op has had the issue since the car went back together. Max, I dont know what 6G74 you are looking at but the ones in the Magna's can have firing order messed up at the dizzy end. Yes the cap is numbered but people still manage it, hell, even I have done it before when in a rush and crossed 2 leads, we are all human.

OP you need to get back to basics, determine which cyl is not firing and then go from there. Could be something simple like an injector plug not seated, lead damaged when removed or anything like that. Australian Controls are the Genuine leads used and still supplied by Mitsubishi.

And Max, it is the posts like the one you have made above that just wants to make me ban you, yet another stupid comment, if the injector is not firing you wont have a wet plug, if you have run the car and by the time you shut it down, remove everything most likely the plug will be dry again anyway. And change both plug and lead, why......

I did not remove the leads from the distributor cap to make it easy for me on assembly.

Mal, the leads were never removed from the distributor cap, according to the OP.

Mal, the leads were never removed from the distributor cap, according to the OP.
The OP also said later on:

I pulled it out and put it back in, replaced leads one at a time so cannot be the leads in wrong place
So quite clearly, they have been removed, even if carefully. Merely doing that wouldn't cause the problems the OP is now having.

Pulling the plugs is only useful for seeing which ones are not firing when the engine is being cranked over. You can then make a visual check of which ones are firing. You don't even need to do that much, however. Once the engine is idling, merely disconnecting each of the spark plug cables, one at a time, is enough to identify which one is giving trouble. These test methods are both actually described in the manual you reckon is for sissies...

Stuff that, reading the manual is for sissies!
Even then, one that isn't firing doesn't mean the lead is the problem - it could also be a faulty plug and/or distributor cap. So, if it's the distributor cap or none of the plugs is wet, that kinda makes nonsense of your:

Pull the spark plugs, see which one is wet, and change that plug and it's lead! Problem solved!

So would anyone like to give the OP a step by step guide to problem shooting this misfire scenario?

All fixed, ended uo being a faulty fuel injector, who would have thought, must have upset something. Had the transfer case and rear diff oil changed as well, lucky I did, transfer case had only 100ml in it. Engine coolant flushed out of motor and heater core and put in the quality Nulon coolant in it. Booked in tomorrow at the transmission specialist for a gearbox flush. Thanks for the suggestions guys, was doing my head in I can tell you.

Glad you got it sorted :)

Thanks Ammerty, car is coming along nicely, had front pads and fluid flush yesterday, made some difference.

Is it making a knocking with the misfire?