The wet/dry comp test is retesting the cyls again but with a small squirt of oil in cyl you are testing, it basically restores compression at the rings and generally shows little difference if rings are good or greater difference in poorly sealing rings, i would be supprised if that is your problem. regards bill.

  AussieBill            YYYY    Forever Y Block     YYYY

 Down Under, Australia

PEEOT, to me those comp figures are around 10% variation and fair for age of car. i cant help think the needle dip could be sticky or non seating valve to drop a couple of points, but still anything is possible. I,m assuming you have adjusted valves and checked for bent p/rod? Just my thoughts as i read on in your quest.

  AussieBill            YYYY    Forever Y Block     YYYY

 Down Under, Australia

PETE, if you follow all the posts from #1 you can follow whats been checked at this point, i think there are a few other components that help the air pump run correctly.

  AussieBill            YYYY    Forever Y Block     YYYY

 Down Under, Australia

Hi Pete!

I'm not sure what you mean by wet and dry compression, but the numbers taken hot after the problem showed up were as follows: 167,161,161,156,158,160,160,155

Manifold vacuum is upwards of 20". The needle is very steady until the misses show up. The needle will dip a couple points with each miss and bounce back basically in an instant. The vacuum drops off as the engine stops.

I will have to check the ignition signal cold again as I haven't in some time. When it is really acting up (hard to even get it to start up) there is far more "dead" time than flashing time shown by the timing light on the coil wire.

1954 Crestline Victoria 312 4-bbl, 3-speed overdrive

Peeeot

As much fun as it is to try and guess what might be wrong with your 57 Ford ( black) it is sort of like playing the game Battleship. One wild guess after another.

Can you hook up a compression tester and get some reading both dry and wet. POST the results.

Attach a manifold vacuum gage to the engine and leave it on while your car starts and then starts to have its problem(s) POST the results.

Leave a inductive timing light attached and test for regular spark pulse both before and after the problem happens. POST the results.

Throwing new parts at a car will work after some period of time but it will get expensive. Car engines are just air pumps. Put a combustibe gas in and provide a spark at the proper time then allow the spent gas to exhaust, then start the process again.

Give the forum some HARD DATA and you will get more than guesses. Pete