[vancelot69]

ok, I finally got around to pulling the plugs and doing a compression check. The plugs looks awful. In the page in the Haynes manual that has the spark plug pics, it looks like the one that says "too hot" (see pics), which doesn't surprise me, what with everything coupled together - I believe it's not timed right, plus I don't know how to set points; I don't know how to tune a carburetor, so it could be running lean or rich, adding to it; someone at work suggested that my water pump is about to go out, which I have no reason not to believe; someone else said I need a 4-row radiator (I think mine is 2-row, and I think there's a leak from the inlet - see pics above). Probably wouldn't hurt to get new hoses too. I checked the gap on 4 of the spark plugs I took out. 2 were over .040 (1 & 7), one was almost right at .040 (8) and one was about .035 (2).

As far as the compression check, I tried to use that old press in type, but I couldn't hold it tight enough, so I bought one that has screw in adapters, and here's how that broke down (anything not a 0 or 5 is estimating because it was between the lines on the gauge):
1 - 130 - 130
3 - 120 - 120
5 - 125 - 125
7 - 118 - 124 - 126

2 - 133 - 133
4 - 110 - 115 - 125 - 125
6 - 110 - 115 - 122 - 123
8 - 130 - 130

I think the low reading on 7 is because I didn't spin it long enough to let it build up to where the needle stopped moving.

I think the low readings on 4 & 6 are because I didn't get the connector screwed in tight because after the two low readings, I tried to tighten is some more and did it the next two times and got readings more in line with the rest of the cylinders. It is odd though, that I mis-tightened both 4 & 6, since they share a sliver of head gasket...

pics below spark plug order: 8-6-4-2 - 1-3-5-7
close up pics are 2 at a time starting from the left on the zoomed out pic.