After a lot of fooling around with the '71 142 we still can't get it to run. We checked the valves to see if they close in the right order (rocker arm cover off, check for both rockers for each cylinder to be "rocking", checked the plugs - they fire in the right order (watched 'em out of the head). Valves for #1 both closed at TDC, same with other cylinders.

The engine "tries to start". We get complression and it sometimes "coughs" as if to start and it will run for a whopping 10 seconds some times. When we examined plugs, 2 and 4 were dripping wet after trying to get it started. 1 and 3 were dry but sooty (if that's a word"). After drying and cleaning the plugs we got car started and it ran for several minutes until I screwed things up by lowering the needle seat on carb #1. The car stopped. 'cleaned plugs again and car ran for a while -several minutes - before we shut 'er down. When it was running it was rough, but sounded like an old Volvo engine should (first time since my son got the car). This afternoon it wouldn't start. It just coughs.

Any ideas? How come plugs 2 and 4 were wet and 1 and 2 dry. I would have expected adjacent plugs (1/2, 3/4) to get wet as pairs since the cylinders are served by the same carb.

What am I missing?

Any help would really be appreciated.

Jim Hampton