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Yes we have swapped plugs and wires. Do u mean put 4 where 2 is?
This is a long term project so it won't bother me to have to put
some time into it. Could the common denominator be the distributor cap? Good plugs plus good wire plus bad cap equals dead cylinders. Hmmmmmm.......

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Luvn Life!
79 4x4 1.8, 31's, Project 4 life. Eventual swap.

Could this be a bad distributor cap? Absolutely. I have had caps form almost invisible traces inside that made for a dead cylinder. Sometimes a barely perceptible faint line of dust/dirt/moisture will form and short your spark to the distributor body. A crack in the plastic of the cap can do the same.

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95 Isuzu Trooper Daily Driver
86 Isuzu Trooper reliable backup
77 LUV 2wd stock beltway blaster (resting)
79 4x4 LUV project: 2.6L, 5spd, 31s (eventually)

MEPR: Man, my 4x4 makes all other LUVs look good

Well I ruled out the cap. Good spark to the plugs. I dont know what I was thinking. Should I move the electric fuel pump back to the tank or leave it at the carb? It seems to be having a hard time getting fuel to the carb, lots of air and the filter is not filling. It is now mounted by the carb and is pulling the fuel. If I mounted the pump back by the tank, would it do a better job of fuel delivery?

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Luvn Life!
79 4x4 1.8, 31's, Project 4 life. Eventual swap.

I can't seem to understand one thing here. You say 2&4 are not firing. You say you have spark and compression. Are you absolutely sure you have the firing order correct? Many have come here with that exact same problem only to have the firing order wrong.

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Certified pilots, looking down on people since 1903.

I haven't tested compression yet. But I am going to soon. I have to pick up a tester.

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Luvn Life!
79 4x4 1.8, 31's, Project 4 life. Eventual swap.

Without a compression test you won't know if the motor has a major problem that makes all the little things you are chasing down meaningless. If you get good compression numbers then you know it is worth all the hassle of checking all the little things that could also be the source of the problems. I'd say it is probably one of the best diagnostic tests you can run on a motor.

Read up on how to best to a compression test too. Fully charged battery, all plugs pulled out, pull the coil wire, open the throttle all the way, give it several revs to get a stable reading, repeat #1-#4. I do 2-3 runs per cylinder just to average out errors. Then put a dab of oil in the cylinder and run it again. If the numbers go up with oil you have piston/ring issues, and if not then its more likely valves or head/gasket. If you think the battery is turning slower part way through, stop and charge it up.
That is a rough over view, I'm sure there is much better info than mine out there and others here may have better tips.

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95 Isuzu Trooper Daily Driver
86 Isuzu Trooper reliable backup
77 LUV 2wd stock beltway blaster (resting)
79 4x4 LUV project: 2.6L, 5spd, 31s (eventually)

MEPR: Man, my 4x4 makes all other LUVs look good

OK, got a compression tester on the way. Should be here in a few days. In the meantime, I will be checking other stuff.
Thanks for the info.

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Luvn Life!
79 4x4 1.8, 31's, Project 4 life. Eventual swap.

Did you try swapping the 2 and 4 plug wires yet.

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Certified pilots, looking down on people since 1903.

I guess I'm on the slow side of trying to understand what you are saying. Do you want me to totally swap the wire, removing the wire from the cap and plug? Or leave the wire at the cap and switch at the plug? And what are you thinking that would do? I am 100% positive that the firing order is correct 1342. If that is the correct firing order.
thanks.

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Luvn Life!
79 4x4 1.8, 31's, Project 4 life. Eventual swap.

That is the correct order and the distributor rotates counter-clockwise.

I also have a one barrell carb. It has two holes in the intake like a two barrel was there. The carb has Elkton stamped on the base and has the number 12R-6059B. Any ideas on what it is? Who made it and such?

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Luvn Life!
79 4x4 1.8, 31's, Project 4 life. Eventual swap.

Never heard of such. The stock carb was a 2 barrel hitachi. A popular upgrade is the 32/36 weber.

It's a weird Setup. I'm sure I will be replacing it. I was just curious as to what it was.

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Luvn Life!
79 4x4 1.8, 31's, Project 4 life. Eventual swap.

Go to the distributor, unplug the #2 wire, then pull the #4 wire, install the #2 wire where the #4 was and then put the #4 wire where the number #2 was. I am guessing you have the cap wired wrong, this will either prove or disprove my theory. It will take you about 30 seconds to do, as soon as it starts you will know if it worked.

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Certified pilots, looking down on people since 1903.

Are you thinking that the distributor is wired wrong internally?

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Luvn Life!
79 4x4 1.8, 31's, Project 4 life. Eventual swap.

No. He is thinking that the two wires are going to the wrong plugs.

They're not.

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Luvn Life!
79 4x4 1.8, 31's, Project 4 life. Eventual swap.

It is very common to have these engines timed at #1 TDC instead of #4 TDC like they should be. If you don't correct the firing order at the distributor they just don't run right if at all. You said the firing order is correct, so by that I assume the spark plug wires from each cylinder are connected to the matching distributor post?
To check (and do this even if you think the wiring is correct):
-pull all spark plugs
-remove the distributor cap
-remove the valve cover
-turn the engine over by hand (two hands on the belts pulling in opposite directions should work with the plugs removed) until the crank timing marks are at 0 degrees/TDC. If the cam gear dowel pin is straight up the engine is at #4 TDC; if the dowel is straight down rotate the crank one full turn until the crank marks are again at 0 degrees/TDC and the cam dowel IS straight up.
-the rotor will be pointing at either the normal #1 or #4 post position when the distributor cap is installed: if the rotor is pointed towards #4 normal post position AND the cam gear dowel pin is pointing straight up AND the #4 spark plug wire is connected to the #4 post the engine and distributor are both timed at #4 TDC; if the rotor is pointing towards the #1 post position AND the cam dowel is straight up AND the #1 plug wire is connected to the #1 terminal the distributor is 180 degrees out.
- to correct the distributor timing either: (1) leaving the cam & engine at #4 TDC lift the distributor housing enough the release the shaft from the crank gear, rotate the shaft/rotor 18o degrees & re-install (the rotor will now be pointing to the #4 terminal and the plug wires will be correct); or (2) re-wire the distributor cap by first connecting the #4 cylinder plug wire to the #1 cap position, then continue to relocate the plug wires from each cylinder to the new cap position required to maintain the correct firing order (4-2-1-3) as you go counterclockwise around the cap. You are essentially switching the 1&4 and 2&3 wires at the cap.
The easy way is to swap wires, the best way is to correct the distributor installation, especially if you have the crank and cam at #4 TDC anyway.
BTW you can borrow a compression tester (or any number of other tools) at most major parts stores. You leave a deposit that is returned when the undamaged tool is returned. A compression test could point to bad valves or broken rings instead of timing.

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'78 Chevy LUV,1.9,4sp,headers,31's,SAS Dana 30,Dana 20,SOA rear w/Aussie Locker, rough body, bought new 12/4/78.
'87 Trooper,2.3,5sp,headers,31's,ball joint flip & spacer,Aussie Locker rear,Superwinch hubs,brush guard w/5.5K winch,more to come.

Well, we checked the timing today. It all looks like its suppose to. Its timed to #4. I honestly believe that the compression test is going to show bad rings. I am not losing coolant, so I dont think its a blown head gasket. I just think that the rings are so bad that its not building enough compression. It seems that gas is slipping into my oil. The oil level increases and it smells like gas. What do ya'll think?

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Luvn Life!
79 4x4 1.8, 31's, Project 4 life. Eventual swap.

As the engine turns over fuel/air is being pulled into each cylinder. If it is not being ignited then some is being expelled through the exhaust valve, the rest is bypassing the rings into the crankcase. This will happen even with good rings with enough fuel to wash the oil film that seals the rings from the cylinder walls.
Here's something you might try: remove the two plugs that are firing, leave the two in that aren't & see if you get a pulse of air back through the carb while cranking. If you do you have at least one intake valve not sealing. Take only one plug out at a time to see if it's one or both cylinders. If you don't have a pulse through the carb in one or both cylinders remove both the plugs in the cylinder(s) with no backpulse, put your thumb over the plug hole & crank the engine. If your thumb isn't easily blown off the hole you likely have an exhaust valve not sealing.
If you have a valve not sealing you won't have good compression but you may not have bad rings. A proper leakdown test could probably isolate the problem.

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'78 Chevy LUV,1.9,4sp,headers,31's,SAS Dana 30,Dana 20,SOA rear w/Aussie Locker, rough body, bought new 12/4/78.
'87 Trooper,2.3,5sp,headers,31's,ball joint flip & spacer,Aussie Locker rear,Superwinch hubs,brush guard w/5.5K winch,more to come.