No fire on number 2 piston 3.8 liter. Check engine light is on. What is the problem?

Firing order is correct, (1, 3, 4, 2). Cylinders are numbered as 1, 2, 3, 4. Number One cylinder is nearest the belts and pulleys and number 4 is nearest the transmission/gearbox end. Stand in front of the car and face the rear of the vehicle. Cylinder 1 is to your left and Cylinder 4 is to your right.

A six cylinder in-line engine has a power impulse every 720 degrees/6 i.e. 120 degrees of crankshaft rotation. The crankshaft has six crank-throws placed at 120 degrees out of phase with one another, which can be arranged only in three planes. Therefore, the crankpin phasing is arranged in pairs. For heavy-duty diesel engines, seven journals and bearings are provided, at each end and between adjacent crankpins. For petrol engines only 4 or 5 main journals are provided. The firing order with the crankshaft arrangement shown in the attached figure is considered. With piston 1 at the top of the compression stroke, its opposite piston 6 is at the top of its exhaust stroke. Rotation of crankshaft through 120 degrees brings pistons 2 and 5 to their TDC and either one of these can be arrangement to complete a compression stroke. If piston 5 is arranged to be at the end of compression and at the start of its power stroke, then piston 2 must be on its exhaust stroke. Rotation of crankshaft through second 120 degrees positions pistons 3 and 4 at the TDC, so either one of these can be on the compression stroke. If piston 3 is made to be on compression, piston 4 must be on its exhaust stroke. A third rotation of 120 degrees brings pistons 1 and 6 back again to TDC, where piston 6 is arranged to be on the compression and piston 1, therefore, be on its exhaust stroke. A fourth 120 degrees rotation brings pistons 2 and 5 to their TDC. Piston 2 is now on its compression and piston 5 on its exhaust stroke. Rotation of crankshaft through fifth 120 degrees brings piston 3 and 4 to TDC. Piston 4 is on compression and piston 3 on its exhaust stroke. Final rotation of 120 degrees completes the 720 degrees displacement of crankshaft and brings the pistons into positions for the next cycle. This cycle provides a firing order of 1, 5, 3, 6, 2, 4. If the phasing of paired crank-throws 3 and 4 and 2 and 5 are interchanged, then a second equally suitable firing-order of 1, 4, 2, 6, 3, 5 is achieved. This arrangement provides excellent dynamic balance and evenness of torque, and is preferred for engines larger than 2.5 liters provided length is not a prime consideration.

4-cylinder:

Firing Order: 1-3-4-2

3.1 liter:

Firing Order: 1-2-3-4-5-6

6 cyl 1-6-5-4-3-2

1988 Chevrolet K 1500 P/U 5.0 liter V-8 VIN "H"



Hope helps.

This method is good for the firing order on all chevy small block v8 engines from 265 cubic inches to 400 cubic inches. This would include 265, 283, 305, 327, 350, 400 cu. in. chevy small block v8 engines.

Let's cover some safety concerns first. If you try to troubleshoot a mixed up firing order with the engine running, you could be in for a serious shock,.. literally. You can do it, with certain precautions, but you really don't need to check the firing order with the engine running. You definitely don't want to try checking the firing order if you are wearing any kind of pacemaker or sensitive electromechanical prosthesis. The voltage coming out of the ignition coil is in the thousands. Common sense dictates that you wouldn't stick a knife in an electrical outlet, so you wouldn't want to take chances with being shocked by the electrical discharge from your classic chevy's ignition coil either. See the diagram:




The firing order, which should be cast into the intake manifold, for the chevy small block V8 is 1-8-4-3-6-5-7-2. The firing order is the numerical sequence in which the spark plugs are fired. The insertion position of each spark plug wire around the circumference of the distributor cap can be found according to a clock face. The insertion sequence determines the firing order. The firing order is followed clockwise around the distributor cap starting from the 6:30 position with the 6:30 position being the number one cylinder spark plug wire.

On classic chevy small block engines that use ignition breaker points instead of electronic ignitions, the number one cylinder is the one immediately clockwise of the small metal sash cover on the distributor cap. The firing order starts here. There is no sash cover on the distributor cap for GM HEI electronic ignitions, and the firing order is the same, but starting at the 5:30 position.
The firing order makes sense if you know how the cylinders are numbered. The number one cylinder is the front most on the drivers side and 2 being the front most on the passenger side. From front to back, the cylinders are odd numbered on the drivers side, and even numbered on the passenger side.

Additional details HERE.

Hope helps (remmeber rated this).

firing order piston number (1-2-4-3) clockwise at distributor
at the engine from right 1st piston =piston number one
the engine from right second piston =piston number two
the engine from right 3rd =piston number three
the engine from right 4 =piston number four

Here is the diagram you ask for. While it says it is for the 3.0L V6, it is the same for the 4.0L V6 if that's what you have...

1-4-2-5-3-6
Now you need to know which cylinder is which. If you stand at the front of the truck looking at the engine, the number 1 cylinder is on the left closest to you. The left bank has cylinders 1-3-5 and the right bank has 2-4-6. So number 1 is at the left front and number 6 is at the right rear.

Hello morris_valen: My name is Roger and I can help. The fire order is 1-3-7-2-6-5-4-8. Number 8 cylinder is the rear plug on the drivers side. The cylinders run front to back on the passenger side as 1-2-3-4- and on the opposite side front to back 5-6-7-8.
Should you need further help please just ask. Please rate this answer as that way I know the answer was helpful. Thank You for using Fix Ya. Roger