Rep Power: 0

Car is 87 Civic Base 4-dr 1.5L 3bbl. 5-speed with the Hitachi distributor.

Car was running great, then died. No spark. Changed the igniter (and also plugs, wires, cap, rotor) and timed per DEQ sticker (20 degrees BTDC with vacuum lines removed and plugged).

Car ran fine at low speeds and even hard accelleration, but somewhere arounf 60-65 mph, when accelerating, uphill, or under load, it starts missing and running rough. Significant loss of power - top speed becomes 55-60. This seems to happen only after the car has been driven for at least 10 minutes or so.

I was convinced I had somehow messed up the advance, so I replaced the distributor with one from salvage (different everything) and retimed. The symptoms improved, but I still get them.

When they happen, the engine loses power as if one cylinder has quit or a barrel of the carb has plugged. This will continue until I let off the accelerator and coast for a bit or if come to a stop sign etc, and restart. After the problem clears, the car runs great until it triggers the problem again. It almost seems like throttle position combined with engine load triggers it. The fact that it doesn't happen right away also makes me think it could be heat related. The exhaust sensor is between #2 and #3 spark plug and I don't think I damaged it when I changed the plugs, but could this be the problem?

Car is air conditioned and symptoms are the same with or withour the air on.

At this point, as hard as it is to abandon thinking it is the last thing I touched (the distributor), I almost think this might be vacuum or carb or sensor related. I am out of ideas although I have gotten pretty good at removing and replacing the distributor and R&Ring the ignitor and reluctor.

Anybody ever run into anything like this?

Any ideas? Thanks.

Thanks in advance