1st and 3rd cyl are missing after engine overheated ( thermo fan fuse blew in traffic, didn't stop running water out of the overflow, OUCH ), yes i've checked comp and are all around 140, no oil in water or water in oil not using water, still runs but sounds like a rotor , no difference when i pull of coil pack plug on 1st and 3rd. Thoughts anyone??? any help would be much appreciated

since the compression is still good and its holding water then the head/headgasket and bottom end should be fine. Pull the 2 spark plugs and check the tips arnt burnt off. and swap the coilpacks around and see if the problem moves to another cylinder.. 2 easy things to try for a start

Thanks mate, the process of elimination begins!!

haha yeh the old elimination game is fun! are you still running the original coils? if so the ignitor should be there too, if you can get a hold of another to try that will eliminate that also. If that fails you will have to move to the injectors and see if there is something going on there.

Swap the coils and see if the miss moves to the other cylinders.

The SR20s have a problem with coils going bad... so maybe the CA does too.

I can't speak for the CA18 specifically, but commonly injectors and/or coils can be batch fired. I would be checking the earth & power wires to the injectors and coilpacks.

Won't be batch firing 1 & 3 together because 1 at TDC would have 3 at BDC but full of fuel air mix on the intake stroke (that is if the CA has a std 1-3-4-2 firing order )

Pull the plugs and check them first I reckon..

well pulled out test spark plug 1st and all coil packs were ok, swappwed spark plugs and that was IT!. weird though cause they were brand new???? they looked ok, tips weren't melted, I guess the heat damaged them somehow. For the record they were bosch, never again will they be though