Compression testing...

[Zachary]

This probably seems like a noob question, but it's something that has never come up for me before.

How do I do a compression check? What tools do I need? Can it be performed on an engine that is either none running or not in the car? Aside from compression, is there anything else it gives you indicators of?

Thanks for any advice.

[spastic_chicken]

To do a compression check, youll need everything that a cylinder needs to hold compression with. Block, heads, internals, and a starter to bump the engine while you're testing it.

By checking compression you can identify bad rings, valve stem seals, valves, head gasket, etc.

[kaptinkaos]

Disconnect the coil & use a compression guage. You remove 1 spark plug & put the guage in the spark plug hole. Crank the engine a couple of revolutions & it will give you you compression in that cylinder. Do that for all the cylinders in the engine.

[Zachary]

Awesome, thanks for the information guys. The engine in Alexi is just dying a slow and painful death right now and I have a lead on a cheap parts car, so I figured if the engine looks good I might as well go for it. So when I get the figures for the cylinders how do I compile the information to know what I am looking at? Do I add them all together? What is considered good compression? How do I decypher the readings to know what problems it might have?

[spastic_chicken]

All of the clinders should be in the same range. An abnormally low or high reading on individual cylinders needs to be looked at.

If I'm getting 70-75 and one cylnder is making 55-60, I'd want to look at that cylinder.

[kaptinkaos]

If I make it up to hearse-con. I will have a compression guage in my tool box that you can use while I'm there. A motors manual like haynes or chilton will give you compression ranges for your engine.

[Zachary]

Awesome, thanks for the advice! Well I sure as hell hope you come to Hearse Con, it would be good to meet up with you!