Compression test

Ok so I'm starting to question the actual condition of this car based on the fact that I fix one thing and another breaks with in a few days so, I'm back to basics, which I really should have done way before or, in reality had it done before buying the car. I didn't know much about these cars until after the fact, I know shame on me for not doing prepurchase research. That is normally not how I buy a car, normally I'll research until I don't want to buy whatever car it is I'm interested in.

So got the compression tester out, dusted it off, pulled the fuel pump fuse and ran the car til it died. Then started to take stuff off the top of the engine to get access to the plugs. Pulled out cylinder 1 plug and threaded the compression tester into the hole. Cranked the engine and get 155. Go to remove tester and the frickin hose just spins! I'm like great! So I ended up taking a flat head screwdriver and split off the crimped fitting from the hose and was able to then grab the fitting that was in the hole and spin it out. Run to Oh Oh Oh O'Reilly's to rent one or see if they crimp hoses, they don't . Turns out they wanted 45 bucks to rent the tool and I take a look at it and noticed that it also spins, not going down that road again. So I ask if I can just match the hose and just buy a foot long section and I'll just use a hose clamp to hold it on to the fitting. Guy tells me sure, we match it and he's like "put this in your pocket, you're buying hose clamps anyway" cool! Free hose .

This ends up working really well actually. So I test the remaining cylinders, cylinder 2 is 155, cylinder 3 is 155 and cylinder 4 is 150. This was all done in a warm engine and was a dry test. Content with the results I put it back together.

Probably should have done this before I started dumping money into mods but, I like to learn the hard way apparently. Maybe do a leak down test in the near future before doing anything else or if I keep it.

 

See this straight metal pipe in this tester kit? That's what I normally use for 99 percent of engines I test.

BOSCH (FIX 7828 Professional Compression Tester


Plus you have even compression across all cylinders which is a good thing. It may measure low however consider the fact your tester may not be in the best condition.

I'd do a second test both dry and wet with oil and see how it is then.

 

I like that kit better than mine, the issue I have is with the o-rings, they deform if too tight or dont seal if too loose.

 

I might mess with it more tomorrow, compression seems ok, I mean it is pretty close to the middle of spec... *Shrug*
I like that metal pipe, not sure why more testers don't include something like that. I never liked the stupid hose, always seemed cheap.

 

Compression is fine consistent across all four cylinders and right within spec of what people with healthy engines will get.