Cylnder leakdown test

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Steve Meltzer
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Cylnder leakdown test

Post by Steve Meltzer »

If I were to let embarrassment stop me I wouldn't ask 9/10 questions I pose...so here goes, head covered by a paper bag. The GTC engine is still in the car, distributors and carburetors out, plug wires in a box, radiator drained, tho loose, battery out. Is it too late to do a leak down test? The engine is at TDC for #1. Certainly is too late to do another compression test by the classic method, but the one I did was fine. Engine rebuilt about 14 years ago or so, but only a few thousand miles (I could look it up, but it's close to that.) thanx s
steve meltzer,
"I've spent all of my money on wine, a beautiful woman, and stunning cars. Then, squandered the rest."
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tyang
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Re: Cylnder leakdown test

Post by tyang »

You can put the battery in and still do a compression test. If you're pulling the engine, it'll be easier to do a leak down on an engine stand. Make a handle to bolt to the flywheel bolts so you can turn the engine to each compression stroke, and hold it in place when you put pressure to that cylinder.

Tom
'63 330 America #5053
Steve Meltzer
Posts: 982
Joined: Mon Sep 06, 2004 10:31 am
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Re: Cylnder leakdown test

Post by Steve Meltzer »

Tom, thanx so much. I'll digest this in the AM. s
steve meltzer,
"I've spent all of my money on wine, a beautiful woman, and stunning cars. Then, squandered the rest."
Steve Meltzer
Posts: 982
Joined: Mon Sep 06, 2004 10:31 am
Location: with Barney the Beagle boy and Enzo 8995

Re: Cylnder leakdown test

Post by Steve Meltzer »

The engine is ready to come out, except for the torque tube, and so there was plenty of room to mark the balancer into 6 X 60° segments and set an arbitrary "0" marker to find the TDC of each cylinder. After #1 was tested, I realized that the flywheel is also marked for this, but the marks are faint, but useful to fine tune the TDC mark. I used a large socket ?24mm to rotate the crank and it was easy with all of the plugs out. Onward, through the fog. s
steve meltzer,
"I've spent all of my money on wine, a beautiful woman, and stunning cars. Then, squandered the rest."
Steve Meltzer
Posts: 982
Joined: Mon Sep 06, 2004 10:31 am
Location: with Barney the Beagle boy and Enzo 8995

Re: Cylnder leakdown test

Post by Steve Meltzer »

Independently and unknowingly, I also used a piece of sheet metal, in my case, attached to an AC bracket, to provide a "timing tab" for my "0" mark, as Tom (Jumprun) described in the his comments about the timing light. Such a marker, as he noted is quick and gets you close to TDC for the the other cylinders, and then you can use the flywheel marks from the factory to nail it perfectly. s
steve meltzer,
"I've spent all of my money on wine, a beautiful woman, and stunning cars. Then, squandered the rest."
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