this whole experience of yours is completely deja vu for me window, engine, and all. i bought my 89 on ebay, i know i know, and had to drive to chattanooga from memphis to pick it up and it was parked at a used car shade tree grease monkey @#$# hole. the rednecks i bought it from lied their asses off about the mechanical condition of the truck. for some reason i talked myself into taking the truck anyway because of the condition of the body. the shade trees obviously did a timing chain/headgasket something just to get it running. i started with intentions of cheap/quick remedies that would only last for the short term. i had a rod knock and my truck was smoking too badly to pass emissions. sooo, with zero experience other than changing oil and such, i bit the bullet with the help of some experienced friends and fellow yotatechers and i am very happy with the end result.

 

Uhgg! This thread is exhausting! Before you go and spend $200-$300 on the head, check the compression. I know you said it starts and runs ok but do you really want to put all that work into an engine that may need to be rebuilt anyway? Checking it is free, or at least cheap if you have to buy a tester.

 

max, sorry for the late response, I just now got back on. You are soo very correct when u say do i want to do that, no i don't. and that is why i am going to buy a compression tester and go from there lol....

 

hey everyone, i picked up a engine compressor gauge, my question is this. I don't have anyone to wind the engine over, can't i unhook the fire and fuel and wind it over myself?? Will my gauge keep the reading? After winding it over a few times?? Thanks

 

FIRST! disconnect the ignitor wire to the distributor & pull the efi fuse under the hood!!!!

1. Take out all the spark plugs.
2. connect the compression tester to the first cylinder (driver side) you are going to test using any extensions that came with the kit. This will put the gauge near the left fender, where you can position it to be able to see it from the driver's door.
3. Push the clutch cancel button & crank the engine over while your watch the gauge from the driver's doorway.
4. Don't crank the engine more than about 6 turns max to get a good compression reading (the gauge will hold the pressure until you hit the release button).
5. Repeat for each cylinder on the driver side, then do the same from the passenger side doorway. You should be able to see the gauge on all cylinders this way (that's what I did).

 

will do it that way, but are u sure all spark plugs need to be out before i can test? BTW i have a 22re with auto..

 

the FSM calls for all plugs out, EFI fuse pulled, & ignitor wire pulled. It will be MUCH easier with the 22re!

 

kool then will do, isn't the plug order, 1234 what is the firing order? 1,4,3,2? One more question, what is that idle thing called that the vaccum lines go into to raise the idle when the ac is on or the powersteering is tapped out? When i turn on my ac it lowers the rpm, the main screw is broken off in there and i can put my finger over the hole and it sucks so i know it isn't adjusted right but i need a new one or a good known used one, maybe that will lower my rpm.. it acts like the ac is on all the time, i have adjusted the idle as low as i can and i have no Vaccum leaks, so i am going to try this thing. what is it called?

 

Idle Air Control Valve. Since it's sucking air, that is going to be responsible for at least SOME decreased power, fuel mileage, I missing.

 

well that is nice to know lol.. i can't wait to find out the cylinder compression amounts. will post them once i find out.... So what do i need to do take out the plugs, unplug the coil, and the EFI fuse, and then crank it over and let it whine over for 6 seconds or just whine and then key off and whine again 6 times?

 

spin it until the compression comes up and levels off, but no more than about four to six TURNS, not 6 SECONDS, per the FSM. it says to get the reading as quickly as possible so your not setting there cranking the shiznit out of it all day.

 

got ya.. Also that idle air thing, can't be what this is called.. this looks like a big screw into a body that connects into the intake, and has a spring in the middle of the screw and body. Also it has like a diaphram at the very bottom.. ac idle something

 

Idle Air Control Valve. But whatever you say....

 

ok well when i looked up that part they don't have it lookin like mine does,
OK EVERYONE, just did a compression test, here as follows with all plugs out, and no fire or fuel.. WITHOUT POURIN OIL INTO THE CYLINDERS.

#1 85psi, and does have oil all over the plug. "rings?"
#2 155psi, which doesn't have oil all over the plug, it is just a white color. " could this be RICH??" Or maybe from HEADGASKET?"
#3 155psi, these two cylinders look ok from the test, considerin it has 189k miles
#4 80psi

WITH OIL INTO THE CYLINDERS

#1 155psi
#2 190psi? This was over 200 but i think i put to much oil in it, so let it set and retested it
#3 180psi
#4 160psi

Ok these are the compression tests, and they were done on a warm engine.. Thanks everyone for your help i am guessing ring problem.. But input would be nice..

 

Yep, rings. You might also have leaking valves on the two lower cylinders as well. Either way, you definitely have a problem with only 80-something psi on two cylinders!

 

does your compression gauge have an attachment to connect to your air compressor? If so, run a leakdown test.

Pop the oil filler cap, and the radiator cap. Next, rotate the engine by hand (crank pulley easiest, if it's torn down that far) so the cylinder you are testing is at BDC. Then, pressurize the cylinder, and find out where the engine is leaking air from.

Exhaust = Bad Valve
Intake = Bad Valve
Coolant = Head Gasket
Crankcase vent = Rings

 

i don't have a air compressor, nor does my reader have the extension for it. So I guess my only option is? If i keep driving it what could happen?

 

don't u have to tear the engine down anyway to pull and put new rings on it? Heck go that far may as well have the head checked and rebuild it i guess.

 

looks like you need a new motor. with that big of a jump on compression with oil, that motor is junk in my opinion. granted, it runs and may be drivable, but will just get worse. don't get tricked into thinking just a top end job will fix it; a new head on a junk bottom end will increase the load put on the rings and just wear it out faster. not what you were hoping for im sure, but at least you know thanks to that compression test.

 

Yup. Rings are junk. The jump in the readings with the oil in there is the key indicator. You definately don't want to waste a good head or head rebuild without doing something with the lower end. Time for a rebuild or find a good used motor.

If you need to keep running it, go ahead. It will get worse but if it needs a rebuild anyway what's the harm? Just keep oil in. You want to at least keep it rebuildable.