TheSamba.com :: View topic - Compression Test Results... Way Too High?

Tue May 18, 2004 10:35 am

Howdy ya'll. Just want to get some feedback on a compression test I recently did in preparation of taking my engine out. It's a 1600cc dual port engine with a doghouse cooler from '74. Here are my compression test results. What do you think?

After a 5 minute warm up:
Cylinder 1: 144 psi
Cylinder 2: 145 psi
Cylinder 3: 134 psi
Cylinder 4: 128, w/ oil squirt: 130

These readings seem high compared to what I've been reading in books and hearing from other volks, but I want to know if it's something that I need to be really worried about and fix right away. Anyone ever experienced this before?

Tue May 18, 2004 10:45 am

thats not too high. i got around 140 when i upped my fire special to a 1641. although the difference in pressure isnt too great....

Tue May 18, 2004 10:52 am

Yeah, I knew that the difference was an indication of something funky. I was told I ought to have a leakdown test done to determine what it all means.

It is quite a relief to hear that 140's isn't outrageous and damaging to the engine. Thanks for the reassurance.

Tue May 18, 2004 11:00 am

My stock 1978 is around 150 psi. I believe the oil squirt really doesn't do much on a horizontal engine as there is no way for the oil to get to the top of the cylinder/piston to seal the rings. Is the engine running OK and are you just doing this for record, or are you troubleshooting a problem.

Tue May 18, 2004 11:36 am

140-150 is what a relatively fresh engine should be. A difference on 10-15 psi isn't much to worry about. Adjust your valves and you'll probably get a different result.

-jeffrey

Tue May 18, 2004 3:05 pm

jhicken wrote: Adjust your valves and you'll probably get a different result.

definitely good advice. also, this may seem like a pain - if you have a starter you can use to start the engine out of the car, this works great.

pull the engine down to a longblock and re-torque the cylinder heads to factory specs. run the engine for a couple minutes to warm it up, and re torque the heads again. this works wonders for compression and oil leaks.