When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
Before you absolutely roast me for not using the search function, I’ve already looked through a ton of posts of people with compression/leakdown woes. Maybe I missed the important and relevant one, but I haven’t found any that match the result I’ve received.
I took my IX to a reputable shop a few days ago for a dyno tune and spark plug swap. Just to be safe, I opted to have them do compression and leakdown tests. I got the news nobody wants.
Apparently my compression is as follows:
Cylinder 1: 80PSI
Cylinder 2: 150PSI
Cylinder 3: 120PSI
Cylinder 4: 150PSI
The leakdown test showed a flat 20% across the board, which is why I’m not certain how to move forward from here. To the best of my knowledge, these numbers seem off, where the leakdown of the lowest cylinder is a more significant percentage comparing to the rest. I do still need to have the compression test redone with oil added to the cylinders and double check, but when they spoke to me, they jumped straight to a full rebuild. I’m a little skeptical but not as knowledgeable.
The car’s running somewhat lean and idling rougher once warmed up; I attributed this to it being tuned for an area 5000ft above seal level compared to my location. It also seems sluggish on starting up, slowly revving up to idle RPM. I do notice some extra smoke from the exhaust when idling for more than a few minutes, but nothing when driving normally. It also doesn’t falter on WOT or acceleration changes.
Am I coping? Is she toast and in need of a full rebuild? Or could it be the head and something as simple as the valves/guides/seals? I plan to tear it down regardless but would prefer my reasoning to be sound.
I’m prepared for both possibilities, but I’d be stupid to not ask for analysis.
here are the compression test results and the leakdown result from #1, being marginally the highest.
I am not going to roast you for doing what was right to begin my reply. That is bad news if you were to ask me. Leak down should be no more then 10% which with cylinders 1 and 3 being lower, I'd say there was a problem with the engine and suggest a rebuild.
I am not going to roast you for doing what was right to begin my reply. That is bad news if you were to ask me. Leak down should be no more then 10% which with cylinders 1 and 3 being lower, I'd say there was a problem with the engine and suggest a rebuild.
That's basically what I'm planning for anyways, but wanted to gather some opinions and knowledgeable advice before the work begins. If it does come to a full rebuild, it looks like we'll be going with an ER 2.0L short block as it's got a great track record and reasonably priced.
That's basically what I'm planning for anyways, but wanted to gather some opinions and knowledgeable advice before the work begins. If it does come to a full rebuild, it looks like we'll be going with an ER 2.0L short block as it's got a great track record and reasonably priced.
Honestly look into the 2.2. You get more displacement, more tq, and you can still rev it out just like the 2.0. I went 2.4 after my origional engine went and now I am at a 2.2 and as much as I liked all the extra tq of the 2.4, I think the 2.2 is happy medium and is a great street, race engine.
a leakdown test: where the air is escaping?
If crankcase get the bottom end done.
If the leakdown is intake or exhaust, try to get a bore scope that can look backwards at the valves to see any damage or liner scratches.
