Did a leakdown test and......

[lowandsleekDSM]

I did a leakdown test today (steming from my recent compression test results) and i found some bad news - my number1 cylinder (the one one the drivers side?) had a 90% leak rating! I couldnt finish because there was rain getting ready to roll through the area. But here are some questions, i did the test with the engine bone cold - is this going to change my results at all? (to me i think i would of found this warm or cold) and should i just go ahead and pull the engine....fix the rings and anything else i need to fix and put it all together and put the engine back in the car....OR....just get another engine from the junkyard because there is a japanese/euro junkyard in the area and ive helped a friend pick an engine up from there before, im trying to get my car back on the road the cheapest (but not cheap to where i would pay for it later on) and the quickest way possible. I want to stick with a 7Bolt since i have all the timing components for a 7Bolt...any advice would be greatly appreciated

 

[blownturbotsi]

That happened to my 91, it still drove fine and I ran 14.4's on a base tune on the translator. Mine would smoke under boost, if it was out of boost it wasn't as bad. That was until after the shootout, then it was a chimney.

Also back to your original question, it could be valve seals as well as rings. With 90% leakdown I'd look for a cheap short block and get the head rebuilt as well while it's off. Mitsu MLS HG and ARP's would save you a bunch of trouble down the road as well.

 

[lowandsleekDSM]

Well could i just rebuild the head myself? or should i let a machine shop do it? i planned on buying new valve seals to do myself i might as well do everything myself and i wanna rebuild this engine for the experience too but....time and money isnt on my side

 

[blownturbotsi]

I would let the machine shop do it, the head set's run about $60 around here. I think the valve job I got was around 130 or so. Not expensive at all.

 

[Avionixx]

Do you know where the leak was coming from?

 

[lowandsleekDSM]

Well i didnt feel any leaks coming through the throttle body or the exhaust pipe...but i did feel it through the oil dip stick tube and through some reading thats a tell tale sign of bad piston rings