If you're getting cold compression numbers like that then the first thing I would do is get the engine out and on a stand. TAKE YOUR TIME and don't jump in just yet. Grab a couple boxes of Glad snackie bags and a sharpie, some masking tape, a couple ice cube trays (great for organizing your lifters and rocker arms) and pill containers (the kind all the Q-Tips have so they can separate the pills they take by day Sunday-Saturday), brass and steel wire brushes, bottle brushes, a box of pipe cleaners, Red Plastigauge, a digital caliper and a dial gauge with a magnetic base or equivalent, a cylinder bore gauge, a gallon of mineral spirits, an air gun with a brass Tee and a clear 4 foot section of rubber 3/8" hose. Step one: use the masking tape and sharpie to label every single plug or electrical connection you need to separate before pulling the engine. Use the Glad bags for hardware and brackets that you remove to do the job. Label the bags with the sharpie. Always put the bolts back in the same hole they came out of after you take whatever it is off if you can (less bags and labeling and you don't lose or damage threads). Step 2: Get the engine on a stand. Drill a hole through the cap of the mineral spirits and stick the airgun hose into it. BAM. You have a parts washer. Douche that bi*** inside and out. Use wire brushes, bottle brushes for all the oil passages and pipe cleaners for the really tight ones. Step 3: The engine will have to be to be taken down to a bare block, BUT you need to do some measuring first. Use the Plastigauge on every one of your rod, main and cam caps. Compare them to the specs in the FACTORY SERVICE MANUAL. Do not trust Haynes or Chiltons on these figures as they're all over the board. Use the cylinder bore gauge on the top, middle and bottom of your cylinders and note the specs. Write all this down on a big-ass dry erase board. Use the dial gauge to measure crankshaft endplay and to verify cam specs. Use the caliper or a good micrometer to measure crank and cam diameters. Measure the piston ring gaps on the top and second piston rings with a feeler gauge. Remove your oil pump and check the case clearances with the feeler gauge and a good straight edge as well as mesh specs between the gears. Check for scoring on the case of the oil pump as well as the block to see if the oil pump drive gears have had contact. If so, replace the oil pump with an OEM one. Check your cylinder walls and piston skirts for scoring and ridges. If its there, how bad? Look at the tops of the pistons as well as the chambers on the heads to see if all four were burning the same. visually check for cracks and/or bent valves. After you have all the numbers and compare them to stock from the SERVICE MANUAL, only then can you make an informed decision as to whether this is a rebuild or replace situation... Also, even if the timing belt was just replaced, I have ALWAYS put a new, OEM or name brand one in along with a NEW OEM tensioner. These parts stretch and wear in so to speak, and just for the peace of mind, its worth it in the long run for sure....

Wow that is a crazy amount of work and I don't have anywhere close to the knowledge to do that. I also don't have an engine lift or a stand that can hold it....

Well......that puts a damper on things... Although to be honest, You may have a blessing in disguise. There's only one reason that me or anyone else for that matter knows what they know. It's because we learned. And we're all still learning every day. Especially on these cars. You never know what's around the bend. Anyone who says otherwise probably doesn't know much and has a closed mind and an attitude. All of which makes a dangerous combination. This could potentially be the holy grail of schooling for you right here. If there's a way to get a hold of the measuring stuff and some ramps and a cherry picker, I'd be rippin into that bisnitch. An engine stand can be bought for dirt cheap, like $65.00. An engine crane for about twice that. As far as knowledge and experience, well my friend, you've come to the right place. I'm sure everyone in the community and this site especially would love for you to pick our brains. It's why we do it! Think of it this way: at one point, all of us knew less than you know now. Gotta crawl before you run. The worst that'll happen is it will blow again. But you'll find out how good it feels when you pull into the cruise night, pop the hood and you can actually tell them "yeah, I did that"...

Hell ya, that's why I bought the car =D I wanna learn. I'm going to try a leak down test once I get her to a garage and try and get some more info on what might be wrong.

Keep us in the loop man... good luck...

Don't forget to get a new timing belt and tensioner. Last thing you want is to put everything according to have one fail and be back to tearing the head back off.[DOUBLEPOST=1408326392][/DOUBLEPOST]If you haven't already done so that is.

BlackDSMthingy said:

Well......that puts a damper on things... Although to be honest, You may have a blessing in disguise. There's only one reason that me or anyone else for that matter knows what they know. It's because we learned. And we're all still learning every day. Especially on these cars. You never know what's around the bend. Anyone who says otherwise probably doesn't know much and has a closed mind and an attitude. All of which makes a dangerous combination. This could potentially be the holy grail of schooling for you right here. If there's a way to get a hold of the measuring stuff and some ramps and a cherry picker, I'd be rippin into that bisnitch. An engine stand can be bought for dirt cheap, like $65.00. An engine crane for about twice that. As far as knowledge and experience, well my friend, you've come to the right place. I'm sure everyone in the community and this site especially would love for you to pick our brains. It's why we do it! Think of it this way: at one point, all of us knew less than you know now. Gotta crawl before you run. The worst that'll happen is it will blow again. But you'll find out how good it feels when you pull into the cruise night, pop the hood and you can actually tell them "yeah, I did that"...

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I really like your thinking and is exactly how I started thinking 10 years ago when I had 2 cars, no instructions and swapped the engines myself. tearing into your own cars is a great way to learn.

Thanks man, I appreciate the kind words. Im just sick of a lot of people trying to be god's gift to the crankshaft and steering everyone wrong. Time to keep it real. And doing this himself is as real as it gets! I dont care how many magazines or forums someone reads. The best way to learn automotive is to just grab the latex glove and dont stop till you hit the back of the molars.... and the way I see it, we'll all pick him up if he falls, right? Its what its all about...

U guys are awesome =D. So work has been busy and I haven't had time to work on her yet, but a friend of mine tells me there is no way I blew my head gasket at only 20 psi. If my comp numbers are 160 110 0 20 what else could cause it? I know I still need to do a leak down test but I'm just looking for more info until I have time to work on her

Sorry to burst the bubble bro but. What do you mean its very possible you blew the HG with numbers like that bro! Sound like the number 2 cyl took out number 1 alittle and started on number 3 or the other way not sure your number order. Do a leak down test and a coolant pressure test and see what your results are bro. And unless you have arp's installed you have no guarantee the stock bolts and gasket will hold 20psi. They should but you never know, to much heat and boost can kill anything!

^^^^ I completely agree with this. I've seen head gaskets blow hundreds of times on N/A cars that have no forced induction. Those motors never even come close to the cylinder pressure our cars see. I would start with a leak down test for sure and follow it up with a block test (the tool you fill with fluid and take a sample of antifreeze and mix them - if it changes color there's hydrocarbons present) if hydrocarbons are present, the only possible way that can happen is either head gasket, piston or rings fried. Either way, your pulling the engine out and taking the head off. Once you get it that far, trust me, you'll know what happened. If there are no hydrocarbons, it may be bent or burnt valves. If you went lean when you gave it a hot supper then the increased oxygen to fuel ratio would make the flame like a cutting torch on the edge of the valves. If that happened and the seats are fine just replace and lap in new valves, but if the seats were damaged then its time to go get some head. Cheaper than machining....

Does really need to pull the block, pull the head for sure. If it's just a HG block can stay in for that work, unless for some reason the deck is warped. Just do as many test as you can before ripping into it. Get the best idea of what's wrong and then go at it. This way your not just pulling parts off for no reason. I would start pricing out rebuild/gasket kits, arp head studs or oem bolts and full timing belt kits, pretty sure that's what you will need bro

Finally got to start working on her today. I'm already stuck though . The factory service manual says to release the fuel line pressure, I've never done this before. I've already drained the engine oil and radiator fluid. A friend just told me to clamp the fuel lines and continue on, do I still need to figure out how to release the fuel pressure?

Just let it sit for a couple of hours if you have been driving it. That should take care of the pressure.

koryto2012 said:

Just let it sit for a couple of hours if you have been driving it. That should take care of the pressure.

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This is incorrect and poor advice, the fuel system is designed to hold pressure for day's if it's operating properly.

You're quoting the FSM, how does it tell you to relieve fuel pressure? Off the top of my head, I'm pretty sure it says to disconnect the fuel pump and crank/start the car for a few seconds to remove fuel pressure from the lines.

Gofer that is correct, it says to disconnect at the fuel tank and start the car. My problem is there is no engine oil or radiator fluid in the car now, so I'm afraid to start it and blow something up

dude. just unbolt it at the fuel filter slowly, put a rag over it and let the fuel spray out, use rag to wipe off some grease somewhere.

your gonna pull your cylinder head and got stuck there?

do not start it with no oil.

Sorry if my information is incorrect. Thats just what I read on here actually.