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Leakdown test results.

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laserspeeddemon

20+ Year Contributor
6,717
61
Jul 26, 2002
Fredericksburg, Virginia
BACKGROUND INFO: SKIP TO BOLD TEXT FOR RESULTS!
Not too long ago, I had a shop replace the engine in my Laser with the money I got from a deployment (contractor) (by a shop that shall not be named); since my last engine ate it's bearings (this another story that I won't go into.)

Everything has REALLY gone to crap since then. The car was not delivered on it's date. And not all the work we agreed to be done was completed.

Worst of all, the car lasted 2 days (and 125 miles). While at WOT the car felt like I slammed into a wall. The engine shuttered a few times and then I lost all boost. I thought a lost an intercooler piping. But after I got home, I found the turbo had COMPLETELY seized. This was a brand new Holset H1E. So I thought to check the turbo oil filter. When I pulled the line off the turbo, it was dry as a bone. I pulled the filter off and oil came out of the line on the engine side. When I opened the oil filter it was FULL of debris from the last engine. Bearings material and debris had clogged up the filter.

So I installed my old 16g, loaded the map that I had for it and took it for a spin. The car ran rough. I did a compression check. and I had bad numbers

1: 100 psi
2: 120 psi
3: 155 psi
4: 155 psi

My first though was the head gasket blew, so I didn't do a wet test (stupid me).

And so I ran a leakdown test. I did this by removing the valve core from my compression gauge. I wouldn't get a percentage leaked, but I could pressurize the cylinders and list for hissing. This is the first time I ran a leakdown test. I am hoping I did something wrong. This is how I performed the test.

1) Opened radiator cap
2) Started engine, let it run until coolant steams and flows by filler neck
3) Stopped car
4) Removed COP, removed spark plugs
5) Turned Cylinder 1 to TDC
6) Installed compression test hose on cylinder 1
7) Connected hose to air compressor
8) Open line on air compressor at 60 psi
9) Listened around
10) Repeated for cylinders 2-4

In all cylinders, I got NO bubbles coming from the coolant, no hissing from the throttle plate, no hissing form the exhaust. LOUD hissing from the oil dip stick and oil cap. So I am assuming I have a piston/ring problem. I am hoping that I did something wrong.

The other question is if I went from 25 psi to 0 psi instantly could this have caused damage to the engine/head?
 
I think you know what comes next. Man, i can really relate. Machinists can cost so much and do such a horrible job. Im very sorry to hear about your turbo and even more so the rings. Full disassembly, new rings(best case scenario) and you gotta get the block tanked again. New head studs etc etc... damn bro.

Im in the same boat. Tear down coming soon. This time i found a local machinist that has proven results on several dsms around here. Thank god, no actually, ill wait til i see comp numbers after break in. Then i can thank god LOL.

EDit: Even doing it without a leakdown tester is just fine. As long as you had it at tdc compression on each and did indeed hear the air coming from the oil cap/dipstick then its the rings. Werent installed correctly. Im not an expert but i believe if the piston to wall clearance isnt just right it carves up the compression rings pretty bad after a couple hundred miles or more.
 
possibly that sounds like a mess ive been there with tear downs but nothing like you had, I threw a rod bearing due to debris in my engine a few years back. Lot of work but Ive gotten used to it and im a lot more wise now about my engine and things. Sorry for your issue.
 
Wet compression test confirms that there is a problem with the bottom end. This sucks, this is the third shop to screw me like this. This time out cost me $8000 and I only got to enjoy the car for 3 days. I only put 120 miles on this engine,
 
That's a real shame man. Had same thing happen to me last summer on a2.3 build. Bad machine work equals crankwalked in 100 miles. They supposedly fixed it and it walked in 1 mile. I have since had a different shop do the machining and I assembled the engine carefully measuring everything, so far so good. People can't be trusted anymore! Only engine I would trust would be from JAM or another vendor known to do great work.
 
If this is the 3rd guy then just send it off to JAM for the next build. Fwiw, i wouldnt let a shop touch my engine without a torque plate. If they have one, thats great, but it also tells me they are somewhat experienced with high power 4g63 builds.
 
Drooping boost will not hurt the engine, I would bet you flashed rich for a moment.

Some leakage past the rings is expected, but with out the gauge to let you know the amount of leakage it is a best guess if the rings are at fault.

With the range the compression test shows, something is not right.
 
I sent an email to FP along with a few pictures, and they had some VERY good information. Anyway you look at it all roads lead to the shop being negligent. But FP said it's always hard to prove that a shop is at fault.

I'm hoping a judge will look at this and say: He paid $8000 and the car lasted only 3 days and 120. Also, the shop has (at this point) stolen about $2000 worth of parts; and the shop has been refusing his emails and calls. Judgement for the plaintiff in the amount of $10,000 (Hopefully $2000 in punitive damages) and attorney fees :)
 
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