Blown headgasket or Bad Rings?

[force_feed]

I'm buying a 90 Talon from a friend of mine with a rebuilt motor with about 3k on it, and I want to get an opinion before I tear it apart to fix it.

The cars compression is 90 across the board. He thinks its the head gasket because the car ran hot on him a few times before he stopped driving it.

After the initial compression test, I poured about a cap full of oil in each cylinder and did the test again. This time the results were about 120-130 in each cylinder.

With that being said I think its the rings....but I could be wrong. What do you think?

 

[mikus]

It seems odd that all four would be so consistent if it were a HG. This was probably a cold test? That will generally throw off results.

 

[97gst_spyder]

If the oil added boost the pressure in each cyl, then it most likely the rings.

But a leak down test will tell you instantly.

 

[brandonwh64]

If you can get it cheap then i say go for it and rering it.

 

[force_feed]

90 psi was at operating temp.

Yea I can get it pretty cheap.

 

[phunny]

I'd go with the rings, and just put a new HG on it for peace of mind.

 

[SrKegler]

Might as well rering it while you've got that much torn down. I'd have the head checked since you said he overheated it a couple of times. Our heads warp easily.

 

[FLASH1970]

Leakdown test it.

 

[phunny]

Leakdown test it.

This really is the only way to be sure.