Headgasket or bottom end?

[murdercrowz]

This is on a 1999 Eclipse GSX

Hey guys have been out of the DSM loop for a good 5+ years now, and just picked up a project from a friend who is getting out of the hobby.. anyways. I finally got the car running after a cold start sensor swap, and changed some ECMLINK values.. but it runs HORRIBLE at idle... so I did a compression test and came up with some bad news.



CYL 1-2 were about 145-150 psi... and CYL 3-4 were 30 ish tops.. I was having troubles with the crappy autozone compression tester but I am fairly certain the results are accurate..


anyways when the car runs it does not smoke at all which I find weird.. and it does run and drive.... so which makes me think either some bent valves, or a popped head gasket but would it not be pouring out smoke if the HG went...

a little background of the car.. he had the water pump start leaking and caused a few over heats, he said he did not drive it and pulled over on the side of the road until it cooled down.. and limped home, but this happened more than once... he let some random shop change the water pump so I am not certain if they did a good job getting the timing back lined up..



Looking for some ideas before I go an pull the head off and start back into the money pit career thanks in advance..

 

[undefined0000]

You're right on track. Depending on how hot he let it get, it may have warped and kaboom goes the HG. With it being cylinders that are right next to each other, seems like an HG vs bent valves because of the way the pistons move, BUT with that low of compression, it would probably be throwing coolant out of the exhaust. Did you sniff for any maple syrup out of the exhaust? You really won't know until the head comes off. Low compression cause outside of the head would be piston rings. Either way, as long as you don't want it running IMMEDIATELY, you could go ahead and get some new studs, a new gasket and valves/springs.

 

[GSTurbo1]

Buy a leakdown tester before you dump money into anything. I had to bite the bullet and buy one. You will be able to pressurize the system with that piston at TDC, will tell you if you have a popped head gasket, bent valves, fried rings.

 

[undefined0000]

Buy a leakdown tester before you dump money into anything. I had to bite the bullet and buy one. You will be able to pressurize the system with that piston at TDC, will tell you if you have a popped head gasket, bent valves, fried rings.

Just picking up my slack are ya?

 

[murdercrowz]

I think I can rent one or just pull the head since I dont plan on driving the car for a few months....

Oh any no coolant smell.. I hope its not bottom end I dont have the equiptment to pull the shortblock out

 

[DropSomeMoney]

I'm new to the game. But I'm going through my compression tests and I found this link to help me understand better. http://www.dsmtuners.com/forums/art...pression-leak-down-testing.html#post151879820.

 

[murdercrowz]

Yeah either way the head needs to come off so thats what I'm gonna do.. will be able to tell whats going on once its off I think

 

[flyingewok]

Just my .02. When i blew my head gasket from cylinder to coolant passage, it only leaked out the exhaust (plumes, clouds, of water vapor) only under boost. During idle there was nothing but it was letting combustion gas into the coolant not the other way around. Also if it's blown from cylinder to cylinder it doesn't necessarily have to be leaking to a coolant passage hence no white smoke.

Oh yea and just for laughs, when i did the compression test and plugged it into the 1st cylinder...the 3rd one with all the coolant in it spit all over me, it was pretty damn hot and didn't taste very good either. Someone had an itchy trigger finger on the key. I think i was shoeing a fly away and he thought i meant go .