SR Cranks but wont start. Timing perfect.

[ultimateirving]

Originally Posted by Danger_Dorn

So...did a compression test today. Found out cylinder 4 (one closest to the firewall?) was the only one with compression at about 100. The other cylinders had 0. Not sure whats going on. Cosworth Metal headgasket, Arp headstuds torqued to 90, copper tack spray on both sides of the HG. I dont know what else to do or if I should do a tear down and put new piston rings in...This is my DD and its already been down for like a month between waiting on parts and BS. Thanks

Wow thats pretty crazy man, I would get a leak down test to see what the results say.

[Danger_Dorn]

No where around here has a leakdown I just want the damn thing to run so Ill probably be passing it off to a shop for new rings, bearings and valve seals. How much should all that be? 1K? Maybe more? Sick of this damn car right now. Sorry for the rant but you know how it is.

[codyace]

Avoid a shop for as long as you can, unless there is a reputable one near you.

I'd be willing to bet it's the HG not sealing.

[Kingtal0n]

0psi? are you sure? that sounds wrong, even a bad set of rings will get you 60-90psi of compression. Even if half the top of the piston is missing/melted you should still get something. Do more testing. pull the head if you have to.

Did you get the block decked at any point and forget to deck the oil pump? Was anyone ever in the bottom end? pull the valvecover and watch the valves open and close, and check the cam timing.

***edit
I watched your video. The only extra thing I can think of is improper torque sequence of head studs, which you shouldnt even be using unless you decked the block with a torque plate attached.
If I was in your situation, I would double check the compression first, and do a leakdown test, to verify where your compression is going. Buy one on ebay if you have to. I found one at harbor freight in a pinch, used and returned it.

[Danger_Dorn]

Thanks guys Ill try to hunt down a leakdown tester. As far a torque sequence, I did it according to ARP's and the FSM directions and they are torqued to 90 So I guess Ill get back to you with the results. Any sounds I should be listening for if I turn the motor over manually such as air whooshing or whatever?

[Kingtal0n]

Originally Posted by Danger_Dorn

Thanks guys Ill try to hunt down a leakdown tester. As far a torque sequence, I did it according to ARP's and the FSM directions and they are torqued to 90 So I guess Ill get back to you with the results. Any sounds I should be listening for if I turn the motor over manually such as air whooshing or whatever?

I thought of something while I was falling asleep.

Take out all of the plugs. crank the engine. It should turn over smoothy, fast. air should whoosh right out of the spark plug holes. (verify this)

Now, install just 1 single spark plug and crank again. the motor should still turn smoothly, but when it hits that one cylinder, it should slow down and make obvious compression noises.

do that for each plug, and determine if the engine sounds different on different cylinders. If what you say is true about #4, then it should only really slow down on #4.

again, did somebody deck the block and forget to deck the oil pump? I am still having a hard time believing 0psi on 1-3.
To me, if that was any old random motor, I would just install some new plugs and watch it fire right up.

[Danger_Dorn]

Thanks, Ill give that ^ a try man. I have cranked and cranked and it will just sputter on 1 cyl (#4). Now all I can think is 1, maybe washed out piston rings from flooding but in that case i would still have SOME kind of compression. I dont know. My next guess was that the head gasket didnt seal right considering that 1: I didnt deck the block at all, and 2: I used a cosworth 1.8 mm metal hg. So maybe it didnt seal right? I would love to hand it over to a shop and make them deal with it but thats 1300 bones or so compared to doing it myself for 300?

[Danger_Dorn]

UPDATE! Best shop in town (1 of 3 lol) has informed me that they can rebuild everything like main bearings, piston rings, HG blah blah for 5-600 bucks. All I have to do is pull the motor and voilla! Glad my motor is easy as hell to take out. 4 Hours tops I think...

[Danger_Dorn]

Yeah so reviving my own thread. Got my motor back from the shop and still....you guessed it, NOTHING. Same as when I dropped it off. Im about to take the car and motor up there this monday and say make it work or we're going to have problems. Compression on 1 and 4. 2 and 3 still dead. Got new everything (bearings, rings, metal HG, decked head and block, new valve seals, ARP rod bolts, ARP Head studs, new valve shims and guides, new timing chain kit) Yeah....so Im at a loss. Any Ideas?

[OnTheChip]

Are you sure your compression tester is working?

[cotbu]

You need to do that leak down! You're just shooting in the dark if all you have is no compression on 2 and 3. You could put this to bed if the block is damaged or the rings are toast, etc. Leak down, and/or tear down and install a stock head gasket just for testing.

[Danger_Dorn]

Hello friends! Got the problem solved. The whole time it was not enough cranking amps to make oil PSI for the lifters! We put 200A through that bish and it fired right up. Now I'm having misfire issues but thats a diff thread