Hello everyone,

I did about 38% of a compression test on the truck this evening. I only managed to get 3 cylinders done before the light got too faint to continue. The results were not encouraging.

1: 44psi
2: 55psi
3: 60psi

I did cylinder 2 twice to make certain... the second time I got 49psi.

Based on the above, I suspect either a bad head gasket or bad piston rings. I did an oil change at the same time, there didn't look to be any coolant in the oil. I also checked the coolant, no oil there. So it looks like I've got some bad piston rings on cylinder 1 (if not others). I understand replacing piston rings is pretty much a rebuild... any thoughts?

 

Pour about a teaspoon of oil in each cylinder and try again, if results improve, its rings.

By the way, I missed something, what happened?

 

I'm not sure , I don't think you missed anything

 

Why are you doing the compression test?

 

I'm losing oil somewhere and I don't see a leak anywhere, so I suspect bad rings. how do you get the oil in the cylinder, just pour it through the spark plug hole? sounds a bit messy lol

 

Yes, you just pour it in, a turkey baster works good too.
If the engine still runs well, your psi numbers are way off,
Is the engine smoking through the exhaust?

 

make sure your pressure tester hose and connections are tight. you should have a badly running engine with those numbers.

 

no, engine is not smoking excessively through the exhaust. there is some white smoke on startup and while the engine warms up, but that's to be expected in the winter.

I screwed in the adapter about as tight as I'd screw in a spark plug, and the hose I just did by hand.

the engine runs as fine as ever... occasional misfire when it's damp out, and it doesn't win any races, but it's as solid as ever

 

btw this is a rental compression test kit from o'reilly, so I can't vouch for its quality

 

The engine has to be warm.