160, 160, 155, 157, 150, 162. Not huge figures as I expected, but not too much variation.
Adding a table spoon of oil brings compression on five up over 200. What is going on? I had this issue last time I tested. Clackety noise which I reckon is the piston pins though maybe piston slap. New pistons in any case I suppose $$.
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Clay’s Wedgewood Blue FB Ute
Re: Clay’s Wedgewood Blue FB Ute
getting my FB ute on the road
EK van on rotisserie
EK van on rotisserie
Re: Clay’s Wedgewood Blue FB Ute
Clay,
A tablespoon of oil is a good fraction of the volume of a combustion chamber, so it's no surprise that your compression will rise to 200 when you've added the oil. But at face value, worn rings are indicated. Much blow-by at idle?
Piston slap is only noticeable after a cold startup when you drive up a steep hill, and makes a sort of rapping sound. Is the clackety noise only apparent at idle? High-mileage red motors are prone to caving in the base of the lifters, and this is sometimes accompanied by a nacka-nacka sound at idle.
Do you have a pneumatic fitting spark-plug adaptor like the Ryco compression testers have? A useful check is to park the engine at TDC for the affected cylinder, and put compressed air into the cylinder. There are only three places where the air will end up: in the sump (deep fsssh sound in the guts of the motor), out the exhaust (you'll hear it breathe out the exhaust), and back through the inlet manifold (you'll hear a breathing sound at the carburettor).
Rob
A tablespoon of oil is a good fraction of the volume of a combustion chamber, so it's no surprise that your compression will rise to 200 when you've added the oil. But at face value, worn rings are indicated. Much blow-by at idle?
Piston slap is only noticeable after a cold startup when you drive up a steep hill, and makes a sort of rapping sound. Is the clackety noise only apparent at idle? High-mileage red motors are prone to caving in the base of the lifters, and this is sometimes accompanied by a nacka-nacka sound at idle.
Do you have a pneumatic fitting spark-plug adaptor like the Ryco compression testers have? A useful check is to park the engine at TDC for the affected cylinder, and put compressed air into the cylinder. There are only three places where the air will end up: in the sump (deep fsssh sound in the guts of the motor), out the exhaust (you'll hear it breathe out the exhaust), and back through the inlet manifold (you'll hear a breathing sound at the carburettor).
Rob
Re: Clay’s Wedgewood Blue FB Ute
Interesting. I've always thought 150+ was a good number for a HC red motor. Also, the numbers you have Clay are pretty well the same for all cylinders. I'm surprised these numbers are a problem . What are good numbers? Plugs just look a bit rich running to me. 
Sucker for a rusty bomb
Re: Clay’s Wedgewood Blue FB Ute
Occasionally some blow by but not a lot Rob. Might run a leak down test as you suggest.
After trying a tank of 91 unleaded I’ve gone back to 95 and advanced the timing by ear. Timing notch on the balancer is hard to line up due to proximity of the radiator which is very close to the fan. I prefer fine tuning timing by ear in any case.
I suppose I better not try E10. Will it eat my accelerator pump plunger?
FB ute fixer upper, EK van on rotisserie
After trying a tank of 91 unleaded I’ve gone back to 95 and advanced the timing by ear. Timing notch on the balancer is hard to line up due to proximity of the radiator which is very close to the fan. I prefer fine tuning timing by ear in any case.
I suppose I better not try E10. Will it eat my accelerator pump plunger?
FB ute fixer upper, EK van on rotisserie
getting my FB ute on the road
EK van on rotisserie
EK van on rotisserie
Re: Clay’s Wedgewood Blue FB Ute
Oil consumption and smoke when hammered are the issue Brett. Yes the figures aren’t bad, though my blue 202 was around 175 with stock L head and the same gauge. Did have a mild cam.
FB ute fixer upper, EK van on rotisserie
FB ute fixer upper, EK van on rotisserie
getting my FB ute on the road
EK van on rotisserie
EK van on rotisserie
Re: Clay’s Wedgewood Blue FB Ute
Are you surprised Clay ? I know you said in your blog somewhere that the motor was worn.
The fuels of today also burn much hotter and will take the oil with it, if you have knocking or slapping then she's ready for the boring machine.
Don't suppose you can locate another motor and just swap it over ?? Maybe whilst you rebuild the one you've got ??
If it was blowing smoke and no rattles I would trust it but when there's noise there's failure just around the corner.
Are there still wreckers around in SA that you could get a cheapie from ?
Greg
The fuels of today also burn much hotter and will take the oil with it, if you have knocking or slapping then she's ready for the boring machine.
Don't suppose you can locate another motor and just swap it over ?? Maybe whilst you rebuild the one you've got ??
If it was blowing smoke and no rattles I would trust it but when there's noise there's failure just around the corner.
Are there still wreckers around in SA that you could get a cheapie from ?
Greg
So many cars so little time!
Re: Clay’s Wedgewood Blue FB Ute
Cam would not influence compression Clay as cam does nothing when valves are shut. Doubt you would notice a difference when driving between 175 and your averages. Could be oil rings but I am not seeing much oil showing on those plugs so suggest more likely to be valve stem seals than rings.Love diagnostics
Sucker for a rusty bomb
Re: Clay’s Wedgewood Blue FB Ute
I've got spare motors Greg but having just done the identity inspection I'm not in a hurry to do it again. I'm actually surprised how good it is and would risk a leisurely trip. If it broke down worst case is get a tow somewhere, hitch home and come back with a changeover.
Brett, I thought bit rich too but don't know modern fuel. They all have consistent brown deposit under some soot. I won't hesitate playing with heads subject to leak down test.
Ready to go for a drive
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Brett, I thought bit rich too but don't know modern fuel. They all have consistent brown deposit under some soot. I won't hesitate playing with heads subject to leak down test.
Ready to go for a drive
Sent from my SM-G973F using Tapatalk
getting my FB ute on the road
EK van on rotisserie
EK van on rotisserie
Re: Clay’s Wedgewood Blue FB Ute
It might, if it is not a leather one. Most 80’s-90’s kits have plastic plunger cups that will slowly dissolve... but no worse than a leather one degrades when idle. The e10 may dissolve the water-soluble crap from the tank and carry it into the carb though. If the fuel line has the braided hose replaced with el-cheapo rubber hose, it may swell too.Errol62 wrote: Thu Jan 28, 2021 5:14 pmI suppose I better not try E10. Will it eat my accelerator pump plunger?
Cheers,
Harv
327 Chev EK wagon, original EK ute for Number 1 Daughter, an FB sedan meth monster project and a BB/MD grey motored FED.
Re: Clay’s Wedgewood Blue FB Ute
Sellicks Beach
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Sent from my SM-G973F using Tapatalk
getting my FB ute on the road
EK van on rotisserie
EK van on rotisserie
Re: Clay’s Wedgewood Blue FB Ute
Very nice on the highway now. 
Sent from my SM-G973F using Tapatalk
Sent from my SM-G973F using Tapatalk
getting my FB ute on the road
EK van on rotisserie
EK van on rotisserie
Re: Clay’s Wedgewood Blue FB Ute
Eldred is nodding his head in approval.
Cheers,
Harv
327 Chev EK wagon, original EK ute for Number 1 Daughter, an FB sedan meth monster project and a BB/MD grey motored FED.
Re: Clay’s Wedgewood Blue FB Ute
I just took a look at the spark plug photo: They look fine to me. That colour brown is not an indication of over-rich mixture, but does suggest that the engine's breathing in some oil, but not too much.
If I remember right, my X2 (192 + 161 head) scored upwards of 180 psi. It didn't like the phase-out of leaded super at all.
HK shop manual shows Tool 6A38 (valve spring compressor), which looks like a two-tined fork made from 5 mm spring steel. You pull the rocker arm off, put the adjuster nut back on the stud, engage the end of the "fork" under the adjuster stud and lever down on the valve spring cap to remove the collets, cap and spring. With air pressure in the cylinder, of course. It's a fiddle, but you could see how worn your valve guides are without removing the head.
Or, as I have suggested to friends with high-mileage red motors: Just drive it, changing the oil regularly, until it idles on five cylinders. As an aside, I've been "going to rebore my motor" for 100000+ miles now.
Rob
If I remember right, my X2 (192 + 161 head) scored upwards of 180 psi. It didn't like the phase-out of leaded super at all.
HK shop manual shows Tool 6A38 (valve spring compressor), which looks like a two-tined fork made from 5 mm spring steel. You pull the rocker arm off, put the adjuster nut back on the stud, engage the end of the "fork" under the adjuster stud and lever down on the valve spring cap to remove the collets, cap and spring. With air pressure in the cylinder, of course. It's a fiddle, but you could see how worn your valve guides are without removing the head.
Or, as I have suggested to friends with high-mileage red motors: Just drive it, changing the oil regularly, until it idles on five cylinders. As an aside, I've been "going to rebore my motor" for 100000+ miles now.
Rob
Re: Clay’s Wedgewood Blue FB Ute
Now who else remembers a Caltex ad from about 1970? Scene: beach. Dramatis personae: two young dudes with matching white HT 350 Monaros, damsel-in-distress on a catamaran at the water's edge.