head gasket ? (from across the pond)

[mattyb]

6 Arrived Friday ... Compression test shows very low values on No 1 and No 2 (had to battle with a spare battery losing its charge !)

 

(25 psi ) adding a drop of oil makes little or no difference on 1 and 2

 

Head gasket gone ?

 

I've used a cheap endoscope and pistons are not holed - valves are opening and closing and valve seats look good (even the exhaust !)

 

values for the rest of the cylinders are "OK" ish 50 to 90 psi (low compression cf engine ) not brilliant

 

The exhaust manifold to down pipe studs look like fun (not) any advice ??

 

pics and full report to follow !

Edited October 28, 2015 by mattyb

[TriumphV8]

Looks like a worn engine.

Mostly the piston rings I bet.

 

As it will be stripped anyway you can remove manifolds

and the valve cover and remove spark plugs and

insert a connection to compressed air instead.

 

Apply some pressure when that cylinder has valves closed and is on BDC.

Listen where the air blows out and open radiator cap to look for bubbles.

[mattyb]

Also If one of the spark plugs is replaced and compression tester is inserted in the other cylinder i.e. spark plug in cyl 1 , compression tester in cyl 2 , I don't think if makes any difference to the readings ?

 

Engine has done 104k and no history so probably tired !

 

thanks for the reply Andreas - As mentioned, I did add 3 or 4 squirts of oil to the cylinders which did not alter the readings - would this not indicate that rings are OK ?

[TriumphV8]

Yes normally that should make a difference but

as you tried something and things do not become clearer

this is the next step to find the culprit easy and besides

the plug for the air supply it is all an easy job and will help a lot.