misledxcracker Posted June 3, 2008 Author Share Posted June 3, 2008 Bump... Anyone else ever encountered low compression on one cylinder from a motor that sat for a few years? Would Seafoam down the intake maybe do the trick? Or should I be looking at other engine work... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quidam Posted June 3, 2008 Share Posted June 3, 2008 Bump... Anyone else ever encountered low compression on one cylinder from a motor that sat for a few years? Would Seafoam down the intake maybe do the trick? Or should I be looking at other engine work... Yes. Cause: bore rust. No. Yes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
s'ko Posted June 4, 2008 Share Posted June 4, 2008 might be a timing belt issue but then that means that #1 the valves are closed and #3 the valves are partially open. Pulling off the timing belt.covers and you will find out. Low compression means that there is a leak in the cylinder somewhere. It's either going to be through the head gasket, the rings or worst case scenario the piston I would put my money on it being head gaskets. If you really want to have a soob, I would really consider an EJ since you seem to have super bad luck w/the EA's. EA are sort of a gamble b/c you can get these cars super cheap along with that come potential problems. Good Luck BW Otherwise, BW Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
misledxcracker Posted June 6, 2008 Author Share Posted June 6, 2008 Bosco, I know what you mean about the EA's having problems (having owned three of them and sinking major money into them ) but if I buy this wagon, I have a manual swap that I've always wanted, plus a motor that supposedly ran well upon arrival, said the dealer guy. He's not one to swindle either, he's well known in this small town for being a good guy, but just having too high of prices Could there really be any other real reason as to why this motor has as low of compression on that one cylinder like it does? If it's a valve dropped and at worst smacked the piston, I have spare good valves, good piston, good ring, and anything else. I already tore the sedan's donor block and heads apart, because they were both trash. So I have the parts to fix it. Some people told me that ATF in the oil could free up a stuck valve if thats what it is... it DID sit with Arizona water in it, which has a large amount of calcium in it and it has sat with a full tank of bad gas for three years. I really need suggestions... but if its honestly what has been said before, tell me how I can fix it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
misledxcracker Posted June 18, 2008 Author Share Posted June 18, 2008 Bump... I'm real tempted to buy this donor wagon... but that 50PSI reading on the one cylinder (with the other being higher) is still scaring me. If it's just a timing belt or head gasket, maybe even a stuck valve, I can deal with that, but ahhh... Bore rust... the car hasnt had a radiator on it for a long while, and seeing how hot it gets out here, I'm betting the water evaporated. Doubt the bore rust theory. I've been reading about carbon deposits (the car has sat for years) and maybe it's just carbon in there? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
McDave Posted June 18, 2008 Share Posted June 18, 2008 Here is something to consider. If you had run a compression test on your sedan motor before tearing it down, you would have gotten the same type readings as on this other motor, ie low compression on one cylinder. It sounds like it has suffered the same fate as the sedan motor and that it is likely Arizona heat related. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
misledxcracker Posted June 18, 2008 Author Share Posted June 18, 2008 Here is something to consider. If you had run a compression test on your sedan motor before tearing it down, you would have gotten the same type readings as on this other motor, ie low compression on one cylinder. It sounds like it has suffered the same fate as the sedan motor and that it is likely Arizona heat related. Huh? I did run a compression test on the sedan motor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
McDave Posted June 18, 2008 Share Posted June 18, 2008 Sorry, I must have missed that part. The point is this other motor doesn't sound like it's any better than what you already have and I doubt you will end up with enough parts between the two to make one good one... heads in particular. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
misledxcracker Posted June 18, 2008 Author Share Posted June 18, 2008 The sedan motor had worse compression, had bad valves, bad rings, bad everything. Milkshake, oil raised the compression on it, it was just horrible. I knew the heads were toast, so I scrapped them, and later the block after I found out IT was scrap. This one just has low compression on one cylinder. Putting oil in the cylinder does not raise the compression, either. Oil looks fine, but it has no water, because it has no radiator. How is that the same? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
McDave Posted June 18, 2008 Share Posted June 18, 2008 The sedan motor had worse compression, had bad valves, bad rings, bad everything. Milkshake, oil raised the compression on it, it was just horrible. I knew the heads were toast, so I scrapped them, and later the block after I found out IT was scrap. This one just has low compression on one cylinder. Putting oil in the cylinder does not raise the compression, either. Oil looks fine, but it has no water, because it has no radiator. How is that the same? How is it better? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
misledxcracker Posted June 18, 2008 Author Share Posted June 18, 2008 Because the motor may just have a stuck valve? Or maybe just a blown headgasket? Or maybe the timing is off? Or... just not in need of a complete rebuild like the sedan's motor was? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
McDave Posted June 18, 2008 Share Posted June 18, 2008 Because the motor may just have a stuck valve? Or maybe just a blown headgasket? Or maybe the timing is off? Or... just not in need of a complete rebuild like the sedan's motor was? True but you won't know until you tear into it. Is it worth a $300 gamble, particularly since you don't have a spare head or two? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
misledxcracker Posted June 19, 2008 Author Share Posted June 19, 2008 True but you won't know until you tear into it. Is it worth a $300 gamble, particularly since you don't have a spare head or two? Used cars are a gamble in the first place :-p One head should be OK as there's high compression numbers on that side. (drivers side) The other head? I don't know, I can get another head for cheap on here, or other sources... it's just hard getting an engine out here. PLUS... my sedan is a 3AT... the donor wagon in question has a 5 speed and a good clutch! That right there is a selling point itself, IMO. There's another wagon ('87 GL 4WD) for $650 that "needs a timing belt" which isnt for sure if thats what it is, and another one for $1200 that runs, but an '88 DL (actually my FIRST subaru I owned, that someone else bought) but c'mon now... $1200 for a DL 3AT sedan... ....then again, if he'd take payments on it... it WAS my first subaru... hmmm... i may have to check into it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
McDave Posted June 19, 2008 Share Posted June 19, 2008 Used cars are a gamble in the first place :-p One head should be OK as there's high compression numbers on that side. (drivers side) The other head? I don't know, I can get another head for cheap on here, or other sources... it's just hard getting an engine out here. PLUS... my sedan is a 3AT... the donor wagon in question has a 5 speed and a good clutch! That right there is a selling point itself, IMO. There's another wagon ('87 GL 4WD) for $650 that "needs a timing belt" which isnt for sure if thats what it is, and another one for $1200 that runs, but an '88 DL (actually my FIRST subaru I owned, that someone else bought) but c'mon now... $1200 for a DL 3AT sedan... ....then again, if he'd take payments on it... it WAS my first subaru... hmmm... i may have to check into it. Yeah when I was car shopping a couple weeks ago I ran across a nice Legacy wagon for a good price. Problem was it had a power steering leak so bad you couldn't run the car long enough for a test drive to see if it had overheating issues or other problems. Mechanic had told him that it needed a rack and a hose. Sounds like some dummy tried to replace the hose and cross threaded it at the rack. I probably could have messed with it for a couple hours and gotten it threaded right, but I would have had to tow it home 50 miles first, then not know what kind of shape the rest of the car was in until fixing the PS leak. Pass. Having a running car to start with improves your odds of getting a good one by a wide margin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
misledxcracker Posted June 19, 2008 Author Share Posted June 19, 2008 Yeah when I was car shopping a couple weeks ago I ran across a nice Legacy wagon for a good price. Problem was it had a power steering leak so bad you couldn't run the car long enough for a test drive to see if it had overheating issues or other problems. Mechanic had told him that it needed a rack and a hose. Sounds like some dummy tried to replace the hose and cross threaded it at the rack. I probably could have messed with it for a couple hours and gotten it threaded right, but I would have had to tow it home 50 miles first, then not know what kind of shape the rest of the car was in until fixing the PS leak. Pass. Having a running car to start with improves your odds of getting a good one by a wide margin. I have a running truck (well a big Chevy version of the Brat, kinda ) so all is good there, I'm cool with a little project. A head job (valves if needed, piston if also needed worst case scenario) doesnt bother me at all. It's just FINDING the parts out here is so difficult and shipping isnt an option because I don't have a forklift or a business address. $79 extra for residential? No thanks And plus, I like the idea of having that 2WD 5-speed to throw in too... $300 for a 5 speed swap alone at the JY in these parts would run about the same... plus the gas in the 10MPG truck to get to the junkyard 70 miles away (BTW you coulda drove that Legacy home no problem, if it's leaking from the rack. It's not going to blow right then and there... Ran on a dry rack for 800 miles straight, filled it up, it leaked it out within a day, refilled, drove 800 miles back.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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