Help needed on leakdown tester?

[axl911]

Hi all,

I've recently got this Matco 2 guage leak down tester, but without any instruction.

It's the "CYLINDER LEAKAGE TESTER" on the page.
http://www.matcotools.com/Catalog/toolcatalog.jsp?cattype=T&cat=2170&page=2&#30010

Anyone know how to use this. One line goes to the air source and the other goes to the cylinder. But how do you carry out the test and read the result?

thanks,
anthony

[axl911]

That page should be.

http://www.matcotools.com/Catalog/toolcatalog.jsp?cattype=T&cat=2170&page=2&#30010

[axl911]

Try it again.

www.matcotools.com/Catalog/toolcatalog.jsp?cattype=T&cat=2170&page=2&#30010

[dad911]

See my post, near bottom of page: leak down test

[911mot]

Dunno about the tool but I can help with the link

http://www.matcotools.com/Catalog/crossreference.jsp?cattype=T&cat=2170&si=30010

[304065]

Anthony:

You should do a search in the Engine Forum under "Leak Down" for more info.

I have the same tester. Procedure is as follows:

1. Start car and drive for 20 minutes or so until the engine is at operating temperature, oil at least 180F. If you skip this step the readings will not be accurate, you want everything to be expanded from heat.

2) Screw the 14MM adapter on to the end of the hose and tighten it with a wrench and some vice-grips on the adapter.

3) Disconnect battery. You do NOT want to accidentally crank the motor while performing the leakdown, bones will break.

4) Open trunklid and remove air filter and oil filler cap.

5) Remove spark plug leads. Label the leads so you get them connected back to the proper cylinders.

6) Remove #1 spark plug. Label #1 plug with a permanent marker.

7) Insert the leakdown tester in the #1 spark plug hole. Careful, stuff is HOT! Don't cross thread the tester or you will strip the plug. I slid a length of aluminum tubing about 4" long over the tester to make it easier to stick into the plug hole and tighten down. Grady Clay acually built a special adapter with a quick-disconnect fitting from a couple old spark plugs, very slick. He posted a picture in the thread I referred you to above. Not strictly necessary but if you're going to do this a few times, definitely worth it.

8) Remove distributor cap. With the tester in the hole, place your thumb over the quick-disconnect on the end of the hose. Turn the engine clockwise using a ratchet (I think it's a 26MM? but not sure) until you have verified that you are at the end of the compression stroke on the #1 cylinder. When the compression cycle is over, you won't feel any more pressure in the hose, that's why you have your thumb over it. I actually bought a whistle to make it easier, from the Eastwood company- it whistles until the piston is at TDC.

9) Verify TDC by checking to see that the distributor rotor is pointing to the notch in the distributor housing opposite where the #1 plug wire goes. This is about the 5 o'clock position looking toward the front of the car.

10) With the engine at #1 TDC, you may now connect up an air source to the tester. If it took you an hour to do all the above the engine is now cool, go back out and heat it up again! Dont' forget the plug! Anyway, assuming you're ready to go, conect the air source to the quick disconnect line to the tester. Do NOT connect the hose to the cylinder yet.

11) On the bottom of the tester there is a black knob that adjusts the pressure. This knob locks in place, to change the pressure you pull the knob out axially (away from the body of the tester). Rotate the knob all the way to the left (anticlockwise) to lower the pressure. SLOWLY turn the knob to the right to increase the pressure until the right-hand gauge reads "0%." You should only be showing about 35 PSI on the left-hand gauge when this occurs. Be absolutely certain you're at 0%, then push in the knob to lock the pressure setting.

12) Are you ready for the test FINALLY? Yes. Connect up the hose from the cylinder to the gauge using the small quick-disconnect fitting. You will hear air leaking out. Read the percentage leakdown. Be HONEST, if it says 15%, write down 15%, you are going to do this a couple times to make sure you didn't do the test wrong, anyway.

13) REPEAT for all the other cylinders before the engine cools down.

Good luck!

[axl911]

I searched the forum but couldn't find the procedure to set the guage.

The instructions by John are exactly what I was looking. Thanks John!

----
anthony