Comp 4 good, 4 awful, leak down all fine
 

I bought a Euro S motor and before shipping the seller is doing a compression and leakdown test. Two cylinders in each bank test fine for compression, and the other two are below 100 psi. All the cylinders have good numbers, low even in the leak down test. Is that crazy or what?

Engine timing may be off. if they are cross bank cylinders. what cylinders are off ??

Possible bad headgaskets??

Dry rings. Try a wet test

By which I mean the rings may be fine, just not lubed up.

The leak down test should give you a real good indication of concerns. I would run another test...Good leak down numbers are what you are after...(which I know you know) :)

Its a twin distributor, so S2 84/86, from Japan I think.

This a large reseller of Japanese engines, and their normal practice is to run the compression and leak down as a post sale, pre shipping check. They were a bit confused about the motor in general, so I didn't press for more detail, just gave them a visa number and said ship it and I'll look it over when it gets here, but they wouldn't close the deal until it was tested, so I had to wait until today.

Right now I am very up in the air about what I will do with it. If the heads need to come off, I might as well build a hybrid 5.0L motor. If they don't, then essentially I would do the same to this motor as I am the motor going into my 85 Euro 5 spd, clean injectors, reseal intake, new rubber and the TB and WP service plus all the easy seals on the motor, then drop it in (in being my US 83 5 spd).

Having watched for the last few weeks as Greg's crew undid the bad work of the previous owner on my 84 Euro motor I am more than a little anxious to take on the work myself, but I would LIKE to. It will work out one way or another though.

warm the engine up, then re-test. Never test a cold engine: readings are way too far off.

First thing I bet I do is put some Marvel Mystery oil down each sparkplug hole. ;)

Warm up as in let it run, or heat it up some how? Maybe I could borrow Greg's hotplate?

I am hoping more will be obvious once the motor is here to look over, maybe take a look with a bore scope, at least pull the pan off etc.

After sitting about 6 months I think it took running about 15 minutes before my other motor had the lifters quiet down, and that might effect compression I think.

JimB said that sometimes if an engine is stored a long period the valves that are open can "rust" a bit, think he is talking as in a film or speckle, and the compression numbers won't come up until its run for a bit.

Oh so you're the one that had them pull the auction. I was wondering why they were backpedaling so fast when I asked what happened to the motor. From what they told me, I'm guessing timing belt failure.

Picked the motor up from the shipping terminal tonight, wow not exactly what I expected, all kinds of wires and hoses cut, including the main engine harnesses, and goofy spray paint all over.

Nice shot of the overall yucky spray paint, its not clean, its freaking paint. WTF could the person have been thinking?
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1206425609.jpg

Its an M28/22 Euro S, any info in the serial number?
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1206425520.jpg

How does this part of the motor mount end up still on the motor?
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1206425668.jpg

Cut right through the main harness, sheesh.
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1206425804.jpg

Chaos of my current garage, Euro S on hoist, US 86 on dolly.
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1206425827.jpg

Ha, love how they spray-painted the intake silver with the fuel rails/injectors still on. :)

ATTARCO, hard to complain though at the price I paid, unless it gets worse as I go deeper. Once I pull off the intake and timing belt covers etc. then I can figure out what to do with it. If I need to pull the heads though, pretty sure I will build a hybrid.