Ok here's the deal.... I was noticing my truck just wasn't running right, no low end off the line, sluggish till higher rpm.

Well I did a compression check yesterday to find out that the number 1 cylinder only had 30psi on a wet check all others were 120. I pulled the valve cover off thinking it might be a stuck valve or broken spring. I turned the motor over several rotations (remote starter). Everything looked fine opening and closing and no broken spring.

I asked my neighbor who is a old school racer and shad tree mech., he suggested that it might be carbon build up on one of the valves or worse case the compression ring is broken. He suggested that I should take the rocker off with motor at TDC and attach a electric drill to the valve stem and push down to open the valve, start the drill and to ease off on the spring, bringing the valve back up to the seat to scrub off the carbon, then retest for compression. If that dont change it, it might be the compression ring and time to find a new, used or rebuild the motor. Has anyone heard of doing this or have any suggestions/ideas that I can try? Any help would be great.

Man this sucks, I was wanting and have been saving for a new motor but due to me losing my job I have been living off my savings and my new motor money.

Thanks ya'll
Hoyt

 

ive never heard of it but.......its sounds logical, just BE CAREFUL WHEN PUTTING IT BACK ON ITS SEAT. they can be damaged real easy. i would not do it more than once - twice and dont turn it super fast. i would truct him if hes an old racer, they usually got good tricks.
you could try squirting a small amount of carb cleaner something tht eats carbon. while the valve is open, and then do as he told you.

i kno what its like not having a job i been off the past 4 months living on saving and sidework here and there, im goin to school to be a tech too, so i cant just sit at home and not spend.
but i got an interview with a dealer tommorow so things are lookin up

 

Put some oil in the low cylinder & check comp again , if no change its probabley a valve, i dont know how you would hook a drill to the valve with the spring on , never heard of it .. may be time to pull the heads ... Lew

 

Ok well heres the news..and it aint good. I took my truck in for a rebuild after trying the trick and due to all the cylinders dropping 30+ plus pounds of pressure over the past few years. When we pulled the head off I had a split valve on the exhust. It wore a area in the seat. So the heads are being overhauled. I've been taken photo's of the the whole rebuild so I'll start a new thread of the rebuild. Not only was the valve bad but the cam bearings were worn oout, so much that they pulled apart but never spun, caught it in time before it went south in a bad way. But the cylinders ( .005) and the crank were in fine condition. We are going .020 over on cylinders and putting a RV cam in. Thanks for the replys, look for a new thread in a day or two.

Hoyt

 

I read your first post, and ya... I have to agree, Thats a real shade tree mechanic... (drill on the valve stem)

I will say, he must be an old school racer, cuz that is like a hail marry pass, with 2 seconds on the clock, in the SuperBowl...

' Its 1 am, the final round, he lost one cylinder... Billy bob? get the dorn drill out....LOL