To do a dry compression test. Unplug the coil electrical connector or the fuel pump fuse. You don't really have to do both but if you don't have much experience with working on cars you might want to for safeties sake.
Check compression starting with #1 and working your way down the line. Write your readings down! Don't try to remember them in your head.
Install the gauge on the cylinder you are testing. Open the throttle and crank the engine 5 times (you will hear the sound of the engine change as it comes up on the compression stroke) and record the reading. Move onto the next cylinder.
The numbers should be within 10% of each other. Normal compression readings on an engine from that era will be about 130 psi to 180 psi. The absolute value of the number is insignificant, you are only looking for the cylinders being close to each other so don't freak out if they are out of that range. If one cylinder is lower than the rest, squirt a tablespoon of oil into that cylinder through the spark plug hole and rerun the test. If the reading comes up to the level of the other three then you know it is the compression rings that are at fault. If it does not come up then you know the problem somewhere else.
Post your readings when you have them and I can help further from there. Sorry it took a while for me to respond, i've been busy.
Check compression starting with #1 and working your way down the line. Write your readings down! Don't try to remember them in your head.
Install the gauge on the cylinder you are testing. Open the throttle and crank the engine 5 times (you will hear the sound of the engine change as it comes up on the compression stroke) and record the reading. Move onto the next cylinder.
The numbers should be within 10% of each other. Normal compression readings on an engine from that era will be about 130 psi to 180 psi. The absolute value of the number is insignificant, you are only looking for the cylinders being close to each other so don't freak out if they are out of that range. If one cylinder is lower than the rest, squirt a tablespoon of oil into that cylinder through the spark plug hole and rerun the test. If the reading comes up to the level of the other three then you know it is the compression rings that are at fault. If it does not come up then you know the problem somewhere else.
Post your readings when you have them and I can help further from there. Sorry it took a while for me to respond, i've been busy.
