cyl #2 0 compression :(

Hello again fellow addicts, at least that's what my wife calls me, anyway, I have finally got around to doing the compression test that I had been fearing would bring the results it did. 120 on 1,3,4 and 0 on 2.

Question is, am I totally screwed? I don't have access to an air compressor to do the other test where air is hooked up to the cylinder... What do I do next? Valve cover off? What are jet valves? I read about them but I never had a car that had them or if it did I did not know about it.

I'm hanging on to the hope of not having to do a rebuild. I simply can't afford that right now, is it safe to keep driving on three cylinders? It does great at highway speeds, is just at idle that she seems to have an issue, I can't get her dialed in because she shakes at idle and I don't want to crank up the idle speed.

Any advice? What do I look for when valve cover is removed? Worse case scenario? And not so worse case? Are we talking valve job?

I really like my truck, I just don't have lots of money to use, (these days who does right?).

Anyway, thanks in advance, all and any advice will be appreciated.

Pull the valve cover and check the valve train. If all looks good pull the head. That's all you can do is dig deeper tell you see the problem.

First you should verify that your timing belt didn't slip and its still in correct time. If its timed correctly then you can probably rule out a bent valve. When you remove the valve cover turn the engine over by hand and verify that the valves for #2 are going through the motions.

Zero compression due to a ring/piston issue will result in a ton of blow by and the crank case being pressurized. You could remove the vacuum hoses from the pvc ports on the valve cover and cap the hoses. Leave the ports on the valve cover open. Then start the truck up and let it idle while you pull the oil dipstick and feel if there is alot of air coming out, or see if any oil is splashing out. A ton of air and oil being thrown out is a bad sign.

Thanks Camoit and Mischif. I will do that today, although I have noticed that at highway speeds she runs well, if it is worse case scenario and I need a rebuild I might have to just drive her around until she dies and then do a whole rebuild after I save as much money or at least enough to get started.

I drove around for like 3 days with a dead cylinder due to a cracked ringland on a piston. It smoked so much, i think i got a healthy dose of carbon dioxide poisining every time i drove it. After the third day i said screw that and ripped the engine out.

So if yours isn't going through oil like crazy or smoking like a refinery then it shouldn't hurt to keep it in service. The engine probably wont care, but your health might.

Will a bad head gasket be a possible cause? I noticed water coming out of the tailpipe, not a lot of smoke, nothing actually at idle, some while driving. I had wife issues and didn't get to take off the valve cover

I dont think it would be a head gasket. If you blew a hole in it big enough to not allow the cylinder to make any compression what so ever, i would think it would be obvious. The cylinder really makes zero compression? Like not even a few psi? To me 0 psi means either you got a broken rocker arm and your intake valve isn't opening at all, or a valve bent and broke off.

Its 0
I will take the valve cover off and see what i can see. Taking off the head is a bit more than i have done in the past if i have to i will, im afraid of the timing chain. Actually mor afraid of distributor. Can i take the rockers off to unstick a valve or head has to come off?

I got a quote of 700 dollars today the diagnose is a burnt valve. Does that sound fair?? I mean if the head isn't warped the machine shop isn't needed is it? How hard is it so seat valves. I almost want to do it to save me the labor cost and for the learning experience. I would be doing all new valve stem seals right? What else do I need to buy, valves of course...

If you want to do everything yourself and do it as cheap as possible, then hit up a junkyard snag a valve to replace your burnt valve. Pull your head, remove the burnt valve, then lap the crap out of the junkyard valve into the head until it seals. replace that valves valve seal and put it all back together. Headgasket, a thing of lapping compound, a valve seal, and the junkyard valve, probably do it for less than $50.

You can pick up a head off ebay ready to go and a head gasket for alot cheaper than $700 bucks.

That is the idea, I will do my practice run at the junkyard. I need to know how to do it without breaking anything like bolts or parts. I will document the process with photos

Im actually in the process of doing a lapping valve job to a head i just got from the junkyard to replace the cracked head that was on my MM.

First i'll say is damn. I had one hell of a time disassembling the valve train. The typical technique of placing a socket on a extension and holding it on the valve retainer and giving it a good wack to undo the retainers/locks didn't work. Still worked in unsticking the retainers/locks/springs so that i could throw a valve spring compressor on and undo the valve train that way. Right now i have the head stripped bare ready to get a lapping, just haven't had time to do it yet since i've been busy with work.

When im removing the valve train from a head i like to set two pieces of wood under the ends of both sides of the head. So that the valves are free to open past the bottom of the head. that way i don't have to worry about accidentally bending a valve from it being pushed into the table top or whatever surface you have it resting on while doing disassembly.

Don't be intimidated by the lapping process, its very simple. You can do it with a little suction cup lapping tool. This way can take FOREVER especially on the exhaust valves. You can also use a drill instead of the suction cup tool. It will get the job done in a fraction of the time but you do have to make sure your not putting any sideways force on the valve/guide. Up and down is the only movement you'll want from the drill, otherwise you may ruin the guide.

Thanks for the tips Mischif. I think i will try to find a whole head and make sure there are no cracks or warps. Buy it at the pic a part and get that dialed in, then swap out the heads. I mean is an option I think. That way i can do the actual swap in one day as opossed to having the truck taken apart for days.

Well i found a head at the pic a part, 85 usd with the valve train and the cam. It looks good, I will take it apart and clean and seat the valves. It was a pain in the butt to take off, but it was good practice for when i do the one on my truck. I will take some pictures of what i do and if i get stuck i will keep asking for help

I believe I have found and solved my issue with the truck, a burned, actually broken exhaust valve on cylinder 2, so, the junkyard head was gone thru, valves lapped, checked for clearance and generally cleaned up and made pretty, new valve stem seals, new gaskets all around, even for the fuel pump, and thermostat housing. here are some pictures of the head with the problem, hopefully tomorrow I will get done and get her started, I need to plate her so I can enjoy my baby. My wife gets jealous, says I spend way more time with my truck than with her... well, maybe jajaja

Poor valve. Well at least thats all it needed was just a head swap. While you still got it opened up, how do your cylinder walls look?

The cylinder walls look good, i checked for scratches and generally anything out of the ordinary. I think i can get her all buttoned up today. Got to start early, its already getting kind of warm here in las vegas, we hit 112 yesterday. Today looks the same way.

Well, i have to take everything apart again :( I messed up somewhere along the line, after all was put together i tried starting without putting the valve cover on to check everything was working. Oil is going up normal. But is like I get no spark. So I guess I messed up the timing after all... :(

Thats what I get for not taking the timing chain cover... Now I will have to. I had everything at TDC when I took it apart, I set the cam the exact same way it was when I took it off...

Anyway, back to it tomorrow.

I figured out what I did wrong, nothing as dramatic as fudging the whole thing up, but I set up the valve train and did not check for clearance on the rocker arms, so my valves were open the whole time :bang::bang::bang::bang: so, yeah, I am a dumb ass hahaha. My friend who fixes motorcycles pointed it out to me, so this afternoon, when we hit 100 degrees f and is nice and cool i will do that, and go from there...