I just bought a beautiful mess... care to express an opinion?

[aneal000]

Ok, I just did a leak down test and I can hear/feel air out the exhaust. Should the air pressure alone be enough to force it closed? If this is the case how can a leak down test be used accurately if it forces the valves shut? This is my first experience with a leak down test. Just trying to understand. Is there a chance something else is holding the valve open slightly? I'm holding out hope that the spring is broke and something is physically holding it open slightly.

[Ian c]

Originally Posted by aneal000

If this is the case how can a leak down test be used accurately if it forces the valves shut? .

With an air leak test you are basically pressurizing the combustion chamber to perform a pressure test to see what is NOT sealing .
A bit like ressurizing your water pipe system at home to find/check for a leak .

We knew you had a leak , the compression test told us that .

What the air leak (leak-down) test tells you where it is leaking from .

The inlet and exhaust valves and the piston give you a "closed space "

Air will either leak by the piston (bottom end problem) or the head (top end problem) or the gasket (head gasket problem)

You've now found where its coming from ....