Best engine compression gauges according to redditors
We found 12 Reddit comments discussing the best engine compression gauges. We ranked the 3 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the top 20.
We found 12 Reddit comments discussing the best engine compression gauges. We ranked the 3 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the top 20.
All of this is fantastic advice. Spot on. I'd like to add a few items for examining ads, looking at the bikes themselves, and tips to avoid being stuck with a lemon.
Good luck looking for bikes. I hope this helps.
Not an expert, but
I'd focus on the drive train issues first, get all those tires working, might be a lost cause before going any deeper, but others will have to help with that, I take that kind of stuff to my mechanic.
Brake pedal could be that it's low on brake fluid, or one of the brake calipers is stuck.
My quad has a foot brake like that and a hand brake, but the foot brake only brakes 1 tire. That tire has two brake calipers on it's roter, one to the foot break and one to the hand brake. So the hand brake is all 4 wheels, and the foot brake is 1 wheel. There is a master cylinder on my hand brake and another on my right rear tire (foot brake). If my foot brakes master cylinder runs low or springs a leak, my pedal goes through the floor like in your pic but I'll still have brakes on the hand brake. It's like a double/emergency braking system. If my hand brake goes out I can down shift (engine brake) and lay on that foot brake to brake and not hit a tree...
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Fuel wise, it's likely carburetor being old. The carburetor should have a primer on it that injects gas into the carb when you press/pull it. Those generally have a diaphragm in them (rubber) that tends to go bad over time and cause a fuel leak.
If you can find a diagram of the carburetor that would help emensely.
Really though, you should take the whole carburetor off, take it apart and give it a bath in carb cleaner (no plastic/rubber in there) and clean all the jets out.
Also, they make rebuild kits for most carb's that come with all new jets, and pilot screw etc. See if you can find one. I typically just replace them all, easier and then I have spares.
Also, inspect the carb's vent hose and make sure it's intact and not clogged. Check the fuel line too, for damage/rot.
You should also remove the gas tank and clean it out. Take the petcock off and inspect the filters and valve, then clean the whole gas tank out so there's no dirt/bad gas in there.
Then check/change the spark plug(s). Before running it though, I'd check the valve clearance on the valves, guides on that online.
Once all that's done, it should run good and not leak gas.
Then you can address your other issues.
Pending how old it is, there are some parts I might replace just because:
If the current ones are working, call them spares.
Starters and solenoids are cheap, voltage regulators OEM are expensive, but you can buy a few after markets pretty cheap to have spares.
Tool wise, I can recommend at least the following:
Then your typical ratchet sets, air tools, impact guns, etc.
And socket extensions (long ones) because getting to some things is a royal pita.
Oh boy...
Compression test it. Google it. Cherokeeforum.com, naxja, etc. This isn't really the place to get any kind of tech advice. Not even close.
I don't really feel like getting into all of this tbh... but for starts oil leaks don't = burning stuff. That makes no sense. Oil leaks, blowby, and burning oil are all just part of the life of a 4.0. Burning coolant is no bueno. It will wipe your engine eventually.
Compression testing is the first step to see what your engine is doing internally.
Don't buy the HF compression tester. It sucks balls. Trust me.
this one is actually very good for the money. I trust it. Seemed to work fine on my civic, gmc, xj, and snowmobile.
Even if your engine is totally fine, you need to address the heater control valve and VCG - but it's a good idea to comp test as well.
From what I hear, miata engines seem to be pretty solid even at high miles. That being said, it depends on how the owner drove and maintained the car. When you're looking to buy, ask the owner if you can run a compression test on the motor. They're pretty cheap for what they can tell you.
With something like this. https://www.amazon.com/Innova-3612-Compression-Tester-Piece/dp/B000EVU89I
Often you can rent or borrow these from shops or DIY garages. For the testing itself; any youtube tutorial will do. I personally like to watch chrisfix.
https://youtu.be/PNhuDCVIydw
Here is the adapter and here is the gauge.
https://www.amazon.ca/INNOVA-3612-Compression-Tester-Piece/dp/B000EVU89I/ref=mp_s_a_1_5?keywords=compression+tester&qid=1563192308&s=gateway&sprefix=compression+test&sr=8-5
Or pick something up from your local Canadian Tire.
http://www.amazon.com/INNOVA-3612-Compression-Tester-Piece/dp/B000EVU89I/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1463577640&sr=8-1&keywords=compression+tester
And Re: the vacuum line yes, that line on both ends with the rubber boots is good. I saw that they crack easily but mine are both pliable and the rear was REALLY hard to remove (had to check it out) so it was snugly on there. I checked all the small vacuum lines and the boots all look good, they all seem to be in the right places. There is a line in the very top right corner (look for the green connector) that goes from there to the right side of the intake that is somewhat brittle, but messing with it didn't seem to affect the engine performance at all.
I have to think this is all pointing towards timing considering what you've said and what I've read about O2 sensors and vacuum leaks. I will order up the compression tester if you think that is worth it .. seems like I may need a special fitting for the 5.4l Triton engine and it seems like it might have narrow plug holes? I see that OTC and others sell a specialty adapter but others on Amazon seem to just have a long hose with adapters anyhow.. so would those work?
http://www.amazon.com/INNOVA-3612-Compression-Tester-Piece/dp/B000EVU89I?ie=UTF8&psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=ox_sc_act_title_1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER
It was a bit of work, but the compression check is super simple and if the compression is bad then you don't need to fix anything else until the compression is fixed. I got my compression tester from Amazon https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000EVU89I/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
OH ITS A 2 STROKE, wow i completely neglected to notice that, MY BAD. youre right there won't be an oil fill. yeah that ratio is important!
good thinking pulling the carb apart, that pin is called the '[mix] needle' btw (real complex huh - youll notice a lot of this shits like this, quite straight forward).
well that's a relief, saves you the time and effort trying to buy and fit a new motor. those motors I mentioned wouldn't just bolt on, you would've had to fab a mount for it and some sort of transmission to the wheels (easiest thing to do is weld a sprocket onto the axel and use a chain).
congrats! youve been learned motors. theyre really easy to tinker with, just dont break anything lol.
sidenote: if you're real curious to see the actual health of the engine, get a compression gauge. don't wanna get balls deep in the project only to watch the engine slowly lose power and die. the engine is back up and running so honestly I wouldn't really worry about it, but like I said im meticulous so I like to know these things. readings should be like 120-170psi. Super simple to use. Just take out the spark plug, put the gauge in, hold the throttle all the way open and rip the starter cord a few times and see when the needle stops climbing, thats your measurement.
https://www.amazon.com/INNOVA-3614-Compression-Tester-Plus/dp/B000EVU8JS/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1468123185&sr=8-2&keywords=compression+gauge
(I am not a shill) I got this one and it works pretty well.