Compression Testing with engine on stand

[Ocelotl]

On the last episode I got my truck running in spite of having several low-compression jugs and a heat-soaking IP. I also had my eye on a 7.3IDI turbo engine core at the junkyard for a rebuild.

I'm not so sure I'm going to go get that engine core anymore because I found a craigslist ad for a 7.3 IDI NA engine. The ad was a couple of months old but I thought I'd call anyway, you just never know. I figured the $800 he was asking for it was cheaper than a rebuild. As luck would have it, he hadn't sold it yet and straight away he said he'd take $300 for it if I went and got it ASAP. It was the end of this past June, he was moving and had to clear stuff out of the place he was vacating.

So of course I ended up picking it up, and he threw in a 2WD ZF5 (missing the shift lever and top cover), a PSD turbo (turbine and compressor only), a starter and other bits just to get them out of the way. The engine looks clean enough, he said it came out of a truck with 200K miles, that it ran well, etc., but that's all he knew. He was going to transplant it into some project or another but when he had to move he parted out the truck it came with and this is all he had left.

The engine looks clean enough but I guess it could have been pressure washed at some recent point. Or painted, judging by the paint on the exhaust manifolds. I'd like to do a compression test before I begin to think about putting it in my truck once the summer work rush is over at the end of August. Other than having oil in it, taking out the glow plugs, putting a starter on it and cranking it with a battery or two, what else should I do before I try this while it's on the stand? I might eventually start it briefly to check oil pressure. I know it's simple enough, but I don't want to miss anything just because I didn't ask

You must be registered for see images

You must be registered for see images

You must be registered for see images

 

[riotwarrior]

before cranking over with starter and no glow plugs, BAR IT OVER BY HAND FIRST without the GP's.. feeling and listening for any thing out of ordinary, sudden braking from rust in cyl etc.

do this dry and listen very carefully, rusted bore and rings sound and feel different and usually cause engine to bind.

better to feel by hand than buzz through crud with powerful starter.

for comp test make sure bats are charged or even on charger too. that will make all 8 cyl spin bout same speed each time ya test.

you can fire for oil pressure test easily too power to FSS and away ya go.

hope that helps

Al