hey all..
i didn't realise it.. but i have actually been running on 5 cylinders for a while.. and realised it today when i was doing the cam belt and the camshaft seal...when i cranked the motor.. it was runnin rough.. found out that cylinder 1 has very low compression.. i can run the motor with the plug lead out and it makes no difference when plugged back into the motor... (hopefully.. looks like the seal gave in completely on the 1st cylinder's valves..)
but i haven't noticed much of a performance loss.. anyone else experience this?
BTW
to all the people on the australia day nsw cruz
did i seem sluggish to anyone there? i went up macquarie pass easy as...
but anyway.. the engine's getting stripped soon.. and hopefully its just the valves and not a cracked block..(PRICEY) NOOOO!!!

That's pretty weird to not have any power loss.

Also, normally with a dropped cylinder you'd be able to see some sort of smoke/fumes from the exhaust?

I know.. u would think that...
i am having struggles figuring it out....
but there is definately NO compression on cyclinder 1...
unless it has been a progressive failure...of the valve stem seals..
oh.. well
guess i will know when i pull the head off on friday... what a fun job...
that gonna take a good few hours :( .... there goes my wknd..
no no nothing from zorst... although u can hear a pop sound which is the miss..

There's a quick way to check for valve stem seals.. let the car idle for about 2 minutes in neutral then floor it and see if any blue smoke (burnt oil) comes out the exhaust. If it does you're up for new seals, if you have a constant stream of smoke - a rebuild :cry:

Howdy,
Valve stem seals wont cause a loss of compression just a bit of smoke under certain conditions as said above post.
Loss of compression comes from:1. bad valve and or seat, 2. piston rings will give bad blow by, 3. crack in head (depending where to what symptoms) 4. Very unlikely, a hole in the piston.

Check your oil if it's milky, cracked head.Also *COLD ENGINE* with radiator cap off *COLD ENGINE*, start and run checking radiator water for noticeable bubbling, cracked head.

Blow by is the result of the compressed air leaking past the rings and pressurising the sump.

Leaking valves show up as low compression.

yo..
ok well i took the head off on friday..
and its not a cracked head :) thank goodness.
its the intake valve on Cylinder 1 that isn't sealing AT ALL...
so its off to the engineering shop :)
getting the valve runners redone.(side to side play only slight)
getting new stem seals.. getting the heads skimmed... all the valves re cut and the intake and exhaust inlet/outlets recut also.
all this for around $200 a head. but i am suppling the seals. and i have done most of the work... i am only giving them the vavles and the head.. everything else i have taken apart....
so my poor car is in the garage with no heads up on stands :...(

you didnt bend the valve by rotating the crank with the timing belt off? there an interferance design you know! :redface:

Interference design or not, when you take the belt off the head, it will tend to 'park' itself with all of the valves closed (or as closed as they can be) due to the valve springs. I have a 3rd gen head that does this (all closed when belt off).

On a rotating engine when the belt breaks, you have momentum. When you remove the belt - no such problem.

Cheers
Heath Young

no it doesn't matter if you rotate the crank as said.. cause all the valves are shut..
i have done it before :P
it seems to me only the 1 valve and i just found out that it wasn't bent but actually very badly worn.. for some reason?
but anyway.. the heads on again.. and it goes for a test run tomoz :)
hopefully all is good..
got most of the hosing replaced :P and some metal piping too :P
all up $600.. OMG thank goodness i can do the labour myself :P

got it all together.. and took it for a drive.. :) OMG what a difference :P
things like new again.. :)
runs like a v6 should YAY
now i gotta replace the damn radiator.. cause the fins are corroding...
anyone know where i can get a new one? at a resonable price? they are Asking 500 at most illawarra places..