Baja Rooster

iTrader: (1)

I appreciate the thoroughness as I want a solid engine. That info may help determine whether I yank the thing out or not.

MILD THUNDER

iTrader: (3)

Only real way to tell if a rod is bent, is either physical removal of the rod, or put a dial indicator on the piston after removing the head. Other than that, I cant' think of anything.

Baja Rooster

iTrader: (1)

How would you use the dial indicator? Straight edge across the deck and feeler gauge the gap relative to the others?

Bawana

What kind of exhaust? Take a look at the header that leaked. If the other three primary tubes are steam cleaned (no black carbon) then the motor ran for a bit with a slight leak, and the other three cylinders sucked water back, washed rings down and would explain lower compression on that side. I think that at this time of the year I would pull motor, have it checked. Send the header into the manufacturer to get fixed. Any idiot can weld, but the guys that make headers for a living will purge the air out, use acid, and other tricks to fix it right and will be pressure checked. I know you don't want to hear this but, there is a reason people sell their headers, and some of the reasons are not good. ANYTIME you are looking at used headers there are several rules. 1 Never buy salted up headers; 2 Pressure test them before you buy them; 3 If they have any discoloration RUN; 4 If someone sandblasted the inside to make them look good, RUN; 5 If they have been welded & it don't look like the factory did it RUN RUN RUN...

Baja Rooster

iTrader: (1)

CMI headers. There are plenty of horror stories of used headers. I emailed CMI to see if they can refurbish them. My guess is that maybe the rings got washed out on that side as all of the tubes had water in them. I only had about two hours of run time on them.

dereknkathy

i put a s-bend in a rod hydro-ing it. so bad bottom of rod hit crank throw. sounded like rod knock. if rod has any bend at all, piston will sit lower than the other 3. probably enough to see by eye, but definitely measurable with straight edge and feeler gauges.

Cole2534

iTrader: (1)

I'd use the DI in place of the feelers, make sure each piston comes to the same height relative to the deck.

You could choose another datum but why complicate things?

dereknkathy

i don't see how an indicator would work. once you move it to a diff piston, you lose zero reference of block deck.

MILD THUNDER

iTrader: (3)

[ATTACH=CONFIG]545190[/ATTACH]

ezstriper

If it bent a rod, you will see a difference in the travel with head off, bent=shorter, but can't see how that would have compression jacked up...something weird here...