On the passenger side of the front (engine) side of the bellhousing is a small cover held in place by a screw. Open that cover, and on the flywheel there will be engravings for TDC, 5°BTDC, IGN. Line up the arrow for TDC and you’ll be there for cylinder 1. This also comes in super handy when/ if you have to set timing. Also a piece of dowel rod down each plug hole is a lot easier than the thumb method. Good luck! I’m about ready to put the tub back on mine after a 30-month fixing session lol. *edit* should have kept watching lol! As others have said, too, you never want to try to break an engine free when it’s dry. 👍
You can let cylinders soak in transmission fluid for a night and probably bring the engine back around. It ever start once to where it can do a few heat cycles on those rings. It will probably give a much better reading
#1 try and get some atf down the cylinders or the mystery oil for lubrication and to possibly loosen up the rings. #2 get it started and up to operating temp a couple of times before deciding to tear into the engine. Just my two cents.
before you write the engine off, get it started first. let it warm up and get those rings loose. 9/10 times the rings are stuck to the piston which is probably why your losing the compression.
@@desertwrench And its hard to get anything over to the bore,since one or the other valves are open and most of the liquid goes out the open valve,Intake or Exhaust,unless its on TDC!
For top dead center, I use an aluminum rod in the spark plug hole and note when it reaches the max height of stick out. I rock the engine both directions at the top, because there are a few degrees of rotation where the piston dwells at the top of its stroke. by watching when the rod starts back down the bore in both directions you can note the center of the turn. i use a breaker bar rather than a ratchet so i can note the angle turning he crank. hope it helps.
Thanks! That's normally what I do as well but in this case the valves come up from the block and are directly under the spark plug hole. In this case the pistons are offset which made it more difficult.
@@desertwrench Ahhh, except for changing the water pumps on a 53 ford flathead v8 for a friend, I have no other experience with them, I did not even think about that possibility.
Going to pour some mystery oil in the cylinders, check compression again, get it running, then go from there!! I'll be posting another video on it for sure
Don't get in a big hurry to tear into that engine. Get some ATF or Marvel Mystery Oil in each cylinder, let it soak in for a day, then check the compression again. For leak down, get #1 on TDC, make a mark on the crank pulley and make a pointer that aligns with that mark, rotate the motor 180 degrees and make another mark. When you're on TDC for #1 check leak down, rotate 180, check #3, rotate 180 check #4, rotate 180 check #2. These old engines didn't have a lot of compression when new, so don't expect to much. Try to get it started and let it run. Compression and leak down will hopefully improve. Good luck!
That's super helpful! I got marvel, which is next assuming compression goes up a bit which it most likely will be trying to get it running and earned up to check again. That definitely seems to be the consensus 👍
I wouldn’t rip the motor out just yet. Get some solvent/oil down the cylinders to soak the rings and get it running up to temp to see if they will seal up again. Consider pulling the head and checking the valves while you’re at it. A bent or crusty valve can cause compression issues. You can also mag-particle the top of the block to check for cracks while you’re in there, if you have access to that kind of equipment. A new head gasket can help compression as well if the old one is burnt/blown/torn/etc. These motors can run on surprisingly little compression… unless it’s burning tons of oil/coolant, it’s knocking, has no power from low compression, or has a cracked block, there’s no real need to pull the motor.
That's good to hear, got some mystery oil that I'm going to soak the cylinders and re-compression check. Assuming we get more compression which I'm sure it will, I will get it running. Once it runs we can check again and then go from there. I don't have the tools to magniflux the block or head but we can cross that bridge if we keep having issues.
hi,, u can watch the valves until they both close, then insert a curved piece of wire into the spark plug hole... then continue to turn the crank until u feel the piston coming up to TDC... at least, thats how I did mine, since the flywheel was 180 degrees off.
If you decide for an engine swap I’d suggest a 6.4L maybe out of a Jeep SRT or something like that. Would certainly be one of a kind! Looking forward the the rest of the videos on this project!
On the passenger side of the front (engine) side of the bellhousing is a small cover held in place by a screw. Open that cover, and on the flywheel there will be engravings for TDC, 5°BTDC, IGN. Line up the arrow for TDC and you’ll be there for cylinder 1. This also comes in super handy when/ if you have to set timing. Also a piece of dowel rod down each plug hole is a lot easier than the thumb method. Good luck! I’m about ready to put the tub back on mine after a 30-month fixing session lol.
*edit* should have kept watching lol!
As others have said, too, you never want to try to break an engine free when it’s dry. 👍
I really enjoyed this. The music, your enthusiasm and well, everything is just so wholesome. Thanks!
That really means a lot thanks!
You can let cylinders soak in transmission fluid for a night and probably bring the engine back around. It ever start once to where it can do a few heat cycles on those rings. It will probably give a much better reading
That's the plan!
Great video I’d like
To see more! Keep up the good work.
Thanks! There will be more so keep an eye out
#1 try and get some atf down the cylinders or the mystery oil for lubrication and to possibly loosen up the rings.
#2 get it started and up to operating temp a couple of times before deciding to tear into the engine.
Just my two cents.
That seems to be the consensus and what we're gonna try next!
before you write the engine off, get it started first. let it warm up and get those rings loose. 9/10 times the rings are stuck to the piston which is probably why your losing the compression.
That's a great idea! I was also going to pour some marvel mystery oil in the cylinders since its been sitting so long.
Atf and marvel mystery oil let them soak the rings that will help them
@@desertwrench And remember the pistons and bore are opposite from spark plugs,valves are under spark plugs!
Yeah I found that out during the leak down, normally I would stick an extension to find tdc.. found out I couldn't do that 😂
@@desertwrench And its hard to get anything over to the bore,since one or the other valves are open and most of the liquid goes out the open valve,Intake or Exhaust,unless its on TDC!
For top dead center, I use an aluminum rod in the spark plug hole and note when it reaches the max height of stick out. I rock the engine both directions at the top, because there are a few degrees of rotation where the piston dwells at the top of its stroke. by watching when the rod starts back down the bore in both directions you can note the center of the turn. i use a breaker bar rather than a ratchet so i can note the angle turning he crank. hope it helps.
Thanks! That's normally what I do as well but in this case the valves come up from the block and are directly under the spark plug hole. In this case the pistons are offset which made it more difficult.
@@desertwrench Ahhh, except for changing the water pumps on a 53 ford flathead v8 for a friend, I have no other experience with them, I did not even think about that possibility.
Great video man. Would love to watch you pull the engine
Going to pour some mystery oil in the cylinders, check compression again, get it running, then go from there!! I'll be posting another video on it for sure
Don't get in a big hurry to tear into that engine. Get some ATF or Marvel Mystery Oil in each cylinder, let it soak in for a day, then check the compression again. For leak down, get #1 on TDC, make a mark on the crank pulley and make a pointer that aligns with that mark, rotate the motor 180 degrees and make another mark. When you're on TDC for #1 check leak down, rotate 180, check #3, rotate 180 check #4, rotate 180 check #2. These old engines didn't have a lot of compression when new, so don't expect to much. Try to get it started and let it run. Compression and leak down will hopefully improve. Good luck!
That's super helpful! I got marvel, which is next assuming compression goes up a bit which it most likely will be trying to get it running and earned up to check again. That definitely seems to be the consensus 👍
Great video. I also have a low compression godevil im working on. Ditch the background music, just need the wrenching!
For the first start after soaking the piston rings use 2 cycle oil in the gas, this helps the valve seals .
Thats a great idea, I will probably be running it off a jerry can anyway so shouldn't be hard
hell yeah lets see a 5.3 on 35s!!! military green!!!!
I would love one of these willys cj2a's! I have a 1964 fj40 that I m thinking about trading for one. cool little 4x4s for sure.
I wouldn’t rip the motor out just yet. Get some solvent/oil down the cylinders to soak the rings and get it running up to temp to see if they will seal up again. Consider pulling the head and checking the valves while you’re at it. A bent or crusty valve can cause compression issues. You can also mag-particle the top of the block to check for cracks while you’re in there, if you have access to that kind of equipment. A new head gasket can help compression as well if the old one is burnt/blown/torn/etc. These motors can run on surprisingly little compression… unless it’s burning tons of oil/coolant, it’s knocking, has no power from low compression, or has a cracked block, there’s no real need to pull the motor.
That's good to hear, got some mystery oil that I'm going to soak the cylinders and re-compression check. Assuming we get more compression which I'm sure it will, I will get it running. Once it runs we can check again and then go from there. I don't have the tools to magniflux the block or head but we can cross that bridge if we keep having issues.
Marvel, acetone, and diesel in each cylinder for a day to 2. Not my idea but got this from another channel. Let’s see the teardown!
What no lube in the cylinders ? to keep from scaring the walls.
hi,, u can watch the valves until they both close, then insert a curved piece of wire into the spark plug hole... then continue to turn the crank until u feel the piston coming up to TDC... at least, thats how I did mine, since the flywheel was 180 degrees off.
I might try that to leak down the other cylinders other than #1
There is a window by the starter
I found that!! Thanks!
Reminds me of the one I had.
Not a fan of the background music that never goes away. I found it distracting but decent video.
That's good to know thanks! I'll keep that in mind for next time, there was definitely parts that were too loud.
Yup
Looks like early ww2 rims on it
If you decide for an engine swap I’d suggest a 6.4L maybe out of a Jeep SRT or something like that. Would certainly be one of a kind!
Looking forward the the rest of the videos on this project!
I'd run it the rings will heat up and pop back out, it's from sitting
That's most likely the plan now!