Rings bad?

[tpunx99GSX]

How do you check to make sure the rings are bad? What are some tell tale signs?
My buddy, had his balance shafts removed and afterwards he wasnt getting any oil pressure. He didnt drive it at all, it just stayed at idle. In trying to diagnose whether he was getting oil pressure the car just shut off. The oil pump gear had seized.
So he had it towed to my house, I pulled the oil pump housing off and freed up the gear. now after putting it all back together. the car wont start.
Getting Spark, timing, Fuel. The problem is i am getting very little compression. Like 25-30. Any ideas or quick fixes.

[xveganxcowboyx]

You can always try the cap full of oil in the cylinders trick. It should give you some idea.

Is that an aquabats logo in as your avatar?

[tpunx99GSX]

Yes it is.

OK so i put a cap full of oil in the cylinder and check for compression. If I get more compression then the rings are bad?

[xveganxcowboyx]

That's the theory. You put a small amount of oil in each cylinder which should help seal the rings. You don't want to put too much in or it will give you falsely high compression just by adding physical volume. I assume they are 8.5 or higher compression pistons. Someone around here expressed concern that oil could pool on the piston and not reach the rings, but I doubt that's an issue with anything but the 1g pistons.

*edit* and props for the aquabats. I saw them live with Real Big Fish years ago and loved them. Great snow.

[tpunx99GSX]

This is on a 99 GSX.
If the rings are in fact really bad where the oil cap isnt working. Do you have to have the motor out in order to replace the rings. or can you do it with just the head off. There is no vfaq that i could find about replacing the pistons/rings.

Side: I have seen them twice, once in MN with the Vandals, and once very recently in san diego.

[xveganxcowboyx]

How much you have to take apart probably has to do with the condition of the cylinders. Assuming they are in reasonable shape you can probably just pull the head, the oil pan, slide the rods and pistons out, run a ball hone through it, put some new rings on and reassemble. It's not the best way to do it, but it's entirely possible.

[tpunx99GSX]

I am going to try that. Ill use a straw and try and get the oil to the edges of the pistons.

[gofastman]

Originally Posted by tpunx99GSX

I am going to try that. Ill use a straw and try and get the oil to the edges of the pistons.

use heavy oil if posible, like a 40 weight.
if you do replace the rings you probably could leave it in the car if you want to flat rate it, and it would probably work too, but if you want to do it corectly I would pull the motor so you can thourghly clean it with a pressure washer and hot soapy water

[tpunx99GSX]

::SLaps Head::

See if this makes sence.
On the 2g cams there is two notches on the freakin exhaust cam. Well when i put back on the timing belt after freeing up the oil pump gear. I didnt realise but the dowel pin on the exhaust cam was facing down and on the intake came it was facing up. So the notches were lined up but one of the cams was oppisite.
So on the intake stroke i believe that both cams are staying closed thus not getting any air, thus not starting.
Make sence?
Im an idiot, time to get these cams lined up. Im pretty sure it didnt do any damage being that im still getting 35-45 psi compression.

[xveganxcowboyx]

Ha ha. Easy fix anyway. I think you'll be fine, but you'll know as soon as you start it up.

[Halon]

Another timing belt gone bad? I'm not sure what to say, except for maybe you'd seriouslly save yourself some money and headaches if you just dropped the thing off at RRE.

[tpunx99GSX]

This isnt my car. And the timing belt didnt go bad, just a misjudged cam gear.

[Halon]

Sorry, I meant timing belt JOB gone bad.

[dragonforce]

so you jumped the timing and bent some valves?

[Matt D.]

I can't imagine having either cam 180 degrees off is a good thing.

[Goat Blower]

Put down the tools.

[TkrPerformance]

one of the cars I picked up was like that on a 1g intake up exaust down. I just made it right and the car ran great after that.

[tpunx99GSX]

In theory it shouldnt really hurt anything all its doing is causing the intake valves and exhaust valves to be open at the same time which will cause it not to start.

[Matt D.]

Originally Posted by tpunx99GSX

In theory it shouldnt really hurt anything all its doing is causing the intake valves and exhaust valves to be open at the same time which will cause it not to start.

Just in case you didn't know, intake and exhaust cams are not identical.

[tpunx99GSX]

Originally Posted by Goat Blower

Put down the tools.

Pry them out of my cold dead hands.