I am looking to buy an engine for my s2000. It has under 10k miles and I confirmed it with a Vin check. A friend of mine bought it as a flood damage car. When he bought it it was running and he showed me a video. However one day before buying it , it stopped turning on. Upon buying the vehicle he ran a compression test and it was 230-240 across the board. This was in November. He ran a test this weekend and cylinder 1 and 3 came back to 160. Even at 160 the engine should still run. I'm going to help him do a leak down test as I am curious myself. Has anyone experienced anything like this?
thanks

 

Collapsed or stuck piston rings?

 

Might just be a testing error. A leakdown will be more pointed. See if a big leakdown number follows the #3 cyl.

Unless the engine was sitting with water in the cylinder? Its not an iron cylinder, but the rings are steel. I think the valves are inconel and SS...so...probably water doesn't really affect them.

 

My thought too. Various old school methods how to unstick.

 

My Dad used to put a pint of auto transmission fluid in the engine oil (it's highly detergent). Run the car for like 20 minutes --- until it's been at operating temp for a while.

Then, drain. Replace with cheap oil. Run a couple hundred miles --- replace. Then, new oil and oil filter. Usually worked.

 

Thanks for the replies guys. I am going to do a leak down test and a compression test this week. I'll keep you posted.

 

Valve seats in the head lightly corroded, therefore the valves dont seal as good as before?
Remember, some valves are allways open when you shut down the engine and connected to the atmosphere via the (Hopefully) not air thight exhaust.

 

Are the seats made from a ferrous material that is prone to rust, though? Or any material that is prone to corrosion just from atmosphere?

 

I don know. But the Situation i have described is Possible and happend to engines. Anybody has a Cylinder head of a S2000 on the workbench and a magnet ready?

 

160. What were the other numbers? Was the same gauge used for both tests? If no the test is moot