Date:         Thu, 15 Jul 2004 05:22:51 -0400
Reply-To:     Jonathan Farrugia <jfarrugi@UMICH.EDU>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Jonathan Farrugia <jfarrugi@UMICH.EDU>
Subject:      1.9 engine health?
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII

so i have a friend that i did a compression test for.  he has a very nice
1984 westy.  here are my compression test numbers.

Cold
---------------
cylinder 1 => 95 psi
cylinder 2 => 110 psi
cylinder 3 => 140 psi
cylinder 4 => 145 psi


Hot
-------------------
cylinder 1 => 140 psi
cylinder 2 => 125 psi
cylinder 3 => 180 psi
cylinder 4 => 165 psi


The Volkswagen Bentley Manual Specification for 1.9 Liter Engines
-----------------------------------------------------------------

Acceptable => 145-189 psi

Minimum pressure => 116 psi


i was wondering what the lists opinion is on what to do with this engine.
i think the engine has about 150,000 on it and it is in need of head
gaskets.  it had the hot oil idle light flicker until the owner
started running 20-50 and a good german filter.  what would you do if it
was your engine?

an additional question i have is about the readings on the 1 and 2
cylinders.  i have taken compression readings a on a few 1.9's and i
always tend to see lower compression in those cylinders.  the extreme was
that when i bought my current van it had okay compression in 3 an 4 but
almost no compression in 1 and 2.  do you have any ideas why the
compression seems to go on 1 and 2 first?

jonathan