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  #1  
Old 08-22-2002, 07:25 PM
bjones
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SVX Leakdown Results

I am looking at buying a 94 1/2 SVX (there are one or two other possibilities, but this looks to be the front runner at the moment). The car is in the Toronto area, so more than a thousand miles away from me (I'm in Winnipeg) and I haven't seen it in person. Vkykam was kind enough to check the car out for me and was favourably impressed. I also had a leak down test done by the dealer who has maintained the car since it was new and I'd like help in interpreting the results.

The test was done at the standard 100 psi with a cold engine. The car has 105000 km and uses synthetic oil. The leakdown results for cylinders 1 to 6 are (in that order): 90 psi, 96 psi, 98 psi, 96 psi, 93 psi, and 93 psi. My problem is that Corky Bell in his book "Supercharged!" gives rating as follows (he says that the test should be done at the standard operating temperature):

97-100 psi Very Good
92-96 psi Serviceable
89-91 psi OK but impaired
88 psi or less Fix it

Sport Compact Car reported 12 to 15 psi loss on their Project Miata Generation II and said that they planned to rebuild the engine.

On the basis of this information, this SVX is close to the limit for a rebuild BUT doing an Internet search I found a whole bunch of sites where anything above 90 psi was classed as very good. I also checked with a few engine rebuild specialists here in Winnipeg and they all advised that the results for the SVX were very good. I would ultimately plan on a supercharger with about 6 to 7 psi boost for the car, so the engine condition is very important.

Advice -- please! Who do I believe?

Thanks in advance.
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  #2  
Old 08-22-2002, 08:23 PM
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You must know about the "bullet proof" rep of this engine. Ya rolls the dice, ya take yer chances.
Remember airplane folks want this engine for it's rep.
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  #3  
Old 08-22-2002, 08:36 PM
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I wasn't even familiar with a "Leak Down Test" until I read your post! What does it entail?

Are you going to any of the car shows this weekend? I'm sure there's at least 3 going on this weekend around Winnipeg.

I'll be in Beausejour on sunday for their annual "Shades of the Past" car show with my SVX. It takes place between noon and 4pm on the main street.
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Old 08-22-2002, 09:03 PM
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The figures sound fine, especially considering the mileage. I'd be more concerned with the transmission and how it would hold up to additional pressure.

O.K., I have to play the devil's advocate here and ask "Why in the world would someone consider installing a supercharger on a car with over 100,000 miles, especially given its propensity to eat transmissions?" Maybe this sounds like a mean-spirited note, but for my money I would never consider adding a compressor to an engine unless I could truly make it worthwhile, say 9-10# minimum boost. Any less wouldn't be worth the effort/expense. Bullet-proof or not, to boost an engine with over 100,000 miles of wear is kind of silly, unless you plan on rebuilding it beforehand. To add any significant amount of boost without lowering the compression ratio would be asking for an even larger expense. Personally, I'd have more fun renting a room for a year at the local massage parlor. But that's just me....
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Old 08-22-2002, 10:17 PM
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vkykam vkykam is offline
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Beav,

The car's got 105,000km, or 65,000 miles.

Second, the car's got a rebuilt transmission put in at I think 89,000km, and to sum it up, I wish my transmission shifted like the one on the 94 1/2. Sigh.

Just wanted to clear up on the condition of the car.

VK
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  #6  
Old 08-23-2002, 05:44 AM
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Ooops, I gotta pay more attention to the details. I'd still be hesitant to do that though, because I'm still me...
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Old 08-23-2002, 07:09 AM
mattski mattski is offline
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"Personally, I'd have more fun renting a room for a year at the local massage parlor."

Beav, is the lovely Mrs. Beav aware of your fondness for "massage parlors"?
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Old 08-23-2002, 07:15 AM
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Awww, come on Beav, even Stockboy has come over to the dark side, now that he's acquired his Evil Twin...

VK
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  #9  
Old 08-23-2002, 09:00 AM
Ca$h
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Putting post on an engine with over 100k isn't a very good idea. :|

- Ca$h
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  #10  
Old 08-23-2002, 09:23 AM
Ca$h
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leakdown test

http://www.530i.org/530i-Test-leak-compression.htm

Basically you stuff an engine full of air and see how much pressure it loses. According to this website you're golden.

- Ca$h
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  #11  
Old 08-23-2002, 04:34 PM
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Maybe that's why there isn't a Mrs. Beav anymore. (actually I prefer being responsible for being irresponsible with my money)

Like I said, it's just me. I just prefer having a reliable car more than one that breathes fire and belches burnt bucks. I wouldn't consider installing a compressor on a used car (especally one that an unknown person has used) the beginning of a 'reliable' relationship. Then again, I work on cars all day long and I don't wanna have to screw around with mine when I get home - maybe that's the difference...
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Last edited by Beav; 08-23-2002 at 04:37 PM.
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  #12  
Old 08-26-2002, 11:43 AM
AutoTchr AutoTchr is offline
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leakdown results

Results will vary greatly with a warm engine. Especially with forged pistons. your results are pretty good even with a cold engine and would suspect that they would be higher when warm.

As far as I am concerned I enjoy working on my own car when time allows. The difference is that I don't work on cars all day. So yes I would supercharge. But I am kind of strange....I would get more pleasure out of bolting the thing on than driving it.
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  #13  
Old 08-27-2002, 08:12 PM
bjones
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Thanks everyone for the information. I had decided that the numbers sounded OK and your inputs confirmed this. However, I've decided not to buy the car. I haven't been looking very long and I think that it's too early to say "I can't find what I really want therefore I'll just buy this one". Ideally, I want a black one (it looks mean in black), 96 or 97, with lower mileage (say 50000 km or so - about 32/33000 miles) in part because I am concerned with increasing the power of a used engine. However, Corky Bell makes a good point in his book "Supercharged!" He addresses supercharging a car with 80000 miles (just an example) by saying (to paraphrase) "say you bought a factory supercharged car brand new. Would you then take off the supercharger when it got to 80000 miles because you shouldn't supercharge a car with that many miles?". He makes the point that it's the engine condition that's important, not the mileage per se. True enough I think.

AutoTchr
I think that I feel rather the way you do. In my case it would be more fun designing and building the system than driving it

Thanks again
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