Compression Test/Coolant Leak

[RangerJoe]

Ok, here is a long post. Just built new 331 stroker. Block was decked and heads were milled .015 for clean up (iron gt40). Compression is about 10.15:1. Edelbrock Performer Intake.

Motor has not been broken in yet. It has been cranked up about 5 or 6 times, ran for a total of probably 20-25 minutes trying to work out idle and such so it could be driven. Noticed small puddles at exhaust pipes, watched for a little while and realized that it was more than condensation. Pulled upper intake, it looked like I was dripping antifreeze into the end cylinders. Pulled intake, re-installed, bigger puddles. Went back, redid gaskets with red gasket maker around coolant ports, changed oil. I haven't tried to restart it yet and see if it still leaks.

I ran a compression test on the cylinders and a compression test on the coolant system. I pumped the coolant system up to 16#. After about 20 minutes it falls about 1#. I don't see coolant in the intake runners (I have the upper intake off at the moment). I have found a few leaks in hoses, etc, been fixing them as I go.

My compression test are crappy. I can't get more than about 25# on any cylinder with the dry test, and with the wet test I get about 50#. Is this normal? I know the rings are not set to the bore walls yet, but would it let this much by?

Intake is torqued to 25# in the "proper" sequence. I did compression test with plugs out of heads.

Any ideas?

Thanks

 

[RangerJoe]

Update

Well, I hoped that I would have recieved some replies to my post. I did figure out what was wrong...it wasn't the car. I guess ingnorance falls to me. I had never actually done a compression test before, so I didn't realize that you had to use the starter. I was turning the motor over by hand with a wrench. Come to find out, that doesn't work. So compression is fine. I thought I would update this post in case someone else came across it in a search.

Thanks to any who took the time to read it.

 

[ID89GT]

Glad you figured it out lol

 

[LarsD]

I would have answered if I had an idea of what your problem was. Ever get all the coolant leaks fixed?

 

[RangerJoe]

I've been working, so I haven't had time to put upper back on and crank it up. However, when I did the cooling system test, I wasn't seeing any coolant in the intake runners. So that is a good sign. I had to torque the lower intake about 8 times before my torque wrench began to click as soon as I turned it. It seemed like everytime I went to torque it, I could get about an 1/8 to a 1/4 of a turn before it clicked. I guess I just didn't let the gaskets compress the first two times. I am going to go over them again with torque wrench before firing it up again. I found a few post where guys were having to torque over and over again before finally reaching correct torque. Hopefully this works!

 

[BYRDPE]

I've been working, so I haven't had time to put upper back on and crank it up. However, when I did the cooling system test, I wasn't seeing any coolant in the intake runners. So that is a good sign. I had to torque the lower intake about 8 times before my torque wrench began to click as soon as I turned it. It seemed like everytime I went to torque it, I could get about an 1/8 to a 1/4 of a turn before it clicked. I guess I just didn't let the gaskets compress the first two times. I am going to go over them again with torque wrench before firing it up again. I found a few post where guys were having to torque over and over again before finally reaching correct torque. Hopefully this works!

this is how i torque my lower also. i actually retorqued it numerous times over a 2 hour lunch break time span. by doing it this way i do not have to remove the upper and retorque.