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Plug Adaptor for leakdown tester
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ukdave2002



Joined: 23 Nov 2007
Posts: 4100
Location: South Cheshire

PostPosted: Fri Jan 04, 2008 4:24 pm    Post subject: Plug Adaptor for leakdown tester Reply with quote

Have lost the plug adaptor for my leakdown tester, anyone know where I can buy them on there own ? or was was wondering if I could make one out of an old spark plug, by removing the ceramic core and then some how attching a pipe... any veiws?

Cheers Dave
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Phil - Nottingham



Joined: 01 Jan 2008
Posts: 1252
Location: Nottingham

PostPosted: Fri Jan 04, 2008 8:21 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

You could easily break out the ceramic insulator from a plug and braze (or Araldite) a suitable theaded union or tube nipple sourced from B & Q or car accessory place that sells fule lines pressure gauge adaptors
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buzzy bee



Joined: 23 Nov 2007
Posts: 3382
Location: South Cheshire

PostPosted: Fri Jan 04, 2008 11:25 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hi

I may be being a little thick, but what is a leak down tester, maybe I know it under a different name?

Cheers

Dave Confused
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ukdave2002



Joined: 23 Nov 2007
Posts: 4100
Location: South Cheshire

PostPosted: Sat Jan 05, 2008 10:48 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Well mine is built in to a Crypton Unit, but most are stand alone units.

Its the next thing you do after a compression test, as a compression test wont tell you where a cylinder fault is as it doesn't pinpoint problem areas.

A leak down test is more specific in pinpointing the condition of an engine and if there are problems, it can pinpoint the needed area of attention. It consists of a calibrated pressure gauge and a pressure regulator and adapters to connect it to the spark plug hole. Compressed air (100psi) is fed into the gauge and the gauge is calibrated against a zero reference (no air leakage). The adapter is then screwed into the number one spark plug hole (with cylinder #1 at TDC compression) and the gauge is attached. As soon as the gauge is attached to the adapter air will begin to fill the cylinder. As this happens, the gauge will begin to indicate the amount of air flowing into the cylinder.


If air is leaking past the rings, or the valves, or the head gasket, tou can directly read the amount of leakage and can easily find the leak. If there is air blowing out the crank case, you have a ring leak, if it's coming out of the exhaust, its an exhaust valve leak, and so on...
You repeat the test for each cylinderat TDC, up to 15% leakage is just about acceptable, racers would not want more than 5%.

The stand alone units are about £60 which I think is quite a good investment.

Dave
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47p2



Joined: 24 Nov 2007
Posts: 2009
Location: Glasgow

PostPosted: Sat Jan 05, 2008 11:00 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Here is a link to a DIY leak down tester which should answer the initial question

Another DIY idea
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ukdave2002



Joined: 23 Nov 2007
Posts: 4100
Location: South Cheshire

PostPosted: Sat Jan 05, 2008 12:18 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I like that 47p2,

The only other thing you would have to do would be to perform a test on a known good cylinder to do a basic calibration.

Dave
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