Internal Combustion Engine Cylinder Leakage Testers
Certain problems with internal combustion engines such as bad valves, rings, leaking head gaskets and more can be diagnosed by home or pro mechanics with the aid of cylinder leakage testers, a handy automotive tool. By introducing compressed air into the cylinder of an engine then measuring how much leaks out, a leakage tester or a leak-down tester can help determine if any of the engine’s sealed components have been compromised.
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This tool generally supplements a compression test kit which gauges to what degree the engine is pressurised. The cylinder leakage tester does not tell you the actual internal pressure of the engine, only how much air is leaking. If there is a big leak, the tool also does not tell you exactly the cause. To introduce compressed air into the engine through the leakage tester, you need a standard shop air compressor and pneumatic hose.
The tools have dual gauges set in chrome bezels attached to a pressure-regulated manifold. The pressure is measured in kilopascals (kPa). Tester kits include flexible hoses, quick couplers for attaching the hoses to the air compressor and several threaded adapters for compatibility with spark plug holes of different size.
To the manifold on the input end, an air compressor hose connects via the coupler. On the bottom of the manifold is an adjustable dial that lets you artificially set the pressure coming in. The other hose is fed down a spark plug hole into the cylinder. The other end of the second hose hooks up to the manifold’s output end. The first gauge indicates the level of pressure that you set, while the second gauge shows you pressure after any escaping air is accounted for. So if the first gauge is arbitrarily set to 100, and the second gauge reads 85, you know that 15 percent of the compressed air is leaking.
The pressure testing is just the first part, for you will still have to diagnose and solve the problem if there is one. Engines are rarely, if ever, perfectly pressurised. A loss of up to 20 percent compression is nothing to worry about in most cases. Anything more than that, however, means there is a major problem with a seal, valve, ring or some other component.