Hi All,
I went out and checked some more things on the DeSoto tonight.
The valve timing is right on. 0 degrees on the balancer is right
between when the exhaust closes and the intake opens. So that isn't the
problem.
I did wash down the cylinders with a can of that GM Top Cylinder
Cleaner, and then blew a tablespoon of 90-weight oil into each cylinder.
I replaced the plugs, gave it a shot of ether, then hit the starter.
To my surprise, it actually fired. Sent up a pretty nasty cloud of
smoke as well. After that, it now fires on one cylinder while cranking,
and occasionally as many as three or four. So it seems the culprit is
still poor compression. I guess 90-110 PSI either isn't enough to start
my particular engine, or my compression tester is wrong. It must be one
of the two.
So for a couple of hours, I alternated taking out one bank of plugs,
cleaning off the oil, spurting fresh 90-weight into the cylinders, and
cranking. Consistently the same results. At least one cylinder fires
each time.
I think my next step will be to get more of that Top Cylinder Cleaner,
and keep zapping the compression for a few more days. These
decarbonizers are made to be poured into a running, warm engine, so I
guess the results will naturally be a bit slower in my particular use of
the products. I'll also pick up a new compression gauge, and see if the
cylinders are actually building in compression. My goal for now is
simply to get the engine running to help blow out all the carbon, goo,
and gunk. After the engine is actually running, I'll try decarbonizing
and such to build the compression to a decent level. If I still can't
get compression after that, it looks like a ring job or bore will be
needed.
I'd like to thank everyone for the help I've received so far, and I
promise I'll keep y'all posted on how things go from here.
-Dave
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