Compression testers and miracle cure?

[ChrisBarns]

My compression is a bit low, especially on number 3. I've had valve clearences done professionally twice and its a professionally rebuilt head. The bottom end has done 230k so I guess rings and bores could be a bit worn (doesn't smike though).

Came accross this stuff: http://www.americantechnology.co.uk/

I wouldn't normally go for stuff that looks too good to be true but I do think the Quinten Wilson knows what he's talking about and its a lot cheaper and easier than a strip and rebuild.

I was thinking of doing a before and after test for which I'll need a compression tester. They seem to start at about £10 - are those ones any good?

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/PETROL-ENGINE-AUT ... dZViewItem

[march109]

My compression is a bit low, especially on number 3. I've had valve clearences done professionally twice and its a professionally rebuilt head. The bottom end has done 230k so I guess rings and bores could be a bit worn (doesn't smike though).

Came accross this stuff: http://www.americantechnology.co.uk/

I wouldn't normally go for stuff that looks too good to be true but I do think the Quinten Wilson knows what he's talking about and its a lot cheaper and easier than a strip and rebuild.

I was thinking of doing a before and after test for which I'll need a compression tester. They seem to start at about £10 - are those ones any good?

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/PETROL-ENGINE-AUT ... dZViewItem

It is pure guff, no additive can and I qoute;

repairs those worn-out areas in the cylinder wall thereby restoring cylinder compression and improving engine performance to nearly new original condition.

Quinten Wilson was either given a case load free that he was having trouble shifting or he recieved a large backhander, there is also the posibiility that he never said that at all and the american website is hoping he doesn't find out!

However I hadn't realised that good old QW was now a recognised expert in the field of mechanical engineering and chemistry, boy he must have spent some time at skool.

As for your problem, get a leak down test done by a pro. But I suspect its your bottom end too given what you've said.

"If your engine is low on compression and a bit smoky you've really got to try Ametech Engine Restorer. You add it at an oil change and it reverses engine wear. I know these magic cure-alls have been around for ages, but this one really does work. A mate's Bentley S2 had a flickering oil light at low revs and clouds of blue smoke from the rear. Rather than swallow the two grand hit for an overhaul, he dumped two litres of Ametech (Engine Restore Oil) into the sump. His S2 is now â€Ëarunning as sweet as a nut', with no smoke and no blinking oil pressure light. Ametech's not cheap, but it's a very sound investment."

Reading between the lines I'd say the above passage meant.

"I told these guys at Ametech Engine Restorer that for a free case of the stuff I'd say almost anything, even better since my mate was having trouble selling on his Bentley S2 because it was smoking and the oil light was on, so my butler dumped a load of this goop in the oil (which hadn't been changed in years.) And we unplugged the oil light and drilled several holes in the exhaust under the car so the prospective buyer could tell the smoke was coming from the tail pipe. The turd was served up almost immediatly, the new victim bent over and we all had our way with him, this Engine Restorer is brilliant."

[ChrisBarns]

You could be right - QW has spent 40 years trading in old cars. It wasn't his looks that got him on telly! The recomendations ae form his Daily Mirror column. He does own several classic Rolls, Jags and Bentlys so I'd guess it would have to be a big back hander before he was willing to deceive people.

[daimlerman]

Given the number of cracked 885 heads that we hear about,there are thousands of sound 84mm blocks out there. Grab one of them cheaply,have it honed,buy new rings for your pistons.Job jobbed,well,apart from building and installing..

[Andy335Touring]

If you do short trips all the time your piston rings get gunked up and they won't be able to move as they should.

I had a RR tune ages ago and the blokes poured RedX down the spark plug holes, soaked then turned the engine over with the plugs out to get rid of it. After the RedX it gained 10-12PSI on the compression test.

[Bullys_special]

Thats impressive andy, im gonna try that. ANy potential pitfalls? Does the engine turn over with the plugs disconnected?

[Karan]

just take it for a GOOD OLD FASHIONED ITALIAN TUNE..... keep it on the limiter for a good few mins and give it a good hard rag, it will seriously work wonders

[Chase007]

Oh my God!

[ChrisBarns]

Have written cheeky to American Tech email asking for sample to test. Don't spose they will respond but if they do I'll try it.

[stonesie]

You could be right - QW has spent 40 years trading in old cars........... I'd guess it would have to be a big back hander before he was willing to deceive people.

What? a used car salesman thats unwilling to decieve people?

I thought that was a mythical beast

[Speedtouch]

QW got his comeuppance however, as he used a local 'specialist' to restore his early Series 1 Jaguar E-type; the guy took ages over it and botched the job with ill-fitting panelwork, cost QW a fortune and he's having to get the work redone by Martin Robey for the same or more money. A lesson to us all - don't peddle snake oil

[robbo86]

was gonna say count quentula has been a used car salesman for donkeys years, so i wouldnt take anything he says at face value

[ChrisBarns]

well I never! they are sending me some. For free! I'll test it and report back.

Suggest ways it should be tested here to minimise complaints afterwards.

I'm thinking:

Test compression
pour porduct in
retest compression
retest after 1000 miles (makers say it will take that long to work)

i was wondering about a perfoemance test too but not sure how to get rid of any human input. Maybe accelerate and start stopwatch as rev counter passes 2000 in 3rd and time to to get to 4000?

anyone live in / near norwich and want to be witness is welcome

[stonesie]

How about a RR power run?

Not perfect with them being done on different days but if you use the same rollers then it would give a good idea of any differance in power and torque

[harry_p]

it'll kill your engine, i have no doubt about it.

i read ages ago a huge long thread on the subject with analysis of the stuff by a couple of oil experts and a number of people who had tried it and their engines had died soon after.

basically it's a thick oil with metal dust in it. even if by some magic it did restor worn metal surfaces (which it wont) the damage the treacle like substance and metal dust will do to the rest of the engine will mean the engine falls appart fairly soon after.

if these wonder cures worked, wouldnt we (and all garages) be using them?

trouble is, if your engine does sieze soon after using it, how can you prove it was their gunk? by your own admission you'd be addign it to an already well worn engine so all they would say is that it was too far gone for it to work and that it would have failed anyway.

do it properly, get a decent secondhand bottom end.

[Globulator]

Filling up your engine with oil thickener and particle of lead and copper does not make it last longer, the stuff that doesn't safely settle to the sump bottom rapidly clogs up the oil filter.

Then the filter's bypass opens and you get (lower pressure) unfiltered oil and all the metal particles circulating free to clog the fine oilways in your engine.

So if you want to clog your filter, lower engine oil pressure and clog up your oilways: waste your money on this stuff.


If you need to bodge an engine then just put higher SAE oil into it, but you will pay in fuel.

[stonesie]

Damn i forgot about all the metal particles, yeah...... not what you want in the bearings and around the camshaft.

Scrtach the RR idea and sell it to some chav with a 1.0 corsa on Egay, tell them it will cure the rattle and add 20bhp and they will buy it

[harry_p]

i'd love to see the sump dropped, and the oil filter removed and cut open after running this stuff for 500 miles.

the thread i mentioned above was on pistonheads and included tests of sample product some sceptical people were sent. seems to have been removed now though.

i would like to know how the metal particles in it are soft enough not to damage the soft metal bearing shells, yet is supposedly hard enough to build up hardened steel camshafts

i can see it could improve compression, briefly, by clogging the rings to prevent blow by.

i'm fairly local, so if you're going to test this stuff i'd love to see the results first hand

[Speedtouch]

Filling up your engine with oil thickener and particle of lead and copper does not make it last longer, the stuff that doesn't safely settle to the sump bottom rapidly clogs up the oil filter.

Aren't you forgetting the silver (<1%)?

[murran]

at that mileage youll have an oval bore. just like me!!

ive just picked up a 108k complete block off chris-w. £70.

[ChrisBarns]

at that mileage youll have an oval bore. just like me!!

ive just picked up a 108k complete block off chris-w. £70.

This is why it is a shot to nothing - bottom end needs replacing / rebuilding anyway.

My only concern would be damage to my largely new top end.