Ok, some background info:

I have an S5 13BT that's in an '88 GXL. It was hit and written off in November. Luckily it was mostly rear end damage, and the front was intact.

I haven't had the time to get to the car until now finally, so it's been sitting since then. However after the accident, she would start and idle just fine when she was still sitting at the pound.

I got myself a compression tester, took out the bottom plug of the front rotor, screwed in the tube and hooked up the compression tester.

Now, some things I should mention. I've already began tearing into the car. The battery is out (It was relocated to the rear, and when I was hit, it tipped, and started leaking), the FMIC is out, and the IC piping is all out as well.

I was turning over the engine using a ratchet on the crank pulley.

Here's the problem:

Everytime I turn the engine over, the most I'm getting is about 15psi on the tester.

I can't try cranking it with the starter yet because I don't have the key for the car (long story). If the reason for this IS in fact because I can't turn the engine over fast enough, then I'll grab a new battery and hot wire the car to crank it over, however before I do that I wanted your opinions on this.

Am I doing something wrong?

Or is it really because the engine just isn't cranking over fast enough? I notice that if I turn the engine over REALLY slowly, then the needle doesn't jump at all on the gauge.

Could it be that the tester adaptor that's screwed into the spark plug hole is leaking and that's what's causing it?

Or is the engine just shot?

Thanks in advance for the help!

 

Oh, to add.

When she was still in 1 piece, she ran beautifully. The rebuild's only got about 8,000 miles on it, so it's fresh.

 

You need to get the motor turning at about 250 rpm or you will not get good results

 

Also, try shooting some motor oil or ATF into the spark plug holes. I have my engine out( it has terrible compression) and i could spin the flywheel freely until i put some motor oil in the rotor housing... it's obvious that the extra oil helps seal everything up when the engine isnt actually starting.

 

yes ur not spinning fast enough.....and the fact that its been sitting there for how long?....the oil that helps build compression is probably not there anymore..u'll need to put some oil in

 

my 86 sat for 6 years before I started working on it, get it started the same day. it's a good idea to run premix for the fisrt couple of days simply to help liven all the seals up.

 

Awesome! Thanks for the help/ reassurance.