How long did you crank the engine, and was it up to operating temperature?

 

About four seconds, but that didn't matter. After the first revolution it jumped to 45; after the second one it jumped to the final number. Any further cranking did not yield a higher number.

I did the test right after a lengthy drive.

 

I would try re-reading the instructions and go at it again. Make sure you do it with your riging though, I don't trust Autozone equiment when it comes to this kind of stuff

 

The one I actually own is from Harbor Freight. However, AutoZone's appeared pretty new. The transparent film was still over the face of the gauge.

I guess I will redo the test in the days to come.

Btw, I followed the write-up by fenixus. I just failed to read the last section...

EDIT: Is it important to disconnect the spark plug wires from the coil packs?

 

It is important to disable EFI (fuel and spark). Especially fuel, since you'll end up with cylinders full of gas. Remove the 15A EFI fuse to disable both of them. Make sure your battery is fully charged as well.

 

I did remove the fuse as per the instructions. Does that one fuse disable spark also?

 

haux
Here is a nice DIY on how to perform compression tests on the 5SFE.

http://www.toyotanation.com/forum/showthread.php?t=344452&highlight=DIY+Compression

I have myself contributed to this thread with my experiences. It will certainly help answer many questions for you...

 

haux
Here is a nice DIY on how to perform compression tests on the 5SFE.

http://www.toyotanation.com/forum/showthread.php?t=344452&highlight=DIY+Compression

I have myself contributed to this thread with my experiences. It will certainly help answer many questions for you...

Yes, that's the write-up I followed to do the test.

I removed the EFI fuse. I jammed the throttle open. I removed the spark plug wires off of the spark plugs, but I did not disconnect them from the coil packs. I removed the spark plugs. I inserted the hose and screwed it into the spark plug hole. I attached the gauge to the hose. I kept my foot on the gas and turned the key, waiting 4 seconds.

I don't know what else there is to do except try my own compression tester instead of AutoZone's.

 

With all four numbers being within 14 PSI that's telling me that it's an equipment malfunction.

I'd be willing to bet with a new, name brand compression tester it would be just fine!

Try again, and squirt some oil this time too.

 

That 107 is right on the border though...

 

No, 107 psi is not on the border. It is way to low. And do not use oil for the first round of the compression pressure test.

142 psi is on the border of the engine being able to run and provide some kind of operation. 178 psi is the minimum range of normal pressure. Many of these engines get upwards of 195 to 210 psi when doing the test, without using oil.

The oil addition comes into play if your compression pressures are low, to help determine the cause. If the compression pressures increase as a result of adding oil, the cause of the low compression pressures has to do with piston rings or scored cylinder walls. If the compression pressures do not change after adding oil, the problem is poor valve sealing. So oil comes to play to help diagnose low compression pressures obtained in the first round of tests when no oil is added.

I agree with Chris Crash, you may have used a compressor gauge that is not working properly and always reading low. If your compression pressures were really this low, your engine wouldn't be of much use in normal driving situations anymore. I would use a different compression tester. Make sure the o-ring at the end of the hose that screws into the spark plug hole is in good shape and not missing. A little lube on that o-ring before each cylinder test is always a good idea.

 

No, 107 psi is not on the border.

I meant that it's on the border of being more than 14 away from all of the others, even if all of the numbers are too low.

 

haux, i think the tester was poor. when i was using autozone's loaner tester (actron) i got results around 90-95psi which was ridiculous. reason was that hose thread was not fully screwing into the thread hole, thus disallowing pressure from fully build up.
there was no way to tighten it more because the rubber hose on the end was turning almost freely around the spark plug fitting.

i gave up on those tester's line (sold also by Advance Auto Parts at $25). i went to HFT and picked up long hose version of tester at $19.99 on promo or so and this was allowed me to screw the hose thread all the way down into spark plug tube and this time finger tight was really tight (no hose moving freely around it).

try this tester, hill uses same one and it never failed him as well:
http://www.harborfreight.com/quick-connect-compression-tester-95187.html
now at $25.99

it comes in a nice red plastic case with handle.

 

I'm doing a compression test again right now with the HF kit.

I barely screwed the hose into the first tube (not even a full turn) and it's stuck in there now... what the hell?

 

remove it asap. make sure you straightened the hose (bend it opposite direction for a few minutes) before you screw it in. i also had a few terrifying moments with actron gauge when it initially got locked in first spark plug hole (cross thread).

you might have cross threaded the spark plug hole a little, nothing serious if that is just the first top thread. compare the hose thread with spark plug thread, make sure they are same diameter.

from that kit i linked i think it was the largest one which fits our engines.

 

Yeah, I'm having trouble removing it now. I'm twisting it the opposite direction and it's not budging. The same thing happened with the AutoZone gauge, but I was able to get it out. I didn't use any of the adapters... it looks like the one already attached to the hose was correct.

I'll compare a spark plug with the adapters and see if any of them look right. If not, then I used the right one.

 

I confirmed that the end piece already attached to the hose is the right one.

I hope I can get this thing out... I'm running out of ideas.

 

try spraying a little wd-40 down the tube, shake the hose a little before unscrewing it ... it should come off relatively easy. i hope your hose is not twisting around the metal fitting ...

 

sea foam deep creep should do, all you probably need is a little lubrication on the threads and there might have been a little rust, sea foam spray seems like your only option. keeping my fingers crossed for you bro! =:O

 

if you can't get it out by twisting rubber hose, then your only option may be a very long needle nose pliers (HFT should have those) to grab the metal fitting on both sides and screw it out.

http://www.harborfreight.com/catalogsearch/result/?category=&q=long+needle+nose+pliers

 

if you can't get it out by twisting rubber hose, then your only option may be a very long needle nose pliers (HFT should have those) to grab the metal fitting on both sides and screw it out.

http://www.harborfreight.com/catalogsearch/result/?category=&q=long+needle+nose+pliers

It still isn't budging. I'm afraid to twist it TOO much 'cause it might start twisting around the fitting like you mentioned. I sprayed some more deep creep in there... maybe I'll give it another try in an hour. After that I'm giving up for the night.

AutoZone also sells "Great Neck" brand pliers like that. The problem is... I don't think it will fit down the hole WITH the hose still in there.

Do you think it's safe to try twisting it as much as I can?

This is bloody ridiculous. I literally barely even started screwing it in there. It jammed immediately.

I think in the future I will use that grease that you can put on spark plug threading (for the purpose of the test).

 

By the way, I did get a reading on the first cylinder. 193 the first time. Five minutes later I guess it already cooled down and it read 185. These numbers seem a tad better.

 

yes, it's good. 193 is normal, there is no real top limit, however higher readings indicate some carbon deposits (making pressure reach higher numbers).

however you still need reading from rest of cylinders (warm engine) to compare them to each other.

Mine read:
1) 202-203
2) 210-211
3) 205
4) 197-198

but i had some sludge problems in past.

it also means that the tester hose is making good contact with the tube so there is no air leaks around it, probably no cross thread (if fitting is straight up, not at angle).

 

not sure. i think if pliers are thin enough they should fit by the hose... but (knock knock) if they don't you may first try twisting it as hard as you can, if hose breaks loose on the fitting it will be useless anyways, so you could cut it as low as you can afterward (and use pliers)...

i feel your pain man, wondering what happened, it looks like the thread in that tube was damaged already and it somehow locked the hose fitting (do you remember if thread on it was looking good before you started ?).

take a flash light and try see if the fitting is straight up or at angle (would indicate a cross thread).

putting the anti-seize on spark plugs or tester hose threads is always a good idea. thanks to 5s-fe head design it's such a pain in the ass to remove anything which gets locked down there ...

 

not sure. i think if pliers are thin enough they should fit by the hose... but (knock knock) if they don't you may first try twisting it as hard as you can, if hose brake loose on the fitting it will be useless anyways, so you could cut it as low as you can afterward (and use pliers)...

i feel your pain man, wondering what happened, it looks like the thread in that tube was damaged already and it somehow locked the hose fitting (do you remember if thread on it was looking good before you started ?).

take a flash light and try see if the fitting is straight up or at angle (would indicate a cross thread).

putting the anti-seize on spark plugs or tester hose threads is always a good idea. thanks to 5s-fe head design it's such a pain in the ass to remove anything which gets locked down there ...

Everything looked ok when I started. I shined a light down the tube and it appears to be sitting in there straight, not at an angle. *shrug* I just tried again right now and still nothing. I'll mess with it again in the morning. This is particularly annoying right now because I'm at a hotel. But thankfully there's an AutoZone right down the street so I can walk there for the pliers.

 

messing with car while in a hotel? :naughty:
dang, that's real bad karma then. i hope you get it out in the morning ... best of luck.

 

So, in the morning I will try removing that hose/fitting from the first cylinder tube again. Let's say I still can't get it out. Let's say I pull out the hose, and the long pliers are unable to reach the fitting at the bottom of the tube. How difficult is it to remove the tube? Does the cylinder head have to be removed?

 

Cylinder head removed - NO.

Valve cover - Yes. Then you unscrew the spark plug tube.
Reassembling the tube to cylinder head will require some gasket shellac or high temp thread lock.

 

This is a serious bummer. . . You have tools with you? Hard to believe a slight hand torque stuck it that bad. But I've seen it happen with plugs in hot aluminum. Never seen a penitrent help kick galled threads like this situation.

This seems wrong but just before the brut force approach, I'd apply a solid clockwise (tighten) and then reverse. Inch it out by tight loose, tight loose. You're looking for any movement.

Good Luck.


EDIT: ^+1 Those above called it correctly. Valve cover and then the tube can be done there. You just need some approved sealent for the tube

 

I'd apply a solid clockwise (tighten) and then reverse. Inch it out by tight loose, tight loose. You're looking for any movement.

Already tried that last night.

Well, I'll be going at it again shortly. Hopefully I'll have some more luck today.

And yes, I have some tools. I have a Craftsman set that I carry with me. There's an AutoZone and Advance Auto Parts right down the street for everything else I may need.

If metal expands as it heats up, I'm thinking it got even more stuck as it cooled down. But I really tried to get it out even from the beginning... while hot.

I'm definitely going to try all options before taking off the valve cover. I really don't want to go that far, but I will if that's the only option. How do you unscrew the tube once the cover is off? According to the camrystuff.com doc, you screw it back in using the 30mm nut. But how do you unscrew it? Large pliers?

 

You know, if it was me having all these problems, what I would do is put the other 3 spark plugs back in the engine, connect the plug wires, put everything back the way it was (except the problem you now have), start the engine up (it will sound terrible regarding how it runs), get the head warmed up a bit, then try turning your compression hose back out again while the engine is running. I think you will get it out (but don't put your head over the top of the engine, just in case the engine spits the entire hose fitting out of there with force).

 

I was thinking about that... but I didn't want to risk damaging a new catalytic converter. However, Nervous mentioned unplugging the injector... I think that may be a good idea now.

 

Don't forget to disconnect the injector in the "problematic" cylinder, though (if you follow the advice of 93)!

 

Well, Haux, if you try this, let us know how it works out. And great point, Nervous, to disconnect the problematic cylinders fuel injector. I wouldn't have thought of that, but this would be a wise thing to do.

 

A few posts earlier I was asking how do you remove the spark plug tube. Do you just use a set of large pliers? The documents from camrystuff.com describe how to re-install it but not how to remove it.

But I will definitely try the other ideas first.

 

Crazy - all on the same page here. I just didn't want to mention it as it the results well, disclaimer required. . . .

- plug threads
- injury
- gauge will likely be thrashed as if it matters at this point

Hope a little heat and pressure works!

Next trip to the store grab a 14mm plug chasser, grease, cleaning supplies. What's messed up is it only take a small sliver of debris (carbon, aluminum, ect to put all this in motion, so cleaning the hole before spark plug is inserted is mandatory. A little debris in the cylinder shouldn't hurt anything just don;t trash the threads.

 

Thank you. I had no idea what the name of those tools were (channel lock pliers & pipe wrench). So now I'll know what to ask for if I have to go that route.

I guess I'm ready to go! I tried once again to remove the hose and it's not budging. I unplugged that cylinder's fuel injector... so in a few moments I'll re-install the other three plugs/wires and fire up the engine. Hopefully it will come out that way.

 

I guess I'm ready to go! I tried once again to remove the hose and it's not budging. I unplugged that cylinder's fuel injector... so in a few moments I'll re-install the other three plugs/wires and fire up the engine. Hopefully it will come out that way.

Well, Haux hasn't replied in 6 hours. I hope he is OK.

Whoops, I didn't catch the other posts. My error. Glad you got the compression hose out of there. Now trying to figure out what is causing the ticking/knocking/rattling.

 

So... a thunderstorm just moved in. Right as I was warming up the car...

It's always something.

 

The rain just passed.

I went outside, popped the hood, twisted and jiggled the hose a little bit and it came right out.

I re-installed that spark plug, attached the wire, re-attached the fuel injector connector, and fired it up.

Now there's a tapping sound coming from the engine. ...?

 

Congrats!

Now there's a tapping sound coming from the engine. ...?

Anti-placebo effect?...