No compression on three cylinders

Tiny
ROBERT INGRAM
  • MEMBER
  • 2009 DODGE RAM
  • 4.7L
  • V8
  • 2WD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 164,000 MILES
Compression test 1-0, 3-150, 5-153, 7-0
2-179, 4-0, 6-155, 8-120. Should I assume rings and valves or pistons? Any input would help. Thanks
Monday, December 28th, 2020 AT 4:31 PM

3 Replies

Tiny
STEVE W.
  • MECHANIC
  • 13,133 POSTS
Rings wouldn't drop it to zero unless they scored the cylinder walls with some heavy gouges. I would suspect valves as the 4.7 is like it's baby brother the 3.7 in liking to have valve failures in some years. An easy way to tell would be to get one of the cheaper bore scopes that hook to a phone, tablet or computer and use it to look inside the cylinders through the spark plug holes. Some parts stores have them as loner tools but make sure they have the smallest camera head. Another way would be to do a leak-down test and listen for the air leaking past the various parts. If your compression tester is a thread in type with a quick disconnect you can use it for the testing. Just remove the schrader valve from the hose and use air from a compressor with each of the "bad" cylinders on compression TDC and the crankshaft held in place, It only takes about 10-20 psi to hear leakage. I think you will find the leakage is from the valves. From there I would remove the valve covers and check the valve spring heights at the top of the valve retainer. Loose seats or springs will show up easily there. From there it becomes a choice of how to proceed.
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Monday, December 28th, 2020 AT 5:25 PM
Tiny
ROBERT INGRAM
  • MEMBER
  • 2 POSTS
Thank you so much. I will do the leak test as you suggested next.
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Monday, December 28th, 2020 AT 5:38 PM
Tiny
STEVE W.
  • MECHANIC
  • 13,133 POSTS
Let us know what you find and we can go from there.
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Monday, December 28th, 2020 AT 8:47 PM

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