Help! MY96 with cylinder leakage
 

Took my MY96 WRX to Power Engineering today thinking I would get a rolling road to see what power it was putting out.
Very helpful they were as always, only trouble is, they said I've got leakage in 2 of the 4 cylinders. Two were good - 8%. One was about 20% and one was 25-30%.
Chap reckons it's possibly a piston, not helped by the fact it's got a K+N induction kit fitted.
Whatever the cause he basically said "better sell it while you still can cause the only way to really solve it is with a rebuild or a new engine. Either costs £4,000. He also said it's likely to run for a couple of months and then die if I left it as is.

I was kinda shocked to hear this, given that the only problem appears to be the engine rocks a little when idle. No smoke and no piston slapping.

Anyone care to comment or make some suggestions?
I'm not that technically minded, but I love the car and wouldn't want to sell it straight away and then find it could possibly have been something relatively cheap! Is it worth getting a second opinion?

Thanks for any advice
Nick

Were these results from a leak down or compression test?

From what I understand, he did a compression test first, which showed 2 cylinders to be about 120-130psi. The other two were about 100 and 90. It was these results which lead him to do the leakage test and that was what produced the results I quoted above.

Thanks
Nick

did they squirt oil into the cylinders that have the lower compression? if so did this increase the compression? It could be valves or piston rings. Do you suffer any knocking from the engine?

Don't think they squirted oil into any of the cylinders. I don't suffer any knocking from the engine as far as I'm aware. It runs smoothly, especially at higher revs. The only "problem" is that it is rocking a bit when idle. When at traffic lights you can feel the car shaking a bit. Sometimes it's worse than others.
The bloke reckoned it could be the pistons or piston rings, and that was an expensive job as it meant basically rebuilding the engine.
What I need to deicde is whether it's worth trying to get a second opinion in the hope it's something not too pricey, or should I just trade it and get something else?
I know Power Engineering have a good rep but is there anyone else in the Watford, Herts area that would be worth visiting?
I'd be prepared to pay up to about £1000 to sort it, but not £4000!

Thanks
Nick

I would get somebody to do a compression test, and then squirt oil in the low cylinders to see if it improves. It is a very good indication of where the problem is, if its rings or a valve or 2.
If its the rings then you may as well replace the bearings as well as you will need a total strip down of the engine, if its a valve or 2 then you should get a fair bit of change from your 1k.
Maybe an idea to speak with api and see how much their replacement engines are.

A professional rebuild with standard parts will cost £2k - £2.5k, not £4k.

Thanks jay
If the compression improves when squirting oil in the cylinders does that mean it's more likely to be the rings or the valves? And by rings do you mean the piston rings?
Sorry it's just I'm not much of an expert on these things!

Nick

Nick, putting oil in the bores just improves things long enough to prove almost nothing. The oil will seep down around the piston rings at the side of the pistons. It WILL make a for a better reading - but as soon as you run the engine and the oil burns off, the compression reading will go back down again.

I suppose you could argue that it will temporarily replace the worn rings long enough to decide that it isn't a valve burned or burning out. Usually if the rings are worn out, so is the bore and fitting just rings will last long enough to ditch it through an auction, but it is not a long lived repair by any means.

We are not too far away from you - in the scale of things, we are by junc 12 of the M40. If I can help talk you through the options - or give a second opinion call me.

Good luck David APi Engines / APi Impreza
www.apiengines.com

01926 614333

Thanks David
I have emailed you tonight before visiting the forum, so apologies for doubling up some of the questions.

Nick