New Compression Tester, handheld and digital!!
02-02-2009 | 07:30 PM
#1
Thread Starter
Compression Tester Guy
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 93
Likes: 0
From: Houston, TX
New Compression Tester, handheld and digital!!
Hello fellow rotorheads! As you can tell by my post count I'm not a normal visitor to the RX-8 forums, most of my time is spent over at the RX-7 Club. But I've been putting the finishing touches on my handheld digital compression tester and I figure anyone with a rotary could find it interesting. I designed this tester because the other portable options out there are just ridiculously overpriced for what they do, and my garage is no place for my laptop. It'll also come in handy for taking with me to look at cars I may be interested in buying. The tester uses a 200 psi pressure transducer, a microprocessor and a 16x2 lcd to measure compression pulses and display them along with RPM. I have thought about selling these, but nothing is set in stone yet. Right now I have 3 prototypes built and testing continues. Anyway, below is a pic of the first prototype and a video below of the second prototype being tested using my test rig. The test rig is just a ball valve with some disconnects and my air compressor attached to it so that I can simulate compression pulses of an engine. Well, what do you think? :-)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tgOlhYgH0io
-John
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tgOlhYgH0io
-John
Last edited by TwistedRotors; 02-03-2009 at 08:50 PM. Reason: removed proposed price.
02-02-2009 | 07:49 PM
#2
Registered User
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 755
Likes: 0
From: Rohnert Park CA
Hello fellow rotorheads! As you can tell by my post count I'm not a normal visitor to the RX-8 forums, most of my time is spent over at the RX-7 Club. But I've been putting the finishing touches on my handheld digital compression tester and I figure anyone with a rotary could find it interesting. I designed this tester because the other portable options out there are just ridiculously overpriced for what they do, and my garage is no place for my laptop. It'll also come in handy for taking with me to look at cars I may be interested in buying. The tester uses a 200 psi pressure transducer, a microprocessor and a 16x2 lcd to measure compression pulses and display them along with RPM. I have thought about selling these, but nothing is set in stone yet. Price would be around $250. Right now I have 3 prototypes built and testing continues. Anyway, below is a pic of the first prototype and a video below of the second prototype being tested using my test rig. The test rig is just a ball valve with some disconnects and my air compressor attached to it so that I can simulate compression pulses of an engine. Well, what do you think? :-)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tgOlhYgH0io
-John
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tgOlhYgH0io
-John
02-02-2009 | 10:15 PM
#14
Thread Starter
Compression Tester Guy
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 93
Likes: 0
From: Houston, TX
Thanks guys....I'm sorry I can't give a date on when I'll have these for sale. But once I've got the bugs worked out then I'll have them up for sale on my website.
As for operation, simple is the name of the game. Just pull a sparkplug out of each rotor housing, thread the adapter into the sparkplug hole, connect the sensor to the adapter, turn on the tester and turn your engine over!
The 2nd car I tested was an RX-8 and lemme tell ya, I've got an FD and an FC and I don't envy you guys one bit when it comes to changing spark plugs!! Maybe we were doing something wrong, but man it was a pain in the A$$ getting to that front leading plug!! Oh, and the 8 that we checked was reading about 113-114 all around on a cold cold engine. I'm working on a getting a video of an actual car being tested and hope to have it up soon. :-)
-John
As for operation, simple is the name of the game. Just pull a sparkplug out of each rotor housing, thread the adapter into the sparkplug hole, connect the sensor to the adapter, turn on the tester and turn your engine over!
The 2nd car I tested was an RX-8 and lemme tell ya, I've got an FD and an FC and I don't envy you guys one bit when it comes to changing spark plugs!! Maybe we were doing something wrong, but man it was a pain in the A$$ getting to that front leading plug!! Oh, and the 8 that we checked was reading about 113-114 all around on a cold cold engine. I'm working on a getting a video of an actual car being tested and hope to have it up soon. :-)
-John
02-02-2009 | 10:15 PM
#15
Registered User
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 694
Likes: 0
From: Houston, TX
He used it on my car a couple of months ago when I was getting an alignment done.
Its incredibly simple and gives a reading for all three faces.
the only downside was getting it in the spark plug hole! Did you figure that out yet?
Edit:
I can donate my car again to the cause.
Its incredibly simple and gives a reading for all three faces.
the only downside was getting it in the spark plug hole! Did you figure that out yet?
Edit:
I can donate my car again to the cause.
02-02-2009 | 10:24 PM
#18
Registered User
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 694
Likes: 0
From: Houston, TX
That wasn't the problem. My car was on a lift with the tire off.
The swivel piece that goes into the spark plug hole was a pain in the *** to get in.
The tester itself worked flawlessly. I wouldn't mind buying one too. Wouldn't take too much extra work to test the compression every spark plug change.
The swivel piece that goes into the spark plug hole was a pain in the *** to get in.
The tester itself worked flawlessly. I wouldn't mind buying one too. Wouldn't take too much extra work to test the compression every spark plug change.
02-02-2009 | 11:19 PM
#24
Thread Starter
Compression Tester Guy
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 93
Likes: 0
From: Houston, TX
-John