Im not finished assembling the 5.9 but I wanted to get a preview of the compression on it before I installed it. I rent a tester from Autozone, screw it into #1, turn it over a few times and hear a hissing sound from the underside of the engine and get 0lbs on the tester. kicked-in-the-gut feeling as I try it again. same readings. The possibilities begin to roll through my head: mis-aligned rings? too much piston-to-cylinder clearance? broken rings? This is my first engine rebuild and i'm at a bit of a loss. I know I have to take the head off at least but is there anything else I need to do? Thanks you guys. Not a little disappointed here.

 

Ok Im no expert on these engines the V8 or V6 but maybe this is normal get some good info from someone before you start removing things.

It may just be it needs to seat in the rings that is so wait before removing things.

 

check your timing... may have crank 180 out...

 

Hope so, 98. that would be cool. Crate, no distributor installed yet. the engine is still being assembled. Thanks for the replies.

 

:| I dont mean ignition timing, im refering to valve timing... If your pistons are compressing and your valves are open your compression goes out the intake ports and exhaust ports.

 

^^^ +1. You might have put in your camshaft into the engine incorrectly or something. Check your engine timing/valve timing as said before. I'm more familiar with Overhead cams but its a guess.

 

Put about a teaspoon of oil in the cylinder and try again. It will temporarily make a seal if it's the rings. Do you have the throttle wide open? Is the battery fully charged so it spins fast?

It could also be valve timing.

 

He's bench testing it.

 

How do I check the crank timing? I do know that by visual inspection and by the old screw-driver-in-the-spark-plug-hole trick, number 1 is at top dead center when all the timing marks on the crank and cam are aligned. I've been checking and re-checking this since I put the pistons in. Here's a question, kinda a chicken and the egg thing: if the rings have to be seated before the cylinders get compression, and the engine has to start and get warm before the rings seat, how does the engine get warm without the rings being seated, the first time it gets started? Just a thought...

 

First how are you cranking this to test it by hand or a battery if by hand you will not get much from it?

The timing chain is what crateampsrock was talking about were the chain/chains installed correctly.