The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop Need to perform compression test...

I'm evaluating a 292 in a 1964 Chevrolet school bus in a junk yard and the owner doesn't have the key. Can someone draw me a diagram of how to hotwire it so I can get the engine to turn over enough for a compression test?

Thanks

Assuming a good battery is connected to the starter solenoid, just jump between the battery cable where it connects to the solenoid and the "S" terminal on the starter solenoid.

Be sure the bus is out of gear.

Wouldn't it be easier to just buy am ignition switch with a key and wire it up under the dash to do your testing?

Also, I'd turn it over by hand before I tried to spin it with the starter. You'll end up breaking the piston rings, maybe bend some pushrods, etc

In the old days, when you bought a tune up kit with a compression gauge, you also got a push button switch with two clips on the end. Hook it up like Bill suggested and press the button to get the engine turning.

He is evaluating it, if pistons are stuck, he won't buy it. The hot wire info is as stated by Bill Hanlon.

WarEagle1 Be best to follow stove bolt insructions on starting a new to you engine . Soak it be sure valves are free to move,you may have a real cream puff there ! Don't want to damage it. Once it's free can crank with a screwdriver by jumpering solenoid on the starter. Clip on a jumper to the coil for ignition or to HEI,watch out for old bad gsoline,don't let it run on old fuel will stick your valves.

Pull plugs and feed 1-2 oz of Marvel Mystery Oil into each head , maybe even a shot of KROIL , replace plugs & leave it soak for a week before attempting to crank.

That’s not an answer to the question you asked ; hot wiring is easy but making sure a cylinder(s) isn’t rusted tight is paramount.

Again, the question is how to hot wire the engine to crank, Battery power to the " S " terminal on the starter. No plugs, carb wide open, three to four compression hits per cylinder.

If the engine doesn't turn, price goes way down !

As Joe H and I are saying, we read that it is a potential purchase, not already home. It's also in a junk yard. This is a different scenario. To see if it's viable enough to take home and has a good chance to run. You do a compression test which also tells you if the starter works, the ignition works, and motor spins. You can't start tearing into it, soaking it, come back every few days and so on. Maybe there is more to the story, don't know. But all this "first start procedure" is premature and Wareagle may know all that........he didn't ask that. We could go over filing the points, checking spark, cleaning carb, hooking up a gas tank, replacing fuel filter, changing oil...........
Also.......people say if it's doesn't perform well the price will go down, but if it does. the price will go up
If it's a 100 bucks. just buy it. I would take all plugs out, leave them out, take off all belts, squirt in a little oil in each cylinder, slap a battery on it and see what it does first. Forget the compression test until after that.

It's a junk yard motor, keep it simple...pull the plugs, if turns over by hand and makes two full revolutions it's rebuildable.

Mike B

Bingo! And, in few enough words to keep my attention deficit disorder at bay.

Appreciate all the good advice everyone.

I took off the valve cover and sprayed with oil and also into each cylinder. It will turn by hand fairly easy.

The odometer reads 68k. Maybe it is 168k?

But I'm not going to look at it anymore unless I can't find another. The owner wants $500.

MikeB I wouldn't go quite that far,could be freeze cracked,if been overheated can crack in the lifter bores,head can warp both ways like a chunk of fire wood. Kind of depends on how much the yard will let you do.

Back in my day the salvage yard would start the engine & let you hear it run. It seems for that price they should. Other wise its only worth a core price.
Now with the self service yards they won't let you bring in a battery to turn it over with.

George