Vintage rides

Today is "small things" day! Those little tasks always can wait until you get the bunch to do them at once. Wheels’ dust cups got their grease fittings today; vegetable cutter got the blades fixed; I assembled a leak down or pressure/vacuum tester for two stroke engines.


For those who are interested here is a bit more information on the tester >>>>

What is pressure testing? The pressure testing of a 2-stroke engine is a test performed to verify air leakage (actually, you don’t want air leakage). An air leaks will cause lean conditions in air/fuel mix with a possible result in engine damage (seizure, detonation, hole in the piston, etc.)
For more information how to perform the test and how to build the tester you can check these links:
www.duncanracing.
www.macdizzy.comh
www.greenhulk.net
www.allthingsmoto.com
Last week I received the pressure/vacuum gauge in the mail and today I put the tester together. At first I wanted to use the valve from tire tubes, so I can use bicycle hand pump, but I couldn’t find it in my bits bin… I decided to use the leak down tester set up I have for 4-stroke engines. It has regulator, so I can increase the pressure safely. I don’t have a vacuum pump, so I will do only pressure testing for now…
The gauge I use is common engine vacuum/pressure tester available from some auto parts stores.

I got mine from ebay for 16 dollars shipped. It comes with a hose, so all you need are fittings, brass T, some kind of check valve or just a shut off valve like I used and source of pressure/vacuum. Actually, you can use whatever you have: the gauge is suppose to be able show you low pressure precisely enough.


I am going to test my Yamaha Excel engine, so I use taper rubber plug with maximum OD 1.8” – it fits right in rubber intake manifold. I am going to seal the exhaust with rubber sheet.
I am curious to see the result…