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[JJ]

Ok. Low compression:
25 on one, 65 on another. one had 85. told him to quit testing....

Believe it to be just a head gasket. Yes?

If so, what are the minimum parts I want to buy to do this, but do a decent job. Also tips/tricks. Seems like getting the crank bolt off without a special tool will be a trick? I had to give away my air compressor and impact wrench....

Also, timing belt and water pump were replaced at maybe 70-80k (numbers are at home) and it's got 170k now.

I saw a generic list in another thread... if anyone has done this recently and has a list of part numbers and where they bought, that'd be great.  I don't see Cometic gaskets at rockauto. or Arp Head studs....

ARP for headstuds or other fasteners
Cometic for MLS headgasket
Gates Racing for timing belt

Have a machine shop pressure check your head before they mill it. 
timing belt pulleys. (one tension, and one idler)


Anything else?

JJ

[Rocketman]

Water pump & timing belt are cheap enough, replace them. Timing belt should be done at least every 100k anyway if not sooner. It's time. You can use the bump-start method to remove the crank bolt if you're really on a budget.

Cometic gasket & ARP head studs are not budget items. The Cometic gasket also has a requirement for a super flat block & head for proper sealing, so unless you're bringing the block & head to a shop I would look into an OE style graphite gasket (i've had good luck with the Fel-Pro brand) and re-use the stock head bolts or find new ones.

Yes, you'll want the head checked & milled flat if it's still within spec. Inspect the valves make sure they're not shot

Camshaft seals while you're at it

New intake & exhuast gaskets, valvecover gasket. Thermostat & gasket, distributor o-ring

Have you looked around for a replacement engine? www.car-part.com
Might be a gamble that pays off, if it's <$300 it may be more cost effective to swap an engine (you can use an N/A engine as well) and freshen it up a bit before dropping it in

EDIT: Numbers as low as 25 indicate worry me that it's more than just a head gasket

[JJ]

Would new rings do anything for me, assuming when they check the head it seems ok?

JJ

[Rocketman]

I would have them check the block for roundness of bore, if it's within spec then a hone & new rings should bring your compression back up. Assuming of course it's not an issue with the pistons themselves like a melted or cracked ring land

A thought: Have you checked your timing belt, and made sure everything's properly in time? If a cam is off it may cause low compression #'s

[azgtx]

After you check the T belt have a leak down test done. Do that before you start guessing. A B6t with 170k on it might well just be rebuilt if you plan on keeping the car.

[JJ]

What's the difference between a compression test and a leak down test?

We had just driven the car 700 miles to IL. about 5 miles from home, I noticed steam coming from below the car (I was behind).  As I started dialing the other driver, they pulled over. The car started slowing and wouldn't accelerate, which is why they pulled over.  They didn't see it overheat or anything strange on the gauge. 2 years later, after investigation, I found the tiny coolant line underneath the distributor had a split. replaced that, tried to start the car, got no where. Figured it was because it was 40 degrees out. After flushing gas lines, verifying fuel pump worked (at least to move gas, pressure unknown) etc. I did manage to get it running for a few minutes. This was with rad fan uhhooked, since the fan drain was killing the battery. Had to keep it running 1/2 throttle, but had run it a good 5 mins or so. stopped it, put in fuse, never got started again. then had a mechanic come out and pressure test. He gave me the readings I mentioned.

car is rusted out, and should be put out of its misery, but after putting 2k into it (new dist, new muffler/cat, new tires, repair 2 brake line runs, rear lateral link, hub bearings, and a new gas tank sitting in a box) it kills me that I can only get a few hundred $$ for scrap and will still be out a car.

JJ

[Rocketman]

A compression test tells you the compression for each cylinder, but nothing more. A leakdown test will tell you if it's rings, head gasket, or problems with the valves sealing

How far is this guy from you? http://teamcapri.com/forum/index.php/topic,2977.0.html
Beautiful chassis to work with

[mitch1204]

If the car has been sitting a long time you won't get a good compression reading because the cylinders are dry. You should do it after it has warmed up and cooled back down some. If it's still low pour about a cap full of oil in the cylinder and test again. If it doesn't improve your rings are worn. Usually a bad head gasket will give you one or two bad readings depending on where it cracks/breaks, but not all cylinders. I've seen a few Capris with 200K so I'm not sure your cylinders are that bad. It's just a poor testing. A car will start smoking with 100 psi readings. Your readings are way too low.

Don't take shortcuts on cheap gaskets like you see on ebay. You get what you pay for. Spend a little extra and buy Felpro or Victor Reinz gaskets.

The automatics have a little round access window to the flywheel at the bottom of the tranny. Pop the little rubber cover off and you can hold the crank from there. You'll need about a 18"-2 foot cheater bar to break the crank bolt loose or a good friend named Bubba! If I remember correctly it's 21 mm, maybe 22mm. Alzheimer's kickin' in!

[JJ]

It doesn't start. If you read earlier in the thread, I had it running for about 5 minutes. This was with the rad fan unhooked (some reason it stays on when key is on, even with a supposedly 'good' sensor) but as I reached down to try to put the fuse in, it stalled. Never got it restarted. Yes, the compression test was done cold.

See the first half of the story at http://teamcapri.com/forum/index.php/topic,1175.0.html

JJ