Gen 2 Engine Compression test out of the car

On my Prius rebuild I have removed the engine with the ticking sound. I'm pursuing replacement. I found metal in the oil when I changed it. And the motor does not make enough power to drive the hybrid system enough to charge the HV battery. So my question is about compression testing On The used motor that I have. The motor is out of the car on the garage floor. I have 5 PSI on number one cylinder and 60 PSI on cylinders 2 3 and 4. I am turning the crank by hand slowly with a ratchet wrench . My initial thought was that the engine was no good. But it could be the camshaft phaser is not working properly due to no oil pressure. One of the valves on number one cylinder could be left open throughout the entire rotation cycle therefore no compression. Do I have this right?

 

I do not have this this equipment Chap. I have a hose and a gage. The main question I have is will the Cam Phaser without normal operating oil pressure make it impossible to check compression because a valve will be left slightly open at top dead center on one of the cylinders?

 

Thanks Chap,
And I was able to speak with a Prius Gen 2 Engine mechanic, he said the that the Phaser without oil pressure will not effect a compression by holding a valve open slightly. Without oil pressure the cam timing will stay centered. With oil pressure the cam timing will be advanced or delayed to optimize combustion.
So my test results of #1 5 to 10 psi, #2, #3 and #4 65 psi indicated a bad engine condition. I took it back to the car salvage yard for a replacement. They were good about it. I pick this back up on Monday or Tuesday.,

My method:
Loosen the plugs 2 turns
Place a 3/4 pvc pipe hooked to my shop vac over the plug to remove ANY loose dirt and mess.
Remove the plugs
Do it again with the vac
Inspect the plug seat for dirt and mess.
Use long forceps with soft rag wrapped around the tip to make a giant Q-tip and wipe the seat if needed
Do it again with the vac.
Screw the compression test hose in and make it tight, attach the gage
Roll the engine over with a 19mm socket and ratchet wrench, look for the highest reading and roll it over again and see if it repeats.
Go to the next one.

I put a squirt or two of ATF in each cylinder, that raised the pressure on 2, 3 & 4 from 30 psi to 65 psi. #1 stayed the same, 5 to 10 psi.

People tell me that MG1 spins at 1200 rpm to start the ICE and that is the real test of compression, I agree, but the hand crank method at 5 rpm with the ratchet eliminated a huge regret by not installing a bad engine.

 

OK I just watched a YouTube video about the Leak Down Tester. This looks like my next tool purchase!

 

ChapmanF could you please give a brief rundown of what you do with a used engine? Tests performed and items you check?

 

JohnG I followed your direction above and pulled the valve cover, the wear on the cam lobes was minimal and the area was clean, almost no dark oil tar crud mess. The salvage yard did a pressure test on each cylinder before I left the yard, there was no hissing of any sort, from the exhaust, intake, oil filler cap, the dip stick.

now the motor is installed and I have Power on!
The salvage yard motor (112K miles, 2008) runs and works well. The test drive was successful, everything returned to normal. The hybrid system recharges while driving very well now.

This project was a stretch for me, this is the 1st Prius engine swap, it was challenging. Thank you to the posters above

 

Hello kutch1
Your symptoms are just the way my car acted. I used the torque app and looked at each one of the cells in the high voltage battery, none of them were very different in voltage level, while fully charged or on the low end during a discharge. I kept thinking the battery was bad but I couldn't find anything to support that idea. If you have no codes I wouldn't be surprised that it is not the battery. Then I turned my attention to replacing The engine. Pulling out the top was not terrible. You just have to get your head wrapped around the idea that there are a ton of sensors and connectors, so be patient and document as you go through this. When it was time to pull the motor I became pretty frantic about getting that thing out of the engine bay because of a protrusion on the passenger side of the motor where it joins to the oil pan. There's a protrusion right there that kept interfering with the body sheet metal. I just could not get it out in a very gentleman-like way. So coming out, I' forced it and it finally came free. Look at that thing on your car you can take a Sawzall and cut that protrusion off so it's basically flush with the oil pan, it won't hurt a thing. When I got the replacement motor that's the first thing that I did and going back together was so much easier.