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Cylinder Compression Pressure Guide

This document discusses cylinder compression pressure and how it relates to an engine's compression ratio. It provides a formula to estimate cylinder pressure at top dead center based on compression ratio and specific heat ratio. For example, it estimates that a gasoline engine with a 10:1 compression ratio would have a cylinder pressure of around 161 psi at top dead center. The document also notes that factors like cam timing can affect cylinder pressure and discusses using oil to differentiate between ring seal and valve seal issues during a compression test.

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667 views2 pages

Cylinder Compression Pressure Guide

This document discusses cylinder compression pressure and how it relates to an engine's compression ratio. It provides a formula to estimate cylinder pressure at top dead center based on compression ratio and specific heat ratio. For example, it estimates that a gasoline engine with a 10:1 compression ratio would have a cylinder pressure of around 161 psi at top dead center. The document also notes that factors like cam timing can affect cylinder pressure and discusses using oil to differentiate between ring seal and valve seal issues during a compression test.

Uploaded by

mohanrajjercy71
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

Cylinder Compression Pressure Table

Bob Spidel and Harlan Polk

Per Wikipedia: If the nominal compression ratio of an engine is given, the


pre-ignition cylinder
relationship:

pressure

can

be

estimated

using

the

following

where
is the cylinder pressure at bottom dead center (BDC) which is
usually at 1 atm,
is the compression ratio, and is the specific heat ratio
for the working fluid, which is about 1.4 for air, and 1.3 for methane-air
mixture. (But about 1.3 for air-gasoline after accounting for engine heat.)
For example, if an engine running on gasoline has a compression ratio is
10:1, the cylinder pressure at top dead center (TDC) is

This figure, however, will also depend on cam (i.e. valve) timing. Generally,
cylinder pressure for common automotive designs should at least equal 10
bar, or, roughly estimated in pounds per square inch (psi) as between 15 and
20 times the compression ratio, or in this case between 150 psi and 200 psi,
depending on cam timing. Purpose-built racing engines, stationary engines
etc. will return figures outside this range.
Factors including late intake valve closure (relatively speaking for camshaft
profiles outside of typical production car range, but not necessarily into the
realm of competition engines) can produce a misleadingly low figure from
this test. Excessive connecting rod clearance, combined with extremely high
oil pump output (rare but not impossible) can sling enough oil to coat the
cylinder walls with enough oil to facilitate reasonable piston ring seal
artificially give a misleadingly high figure, on engines with compromised ring
seal.
This can actually be used to some slight advantage. If a compression test
does give a low figure, and it has been determined it is not due to intake
valve closure/camshaft characteristics, then one can differentiate between
the cause being valve/seat seal issues and ring seal by squirting engine oil
into the spark plug orifice, in a quantity sufficient to disperse across the
piston crown and the circumference of the top ring land, and thereby effect
the mentioned seal. If a second compression test is performed shortly
thereafter, and the new reading is much higher, it would be the ring seal that
is problematic, whereas if the compression test pressure observed remains
low, it is a valve sealing (or more rarely head gasket, or breakthrough piston
or rarer still cylinder wall damage) issue.

If there is a significant (> 10%) difference between cylinders, that may be an


indication that valves or cylinder head gaskets are leaking, piston rings are

worn or that the block is cracked. If a problem is suspected then a more


comprehensive test using a leak-down tester can locate the leak.
Compression Ratio
Nominal Dynamic*

Estimated Cylinder Pressure @ TDC


given 60% volumetric efficiency at
cranking speed

Percent
Change from
8:1 CR

PTDC = 1atmosphere volumetric efficiency nominal CR1.3[corrected air-gasoline specific


heat factor]=
for 10:1 CR & 60% VE, then 14.7 psi 0.6 25.119 = 176 psi 14.7 psi = 161
psi gauge reading
7:1
8:1
9:1
10:1
11:1
12:1

4.2:1
4.8:1
5.4:1
6.0:1
6.6:1
7.2:1

96
117
139
161
184
208

psi
psi
psi
psi
psi
psi

gauge
gauge
gauge
gauge
gauge
gauge

reading
reading
reading
reading
reading
reading

-18%
0%
19%
38%
58%
78%

* at 60% volumetric efficiency at cranking speed, primarily due to valves open more
than 180 degrees duration.

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