We all know the meaning of this term and without question there are many time-tested, low-tech, backyard methods that can be used to diagnose a car or even learn specifics about a car that is otherwise an unknown.
When I bought my car the p.o. did not know much about the build specs of the motor. He told me that it was a hydraulic cam with .530 lift and that it was a 10.5:1 motor. In talking to a good friend who most would call an "old timer", he asked me for some information in order to help him learn more about it:
With the car idling I held a dollar bill at the tip of the exhaust to let it flap and if it sucked back against the tailpipe it gave him a slight indication of the amount of cam overlap. It definitely did so.
With the car idling he asked me to hold my hand against the tailpipe and slowly move it away, noting the farthest distance I could move it away and still feel my fingers twitch from the exhaust pulse (not just hot air!), and at 15" away from the pipe my relaxed fingers still twitched.
Finally he asked me to record the car at the exhaust so that he could hear it run and get a sense of the cam's lope, etc. I did so and have the link in my signature.
His conclusion was that indeed the compression is quite healthy and probably at least 10.5:1 and, that the cam was somewhat lopey but not so radical since I still have a decent idle. I also had an ingnition misfire at the time that you can probably hear in the audio.

Seeing the information above and listening to the car via the link, are there any other "shadetree" guys that would like to throw in a comment or two? I think it's very interesting and would be intrigued to see what else, if anything, I could do to learn more without tearing it apart. Thanks!

The car sounds good. how about some photos.:hurray:

Thanks, Chris. Click my user name and "view public profile". There's a shot of it there.

I'm surprised...173 views and no other comments about "home grown" methods, eh?

I'll bite
My grandfather (a farmer) when changing valve springs or valve seals on the old Ford or Oliver tractors would tear a strip of rag, usually a bed sheet, and stuff it in the spark plug hole to hold the valve up during whatever the task was. I asked him "Why don't you just get a compression tester hose and hook it up to the shop air?" He said he didn't need a new compression tester...
I guess his method had worked for 50 years. He probably said to himself *!@# KIDS"

DAN

I'll bite
My grandfather (a farmer) when changing valve springs or valve seals on the old Ford or Oliver tractors would tear a strip of rag, usually a bed sheet, and stuff it in the spark plug hole to hold the valve up during whatever the task was. I asked him "Why don't you just get a compression tester hose and hook it up to the shop air?" He said he didn't need a new compression tester...
I guess his method had worked for 50 years. He probably said to himself *!@# KIDS"

DAN

I used yellow nylon rope!http://bestsmileys.com/thumbs/7.gif

okay, a lot of folks probably know this one; to check for a head gasket leak take off the radiator cap and look for a lot of small bubbles in the coolant.
another one; for a motor that has sit a long time, gunked up, stuck rings, etc... fill the pan with diesel and run it for 20 seconds at a time for a few times. might wanna do that one at the junkyard just in case:)

When changing intakes (or anything else that involves removing old gasket material with a risk of debris going where it shouldn't) I use a shop vac while scraping the gasket. Vac nozzel in one hand, scraper in the other. My neighbors knew I meticulous with my cars and a couple of them had witnessed me during this process before. One day while doing doing an intake r&r (for a cam swap this time) my next door neighbor comes over to see what I'm doing. Neighbor across the street is outside also. "What in the hell is he doing to that car now?" the guy across the street asks. "He's vacuuming the inside of his engine again!" Neither of these guys were gear heads and I'm sure that they just wrote me off as the ultimate neat freak. :)

Rubber hose on the end of a spark plug to get it started in the hole.

I have never done it myself, but I've heard you can set points with a match book.

You asked for it
Cut pieces of tire side walls wedged between leaf springs to increase spring rate and add lift...when stacked they work well for body bushings..
Use the ceramic end of old spark plugs to shape grinding stones.

The diesel fuel thing works and to clean pistons and chambers run 1 full COORS can:beers: of GOOD drip gas through the carb before tear down

A cherry picker A frame can be built out of 2x6's

bumper jacks are used for breaking the beads on tires and that is it:)

A spark plug cleaner to clean up rusty bolts. Works on threads and the heads. Been using it on my front end sheetmetal bolts. Works great and quick.

Matchbooks are wonderful things. I can set or clean the points in my 64 chevelle with one. Just try finding a convenience store that still has matches!!!

I grew up learning shade tree stuff from my grandfather and dad in the 50's we had an old willow tree we used for pulling engines and shade in the summer. When my dad was forced to sell the property to the City I got a piece of the "shade tree" which I keep in my garage. One of the most overlooked dianostic tools is a good vacumm guage. Old chiltons have a whole section on how to use and read one. I still time my engines by sound and feel, then check with the timing light and am usually prettly close. Just years of doing it. It was a lot simpler then.

GREAT thread. Thanks guys...

GREAT thread. Thanks guys...

When I started it, I must admit I had different intentions. I was actually looking for people to employ some of these techniques in helping me figure out MY car! But I must admit...I too have really enjoyed all of the information! :yes:

Check this out http://shadetreemechanic.freeforum.ca/ COOL Tech Library :thumbsup: Tango

Leaking intake manifold??? Hook a shop vac to the oil fill and while its pulling vac, apply sealer

OK I'll bite. Here are three tips or methods to use.
1. Working in the engine compartment of your hot rod and don't have any of those fancy fender covers. Take a large towel or blanket and some bulldog clips ( a spring type clip used to hold papers together) and clamp the blanket or towel to the area where your hood closes. If it gets dirty you can even throw it in the washer.

2. Need to clamp something you don't want to get scratched up in your vise. Take an old leather belt or a piece of leather from a pair of those work boots you were going to throw out and place it between the jaws of the vise and whatever your working on. It will grip it and not beat it up.

3. You go to grab that roll of masking tape that has been laying on your workbench for a year and all you can get off that roll is a little pie shaped scrap. Put the roll of tape in the microwave for 30 seconds. It will rejuvinate the adhesive.

to figure out HOW tired the motor is ..... remove the valve cover oil fill cap & plug the PVC the cloud coming out the oil fill with tell the story ..... to check out a about to go clutch run down the street about 35-40 mph in forth ..... floor it the torque will over run the clamping force on the clutch making it slip .... to check U-joints & rear diff ..put in first roll forward 5 feet stop put in reverse .. LISTEN for LOUD BANG as it takes slop our of drive train :eek: .....;)

Nobody mentioned ,WATER down the carb for quick valve clean.

but I've heard you can set points with a match book.

That was how my Grandpa showed me to set them when I was about 9 years old. Used it ever since until I moved into the electronic age! Even used the matchbook on my dual point distributors!:D

bumper jacks are used for breaking the beads on tires and that is it:)

I still use that one! I have a way of mounting the jack to the wall stud in the garage instead of using the car bumper. It's a lot safer that way!:yes:
My Grandpa would lay the flat tire in front of the drivers side front and run over the tire to break it down! That was mostly with tube type tires. Didn't work as well with the new tubeless ones!:D

change oil and filter, then run a compresion check;;;read the srark plugs, are the tail pipes wet or dry? wind it up with some one behind you and see if it smokes; and if so, what color and how much

ps what`s the oil pressure???