Total Seal‘s Lake Speed Jr and EFI University‘s Ben Strader check the health of the boosted 393-cubic inch LS engine. After making over 1,300 HP (1317HP, to be precise) on the dyno with 1.0mm, 1.0mm, 2.0mm Total Seal rings, the guys first step is to check the engine’s cylinder health via leak down testing.
They do so by measuring out how much pressure is lost between air entering and exiting the cylinder – which is the quick and easy way to see how the rings held up under all that abuse.
Reverse-blueprinting the engine after some testing: did it fail or break? An oil analysis from SpeeDiagnostix provided the report that everything was good to go with the rotating assembly. The crew also checked the spark plugs, pulled the cylinder heads, checked for oil in the manifold, cylinder pressure, and more.
The internals looked great, oil test passed with flying colors. But that doesn’t tell the whole story. Sometimes “good enough, isn’t good enough.” A leak down tests tell you how healthy your engine is, without really having to tear it down. Total Seal actually offers a tool directly off of their website to do so. A high-quality, reliable piece that you can count on for accuracy.
After all, we’re talking about a lot of money when it comes to building an engine, so you can toss that no-name, parts store unit. You can order yours HERE. To see how it’s done, check out the video above!
Rick Seitz is the owner and founder of GMEFI Magazine, and has a true love and passion for all vehicles. When he isn’t tuning, testing, or competing with the brand’s current crop of project vehicles, he’s busy tinkering and planning the next modifications for his own cars.
