
Turn off the ignition completely and disconnect one of the spark plugs from the cable connecting it to distributor. You don’t want to try this when the engine is cold because you won’t get an accurate reading. Run your engine until it gets to normal temperature. This method is ideal for those who have an assembled engine, and want check the vehicle's compression ratio through the spark plug sockets. Tip: If you don’t want to calculate the numbers yourself, there are a number of compression ratio calculators online to solve it for you click here.If you end up with a number of, say, 8.75, your compression ratio would be 8.75:1. Calculate the compression ratio by solving this equation: Do this almost the same way you would the deck clearance (Step 7): (Bore + Bore × 0.7854 × gasket thickness). Measure the head gasket’s thickness and bore to determine the gasket volume. Calculate the piston-to-deck clearance volume with this calculation: (Bore + Bore × 0.7854 × distance between piston and deck at top dead center ). Step 7: Find the piston-to-deck clearance. Usually, a piston has both dome and dish features, and the final volume is the sum of both features (dome minus dish). A piston with a positive CC value always is referred to as a ‘dome’ that sticks up above the compression height of the piston, while a “dish” is a negative value that accounts for the valve pockets.
CHEVY COMPRESSION RATIO CALCULATOR MANUAL
In the manual again, find the dome or dish volume of the piston, also measured in CCs. This measurement is the distance between the centerline of the pin bore and the top of the piston. In the manual, find the compression height of the piston. Step 5: Find the piston compression height. If you’re building an engine, consult the manufacturer’s manual. The combustion chamber volume is measured in cubic centimeters (CCs) and measures how much matter it takes to fill the combustion chamber bore. Locate the volume of the combustion chamber in your vehicle’s manual. Step 4: Determine the combustion chamber volume. To calculate the volume of the cylinder use this formula: V = π r 2 h This number calculates the stroke, or the area the piston sweeps as it moves up or down the cylinder one time. Measure from the very bottom to the very top, ensuring your ruler is level. Using an accurate ruler or tape measure, measure the height of the cylinder. Step 3: Calculate the cylinder measurement. Divide this measurement by 2 to achieve the average radius of the bore. Add up your measurements and divide by however many you took (usually three or four is plenty) to get the average diameter. Insert the gauge into the cylinder and measure the bore multiple times in different places within the cylinder and write down the measurements. First determine the approximate diameter of the cylinder and calibrate your dial bore gauge with a micrometer. A dial bore gauge is used to measure the diameter of a hole, or in this case, a cylinder. Step 1: Clean the engine Thoroughly clean the engine cylinders and pistons with degreaser and a clean rag.

Method 1 of 2: Measure the compression ratio manually The first is the manual version which requires you to do all the math as accurately as you can, and the second - and probably the most common - requires a pressure gauge fitted into an empty spark plug socket. There are two methods you can use to calculate an engine’s compression ratio. The more tightly this mixture fits, the better it burns and the more energy is converted into power for the engine. Put more simply, the compression ratio is the measurement of compressed gas to uncompressed gas, or how tightly the air/gas mixture fits within the combustion chamber before it’s ignited by the spark plug. They may seem complicated at first, but they’re really just basic geometry.Īn engine’s compression ratio measures two things: the ratio of the volume of gas in the cylinder when the piston is at the top of the stroke (top dead center, or TDC), compared to the volume of gas when the piston is at the bottom of the stroke (bottom dead center, or BDC). There are a few equations needed to calculate the compression ratio if you’re doing it manually. Whether you’re building a new engine and you need the metric, or you’re curious to know how efficient your car uses fuel, you have to be able to calculate the engine’s compression ratio.
