# Is there a way to do a compressor test with engine outside of the car? **URL:** \ **Category:** Shift518 Automotive\ **Created:** [June 28, 2013, 7:33am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/is-there-a-way-to-do-a-compressor-test-with-engine-outside-of-the-car/267317 "2013-06-28T07:33:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![JSEnclosures](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/jsenclosures/32/6678_2.png) [@JSEnclosures](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/JSEnclosures)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2013, 7:33am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/is-there-a-way-to-do-a-compressor-test-with-engine-outside-of-the-car/267317/1 "2013-06-28T07:33:40Z")
Is there a tool that you can maybe hook up an air compressor to or something that will give you compressor test results of an engine outside of a car? ---
**Author:** ![capitalcrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e79b87/32.png) [@capitalcrew](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/capitalcrew)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2013, 7:43am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/is-there-a-way-to-do-a-compressor-test-with-engine-outside-of-the-car/267317/2 "2013-06-28T07:43:54Z")
Couldn’t you just hook a battery up to the starter to make it crank? ---
**Author:** ![ramairetransam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/58956e/32.png) [@ramairetransam](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/ramairetransam)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2013, 7:48am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/is-there-a-way-to-do-a-compressor-test-with-engine-outside-of-the-car/267317/3 "2013-06-28T07:48:01Z")
starter is the best bet or you have to do a leak down test then. ---
**Author:** ![JSEnclosures](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/jsenclosures/32/6678_2.png) [@JSEnclosures](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/JSEnclosures)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2013, 7:57am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/is-there-a-way-to-do-a-compressor-test-with-engine-outside-of-the-car/267317/4 "2013-06-28T07:57:01Z")
starter mounts to the trans so leak down test it is ---
**Author:** ![offroadzj](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/offroadzj/32/6428_2.png) [@offroadzj](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/offroadzj)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2013, 8:33am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/is-there-a-way-to-do-a-compressor-test-with-engine-outside-of-the-car/267317/5 "2013-06-28T08:33:12Z")
No flywheel on the motor? If it is, you could make a quick fixture to hold the starter in place and crank it. I had an old RX7 12A motor that I was able to compression test by holding the actual starter by hand while my dad cranked it and watched the compression. But those motors are extremely easy to turn over… so I was able to hold the starter without any issue… ---
**Author:** ![JSEnclosures](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/jsenclosures/32/6678_2.png) [@JSEnclosures](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/JSEnclosures)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2013, 8:40am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/is-there-a-way-to-do-a-compressor-test-with-engine-outside-of-the-car/267317/6 "2013-06-28T08:40:16Z")
nope ---
**Author:** ![capitalcrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e79b87/32.png) [@capitalcrew](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/capitalcrew)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2013, 9:40am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/is-there-a-way-to-do-a-compressor-test-with-engine-outside-of-the-car/267317/7 "2013-06-28T09:40:29Z")
:rofl That’s nuts Kenny ---
**Author:** ![Boxersix](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/boxersix/32/6327_2.png) [@Boxersix](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Boxersix)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2013, 9:50am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/is-there-a-way-to-do-a-compressor-test-with-engine-outside-of-the-car/267317/8 "2013-06-28T09:50:51Z")
yeah, bolt a transmission bell housing back up to it to hook the starter up… ---
**Author:** ![Shady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6de8d8/32.png) [@Shady](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Shady)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2013, 10:07am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/is-there-a-way-to-do-a-compressor-test-with-engine-outside-of-the-car/267317/9 "2013-06-28T10:07:53Z")
> [@FS: Spidi 2 Piece fighter suit.](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/fs-spidi-2-piece-fighter-suit/51037/11): > > No flywheel on the motor? If it is, you could make a quick fixture to hold the starter in place and crank it. I had an old RX7 12A motor that I was able to compression test by holding the actual starter by hand while my dad cranked it and watched the compression. But those motors are extremely easy to turn over… so I was able to hold the starter without any issue… You know why your dad told you to hold the starter? :shifty 🤣rofl:rofl:rofl I’d imagine on those little rotarys its not to bad, can’t imagine trying to hold a starter on most engines though ---
**Author:** ![toomanycamaros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7993a0/32.png) [@toomanycamaros](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/toomanycamaros)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2013, 11:39am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/is-there-a-way-to-do-a-compressor-test-with-engine-outside-of-the-car/267317/10 "2013-06-28T11:39:57Z")
What kind of engine and why are you testing? If it’s just for peace of mind i would just do a leak down test myself ---
**Author:** ![Hang\_Your\_Cross](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/hang_your_cross/32/6381_2.png) [@Hang\_Your\_Cross](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Hang_Your_Cross)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2013, 5:37pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/is-there-a-way-to-do-a-compressor-test-with-engine-outside-of-the-car/267317/11 "2013-06-28T17:37:16Z")
Why not do a leakdown test instead? ---
**Author:** ![offroadzj](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/offroadzj/32/6428_2.png) [@offroadzj](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/offroadzj)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2013, 6:17pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/is-there-a-way-to-do-a-compressor-test-with-engine-outside-of-the-car/267317/12 "2013-06-28T18:17:43Z")
> [@Conf Call](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/conf-call/52952/35): > > You know why your dad told you to hold the starter? > > :shifty > > 🤣rofl:rofl:rofl > > I’d imagine on those little rotarys its not to bad, can’t imagine trying to hold a starter on most engines though Exactly. With any other motor I would have said screw you, but I knew this one wouldn’t be that bad. We had one bolt and a nut loosely on it to hold it’s position, I just had to keep it from rotating or coming off the flywheel.