- 1). Remove the valve covers from the engine. Inspect the top of the valves looking for broken valve springs, valve stems, and missing valve keepers. If damage is found, trace it to the damaged cylinder. Do not crank the engine as this might cause further damage. If nothing is found, proceed to the next step.
- 2). Remove all the spark plugs from the engine. Tag all the plugs and wires to track what cylinder they came from. Inspect the threaded end of the spark plug for damage. If a damaged plug is found, trace it to its respective cylinder. Do not crank the engine as this might cause further damage. If nothing is found, proceed to the next step.
- 3). Crank the engine using the starter. While cranking the engine, inspect the valves to be sure all are moving up and down. If any valves are not functioning properly, record the cylinder and stop cranking the engine immediately. If all valve movement is normal, continue to the next step.
- 4). Place a compression gauge into each cylinder, one at a time, then crank the engine by turning the key to the "start" position. Record the cylinder compression for each cylinder. Compare the cylinder compression against the manufacturer's recommended compression, then compare it with the other cylinders of the engine. Record any cylinder with reduced or no compression. If no compression problems are found, the valves are fine.
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