all my cylinders were about 180 psi except for one cylinder that was 170 psi after cranking 3 times but the cylinder did'nt stay at 170 psi , instead it started to drop until it reached 60 psi , what does that mean?

 

Valves & / or valve guides are letting it out or rings are bad. There's a way to tell where the weak spot is but I don't remember how.
Was the motor smoking?

 

A leak down test is more accurate than a simple compression test.

A somewhat accurate way to tell the difference between ring and valve leakage is to run a "dry" compression test, then follow that with a "wet" test - put about a teaspoon of engine oil in the cylinder to be tested through the spark plug hole, turn the engine over with the starter for a few cycles (distributes the oil around the cylinder), then repeat the compression test. If the wet test is significantly higher than the dry test, you've got worn piston rings. If the wet test is basically the same as the dry test, you've got leaking valves.

Another way to tell is to pressurize the cylinder with compressed air. First loosen the rocker arms so the valves are completely closed. Using an adapter, apply compressed air to the cylinder through the spark plug hole. If the rings are leaking, you'll hear air flowing into the crankcase. Intake valve leakage will flow back into intake track. Exhaust valve leakage will be evident out the exhaust system.

 

Yes , white smoke but i was thinking that might be a intake leak.

 

five7kid hit the nail on the head! Do a leak down test. Follow his tips when you do it or have it done.

 

i just had a guy put the engine in my car and its a rebuilt from Napa , is it possible that he did'nt adjust the valves right ? would that cause it to have these readings .
i just finished testing the front four cylinders and three were low
If its a headgasket i can rebuild it in my apartment parking lot as long as the bottom end is good !
with the 2 side by side low pressures plus the white smoke sounds like a head gasket but i put a vacuum guage on it and it reads a steady 16 psi or kpa and my vacuum reading chart says that if it were a headgasket that the needle on the vacuum guage would be bouncing back and forth between high and low

 

Basics of the basic compression test:

Pretest: Engine should be at operating temp, but that isn't necessary. Oil should be between the fill and full marks on the dipstick. Battery should be fully charged, starter in good operating condition.

1. Remove all spark plugs.

2. Disconnect distributor/coil power wire.

3. Open and hold open the throttle (and choke, if applicable).

4. With compression gauge firmly seated in the spark plug hole, turn the engine over with the starter for 4 or 5 compression cycles, until pressure no longer rises (compression gauges have a check valve in them to hold the pressure).

5. Read and record the gauge pressure.

6. Release the pressure on the gauge and move to the next cylinder.

7. After all cylinders have been tested, compare readings.

 

WOW!! The reading look like cylinders are 180* apart with the numbers!! Was this from a leak down test or the original compression check?
Get a print out of how to adjust the valvetrain or maybe some one will email you directions how to do it.
Follow directions to a T.
What cam-- Regular flat tappet hydraulic? Hydraulic roller? This may make a dif. I've never used a roller cam.
NAPA may even give you directions.
There are several ppl @ TGO that know how to do this on a roller cam if you have one.
I'll follow the thread too, but some one will answer with the info you need.
Good luck
(edit)
sorry five7kid--
it took me a while to write this up!!

Follow five7kids advice & go from there

 

Based on what I've just read, I'd also be inclined to suggest a head gasket(s). An intake gasket leaking will more commonly put coolant into the oil and won't give low compression readings. White smoke usually means coolant is going into the cylinders.

Pressure will always go from a high pressure source to a low pressure source. If coolant is leaking into the cylinders, it's also possible that compression is going into the cooling system. With the rad cap off and the engine running, are there bubbles in the coolant? Is the coolant very low?

As the piston goes down into the cylinder, it produces a vacuum which can pull in coolant from a leaking head gasket. On the compression stroke, it will leak out compression back into the cooling system which could be your compression test leakage.

Worst case scenario is a cracked block or head. Only a good diagnostic can determine an exact fault. You've already done a compression test and isolated a bad cylinder. Now a leakdown test needs to be done to better pinpoint the source of the leak. More than that requires partial engine teardown.

If you do plan on changing head gaskets in a parking lot, don't forget to drain both sides of the block before pulling the heads. Just draining the rad doesn't remove the coolant in the block below the water pump ports. Pulling the heads without draining the block will put coolant into the crankcase.

 

it was a compression check


[quote
Get a print out of how to adjust the valvetrain or maybe some one will email you directions how to do it.
[/quote]
i know how to adjust the valves but i just wondered what the compression test readings would be if he adjusted the valves wrong : for example lets say he did'nt tighten them enough

 

from my compression test i think it looks like a blown headgasket but from the vacuum test i performed it makes me think theres a possibility that its not a headgasket , i circled the results that match my test results , if you look at the one right below the circled one it shows that the vacuum guage needle would flucuate as engine speed increases if it had a bad head gasket , my vacuum guage needle does'nt fluxuate it stays at a steady 16
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I'm gonna do what FIVE7KID suggested and do a wet compression test , i'll also run the engine and look for bubbles in my radiator

I also need to check my crankcase for coolant , thats my main concern , if it dont have coolant in it or it does and i can get it out all my worries will be gone because i can then just sit back and wait for spring and when spring hits just tear it down , get my heads magnafluxed and build it back up .
So right now i just want to get the coolant out of my crankcase if needed and also confirm that my bottom end is good .

 

I pulled my oil dipstick , no signs of coolant and does'nt smell like coolant , took my oil cap off and shined a flashlight in there and there was no signs of coolant in there either , i'll probally remove the valve covers and distributor some time this week to get a better look

 

I adjusted the valves and all is fine , the white smoke was when it was 2 degrees outside but i thought that it was smoking too much because when i compared it to my other car my other car did'nt smoke near as bad .
Also someone said that its normal for some new engines to smoke at first because its burning off the assembly lube or something like that