Re: compression
If the engine overheated, there's a good chance the head gasket blew. I would start there anyway, since you'll be able to guage the condition of the cylinder walls when you can actually see them.<br /><br />Yes, you need to dismantle virtually the entire engine to get at the rod journals. <br /><br />Removing stuck fastners is tricky, but there's lots of things you can do to prevent breaking them. First, a day before you even touch the engine, hit all the bolts with penetrating oil. Then if you run into ones that are still stuck, heat the area where the bolt passes into liberally with a propane torch. It is very difficult to melt aluminum when just using propane. An impact driver (looks like a large screwdriver that you hit with a hammer) can be your best friend. Actually, second best - the torch is the most important tool.<br /><br />Just to make sure you're testing properly, you are pulling the engine over 4 or five times while taking your readings, right? So they're topping out at 50psi?
