Testing motor compression without it turning over with starter?

[lolcantturn]

Found an M52 at a junkyard, still in car. I didn't ask if the starter will turn over, but he said i can go ahead and look at the engine and open up the valve cover to see the condition of the cams. He said he didnt know if it ran since its been sitting for a year or so. I'd like to test the compression but is there a way to do it without the starter? I mean if I had to replace the HG that'd be fine, I'm just scared of there magically being bent valves on a timing chained motor haha

[Grant01]

Found an M52 at a junkyard, still in car. I didn't ask if the starter will turn over, but he said i can go ahead and look at the engine and open up the valve cover to see the condition of the cams. He said he didnt know if it ran since its been sitting for a year or so. I'd like to test the compression but is there a way to do it without the starter? I mean if I had to replace the HG that'd be fine, I'm just scared of there magically being bent valves on a timing chained motor haha

the only thing you can do to test compression is going to be a leak down tester. When doing this you put each piston at top dead center, then hook the leak down tester up. It measures the amount of air the leaves the chamber. The only problem with this, is that it requires A. a leak down tester, which usually arent cheap, or easy to find local and B. an air compressor.

[acolella76]

You can turn it by hand but it's not going to be as accurate. A leak down test would tell you more about the engine than just a compression test anyways

[TurboJake]

Leak down. Like those before me stated.