Cylinder Leak Detector

A method for detecting cylinder leaks, comprising:

• connecting a source of pressurized gas to a cylinder to be tested;
• controlling the flow of pressurized gas into the cylinder to be tested to limit the flow of gas to the maximum amount of allowable gas leakage from the cylinder;
• and
• determining if gas pressure builds up in the cylinder during gas flow into the cylinder, lack of gas pressure build-up indicating cylinder leakage.

A method of cleaning debris from a cylinder with cylinder valves and having an opening through the top end thereof which is opened prior to an activity that would result in debris entering the cylinder through the opening, comprising the steps of:

• closing the cylinder valves prior to beginning the activity that would result in debris entering the cylinder;
• positioning a blow tube in the cylinder when desired to clean debris from the cylinder;
• and
• blowing pressurized gas through the blow tube into the cylinder and out through the opening to entrain debris in the cylinder in the pressurized gas whereby the entrained debris flows with the pressurized gas out through the opening.

A method for repairing a damaged spark plug bore in an internal combustion engine wherein the bore has an upper portion extending from an access opening to a taper therein, and wherein the access opening extends into a cylinder having cylinder valves and is threaded to receive a spark plug therein, comprising the steps of:

• a) obtaining a thread insert having an exterior threaded shaft;
• b) closing the cylinder valves;
• c) obtaining a guide pilot having an internal bore of a size to closely accept a desired size drill bit therethrough and having a lower portion sized to snugly fit into the upper portion of the spark plug bore to thereby align the guide pilot and internal bore in the spark plug bore;
• d) positioning the lower portion of the guide pilot in the upper portion of the spark plug bore to align the guide pilot with respect to the bore;
• e) obtaining a drill bit of desired size to fit in the internal bore of the guide pilot;
• f) placing the drill bit in the internal bore of the guide pilot;
• g) attaching a drive means to the drill bit to cause rotation of the drill bit;
• h) using the guide pilot and the drive means, drilling out the damaged spark plug bore below the guide pilot;
• i) removing the drill bit and the guide pilot from the bore;
• j) obtaining a tap of a size for producing threads to mate with threads of the exterior threaded shaft of the thread insert and having a portion to extend through the internal bore of the guide pilot;
• k) positioning the tap in the guide pilot;
• l) positioning the lower portion of the guide pilot with the tap extending therefrom in the upper portion of the spark plug bore to align the guide pilot with respect to the bore;
• m) attaching the drive means to the tap to cause rotation of the tap;
• n) using the guide pilot and drive means, tapping threads into the drilled out spark plug bore;
• o) positioning a blow tube through the spark plug bore into the cylinder;
• p) blowing pressurized gas through the blow tube into the cylinder and out through the spark plug bore to entrain debris in the cylinder in the pressurized gas whereby the entrained debris flows with the pressurized gas out through the spark plug bore;
• q) installing a spark plug into the thread insert;
• r) applying bonding agent to the threads of the exterior shaft of the thread insert;
• and
• s) installing the thread insert and spark plug as a unit into the new bore using a spark plug wrench.