nm9
I'm good with your thinking.
I still like my bicycle-pump analogy,tho. Everytime I have ever done a compression test either with closed throttle as at idle position, or with WOT-position, and at cranking speed, the numbers always ended up the close to or the same,providing enough compression events were allowed for the closed throttle test. In my thinking,the psi just represents the best the chamber can do at cranking speed. And that's the measure we have.
I understand that at WOT, as the rpm increases, cylinder filling can approach or even exceed the maximum capacity of the measured environment, you'll not get an argument out of me, on that point.
But In my thinking idle speed and cranking speed are close enough, both with closed throttles,to not change the pressure reading significantly.
I also agree with the OP's diagnoses that the hi cylinder pressures could have been due to collapsed lifters. I mean from the running results, we now are pretty sure the lobes are ok, so really, there's no other option left.
So the very first compression test was done IIRC with a closed throttle, and so was the idling test. So where did the pressure go for all the 155ers? Were all their lifters also collapsed, just to a lessor degree? That seems rather conspicuous to me; 5 or 6 all the samely collapsed?
I get that every time you shut a V8 off, there will be at least two lifters being under duress, so that probably explains the two high readings. But they should hold their preload long enough to do a warm compression test,else I would throw them away.
I find these thought-exercises fascinating.
A little further
it's been reported that at idle, not all the gasoline entering the chamber is oxidized, right. That's why the idle mixture has to be enrichened; to stabilize the idle,to ensure that all the oxygen finds fuel to react with. So, normally this unburned fuel passes out with the exhaust; but does it all pass thru?
And the condition is aggravated with say....a 280 cam, and 10.2 Scr. So I hear ya that you believe that the gas in the non-firing chamber will stay suspended and pass harmlessly thru.
But think back to olden days,lol, when a vehicle came into your shop with a dead cylinder. During the diagnoses, how many times didn't you pull the dipstick, and find the oil diluted with gas in the crankcase?
Your thoughts?