Running on 4 cyls and blow-by question

["Luke Vinogradov" <lukev@mail.com>]

Hi,

In a couple of days I'm taking a look at an '81 4k as an WE engine (&
maybe trans) donor.  Owner says it's an unfinished rally project (of his
ex girlfriend's ex mechanic-boyfriend) which has a rebuilt engine ("not
yet run in") and good 5 spd.  However, he says he thinks it has a
"sticky injector" and is "kinda running on 4 cylinders".

I need to know what to check for - and ideally without much/any
equipment.  If I only want the engine/trans, I don't really care if the
FI or ignition system is shot (these are the main things I can think of
that would result in the 4 cyl thing) as long as the engine itself's ok.
What should I look for to ascertain that it is?  Is there perhaps
something on the head which could result in a "dead" cylinder?
Checklists, anyone?

Afterthought question:  how bad is my current engine. Lots of oil vapour
mess from the PCV, oil buildup on the air flow plate etc.  Going to do a
compression test soon.  What values should I be looking for (it's done
170k mi)? And how much PCV vapour is too much (i.e. indicates excessive
wear)?  What kind of oil consumption are you people getting?

Thanks in advance,

Luke Vinogradov

PS  Secondary question (sorry, I'm running on): how hard is swapping a 5
spd into a 4k with a tired auto trans ?  Is it worth considering?  Any
thoughts? BTDTs?