Fellas, the saga continues. We are inching ever closer to 9 months of the car not running. Many of you know I had to replace my oil pump and some of the pulley removal ordeals I went through. Either way, I finally was able to get the oil pump replaced and I finished getting the car all back together on Friday night for what I thought would in time for my own car show. So, I get the car idling just fine on the stands, triming fuel and other small adjustments. I'm finally happy so I drop her down and decide to take her for a spin. Mind you, it's 1 AM in the morning. I get just about 100 yards from the house, I shift from 1st into 2nd and I hear a soft thud and the whole car just dies. I doesn't do anything, won't start - nothing. Needless to say I had to get a truck and chain at 1AM and drag it back.

Fast forward to tonight ... I'm thinking all weekend the cams are ceased b/c I didn't have oil pressure before and it doesn't sound like it's making compression when you turn the key. I started with the coil pack, sparks on all 4 plugs, removed the valve cover, to my surprise cams are turning over just fine, all lifters and rockers are moving. I double checked the timing to make sure it didn't jump a tooth - dead on. Time for a compression test ... bingo - "0" compression on all 4 cylinders, although, the bottom end is moving just fine, I can see all four pistons moving up and down. So .... even though it's brand spanking new, I'm thinking the headgasket blew ... car has 20-30 miles tops on it since rebuild. Any other ideas other than the HG? .... I'm getting real tired of this - last time I drove the car was Dec. 26th. I'm starting to think 4G63 time ... thanks for the vent.

What happens when u put the key to the on position ? Also when you did the rebuilt how did you pre lube it ? Did you let the oil pump prive before fireing it ?

Your rings or valves...I know... you have a really recent rebuild. I am not going to tell you how to rebuild an engine since you obviously know how to do that. I'm thinking that maybe your cylinders aren't getting enough oil or too much fuel which would be washing away the oil that is getting there? You went about 100 yds and then it quit. That should be figured into it too. Are you getting fuel and spark etc... Did you do a wet comp test? If everything is moving well, the only thing that I can think involving the head gasket is maybe that you left it off completely?? Rare to have a toasted HG and have 0 compression on ALL cyls. I'm really curious too. Post results amd final diagnosis?

When I turn the key the starter engages and just continues to *click* b/c there is no compression.

The rebuilt engine was pre-lubed with assembly lube on the bottom end and the head.

Yes, I primed the oil pump. I had it idling for about 15 minutes on the jack stands. I had oil pressure to my gauge, the turbo and the head.

0 compression on all 4?? Put the motor to TDC(all timing marks lined up for TDC compression stroke on #1) and put compressed air into the cylinder. Its obviously leaking out somewhere, and you should be able to tell where its coming out of. Sounds like a valve train issue to me. Unless that HG was just completely toast, i'd highly doubt its the HG. Are you SURE your timing was perfect and never jumped? Did you put 20 ft lbs of torque on the tensioner pulley before tightening down the tensioner plunger?

Originally posted by techboy
When I turn the key the starter engages and just continues to *click* b/c there is no compression. The rebuilt engine was pre-lubed with assembly lube on the bottom end and the head. Yes, I primed the oil pump. I had it idling for about 15 minutes on the jack stands. I had oil pressure to my gauge, the turbo and the head.

0 compression doesn't make a starter click, low voltage does. Is the motor even turning over?

Very rare to have 0 compression across the board.
I would suspect your comp tester has a problem.
Do a leakdown test at this point...
Is the motor still in time?

As Dino pointed out, if all you get is clicking from the starter then you either dont have enough voltage, or you have other probs like starter problems or the motor wont turn over...

When you did the comp test did you hold the throttle open all the way?

If there were two people I wanted to reply to this post it was Xtreme and Dino ... thanks guys. :thumbsup

Anyway, I'm positive at this point that it is not the timing. The TDC mark is dead on with the cam markings. I was actually hoping it jumped a tooth or two, but it didn't.

I thought my compression readings were strange too, so after 2 cylinders I tried out the compression tester on another vehilce just to make sure it was reading correctly. I tested a Mustang 5.0 and got readnig of 110. I continued with my last 2 cylinders and nothing. I didn't have the throttle at WOT postion though, what difference would that make?? I know it has to be a compression issue somewhere for sure because I can put a shorty 3/8 wrachet with a 19mm on my crank bolt and turn the engine over effortlessly. It just spins round and round and round.

And Dino, yes the motor is turning over. I thought for sure the head had ceased. But I can visually watch both cams turn and I have studied every lifter, rocker, etc to make sure everything is moving and they are.

I took at look at my trip ometer tonight, b/c I set it back to "0" when I put the rebuilt motor in. It has just barely turned 30 miles. I have a real hard believing as well that a brand new HG that was torqued to 90 ft. lbs with ARP head studs is bad, but it's only I think that could be wrong at this point.

My next step is a leak down test and getting Metal Jim to come up and take a look .... he's got a soft spot for my car.

Ok, so here's my summary of what's been said. Most of my friends and others who have looked at the car seem to think it's the HG. It seems the concensus on 2GNT is the valves. If I do I leak down test will I be able to easily tell which one it is?

I have a spare short block sitting in the garage. I was toying with the idea of buying a used head to make it a long block. I'm thinking maybe I want to do that now and swap heads with the motor in the car and see what happens. Any input on that idea?