I've searched on the boards quite a bit and am just looking to see if anyone has some advice that I could be missing here.

Here's the background -
I had the infamous oil leak at the driver's side rear corner of the headgasket, it got to be annoying enough that I tore into it and replaced it. Used a MLS gasket (no sealant) and ARP headstuds. When torqing down the cam caps, I over-torqued and broke a bolt in the head (lesson learned). Couldn't get it out, so I bought another head, and will work on this one later.

I finished the install, and set the timing wrong. Both dowel pins were facing inward rather than the timing marks - so each cam was 90 deg. off. I spun the motor by hand, no noticable signs of valves hitting, finished the job (not realizing how off the timing was), and the car wouldn't start (obviously). Two beers later, I realized what a dumbass I was and fixed the timing - I believe the intake dowel is down, while the exhaust is up - both timing marks are dead on, and the crank was set to TDC.

The ARP studs were installed using the moly lube. Hand tight into the block, and the nuts torqued down to 75 ft/lbs.

I'm waiting on a new waterneck to come in, but I decide to turn the engine over and see if it starts - no luck. Sounds the same as it did with the timing way off. Sounds like little to NO compression.

What gives?

I don't have a compression tester, but I'll pick one up and test the compression, I'm fairly sure it'll be very low, if not 0.
I've never taken apart the valves on a head before, but what could be bad that would cause this? This is the only thing I can come up with.
Valve seals? Lifters?
The head was used when I got it, I had it resurfaced prior to install. There were also a few lifters missing, which I took from my other head, and oiled them up then dropped them in.

Any thoughts? Or anyone in the N.Attleboro, MA area that would like to help a fellow DSM'er out some weekend?

Thanks!

1996 Dodge Stratus - 2.4L 5-spd.
1995 Mitsu Eclipse - mildly modded

Just cause the timing marks are dead on does not mean it is correct. I had a similar thing happen. Turned out to be the camn dowel pin was sheared off, it looked like it was in there, but in realiity it was broken off and stuck in the notch. So the cam was off, but the cam gears told me a different story. Mine was the intake cam. This was pretty easy to fix, I drilled out the pin (after cam removal), then inserted a new one, I can't rember the name of the pin type I used, but it has a split on it and is the hardest steel they have. When you hammer it in the split acts as a lock. I had a bit left over and just ground it down.

You know what I believe I had a post about it somewhere. Had picturs and all. If not you can still find the pics at my imagestations site.

Kevin
The old:


The new:

I'll check that out tonight then. Hopefully that's it.
Thanks

1996 Dodge Stratus - 2.4L 5-spd.
1995 Mitsu Eclipse - mildly modded