The car is currently sitting at the shop waiting for the head to be pulled, but I would like to get your guys input in the meantime as I try to figure this situation out before I make any decisions. I ordered a complete engine from a vendor here on the forums, Toplevelperformance. The engine is a 2.4 with brand new Manley I beam rods and Wiseco pistons, Brand new ACL bearings, Brand new oil pump, balance shaft eliminator kit, L19 Arp head studs, Brand new Cometic head gasket. The shop where the car is currently at, FFTEC, ran a compression and leakdown test which turned out the following results:

Cylinder #1 - 90% leakdown
Cylinder #2 - 80% leakdown
Cylinder #3 - 28% leakdown
Cylinder #4 - 80% leakdown

The compression test results showed 0 PSI across all cylinders.
Any input is greatly appreciated and from the shops as well since I need to have this figured out asap

 

Bump

 

Have you checked with Toplevelperformance? Was the car tuned when you had the engine installed?

 

I have talked to Toplevelperformance and hopefully we can work something out as FFTEC wants to remove the head to diagnose the compression and leakdown tests, but I really would like to know why these results would come out this way. As well, the quote is exactly cheap to remove and reinstall the head.

 

The engine was installed but hasn't been started yet... Could that be a reason for the compression and leakdown results?

 

TLP claims another victim. My "built" engine from them locked up while cranking it over for it's first start up.

Even though the rings aren't broke in, the compression would still be high. Anything that's wrong with the engine wouldn't surprise me, they did no clearance checking or ring gapping on mine, just assembled it with the thrust washers installed backwards(hence the lock up) and called it "built".

 

check the head. When doing the leak down test, could you tell if the air was leaking past the valves, or the rings? 0 compression on all four cylinders that sounds like the valves are stuck open.

 

Well I hope that isn't the case with the engine I bought from them. Was your issue ever resolved?

 

That is a question I am going to have to ask fftec. If the valves are stuck open does that mean the motor is done for?

 

...

 

I think best case is the valves are stuck and being bent 2nd best. If the rings are good, all the problems with the compression should be in the head. If it were me though, I would double check everything, bearing clearance, P2W clearances, ring gaps as I had to replace everything on my engine, even had a mis-matched set of Eagle rods that had 2 weigh 10 grams more than the other 2, have pics of where my shop had to cut down the rods caps to balance everything.

Nothing was done after sending TLP the pics of the damage other than being accused of sending them pics from a different engine and/or driving the car hard for 1000s of miles as the damage included a bent crank and crushed bearings due to the improperly installed thrust washers spinning with the crank causing the lock up, only after trying to start it for the 1st time. Even if the washers were installed right, the Wiseco pistons would have seized in no time from the P2W clearances being less than .002", I had to redo this to .004. Rings would have broke for sure. We're not the only victims of TLP.

Here's my thread:
https://www.evolutionm.net/forums/ev...-start-up.html

 

The technician's findings from FFTEC as of 1/30/13 after removing the cylinder head:
- head stud between cylinders 1 and 2 on exhaust side: nut was bottomed out into the block
- cylinder head inspected for flatness. Head is within .0015
- cylinder head will need to be resurfaced
- marks on valves and pistons look like valve to piston contact (most likely cause by incorrect cam timing described above)
- heavy marks on #1 intake and #4 exhaust
- light marks on #1 exhaust and #4 intake
- #2 and #3 ok
- lots of carbon buildup in exhaust ports
- preliminary head leak test shows: all exhaust valves leak, #1 intake valves have slight leak, #4 intake valves leak
- Pistons show signs of knock pitting on all cylinders (cylinder #4 shows the worst damage)
- All pistons have signs of knock erosion
#1 Exhaust side quench pad
#2 Edges of intake valve cut and exhaust side quench pad
#3 Edges of intake valve cut and exhaust side quench pad
#4 Exhaust side quench pad shows slight heat damage at intake valve relief
- Cylinder bore is used, but in good condition
- Deck flatness tested at .0015
- Block appears to have been surfaced by hand

SUMMARY OF NOTES

- Cylinder head will need to be resurfaced
- Machine shop will inspect for bent valves
- Inspect valve seats to determine if they will need to be recut
- Pistons and Block may be reusable
- Bottom end bearings have not been checked. Bearings may have been worn due to excess knock

 

From what I've collected, the motor that I bought supposedly new needs a lot of work and I would appreciate if Toplevel could chime in on the subject

 

Cam Mis-alignment

 

Cylinder head (looks as though it hasn't been resurfaced)