okay either i'm blind or the check engine light in your evo stays on for a hot minute after startup! i looked at the video again and YES your check engine light was on.

Apparently you are going to to what you want to do regardless of what we say here. Whatever shop you took it to, and said you need to install another head, saw you comming a mile away and all they could see was $$$$$$$.. They are a business and they are out to make money first and formost. If your compression is good, then the valves are seating properly and that means your head is fine.

Do a leakdown test to check your piston ring seals but if they were bad enough to cause bad enough problems you would assume that you would have blue smoke on acceleration.. These are all easy things to check and most are free, if you have a friend with the tools

Your going to end up wasting a hell of alot of money on parts for your car that it probly doesn't need. But we all have to learn one way or another right? I can't believe that you don't have money when you spent money on ANOTHER head and an fb black turbo, and cams,! either you are really bad with money or you are really excited about the possibily of making more power.. The money you spent on all these parts could have gone to getting your evo running as nice as it looks

 

No blue smoke, no oil/coolant out of the exhaust.

Also everyone keeps saying I don't have money lol. I just don't have enough money for everything to be installed right now, but I do have enough to get everything except the clutch job.

And I am taking in all the advice that everyone gives and am going to follow it. The thing is my turbo is on it's way, so there is no point in getting the problem fixed today (if it is the head), if it has been like this for over a year, when I can have the shop install all the other stuff that bolts to the head for the same price as swapping the head anyway, right? It seems like once everyone sees one person go on the attack, everyone else likes to jump in and start attacking and make assumptions. Yes, when I first got the car I was a noob. It is my first turbocharged car and I had no idea the coupler blew off the throttle body. I just knew I didn't want to be stuck on the side of the road, which now I know, probably would have been a better idea.

 

Not trying to jump on you or anything but just trying to let you know that its REALLY REALLLY REALLY not a good idea to install that turbo and or cams and a head without troubleshooting your issue..

Imagine this.. you save up all this money and buy all these parts, get them halfway all installed and the shop calls you and says its probly gointo cost you xxxx amount of money to fix other problems that were discovered while taking everything apart.. What are you going to do then? I don't see how you still think there is a problem with your head when multiple people have told you
1. your engine is holding compression
2. its probly just a sticking lifter
3. you WILL NOT PASS A COMPRESSION TEST WITH BAD VALVES.

we have all been here at one point in time with our project cars, mine being a 1976 datsun 280z.. You will lose more money trying to cut corners/do multiple things when your not sure if its going to solve an issue.. You say you have money, then take that money and put it towards getting your car running right before you start adding power.. trust me evos aren't the most reliable cars once you start the modifications.... transmissions come to mind when it comes to unexpected expenses.. Take your time get it running right the way it is first, maybe install the cams if anything, and when you get your turbo in, install it yourself and then get tunned..

 

Do a Leak-Down instead of compression test.

 

I completely agree with you. But the shop said they are almost positive the problem lies within the head, not it being the valves, but something in the head. It is the almost that worries me. It would suck if the problem wasn't fixed by swapping the head...ok I'll email the shop tomorrow and see what they think

 

Hey, this may be a shot in the dark but have you checked the timing belt to see if you maybe slipped a tooth (or maybe the timing belt you said that you had changed early on may have been installed a little off)?

Down on power, a little noisy, no obvious compression issues...could be the belt?

Just a thought. Hope this all gets resolved.

Good luck.

 

Wouldn't slipping a tooth cause bent valves? Although I have not checked out the timing belt and I got it replaced at a regular mechanic shop so...maybe you are on to something.

 

You could be off one tooth and not bend a valve. I've seen them off a tooth before. It doesn't make any noise. Just runs like crap.

Checking the lifters would only take a couple hours.

Are you very mechanical? I ask this because if you are, checking/replacing them ain't no thang.

 

Then don't go to that shop, go to the shop with the most experience, you might pay more but you may also save more money in the long run also.. The evo head is pretty simple.. Your best bet, if they are local, is to take your car to the shop and let them look at it.. Its unreasonable to expect them to be able to diagnose your car through video and email.. I hope everything works out and you get your car running.. even a stock evo 8 is pretty quick

 

BTW i had a friend install his cams UPSIDE DOWN (don't ask) and he actually turn the motor over with the started about 5-6 times... we figured out the issue (upside down cams) and the car fired right up with no issues and the compression came back

 

Sounds like a timing issue to me. I would make the car as stock as possible and have a good shop diagnose your problem. If the shops you went couldnt figure out the problem then their not good shops period. Also do you have a boost guage/ What are your vacume and peak boost readings?

If the car had an xede installed then there was a boost controll wire spliced into the ECU harness by way of removing the stock pin from the harness and installing the xede pin. Forget what pin location exactly, but upon xede removal if that stock connection is not just right you wont see any more than 11 lbs of boost. And it will make your car run like crap.

 

It's been a month, have you fixed it yet?

If not it may help to post on NORCALEVO.com or evoempire.org. Plenty of guys on there that may help for some $$. Hell they might even help for free. Some are local to Sacramento might save you some money on towing expenses.

 

I don't know if anyone has said this but Have you checked the turbo if it is turning. My friend had that problem. Just putting it out there.

 

Not bashing you and it appears that it's been said before...but you're really spending your money in the wrong places (parts vs. diagnosis). We are lucky to have shops like GST and FFTec in our area. Honestly, you'd be better off cancelling/returning the cams, turbo, etc. and spend that money getting the car running right...then build from a solid base as you can afford it.

Also, it looks like you're moving to Hawaii...which presents a new set of problems with changes in humidity and heat. Tuning here and then moving the car there probably would be more detremental than anything else.

The reality is that if something needs machine work or complete replacement inside the head, you'll be spending more money than you thought. I just think you're really getting ahead of yourself with getting this pile of parts that you can't even install.

My advice, get the car running right and then start having fun with it.

Good luck...

 

i agree with all the people saying to get the car running first, your going to dump all your money into parts and not have enough money to even get it running when they do finally figure out whats wrong with it, get the car fixed first then get parts, pretty easy decision i think.