DanielB said:
So a while back i got my heads and block machined bored valve job and all by this shop called womacks over here. 2 months after i notice a tick noise and antifreeze leaking right out of the middle of a freeze plug :brickwall: . They didn't change a freeze plug they ground my valves all different so my non adjustable rocker arm shaft setup no longer worked had to buy adjustable push rods. was really pissed :brickwall: . and now after all this time i feel like my motor just doesn't have the power it should and i been hearing this tick noise and smelling exhaust. I do a compression test on all cylinders and sure enough 120-130 in all but one which had 93 (where i heard the tick around the valve cover). So its back to the shop, but this time its performance wedge (a mopar only shop) :brickwall: :brickwall: :brickwall: hopefully they do a good job with this :toetap: me and my dad checked the cylinder bores they were perfect, new rings and pistons so i know its in the head. but what could it be... :huh:
Unless you pulled the piston from the suspect cylinder you can't be sure it's perfect. They could well have set all your ring gaps in the same place instead of equidistant from one another (ring gap alternating 60 degrees apart or so). If all the ring gaps are in the same place this would cause a big loss of compression such as you are experiencing.
Other than that, since you had a problem with the valvetrain it may be that one or both of the valves in that cylinder are not fully closing. Perhaps they did not check installed spring height, or perhaps the valve guides need to be milled down (depending on the lift of the cam) and the retainer is striking the top of the guide, thus producing a ticking mechanical noise.
Do not assume anything is "perfect" with that engine after finding the kinds of elementary mistakes you mentioned. Check EVERYTHING while you have it back out - TAKE NOTHING FOR GRANTED! You certainly don't want to put it back in the car and have more problems because you thought something was right.