well....crap. please help

just did a headgasket replacement on an 05 OBXT. everything looked great, torqued to spec, new bolts and gaskets all the way around. put the engine back in the car and now it wont start. it turns and turns but never fires. no codes to speak of either. thought it might be timing, so i pulled the covers and double checked. they appear to be ok. pulled the number 2 plug and did a dry compression test at WOT -- 50psi (at altitude as well).

 

thoughts?

 

(pictures to follow if it'll help)

 

edit: i keep getting a security error when i try to upload pics. gonna try from my phone and see if that works

 

edit2: still getting the stupid error when i'm trying to upload pics, so here are some via PB

 

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v245/jazzcornet/received_2428508977374519_zpsi2vcfr2i.jpeg

 

left side torn down

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v245/jazzcornet/received_2428509130707837%201_zps7sqskknp.jpeg

 

block looks just fine. cross hatches look great

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v245/jazzcornet/1109172046_zpsrfuhnfhh.jpg

 

right side torn down before cleaning

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v245/jazzcornet/1109172021_zps4vxoql8b.jpg

 

right side torn down

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v245/jazzcornet/1109172002_zps2v9uwcif.jpg

 

left side reassembled; take not that i even labeled the coils in addition to the harness. I wasnt taking any chances with this motor

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v245/jazzcornet/1109171855_zpsamg0yzil.jpg

Were the heads decked by a machine shop ? Are the valves set correctly ?

Did you put the gasket on upside down? Did you triple check timing. The double lines on the cam sprockets are lined up with each other and the single lines are pointed to the timing covers? I bet one is off 180’ and making the car read low compression because the valve is always open.

Pictures of the timing marks/belt if you can. That should confirm or rule out the timing.

i didnt touch the valves, only took the buckets off after removing the cams.

 

did not take it to a machine shop but it passed the straight edge and .003" feeler gauge test on both the head and block surfaces.

 

gaskets were installed correctly. all oem parts as well.

wont allow me to upload pics for some reason so i'll try photobucket

 

http://smg.photobucket.com/user/jazzcornet/media/1109172046_zpslm2czt4w.jpg.html

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v245/jazzcornet/1111171402%201_zpsb9bexf7v.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v245/jazzcornet/1111171402a_zpsjmufbarp.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v245/jazzcornet/1111171403_zpsfhj6pruz.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v245/jazzcornet/1111171401_zpsjlkdnvvq.jpg

I have to ask because it seems to happen often but for the crank sprocket did you line it by using the line on the crank and not the triangle right?

Yes i did. Notice in the,picture the arrow is 90 degrees to the right.

Ok.. I assume when you set the timing you turned the drivers side cams the correct way? Top is clockwise and exhaust is counterclockwise

 

if you did sorry just trying to narrow it down

I did, but that really shouldnt matter. If the crank is lined up properly, then the pistons are mid stroke amd there's no chance of valves hitting the pistons.

Pulling #1 plug now to see compression results

I did, but that really shouldnt matter. If the crank is lined up properly, then the pistons are mid stroke amd there's no chance of valves hitting the pistons.

I asked because the valves can hit each others.. ask me how I know and when I mean hit when you are setting the timing.

Cylinder 1 is at 75psi. Good spark all around

Oh hitting each other, didnt think of that.

You bent your valves by setting the timing?!? That blows. I'm ruling that out though because of the low compression on cylinder1

I did, but that really shouldnt matter. If the crank is lined up properly, then the pistons are mid stroke amd there's no chance of valves hitting the pistons.

 

Right, but if you're mid stroke with an open chamber and the plug is firing... You get the idea.

 

You have no codes, that's good. The ECU isn't seeing anything so crazy that it feel something is off. That being said... I've seen timing being off a tooth, an un-plugged cam sensor, etc. all cause no start and no codes. The ECU doesn't check everything until the motor fires. Go back to basics: spark, fuel, compression. Test all cylinders for compression and look for anomalies. Make sure the fuel pump is priming when you turn the key. Check the plugs and see if they are firing etc. The move onto the crank/cam sensors etc.

 

edit: posted after your previous responses. check compression on the other two cylinders. IIRC around 75psi cold is what you're looking for. 50psi means either a valve is sealing very badly or a piston is wrecked.

What about the avcs cam gears? Do you have to preload it with oil? Any chance that has anything to do with it?

You bent your valves by setting the timing?!? That blows. I'm ruling that out though because of the low compression on cylinder1

No when I had my '97 outback I had to make a hard stop because a mother and child cut across the street between cars.. car jumped a few teeth.. after that it bent a valve.. I think I still have it.. sucked

 

I do know of someone that had a person work on a Legacy SUS guy did not know what he was doing changing the belt.. I got it set right but the ticking sound of the valves never went away had some pretty bad idle issues.

 

have you check cylinder 3?

What about the avcs cam gears? Do you have to preload it with oil? Any chance that has anything to do with it?

 

The AVCS gears lock into the zero position when there's no oil pressure, so unless one of them is clogged/bad that shouldn't be an issue.

What about the avcs cam gears? Do you have to preload it with oil? Any chance that has anything to do with it?

When I cleaned out my AVCS gears I did but that was because I was rebuilding my motor.. I had a issue where I put the cam on (drivers side) and the pin was not lined up.. it made a huge pain to get it off requiring me to get a gear puller on it.

 

I doubt that's the issue however.

Thanks. We have fuel and spark, so that leaves compression. Gonna do a wet compression test real quick to rule out rings

Thanks. We have fuel and spark, so that leaves compression. Gonna do a wet compression test real quick to rule out rings

What was the numbers on cylinders 3 and 4?

Ok, so ruling out AVCS then. That's good.

Just did a wet test on cyl2. It raised it 10psi. Does that mean bad rings?

Pulling 3 and 4 now for a test