Fabulous_omelet

-Okay. I'm just wondering if anyone here can shed some guesses on the brilliant turd that is my motor. Here's a quick run down.
-Compression test - 230, 205, 205, 205. Leakdown - 30% (bottom), 50% , 50%, 15% (other 3 were all in the head). Mechanic has stated it's likely a bad ring, and completely trashed valve guides.
-I'm curious as to how it can show a good (not great, but decent at least) compression with such bad leaks. I've had 2 valve adjustments done, and the valves make such a loud chatter, sometimes almost a scraping noise, that gets louder with rpm, that it's louder than my buddy's 240sx with rod knock. And I've heard one of these with a knock, it's not that.
-The car also has a VERY noticeable loss of power (doesn't pull as well the aforementioned, knocking, bone stock KA24DE), and the motor feels very unstable over 5k rpm.
-I'm not worried about fixing it: as I have a new motor that'll be finished at the end of May, I'm just very curious as none of this makes very much sense to me at all.

bgoetz

I think sometimes oil can cause high compression #s, sounds like you had a bunch of it going everywhere. What is the history on the motor, I am not sure I have ever heard of one that badly deteriorated?

blueprint

Good compression?? Anything more than a 15-20psi deviation across the board is terrible and your leak down is indicative of that. You also most likely have a blown head gasket which explains the leak down and loss of power.

The K20 in my cousins civic recently was 235 across the board.

Slowcrash_101

Perhaps you had overly tight valves for a long time, they started to burn and erode, and now you leak through the head. When you did the leak down test, where did you hear hissing?