Well, I havent been able to post for some time, for reasons uknown I wasnt able to reset my password. Ill reintroduce myself, im now a proude 30 yearold owner of a 2001 proton. Ive owned my VX since 36,000 miles on the OD and its never left me stranded, thank god. It now has 81,000. I noticed it just wasnt running rite at around 45,000 so I used it only when needed till around 60,000. I made a trip from my house in Florida to MD. I got there and checked my oil wich I changed before I left home and thought, OOO Noo, that isnt rite. My oil was almost sludged, not good. Id made the 1000 mile trip often and never this. I checked the fuel preassure just incase I had a leaky injector, nope, dammit. That would have been to easy. Compression check found 1 bad hole, it still made ok psi but was more then 40 psi short of all of the others. #4 if I rember correctly. Well, I was 1000 miles away from home and had a semi dead cylender. Ok, 30wt, some lucas and a light foot home, also to include a change at 500 miles. Once I got home I pulled the motor and found a cracked ring after tear down and that hole 4 was worn way beyond spec. I ended up doing a stock to .2 over bore with a rebuild kit that cost me $850 plus machine costs and ended up close to $1400, I coulda gotten away without new bearings but I had it appart so why not.
Well, after I got the beast back together I turnned the key on and of 3 times and turned it over and it fired like it should and was running like a clock, a really load one, now what. I listened to the noise and I figured it out rite away, the shop who did my head work didnt set the springs to take up my gear lash in the heads. Man, well 4 hours later [ I had trouble with the last allen on the right bank valve cover] Its just purring at start up. Job well done. Since that event ive been up to MD 2 times and made the trip cross country to Glamis CA for newyears 2007/2008. Ill get to that in more detail later.