OK Guys,
If I put the compression rings on upside-down on a 351W could I have zero compression on that cylinder? I mean zero it doesn't even flutter the needle.

 

Seems like you would have some compression - sounds more like a valve stuck open, even then you should see some flutter of the needle if you crank it fast enough. Is it the same on all cylinders? Does the gauge actually work? If the answers to the last two questions are no and yes, squirt some oil down the offending cylinder and try again. Let us know what you find ....

 

Well the gage reads the same on all cylinders +- a couple pounds except this one. Initialy on break-in I had a slight ticking on the same cylinder thats dead. So I pulled the vavle cover and watched and listened to the vavle train and thought I had a bad lifter. Then I discovered that I actually had a spring at the wrong installed heigth and the rocker arm was pushing on the top of the spring instead of the vavle. When the machine shop rebuilt these heads they sunk this one exhasut valve to far in. When they ground the tips of the vavles to get the correct heigth they ground so much off that the tip of the vavle wasn't tall enough anymore and the rocker was pushing on the spring. By the way these are the D0 castings so they have the cast rockers. I thought this was my problem that the rocker was holding the exhaust vavle open. Reinstalled the head, cranked the motor, nothing . Pulled both rockers off cranked the motor nothing. Put oil down the cylinder still nothing. I know the vavles are closed especially with no rockers what could be holding them open. This is what leads me to belive its the rings and maybe I installed them upside-down. But c'mon 0 psi this is just unbeliveable. Tomarrow I plan to put air to the cylinder and figure out where the compression is going.

 

Well, first of all...find another machine shop!! But I'm sure you figured that one out already! Donno, to me it sounds like a valve stuck open, possibly a bent one, or a bad seat (doesn't sound like the shop had much experience). Wouldn't take much of an opening to loose compression at cranking speed. Did you set and stagger the end gap of the rings? Try the oiling trick. We all await your results.

 

Installing the rings upside down shouldn't cause much compression loss, at least not till they begin to wear. Not like you describe, anyway. You have valve problems.

If you remove both rockers you won't get any compression in that cylinder. If the intake valve can't open, it can't draw any air in to compress, so no compression.

You don't want to run that thing with the rocker pushing on the retainer anyway.
It could cause the keepers to come out and allow the valve to drop down into the cylinder, then you'd have much bigger problems to deal with.

Pull the head and take it back to the machine shop. It's their screwup, they need to stand behind it. They'll need to install a new seat and a new valve, and set the stem height correctly. I hope they're up to the job. It might be beyond their capabilties, from the sound of it.

And no, you're not an idiot. I'm not too sure about your machinist, though!