Once I got everything apart per the fantastic videos, I found that Cylinder 7, which was giving the crazy dashboard errors in the AFM video and running rough since #7 had continuous misfires has an intake vale that never fully closes. I tried to capture in pics that it is always slightly compressed. Much lower than cylinder 1 which is also and afm cylinder.
I pulled the spark plug, shined a light and then used my phone to cover and look down the intake chamber and sure enough I could see crescent-shaped light appear as I moved my flashlight around (with no rocker arm attached per the pics)
Is this also a common problem?
Suggestions on what to do next? (By the way, I live in Austin Area if there are any shops you'd recommend)
I'm assuming I need to pull the head and have the valve replaced along with valve guide, etc. Or am I mis-diagnosing something?
Thank you for all your assistance so far.
By the way, I did by the kit, could bounce the rod a bit, but I suspect it meant nothing since my rod seems to rise as high as the other rods.
Thanks. Luckily I never had a collapsed/stuck lifter issue in the first place and now the vlom plate it torqued down properly.. but yeah, for all the good reasons I'm either going to keep the disabler or just mail in the ECU. Also debating my own $400 programmer, but the bad reviews are really discouraging. The 87 octane tune and arm disable are very attractive though.. so still debating on forward course... Could also throw that oil passage block in there with the disabler too. It seems like the only downside would be if the disabler failed, i'd throw some codes for 4 cylinder mode errors. (that and mechanically reversing it at each battery change if I have to re-set emissions).