-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.

 

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?

 

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.

 

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?