2001 allroad nightmare began with a misfire and cant find it...

after replacing coils and spark plugs, checking ICM, MAss , etc etc etc....Narrowed it down to number one piston (front Passenger side) the spark plug is always wet.

Did a compression check and sometimes it reads 60 PSI and sometimes it reads 160+ psi... if I rev it,,,,definitely climbs to 160+

I tore down front clip again, checked my timing marks...3 is at top dead , crank is aligned to arrow on cover and pulley notch... valve cover on passenger side is off and the arrows match up nice on bearing caps and timing chain rollers, everything looks good.

what in the world is going on? is there a bent valve in cylinder 1? or is it possible the valve is sticking...

i'm out of ideas and I surely dont want to remove this head...

 

checked compression, was getting 180 on third stroke 120 on first shot.
I checked all vacuum hoses, coils, timing belt was perfectly installed... ICM seems OK swapping wires didnt make a difference in cylinder 1 misfiring....

when the guy that bought my car drove away, I wondered if it could have been a leaky fuel injector... never tested that theory... but it too late...

I feel like a lawyer, boxer or doctor... you win them battles all the time like clock work...lose one battle, and it **** with your psyche... just the not knowing what it could have been urks me now.... but the hell with that 2.7t nightmare