No compression in cylinder number five?

Hi Joe,

First of all, thank you for your reply!
I have attached a copy of the engine diagnosis from the repair shop
that I took my truck. And I need to back up a little bit and go into more detail and add what I missed on my previous post.
The following is what took place before I took the truck to the shop:
So, pertaining to the catalytic converters:
When the truck was still running fine, before the misfires, the check engine light came on. So, I plugged in my scanner and all I remember is that it had a cat code, but I don't remember exactly what code it was by number. I read online that some people change out the PCV valves that sometimes when they get a cat code. So, I did that, cleared the code and the truck was running just fine.
And another thing that I needed to add is that posts said that it you have
grey smoke on startup, that changing the PCV valves could possibly help this issue, which mine were faulty, and it helped the smoke issue. (Grey smoke, not white). And the transmission code went away.

So, pertaining to the misfire(s):
While driving one day, the check engine light came on, and I had a pretty good loss of power on the highway. It also flashed until I found a place to turn around and go back home. Drove it 13 miles home, put the reader on.
And the first code was PO303. I don't remember a PO305. So I changed out plugs and coils. The plugs on the driver's side were extremely corroded. Cleared the code, started it up, check engine came on. Multiple engine misfire PO300. That's when I took it to the shop. Drove it 6 miles to the shop. Then after the diagnosis drove it home. So total 25 miles driven with misfire(s). So just FYI I haven't driven it very far with the misfire.

So, they diagnosed the truck with no compression 0PSI for cylinder 5.
(see attached sheet)

So, do you feel that having "no" compression that It could be narrowed down to the head?
What tests do shops do to determine if the cats have damage?

Thank you for sending an estimate for repair. To tell you the truth,
I don't know what I am going to do at this point. On one hand I don't want to put the money in it, but I have spent quite a bit of money on this truck, new transmission, front end suspension parts, new tires, so I am trying to decide whether to continue with a repair or just try to sell it as it is.
Thank you so much for your time.
I want to do the right thing for my truck and get this figured out. Your input makes a huge difference!

.

Joe, thank you for your reply.

Thanks for the info. Just to be clear, the misfire has to be addressed first before running the engine to check the cats, correct?
Because further damage to the engine could occur with it running?
And then when the engine issues are corrected, then the cats can be troubleshooted?
Another thing I wanted to ask you is about exhaust mods, assuming that
I can get the engine fixed. I have read where people modify their exhaust
and have the cats totally removed. Is that a wise thing to do? I wanted to know if this would be an option if my cats are found to be bad. And this is something that shops don't do because of the emission laws?
Also, is it possible that my head issues could be in the driver's side head only? So maybe I could get by with one head being fixed, if it is the head, or do you think it would be a good idea to get both done? I'm saying this because no misfires were found on the other side. And the old spark plugs were really corroded on the driver's side only and seemed pretty normal on the passenger side. I don't want to try to tackle this by myself. This is something that I want a reliable mechanic to look into who knows what they are doing. Would you be able to point me in the right direction on where I could take the truck?
I live in a rural area, and there isn't much to choose from where I live. I'm about 50 miles out of San Antonio, TX. And wherever I take it I will have it towed because I don't want to damage the engine further.
Thanks again for your help!

Oh, and a couple of other things I forgot to add.
I remember that the cat codes that I had were either PO420 or PO421.
That does ring a bell!
And what do you think about an engine swap being a possibility?
There are lots of sites on the internet that have used engines Ebay, and other sites. Pretty costly on new motors, but I was looking at Remanns. Com. I got a quote for a used engine for $2,295.00 for an engine with 65,000, 5 year or 50,000-mile warranty parts and labor. What is your take on that? Is this something that could be considered?

65 k miles

Hi Joe,

Thanks for your reply, and thanks for your kind words on Texas, it is a mess on the border!
Thank you for the info. Do you happen to know of a website that has a list of certified shops that would be good candidates for my repair? I am having a little trouble finding the information on finding trustworthy shops as opposed to just calling someone or a repair shop I don't know anything about. I for sure don't want to get ripped off by someone that says they can do the work and do a shotty job because they don't know what they are doing. Or maybe you know or know someone that can guide me to a good shop in my area, if that's possible.
Thanks again for your time!

Thanks, Joe! I appreciate you asking that question. I am looking also at reviews on the internet and on google reviews and have found a few places that are an option. When I find out what I'm going to do whether I fix the truck or just end up selling as is, I will let you know!
Maybe your friend knows a place I can contact.
Thanks again!

Thanks!

Hi Joe,

I am waiting for a response from a shop a sent a message to on Saturday
Other than that, I am still looking. Thanks for letting me know. I will eventually figure out something.