If it was me being as far down as it is
I'd drop the pan and pull that piston for inspection

 

Thanks for the replies. I'm considering all solutions.
Right now i'm looking at pulling and pressure testing the block to see if cylinder 4 sleeve has slipped. because with the naked eye, it doesn't look like it has. But i am told that sometimes you can't see it. Also, the piston in cylinder 4 is not washed clean by coolant so i'm not thinking that is the problem. also i would put new rings on all the pistons while i had them out. pretty much rebuild the engine.

But..if i don't need to i wont. I still don't know why cylinder 4 is missing. GARovee, you mentioned that the misfire could be the fuel saturated the carbon. are you thinking it could be a leaking injector? and that fuel is making the carbon gunky and making a valve stick? if so that would explain the miss when i punch it into a passing gear. that's only intermittent though.

oh yeah, compression test was all cylinders were between 155-170 and cylinder 4 was 170.

thanks again for taking time...

 

You do not have a dropped sleeve so don't even go there. Exactly what fault codes are you getting?
Things that will cause a misfire are the coil, plug, wires, injector and a valve issue, be it carbon or burned.
Send me your number and lets talk thru this.

 

code is p0304. new plugs wires and coils. no coolant that i could find in cylinder 4. pressurized the coolant and put paper towel in spark plug hole overnight, nothing. took plug out and cranked it, no coolant came out.

but... i still have a misfire on cylinder 4 every time i crank it and the check engine light blinks for about 30 seconds then stays on. misses when i punch it sometimes.

exhaust is present in the coolant. i've got a tick. a lot of carbon on top of cylinders and valves, thick gunky carbon on cylinder 4 exhaust valve. i've started overheating a couple times in the last month. compression test is good. heads are good, head gaskets are good. (sign of exhaust leak on head gasket between cylinder 7 and coolant line though)

but...doesn't look like i've got a slipped sleeve. can you really know unless you pressure test the block?

 

update...

this is the rod bearing. worn down to the copper. could this be my tick? also, if this one looks like this, do the rest follow suit? is this a reason to pull the motor and rebuild?