A couple weeks ago i drove through a huge puddle and slightly hydrolocked my engine i believe. I could get it started back up after a couple tries but ever since then it has made a fairly loud ticking noise. I am up at college and just got my compression tester today. My results were 145-180-180-180, it was 180 across the board before this. The car still runs but ticks loudly. My thought was a spun rod bearing, or maybe a stuck/bent valve. Anyone have any experience/thoughts on the issue. Thanks for the help.

 

on the piston with 145 compression...
take out the spark plugs just like how you'll do the compression test.
but instead, this time use the cap off a quart of oil and pour that down where your spark plug normally goes into.(note: pour oil into the small cap only.) if the compression jumps up about 15-20 psi...then you have bad piston ring. if the compression jumps and starts to decline slowly then...you have issues with the head....bad valve...etc.
after you do this...oil will smoke out of your exhaust which is normal...just let all the oil burn out...leave your car on for about 10-15 minutes...good luck.

 

It could also be a bent rod.

How do you "slightly" hydrolock an engine?

 

i dont know why i said slightly. i hydrolocked it, but i think it wasnt as bad as it could of been because my car still runs.