when I do:
make menuconfig
cp .config ../
make mrproper ; make distclean ; make clean
cp ../.config ./
make oldconfig <- If i don't do that I can't "make dep"
make dep make bzImage

it returns:
root@hydra linux # make bzImage
gcc -D__KERNEL__ -I/usr/src/linux-2.4.19-gentoo-r9/include -Wall -Wstrict-prototypes -Wno-trigraphs -Os -fno-strict-aliasing -fno-common -fomit-frame-pointer -pipe -mpreferred-stack-boundary=2 -march=i686 -malign-functions=4 -Os   -DKBUILD_BASENAME=main -c -o init/main.o init/main.c
cc1: aviso: -malign-functions es obsoleto, use -falign-functions
. scripts/mkversion > .tmpversion
gcc -D__KERNEL__ -I/usr/src/linux-2.4.19-gentoo-r9/include -Wall -Wstrict-prototypes -Wno-trigraphs -Os -fno-strict-aliasing -fno-common -fomit-frame-pointer -pipe -mpreferred-stack-boundary=2 -march=i686 -malign-functions=4 -Os  -DUTS_MACHINE='"i386"' -DKBUILD_BASENAME=version -c -o init/version.o init/version.c
cc1: aviso: -malign-functions es obsoleto, use -falign-functions
gcc -D__KERNEL__ -I/usr/src/linux-2.4.19-gentoo-r9/include -Wall -Wstrict-prototypes -Wno-trigraphs -Os -fno-strict-aliasing -fno-common -fomit-frame-pointer -pipe -mpreferred-stack-boundary=2 -march=i686 -malign-functions=4 -Os   -DKBUILD_BASENAME=do_mounts -c -o init/do_mounts.o init/do_mounts.c
cc1: aviso: -malign-functions es obsoleto, use -falign-functions make CFLAGS="-D__KERNEL__ -I/usr/src/linux-2.4.19-gentoo-r9/include -Wall -Wstrict-prototypes -Wno-trigraphs -Os -fno-strict-aliasing -fno-common -fomit-frame-pointer -pipe -mpreferred-stack-boundary=2 -march=i686 -malign-functions=4 -Os " -C  kernel
make[1]: Cambiando a directorio `/usr/src/linux-2.4.19-gentoo-r9/kernel'
make all_targets
make[2]: Cambiando a directorio `/usr/src/linux-2.4.19-gentoo-r9/kernel'
gcc -D__KERNEL__ -I/usr/src/linux-2.4.19-gentoo-r9/include -Wall -Wstrict-prototypes -Wno-trigraphs -Os -fno-strict-aliasing -fno-common -fomit-frame-pointer -pipe -mpreferred-stack-boundary=2 -march=i686 -malign-functions=4 -Os   -nostdinc  -DKBUILD_BASENAME=sched  -fno-omit-frame-pointer -c -o sched.o sched.c
cc1: aviso: -malign-functions es obsoleto, use -falign-functions En el fichero incluído de
/usr/src/linux-2.4.19-gentoo-r9/include/linux/wait.h:13,
                  de /usr/src/linux-2.4.19-gentoo-r9/include/linux/fs.h:12,
                  de /usr/src/linux-2.4.19-gentoo-r9/include/linux/capability.h:17,
                  de /usr/src/linux-2.4.19-gentoo-r9/include/linux/binfmts.h:6,
                  de /usr/src/linux-2.4.19-gentoo-r9/include/linux/sched.h:10,
                  de /usr/src/linux-2.4.19-gentoo-r9/include/linux/mm.h:4,
                  de sched.c:19: /usr/src/linux-2.4.19-gentoo-r9/include/linux/kernel.h:10:20: stdarg.h: No existe el fichero o el directorio En el fichero incluído de /usr/src/linux-2.4.19-gentoo-r9/include/linux/wait.h:13,
                  de /usr/src/linux-2.4.19-gentoo-r9/include/linux/fs.h:12,
                  de /usr/src/linux-2.4.19-gentoo-r9/include/linux/capability.h:17,
                  de /usr/src/linux-2.4.19-gentoo-r9/include/linux/binfmts.h:6,
                  de /usr/src/linux-2.4.19-gentoo-r9/include/linux/sched.h:10,
                  de /usr/src/linux-2.4.19-gentoo-r9/include/linux/mm.h:4,
                  de sched.c:19:
/usr/src/linux-2.4.19-gentoo-r9/include/linux/kernel.h:73: error de decodificación antes de "va_list"
/usr/src/linux-2.4.19-gentoo-r9/include/linux/kernel.h:74: aviso: la declaración de la función no es un prototipo
/usr/src/linux-2.4.19-gentoo-r9/include/linux/kernel.h:77: error de decodificación antes de "va_list"
/usr/src/linux-2.4.19-gentoo-r9/include/linux/kernel.h:78: aviso: la declaración de la función no es un prototipo
/usr/src/linux-2.4.19-gentoo-r9/include/linux/kernel.h:82: error de decodificación antes de "va_list"
/usr/src/linux-2.4.19-gentoo-r9/include/linux/kernel.h:83: aviso: la declaración de la función no es un prototipo
make[2]: *** [sched.o] Error 1
make[2]: Saliendo directorio `/usr/src/linux-2.4.19-gentoo-r9/kernel'
make[1]: *** [first_rule] Error 2
make[1]: Saliendo directorio `/usr/src/linux-2.4.19-gentoo-r9/kernel'
make: *** [_dir_kernel] Error 2
root@hydra linux #
------------------------------- 
I use gentoo-sources 2.4.19-r9  and if I do rm -fR /usr/src/linux-2.4.19-gentoo-r9 and reemerge the kernel, and recover the .config file It does the same.  and doing  make config accepting all the default values, again exactly the same.... (I compiled It reveral times, but now....)

my system is: dual amd-xp 2100+ tyan tiger mpx 2466n-4m motherboard software  raid0
gentoo 1.4rc1 all updated at the date of 19/09/02
portage 2.0.36
gcc 3.2-r1
ccache 1.9-r1

USE="scanner spell svga tiff truetype pdflib pic png -pcmcia nocardbus fbcon   flash gif gphoto2 gtk gtkhtml java jpeg kde lcms alsa evo dvd encode cdr   directfb aalib fpu vme de pse tsc msr pae mce cx8 apic sep mtrr pge mca cmov   pat pse36 mmx motif ncurses oggvorbis fxsr sse syscall mmxext 3dnowext x86 oss   3dnow acpi arts avi berkdb crypt cups encode gdbm gif gpm gtk imlib java jpeg   kde gnome libg++ libwww mikmod mmx motif mpeg nls oggvorbis opengl pam pdflib   png python qt qtmt quicktime readline sdl slang spell ssl svga tcpd truetype X   xml2 xmms xv zlib"
MAKEOPTS="-j4"
CHOST="i686-pc-linux-gnu"
CFLAGS="-march=athlon-mp -O3 -pipe -fomit-frame-pointer"
CXXFLAGS="${CFLAGS}"