Piston and rings

[terrylee]

top end taken apart

Finally got my bike torn apart. Didn't take long to figure out why I have low compression in #2 cylinder, ex. valve head is cracked. Doesn't appear to be any damage to anything else, but haven't got valves out of the head yet (need to make c-clamp tool). Glad I have valves from parts bike! As well as pistons, since ones in my bike have lots of carbon built up and even some carbon lying loose on top of piston#4. Part bike ones were not bad at all and I've already cleaned them up even more. Also going to replace front cam chain guide as mine has several hairline cracks in it. The back one does too, although not as bad, but I can't afford over $360. to replace it (one on parts bike is worse). Anybody got a good used one, or should I even be concerned about it? Hope to order rest of parts I need next week and try to get some riding in sometime soon! terrylee

[Nessism]

You can remove the valves using a Squaredancer Lynn trick: Stuff a rag in the combustion chamber area and flip head face down on a sturdy workbench. Get a socket and place it over the valve spring keeper (remove the bucket first), then wack down firmly on the socket with a medium heavy hammer. The spring retainer will be forced down and the keepers will jump up out of place. Works a treat. Much faster than using a c-clamp.

Good luck

[terrylee]

I actually did that to get the valves I'm going to use out of the part bike destroyed head. But I broke one of the valve guides doing that, so a little leary about doing that on head I'm going to use. Or at least it was broke when I removed valve, so I assumed I did it. terrylee

[terrylee]

Did go ahead and remove the valves from my head using the rope, hammer, socket trick. Didn't break anything. Boy are those seals hard to get out! So now order parts Thurs. and make a valve spring compressor tool and will be set to start putting things back together. Going to lap valves and deglaze piston bores. Can't wait to see how this thing runs after this rebuild! terrylee