Checking Cylinder Compression

OK, manual tensioner. Adjust it; procedure is easy and it's in the book(s.)

The ColorTune gives you a means of actually watching the color of the fire in the combustion chamber as you fine-tune the mixtures.

But you're skipping a step. You HAVE TO vacuum-sync. Doing a bench sync is like dry setting floats; it's a starting point. But now you need to do a running vac sync; before you start trying to fine-tune the mixtures.

For that you need some form of manometer:

You can use one vacuum gauge, a pair of vacuum gauges, four vacuum gauges, a Morgan CarbTune, two baby bottles and tubing, or even just a long hunk of clear tubing lashed to a yardstick.

Vac sync, then ColorTune. If the ColorTuning "unevens" the idle, re-vac sync. You probably won't need to.

 

This DIY manometer worked ok.
http://www.xjbikes.com/Forums/viewtopic ... meter.html

 

Great to hear you've got it running - but what are your compression numbers now? It would be a real shame to still have a problem in that field

 

i was told not to check til rings get seated ~ 200-300 miles? besides, i'm not willing to check right now. either i'm gonna be happy or really really mad. this $500 job was painstaking for my wallet when i work partime and go to school full-time. hence why its april and i finally got this sorta finished.

hoping to borrow a four sync mercury manometer from a friend today. its so nice out!

 

Sometimes it's best to not ask the question unless you know what the answers going to be ! Happy riding!

 

I'd also wait until it's all bedded in, 500-800 miles as long as it's running strongly. As careful and thorough as you were, unless you did something totally dumb, it's going to be fine.

 

Loved this post. Love to know if it had a happy ending!

 

long story short, yes it does have a good ending. my compression numbers across the board are even and around 130 up to 145 psi. I surely would have never gone that far as to replace all rings and a new piston in addition to the gaskets and whatnot without the support of you guys. thanks again!

as of now, I am currently fighting a high idle after the bike warms up and a minor oil leak from the head when I snapped a corner threaded portion when tightening the valve cover. i'm attempting to solve my idle issue by narrowing it down to air leaks or idle adjustment screw in addition to the running vac-sync. guess its a good thing the bike runs for me though

 

Idle should be set after the bike is good and warmed up.