no pressure...

[Shockman54]

ok, so i got the starter to turn over today and there was air coming out of the mufflers. i finally got around to checking the pressure on each cylinder, and nothing. i assume i'm checking correctly (taking one plug out and then screwing in the gauge then turning the motor over) i thought of a couple things, then i decided to check my gasket kit to see what gaskets are left over. sure enough, the gasket that is for the camshaft/timing chain opening was never installed (i feel like an idiot ) so i thought about it some more, and wouldn't i still get some kind of pressure since the rest of the motor is covered up and the headers/mufflers are on? wouldn't the needle at least move some? so is the gauge broken or is the camshaft gasket what is causing the problem? i inspected the pistons and cylinders previously, and they were in great shape.

[natemoen]

The camshaft tunnel gasket is not used. Did you actually get one in a new gasket set?

[ViperRon]

The head gasket not the valve cover is what seals the cylinders and yes you could have a guage with a problem. What you can do is put a finger or thumb in/over the sparkplug hole and see if there is enough pressure to push your finger loose. If you have small skinny fingers do not stick them half way in the hole the piston may hit it. If you have even weak preasure it should blow your finger loose. Check all cylinders and see what you have. If it blows your finger out and the guage does not register more than 60 PSI I bet its broke or the release is stuck.

[Shockman54]

ok, so i did the "finger check" (insert sophomoric joke about high school here) and there was suction and pressure out. i had the carbs fuel lines filters etc, i could tell the spark plugs were working, so why didn't it start? any ideas?

[BA80]

There are three things you need for an engine to run, fuel, compression, and ignition (spark). If it won't run your missing at least one.

[TopCatGr58]

As to the compression test , you should remove ALL of the spark plugs at the same time, so you don't have any compression to fight against in the other cylinders while you're testing the one. Throttle is to be wide open, or just not have carbs mounted, strong fresh battery. This should then get you some decent COLD readings, but it's suggested that it be done with a warmed up engine.

As to not starting, as stated, fuel, air, compression, and spark. IF the battery is weak, especially after doing the compression testing, you may have been dropping below the 10.5 V threshold where the TCI would not work! Charge the battery, ensure the voltage is close to 12 volts while cranking. Did you clean out the starter jet in the float bowl during the carb cleaning? Do you have the Enrichener pulled out/on??

T.C.

[Shockman54]

thanks guys. and i was using my car to jump the bike, so i'm assuming it had enough power. i'll tinker around a bit more and then try to start er up again.

[Lonerider62]

I'm not familiar with your situation, but it's helpful to know if you ever had the engine running or if the PO did. If this is a brand new project for you, there are plenty of things to check. Are the plug wires good and in the correct cylinders, are the carbs tight/no vacuum leaks, are you getting an indication that fuel is entering the combustion chamber (wet plugs),have you checked for spark on any plugs? If you know fuel is getting to the combustion chamber and there is spark you are at least 50% there. You will also need to make sure your cams are in time and the valves are decent.

[Shockman54]

when i got it, the cylinder head was off, so i put it all back together. i set the timing correctly, and wire are correct. i'll pull the plugs and check for spark and see if they are wet. PO said the engine was running before the head was removed.

[natemoen]

when i got it, the cylinder head was off, so i put it all back together. i set the timing correctly, and wire are correct. i'll pull the plugs and check for spark and see if they are wet. PO said the engine was running before the head was removed.

Never trust a PO, always verify for yourself before believing. Unless you have some personal connection with the PO and then you can maybe put a slight bit of trust in that person.

[crazy steve]

....PO said the engine was running before the head was removed.

If it was running, why did he pull the head?....

[Shockman54]

he gave me a story where the neighbor wanted to take it apart and clean everything. i looked at the cylinders and inspected everything and it all looked good.
i actually just got it started, but its running pretty rough. i am going to have to adjust the valves again (heard some clatter from the left side) and it wouldn't rev up at all, so some tuning is in order. i got it started by hooking the fuel lines up to the upper T fittings on the carbs. im not sure if they are the correct ones because gas came out of the lower Ts when I turned on the petcocks. because of that i didn't run the bike very long. didn;t want to blow the bike up

[mack]

Fuel lines

The fuel lines should be connected to the lower t's

[TopCatGr58]

Hey Shock,

I didn't re-read this thread, so I can't recall what if anything you've done to the carbs. The upper T's are VENT tubes only, and need to be open for the floats to work properly, otherwise, the pressure can't stabilize and they will not seal, and you get fuel leaking out the intake inlet bell, as well as possibly forward into the cylinders, past any open valves, and down around the rings, below the rings and contaminating the oil, which can then cause bearing failure!

These engines ARE NOISY in the top end, so a little clatter isn't anything major to worry about, as long as you know you got the valve clearances within specs, concentrate on the carbs next. Also, check the pickup coil wires..see tech tips for how, and repair if needed. See the carbs 101 thread for how to clean them properly without breaking stuff inside!

T.C.

[jetmechmarty]

Your lower Tees will need to be fixed or replaced. You aren't going much further before you handle that.