Rod side clearance question

[Bailey28]

Got it up and running! I used a single green .3mm gasket, however I still did a very light coating of Permatex on both sides, just around the water holes.

As I was fighting the head o-rings in the garage, my wife went into the kitchen and got a cake icing spreader and returned to help out.. It worked great. I originally sprayed PJ1 chain lube on the o rings to try to get enough tack so they would hold, but the outer kept popping out. The cake spatula worked awesome!

Ride report: Bike idles much better, and holds the idle. Off idle is snappier, and the power is smoother, a bit more torquier. Just putting around the neighborhood, throttle response is sharper and if you open the throttle past 1/4, it accelerates harder and snaps into the powerband sooner. In the past, the bike would kind of sag, or need some clutch work to get there. Now I can just open the throttle and it responds.

[stainlesscycle]

yep. now take it all apart and run the .15 gasket


i have had no probems with the .15 gasket weeping. i use the copper indian head spray stuff on them.

[Bailey28]

No coolant leaks! I thought about using just the .15mm gasket alone, but it felt awfully thin...

I will look into getting .040" (1mm) milled from the bottom of the cylinder the next time I take it apart for a top end job.


I wouldn't mind lowering the ports and changing the port timing to add even more low end. I am not a revver which is why I bought the 300 in the first place. I can use all of the bottom end I can get as long as it is smooth and reliable.

I did a compression test right after I put it together cold, and it was only 135psi.... hmm. I think the relief hole may have something to do with the reading. I did not check it after it warmed up. It just pulled so much better. Why the relief hole?

[lankydoug]

Why the relief hole?[/QUOTE]

They put it on big bore 2ts so you can kick start it without killing your foot.

[Bailey28]

The hole was about .060" and above the exhaust port.

I don't know how guys are getting 180+ on their 300's with the relief hole there. I used a Sears compression gauge with a very light schrader valve. Cranking compression on a built 302 with flat tops, 9.5:1 and .030" quench was 195psi at sea level with the same gauge. The intake valves on the cam in the 302 close very early (30*abdc) trapping more fuel/air mix.

I got 135psi kicking this thing as fast as I could, 10+ times with the throttle wide open. Both before and after tests were done cold with no oil added.

I was happy with the results but shouldn't the number be higher? Or is that the result of having the hole there? Even thought the rings were well within spec is it time for rings?

[stainlesscycle]

a ring change is cheap and can't hurt. a piston change is not particularly expensive either... i think the conservative estimate for piston change is 100 hours, but many have run much much longer..... you already had it open , should ringed it then