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Living on borrowed time!
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Tacoma, WA, USA
Posts: 7,020
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Do you know what a leakdown test is?
NOT a compression test, a leakdown test; this measures the ability of the rings and valves to seal in compression.
over 5% leakdown would indicate valve sealing issues or more commonly, lack of ring seal.
WHY lack of ring seal; either they're worn, got too hot during breakin, crystallizing the ring structure, or the cylinders glazed, keeping the rings from seating.
the nikasil bores on these are tough bast'ids but they need correct breakin to seal the rings correctly lest the dreaded golden-color glaze on the cylinder walls occurs.
IF it's low mileage an old mechanic's hack (no kidding, no foolin') is to put in a teaspoon of bonamie in each cylinder bore, run it for a couple of minutes and then change the oil.
OR you could pull both heads and ball-hone the bores to kill the glaze and REPLACE the rings and then break it in correctly.
My scoot is 40K>miles, has 1.5% leakdown and uses virtually no oil regardless of how hard I flog it, but I DID break it in MY way;
50 miles of easy riding, VERY LIGHT LOAD and no lugging, then, after cooling:
run it up to 90% throttle in 3rd, yard on both brakes HARD while opening the throttle all the way for 2-3 sec (which builds up combustion pressure BEHIND the rings to force them into the cylinder walls as much as possible), then pull over, let it cool completely, do that procedure again and viola; total ring seal.
And before all you guyz give me schisa, that breakin scheme is used by many respected tuners.
I'd bet lunch you have glazed cylinder bores.
My $.02
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Better a has-been than a wanna-be
'I am John Andrew Moffett of the Clan Moffat and by god I live, love, seek, fail, grieve and die as I so choose and I call no man master save me'.
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