[ChopperArn]

First off I want to say I’ve fallen off the JJ for a few years, so please go easy on me with this bonehead issue and crawling back asking for help!

Some background on the bike and issue at hand.
A friend had this thing dropped off at my shop, he bought it sight unseen and it was touted as a “stroker” chopper professionally built and ready to roll. While it has descent parts, It had all sorts of problems that I could tell know one had done shake down miles on the skoot. Little stuff with the electrical, suicide shift set up and clutch adjustment. Squared a bunch of stuff away, got it starting on the first kick and was getting close to taking it on its maiden voyage. My pal, in all his infinite wisdom took it for a weekend and blew the head gaskets. I figured the engine had just been rebuilt and after heat cycles never retorqued the head bolts.I could roll the motor over with my hand, it had zero compression and I could see the gasket coming out in between the head and cylinder. I tore it down, did the head gaskets, inspected the valve train and had a look at the cylinders, pistons and rings. All of which appeared to have little to no miles on them and recently rebuilt.
After doing the head gaskets I put it together and, to my shagrin it still had only 20psi on the compression gauge.
It has rivera taper lite adjustable rods and hydraulic lifters. During valve train adjustments I would go to zero lash on the base circle, then per rivera adjust the rods out the 4-5 full turns. All lifters would bleed down and allow me to move on except the rear intake. The lifter wouldn’t bleed down even after a full day sitting, so I couldn’t rotate the engine over for fear of valve to piston contact.
So, apart again. Heads hold water in the combustion chamber when tested so it leads me to believe they are seating just fine.
Could he have blown the rings as well when he popped the head gaskets? I know I should have done a leak down test but it just didn’t happen.

 

[Hoges]

Are the heads flat at sealing area ? Kerosine is best for checking valves .

 

[Hoges]

Are the heads flat at sealing area ? Kerosine is best for checking valves .

Also the cylinder fire ring is not bottoming in heads. Sit heads on and use feller gauge

 

[dan r]

that description on push rod adjustment you used might work for an evo tappet but not a shovel.

if those are in fact shovel tappets...
extend push rods till the tappet bottoms then shorten the push rods 1 1/2 turns.

can you show a close up pic of the top of the tappets?
do you see a spring on the tappet?
this is what 53-84 hydraulic units look like

 

[ChopperArn]

Are the heads flat at sealing area ? Kerosine is best for checking valves .

I’ve not pulled the valves but upon visual inspection they are unremarkable. Water tested each one for an hour with zero loss.

 

[ChopperArn]

that description on push rod adjustment you used might work for an evo tappet but not a shovel.

if those are in fact shovel tappets...
extend push rods till the tappet bottoms then shorten the push rods 1 1/2 turns.

can you show a close up pic of the top of the tappets?
do you see a spring on the tappet?
this is what 53-84 hydraulic units look like

View attachment 275063

I havnt pulled them but they are not

that description on push rod adjustment you used might work for an evo tappet but not a shovel.

if those are in fact shovel tappets...
extend push rods till the tappet bottoms then shorten the push rods 1 1/2 turns.

can you show a close up pic of the top of the tappets?
do you see a spring on the tappet?
this is what 53-84 hydraulic units look like

View attachment 275063

ive not pulled the lifters but they are not oem like the ones you suggest. Larger seat and no visible spring. I’ve not tried the stock HD pushrod adjustment just because I have instruction from Primo on the taper lite specific adjustment for their rods. I suppose I could try to fully bottom the tappet, count the turns from zero lash to bottomed out then come back half those turns. Still tinkering. TY

 

[ChopperArn]

that description on push rod adjustment you used might work for an evo tappet but not a shovel.

if those are in fact shovel tappets...
extend push rods till the tappet bottoms then shorten the push rods 1 1/2 turns.

can you show a close up pic of the top of the tappets?
do you see a spring on the tappet?
this is what 53-84 hydraulic units look like

View attachment 275063

 

[ChopperArn]

Are the heads flat at sealing area ? Kerosine is best for checking valves .

Gasket surface is clean with no abnormalities, don’t have a glass surface or emery board to check 100% but they looks nice.

 

[dan r]

i could be wrong but that looks like an aftermarket solid adapter kit in reproduction tappets.
try to pull the top of the tappet out with a magnet for a look see.

 

[Hoges]

Yes they look like crane solids

 

[Hoges]

I have new Crane the more i look tey look the same pull lifter bloke and have look

 

[Hoges]

Where you At ?

 

[govmule84]

If those are indeed solid inserts, I gotta hear the story of how they bled down during your adjustment.

Why not just pull the blocks and actually see what's in there? It's apart and you're in a cold weather area...