Compression issue? Parts and guide to fix

Which gaps? The hydraulic tappets? If you managed an engine rebuild setting valve clearances is a walk in the park. You will make a better job of them than some garage that has little knowledge of aircooled engines.

 

Setting the gaps with hydraulic tappets is a sinsh! Have a quick read in your Haynes. Don’t pay for that, it’ll be the easiest thing you’ve done so far

 

No garage will be able to adjust the tappets better than you. Just follow that YouTube link I posted earlier but where they set a clearance you need a pre-load. Once the engine is in the correct position slacken the adjuster until it is just loose then simply screw it back in about 1½ turns – that’s the pre-load.

 

Thank you , just the encouragement I needed I'm waiting on new rocker covers gaskets as soon as the arrive I will give it ago. I'll give my neighbours a little break from me starting and reving the engine haha for a day or so

 

https://www.itinerant-air-cooled.com/viewtopic.php?t=11408

This is a great read as well. Some nice hand drawn diagrams to help explain this very simple process

 

Amazing little read had to read it a couple of times but my understanding is

Loosen the locking nut
Loosen the screw
Then do screw up by and till its touching
The do a further 1 1/2 turn
Then do the locking nut up?

 

Yep, essentially that’s it. Of course you have to get each piston top dead centre

 

Yes, but you must have the engine in the correct position when you do it, follow that YouTube vid. It’s what I’ve tried to tell you a couple of times – I guess I didn’t explain it very well.

 

Yeah the 3 on the right hand side and the bottom one on the left and side but I will rewatch it again before I adjust it. Thank you all so much for the advice

 

I pinched two in a row, got hacked off with them being too wide after dumping a litre of oil all over the M4.. so I trimmed a new gasket with a pair of scissors at the services , no time for glue and it fitted perfectly, topped up oil from spare in back of bus


The sign was flickering 35 psi oil instead of 45 psi and the temperature crept to 105C from 100C..

 

I think I've finally set it up? Set to 8° adjusted the lifters gap, think it's still a little rich but can live with that, still *******ing oil every where tho but will be an easy fix. I guess theres nothing for it except to drive it.

Here's a video

 

You're getting there.

 

You’ve got an exhaust leak but at least you’re doing things in the right order, tappets and timing then the mixture.

 

By exhaust leak fo you mean a hole in it or something I havent set correctly

 

Either or both.
Did you fit new copper rings between the HXs and heads? Did you anneal them?

 

Feel around the heat exchanger to head copper joint, if there’s a leak they’ll be a draft. But the fan is blowing air all around so it might not be easy to find.

 

Stop typing so fast.

 

Or use a length of garden hose as a stethoscope.

 

I hate those copper gaskets and in general I hate fitting oval port heat exchangers.

I just got a monster file through the post to sort mine out.

 

Phew the exhaust between the heat exchanger silencer had a gap where I hadn't done up or came loose. I have my new empi one coming in a couple of days fix it then.

So just did its first open road drive, I swear it's never felt this healthy before and feels a little fast but that might just be in my head . The only thing I will say is there is a slight stutter at about 52pmh in forth