Thanks for the replies. I don’t plan to restore the motor, just freshen it up so I don’t plan to go any further than replacing the head gasket. I’ll retest the compression after I get it running and see what difference it made. I bought a gasket with the copper rings that go around the top of the cylinder so hopefully that will give me a great seal. On a side note, I broke off one of the head bolts and would like to use all new bolts to for the head. Can i just go to the local hardware store and get a bolts off the shelf to replace the originals? I’m assuming a bolt is a bolt, but I’m also a novice at this. Thanks again!
-Karl
Don’t be afraid to “rough up” the walls will some fine emery/crocus like I mentioned. While this method is certainly not a substitute for a proper “rebuild”, sometimes it is enough to bring compression up a bit….I am not recommending pulling the powerhead apart, this can be done with the pistons in place, just rinse the cylinders out with carb cleaner/WD40 afterwards and re-oil the cylinder walls generously afterwards…. Oftentimes this crude procedure is enough to break the glaze on the walls and provide a rougher surface that will hold oil a little better, which might result in higher compression.
