please help, what would you do?

[BlueSky]

The manual for the 86 to 93 says compression should be minimum 142 psi and max 199 with a standard of 171. The rings could be stuck in the low cylinders after sitting so long. Yeah, add some oil to the cylinders to see what happens.

[made2care]

The manual for the 86 to 93 says compression should be minimum 142 psi and max 199 with a standard of 171. The rings could be stuck in the low cylinders after sitting so long. Yeah, add some oil to the cylinders to see what happens.

 

My bike is an 83 , therefore compression readings are different. I really don't think i have a stuck ring , since it does crank over. I'm just guessing at this point. On the high readings it could be excessive carbon buildup, on the low readings maybe my valve clearances are too tight. Geesh !! Surely someone out there can chime in with additional info but I appreciate you responding with your thoughts.

I'm at wits end !!

[BlueSky]

I just checked my electronic copy of the 84 to 85 manual and the compression readings are listed as:

minimum 128

standard 142

maximum 156

so yep you are correct, they are different. Are those specs the same as what you have for an 83?

 

I've never experienced stuck rings but I think it's when the rings stick to the piston and don't press against the cyl walls any more. Carbon buildup could cause it to be high. If the valves are adjusted properly, I think I would put some cleaner like Chevron Techron or Gumout with PEA in the gas and run the heck out of it and see what happens. I think there is special top end engine cleaners out there for that purpose too.

[luvmy40]

My '83's compression was(is) in the 160-180 psi range across the board and she runs like a Beast! Not the greatest fuel economy, 32 MPG on the best days, but that's the only issue I ever had.

[made2care]

My '83's compression was(is) in the 160-180 psi range across the board and she runs like a Beast! Not the greatest fuel economy, 32 MPG on the best days, but that's the only issue I ever had.

 

The main issue here is that the readings are not within 14 of each other which in turn will cause my carbs to be out of wack. I just spent $800 on these carbs and am a little fearful to put any type of chemical in the gas.

[HermanK84VR]

Hi Maddy

 

Those numbers are not bad; because the bake sat for so long the low value cylinders are likely the cylinders that were at the bottom of the cylinders whereas the higher numbers were at TDC.

 

It is Premature to say that you need to do a ring job.

 

Here is what I do when i first startup a long time sitting engine insure it is not seized which we know yours is not.

Change oil and filter. I use a decent quality dino oil for the first few startups and oil changes because it will not be in the engine for long and is being used as a media to clean out the internal case of the engine.

 

I would fire up the bike get it up to operating temp, give her a couple good cracks of the throttle, carefully listening for any abnormal sounds.

 

If all sounds normal let idle for 30 min or more, occasional cracking the throttle to near the redline: not sustained just a good crack of the throttle to bring the revs up; let it settle back down to Idle between throttle cracks.

 

Shut it Down let it cool down fully then fire it back up and repeat the above.

 

After the second run you should drain the oil to inspect its color, in some cases I have drained the oil over a paper towel to catch any debris that maybe in the engine, this will catch metal filings or even carbon deposits, I had one engine that was rusted so bad from internal condensation the oil looked brown to red ; it was a V-twin with one cylinder low in compression and the other normal compression after 5 oil changes oil was still coming out a rust color but compression was coming up in the low cylinder to within 10 PSI of the other. In the End to clear the rust color from the oil I used Seafoam in the Crankcase let it Idle for about 1 hr in the driveway and then Changed the oil and filter again and all was clear after that used royal purple synthetic 20w50 for motorcycles the bike runs like a top. the 2 cylinders are within 5 PSI of each other

 

Fill with Fresh oil and new filter each time; fire it up for the third time and bring it up to operating temp shut it down and let it cool down enough that you can pull the plugs without burning your fingers then do your Compression Tests, record the results, put a shot of oil in each cylinder and repeat and record the compression tests.

 

See how close the readings are now. if they are closer to equal you are good to go the normal rule of thumb is within 10 % of each other.

 

When a piston and rings are at the bottom of the cylinder for a long period of time they can get stuck in the ring lands (grooves) but will eventually return to normal.

In other cases they are held in by rust or carbon which the seafoam treatment will do the trick

 

Herman 84VR

[made2care]

Hi Maddy

 

Those numbers are not bad; because the bake sat for so long the low value cylinders are likely the cylinders that were at the bottom of the cylinders whereas the higher numbers were at TDC.

 

It is Premature to say that you need to do a ring job.

 

Here is what I do when i first startup a long time sitting engine insure it is not seized which we know yours is not.

Change oil and filter. I use a decent quality dino oil for the first few startups and oil changes because it will not be in the engine for long and is being used as a media to clean out the internal case of the engine.

 

I would fire up the bike get it up to operating temp, give her a couple good cracks of the throttle, carefully listening for any abnormal sounds.

 

If all sounds normal let idle for 30 min or more, occasional cracking the throttle to near the redline: not sustained just a good crack of the throttle to bring the revs up; let it settle back down to Idle between throttle cracks.

 

Shut it Down let it cool down fully then fire it back up and repeat the above.

 

After the second run you should drain the oil to inspect its color, in some cases I have drained the oil over a paper towel to catch any debris that maybe in the engine, this will catch metal filings or even carbon deposits, I had one engine that was rusted so bad from internal condensation the oil looked brown to red ; it was a V-twin with one cylinder low in compression and the other normal compression after 5 oil changes oil was still coming out a rust color but compression was coming up in the low cylinder to within 10 PSI of the other. In the End to clear the rust color from the oil I used Seafoam in the Crankcase let it Idle for about 1 hr in the driveway and then Changed the oil and filter again and all was clear after that used royal purple synthetic 20w50 for motorcycles the bike runs like a top. the 2 cylinders are within 5 PSI of each other

 

Fill with Fresh oil and new filter each time; fire it up for the third time and bring it up to operating temp shut it down and let it cool down enough that you can pull the plugs without burning your fingers then do your Compression Tests, record the results, put a shot of oil in each cylinder and repeat and record the compression tests.

 

See how close the readings are now. if they are closer to equal you are good to go the normal rule of thumb is within 10 % of each other.

 

When a piston and rings are at the bottom of the cylinder for a long period of time they can get stuck in the ring lands (grooves) but will eventually return to normal.

In other cases they are held in by rust or carbon which the seafoam treatment will do the trick

 

Herman 84VR

 

This is very helpful information. My spirit is lifted and i have some hope. I will try this for sure. Thank you

 

New filter and oil are in. 3.7 quarts. Higher octane gas.

Edited September 11, 2019 by made2care

[PastorCurt]

Your compression numbers aren't cause to worry at this stage. After you get it fired up and it has been run, you may want to run a leakdown test. :clap2:

[made2care]

Your compression numbers aren't cause to worry at this stage. After you get it fired up and it has been run, you may want to run a leakdown test. :clap2:

 

Good to know, thank you.

 

 

I will fire her up today and post a video for all to hear and see

[BlueSky]

I put up to a whole bottle of Gumout for high mileage engines with PEA in my 3 1/2 gallon tank on my Kawasaki several times when I let the bike sit too long. It hasn't hurt the carbs yet and I've had this bike for 10 years. I've also used substantial doses of this in my 07 Venture and 89 Venture with no ill effects.

 

If you leave the bike idling for extended periods, it may be a good idea to but a floor fan in front of the radiator to help make sure it doesn't overheat even though the radiator has a fan.

[made2care]

I put up to a whole bottle of Gumout for high mileage engines with PEA in my 3 1/2 gallon tank on my Kawasaki several times when I let the bike sit too long. It hasn't hurt the carbs yet and I've had this bike for 10 years. I've also used substantial doses of this in my 07 Venture and 89 Venture with no ill effects.

 

If you leave the bike idling for extended periods, it may be a good idea to but a floor fan in front of the radiator to help make sure it doesn't overheat even though the radiator has a fan.

 

 

Okay, will do. It will be this evening when i post the video if all goes well. I still have to mount the mufflers and gas tank.

[made2care]

Great news!!!! She's running!!!! Fired right up and running smooth!! Wow!! Engine sounds like a beast!!! Thank you very much to everyone that helped me. I really appreciate it! I will post video soon!!

Here is the video:

you will notice some smoke by exhaust manifold. Bike sounds great!!

Edited September 11, 2019 by made2care

[videoarizona]

Congrats!!

 

My only concern is did you start her without the choke? If yes...then she's running a bit rich...(probably a good idea at this point in rebuild)...but that explain some of the missing.

 

Overall, I'm impressed with your efforts. Great job!

 

 

[made2care]

Congrats!!

 

My only concern is did you start her without the choke? If yes...then she's running a bit rich...(probably a good idea at this point in rebuild)...but that explain some of the missing.

 

Overall, I'm impressed with your efforts. Great job!

 

 

Thanks. I did prime a little and opened then closed choke prior to start.

[Kretz]

Congratulations! Looks & sounds like a job well done!

[Venturous Randy]

I am really glad you have finally reached this point.

You will find that these are strong bikes and love to rev. Once you have some seat time, you need to do the next step and get a VMax final drive. This is directly related to you using a 2nd gen transmission. Otherwise, you are going to feel the bike is underpowered as it just does not have enough torque to pull the bike in 5th gear and to some degree, even 4th gear. Comparing the 2nd gen setup transmission with a VMax final drive to a 1st gen setup with a stock final drive you will have;

1st gear 10% lower

2nd gear is 5% lower

3rd and 4th gear the same

5th gear 5% higher.

 

What you will have is the bike with a VMax final drive, compared to a stock setup, will be even quicker out of the hole and will also be more comfortable running at interstate speeds without that constant feeling that you need one more gear. I know that I loved that setup on mine and this was after I had put about 140,000 miles on it with the stock setup.

Randy

[snyper316]

Would that vmax setup work the same on my 87?

[HermanK84VR]

Congrats Tim on a job well done!! sounds awesome

 

Don't fret the smoke it could also just be residue burning off from the engine cleaning products and re-assembly, that will all burn off after a couple of startups.

 

Herman84VR

[made2care]

I am really glad you have finally reached this point.

You will find that these are strong bikes and love to rev. Once you have some seat time, you need to do the next step and get a VMax final drive. This is directly related to you using a 2nd gen transmission. Otherwise, you are going to feel the bike is underpowered as it just does not have enough torque to pull the bike in 5th gear and to some degree, even 4th gear. Comparing the 2nd gen setup transmission with a VMax final drive to a 1st gen setup with a stock final drive you will have;

1st gear 10% lower

2nd gear is 5% lower

3rd and 4th gear the same

5th gear 5% higher.

 

 

 

What you will have is the bike with a VMax final drive, compared to a stock setup, will be even quicker out of the hole and will also be more comfortable running at interstate speeds without that constant feeling that you need one more gear. I know that I loved that setup on mine and this was after I had put about 140,000 miles on it with the stock setup.

Randy

I'm definitely going to take you up on this. Thanks for the reminder.

[made2care]

Congrats Tim on a job well done!! sounds awesome

 

Don't fret the smoke it could also just be residue burning off from the engine cleaning products and re-assembly, that will all burn off after a couple of startups.

 

Herman84VR

 

Thanks. I am very excited. now I have to rebuild the brakes and then its time for a test ride

[made2care]

Here is a current list of what I have done so far:

new reinforced frame

cleaned gas tank

new inline fuel filter

new fuel petcock

new steering head bearings

rebuilt carbs

rebuilt front forks with progressive springs

2nd gear fix

new clutch slave cylinder

new starter

new tires

new battery

valve clearance adjusted

all new gaskets and seals

all fresh fluids

new neutral switch

New thermostat

new trunk key

 

whats left:

rebuild brake calipers

complete wiring up electrics

complete assembling plastics

purchase windshield

Vmax final drive conversion nestled between above mentioned

almost there!!!

[luvmy40]

When you get everything done, you will have one of the best rides ever put on the road. The '83s cannot be beat by any other touring bike ever produced. Fast, nimble darned good looking, and(now) nearly bullet proof.

 

There's not a stock Wing or any other Venture that can truly compete with the MK1, IMHO. If not for the second Gear issue and the frame problem, I would have never gone over to the MK2.

[Venturous Randy]

Would that vmax setup work the same on my 87?

If you put a Vmax final drive in your 87 with a stock transmission, all it will do is lower the gear ratio about 10% in all gears. What I posted only applies to the transmission out of a 2nd gen when comparing it with a stock 1st gen. When Yamaha went to the 2nd gen, they put in gear ratios that were much wider spaced with each other and because of this, many were disappointed with the power the 2nd gen had at highway speeds in 5th gear because it was geared so high. There fix was to install a Vmax final drive that dropped all the gear ratios by 10%. The only thing that made this not a simple change over was the 2nd gen final drive has the speedometer pickup in the final drive housing and to go to a Vmax final drive, the housing had to be machined to accommodate this. In the case of the 1st gen, the speedometer is run off the front wheel.

Before I replaced my engine with one that had only 30,000 miles on it, I ran the Vmax final drive for a while with my old engine and it was a hoot. It was surprising how much quicker it was out of the hole, but it suffered at interstate speeds. Talking about wanting one more gear. Before I put the low mile engine in my bike, I replaced the transmission with a 2nd gen one. In my opinion, that is the set of gear ratios that the original 1st gen should have had to begin with along with the Vmax final drive ratios. What you have to keep in mind is the 55mph speed limit ran from 1974 to 1995 and that was during the time the Venture was originated, so the stock gearing was good. Running at 70 to 80mph as most do on the interstate now for me was irritating and bumping up the 5th gear ratio made a lot of difference.

Randy

[made2care]

Just noticed a coolant leak from thermostat housing. I did put in a new thermostat , maybe there's an o ring i forgot to place in. will try to fix today.

[made2care]

Just noticed a coolant leak from thermostat housing. I did put in a new thermostat , maybe there's an o ring i forgot to place in. will try to fix today.

 

 

mmmmm..........it appears as though the housing is slightly deformed and not seating all the way. might order a new one.