Topic: stuck in the middle, 400f giving more time to think about wtf to do

[Redline it]

the last of the easy gaskets were all but the base gasket. after 3 days i'm half way done only because the easy side (front half) came off in a couple of hours, i can't wait for fingernails to grow back before continuing. permatex solvent based gasket remover is total junk, it doesn't change anything, 15 minutes or 30 hours, nothing. pet and children safe, then give it to them to play with.  so nobody knows any other way, other than just keep scraping.

the other question i got is i'm looking at the low mileage top end. obviously under 10k miles,  oh and i did figure out how to use the telescope t snap mic to get inside measurements. pistons now are running smaller dia than cylinders yay. and i found a inside adjustable micrometer set, that doesn't budge once it touches the bore. the question:-
Although it's at the tail end of tolerance for piston to bore clearance, with no ridge to be felt at the top or bottom, out of round and taper are not outside specs but close, the area of ring travel is void of any microscopic cross hatch, it's polished smooth. moving ring gaps back separated 120' shouldn't be hopeless to fit or refind the bore enough to seal, but the smooth bore doesn't that plainly run the rings to scrape too much oil out off the cylinder wall and then run slightly hot?

the choices are gamble on the machine shop with known good parts not overly worn out to make a mistake, or put it together,
that's driving me crazy. nightmare from it. it's still light out, might as well run over to the store, for a cold one.   

[chrisbc55]

I use paint stripper with a fine brush, put it on quite thick and go have a couple of cold ones, scrape off as much as you can then repeat about 3 times, so be prepared

[bamacb]

Honda once had a spray on gasket remover that worked really well. There are others out there but you may not find them at the local auto parts store. From your description sounds like a fresh bore job would be in line long term if you plan on keeping and riding it. Other wise hone it, replace rings and lap valves.

[Tim2005]

I use a scalpel for gasket removal- just be careful and take your time.

As for the cylinders, what clearance numbers have you got now? 10k miles is nothing on a set of 4/4 bores

[Redline it]

I use paint stripper with a fine brush, put it on quite thick and go have a couple of cold ones, scrape off as much as you can then repeat about 3 times, so be prepared

i'm thinking about it. we can buy the most caustic chemicals known to man, but gasket remover like in the old days, is a crime.

[Redline it]

I use a scalpel for gasket removal- just be careful and take your time.

As for the cylinders, what clearance numbers have you got now? 10k miles is nothing on a set of 4/4 bores

i got em written down here somewhere. you know what i did last night, i found a drawer support shaped like an L that had some slots and holes in it. i sharpened a case hardened screwdriver tip and can fit it through the slot and i went for it. patendable. like a wood plane and only riding on the gasket, it would cut a nice thin layer off, i couldn't believe it, making progress, i got half left to go. the thing about the low mileage, i didn't know it, and it sat in my backyard uncovered most of the time for 25 yrs. and my original motor broke a number 4 top ring in 2005, i was riding 85 miles one way back and forth 5 days a week, wide open because i always late. the night it broke, i decided to look at the one in the back, i took it out blew it off, changed oil, and swapped carbs, and started riding it the next day to work for a couple months then i parked it for 9 yrs (unintentional job change from running 637 scrapers to bathroom orderly in a federal day care, pay went from something like 60.00 something an hour to 19.00 a month, best time in my life.)  i found out the motor didn't have hardly any mileage on it couple years after getting flown back. all better now. i hung up the work. it's been a blast. my bills are gasoline, oil, insurance and registration and beer, that's it oh and now parts. i'll get those numbers.