Author: lauren

TESTING COMPRESSION Testing your engine’s compression is a great way to measure the wear of an engine’s rings and valves. It can also be useful in diagnosing head gasket leaks. Compression is measured in pounds per square inch or PSI. In order to get an accurate reading, you’ll need to purchase or borrow a compression…

4 STROKE CARB TUNING Your Basic Thumper Carb Your engine is basically an air pump, and your carb meters how much air and fuel are sucked into that pump. Even though they may differ wildly in size, shape and design, all four-stroke carburetors have the same basic parts or circuits. Your slide cutaway (or throttle…

vacuum leaks I see hundreds of cylinders and crankshafts every year and It’s my experience that one of the most common causes of engine failures are air leaks. Air leaks will introduce unwanted air into the fuel charge and make your machine run lean. Think of it like this. If you build a fire, it…

Piston Death If your piston looks like this, you haven’t changed your rings since your 15-year-old son was born! As a matter of fact, your silencer packing is blown, you’re using cheap oil, and your air filter is full of mouse crap! Dude, You need to work on your bike once in a while. Classic…

Head gasket Failure Head Gasket Failure Head gasket failure can be extremely destructive to your engine and should not be ignored. In air cooled engines, a blown head gasket will allow very hot exhaust gasses to escape by the gasket on the compression stroke. This will act like a cutting torch and ruin your head,…