So it turned out the valves were all wide open. Looking back, that puff of air I experienced while cranking the engine a couple weeks back was from the fact that I had plugged the tail pipes to keep out dust and such. Crazy, huh? Totally had me thinking that compression was intact.
So I adjusted the valves, and got most of the compression I was looking for. From cyl. 1-6, I got (on a cold engine) 160, 135, 185, 175, 130, and 90. Not great, but enough to sputter on starting fluid. I messed with the carbs turning random screws (I really should sit down and read that manual) and finally got this lump running.
Blew out all kinds of smoke, starting out dark, then lightening up to grey/white. Couldn't tell if it was antifreeze turning to steam or not as I was flushing out the radiator and gradually replaced the coolant with water. Also, it was getting dark. I'll investigate further tomorrow if I've got coolant in the oil (or CO2 in the coolant).
At any rate, I've got good oil pressure, most of the gauges work (gas gauge not connected yet), and no major leaks. I really wanted to run it down the driveway, but I discovered the clutch and brakes need another round of bleeding.
I've been around a lot of spicy vehicles in my days, and this throaty exhaust note really turns my crank. Can't wait to get it tuned, sorted, and out on the road.
Thanks for all the help along the way.
So I adjusted the valves, and got most of the compression I was looking for. From cyl. 1-6, I got (on a cold engine) 160, 135, 185, 175, 130, and 90. Not great, but enough to sputter on starting fluid. I messed with the carbs turning random screws (I really should sit down and read that manual) and finally got this lump running.
Blew out all kinds of smoke, starting out dark, then lightening up to grey/white. Couldn't tell if it was antifreeze turning to steam or not as I was flushing out the radiator and gradually replaced the coolant with water. Also, it was getting dark. I'll investigate further tomorrow if I've got coolant in the oil (or CO2 in the coolant).
At any rate, I've got good oil pressure, most of the gauges work (gas gauge not connected yet), and no major leaks. I really wanted to run it down the driveway, but I discovered the clutch and brakes need another round of bleeding.
I've been around a lot of spicy vehicles in my days, and this throaty exhaust note really turns my crank. Can't wait to get it tuned, sorted, and out on the road.
Thanks for all the help along the way.