Never checked compression, but in retrospect it seems there was an overall decrease in power over the last few months. No smoking or burning oil.

Primary reason to tear it apart is to stop spraying oil behind the source of the leak - very hard to clean off! I'm HOPING it's base gaskets, and not the crankcase ...

 

As far as I can tell, this is the first time it's been apart. No reason to believe otherwise.

 

As mentioned above check to make sure the jugs aren't tapered.

If you are going that far into the motor it is prudent to double check everything before you put it back together.

Just out of curiosity why are you replacing your cylinder studs?
Is there something wrong with the ones that are in there?

 

I seem to remember reading a quote from a TSB that said to put new ones in upside down. If I'm that far into it, and have to take the old ones out to flip them, I might as well put new ones in.

 

I found 7 of the 8 studs upside down on my motor. So much for factory QC.

 

You have 65K on it, Kees had 100K and it was shagged, I you ring and hone you could get 40K out of it so it might be worth saving the money but if you look at rings and hone vs pistons and bore....I don't think the saving is worth it.

If ya had 40K on it I would say just slap it back together.

 

So got me a set of refreshed jugs, and cleaned off the pistons. (The rings on the rear piston were a little loose, so I wouldn't be surprised if I had some blow-by and compression loss there.) Got the front piston shiny-new, but the rear one I finally gave up on. Piston pins were a little scored, so new ones are on the way.

Looking at the mounting surface on the case where the cylinders mate, I got it pretty darn clean - but there's a little junk around the stud holes that just won't come off. Smooth to my hand's touch, but can't get it off with steel wool, brass brush or a razor blade.

Does that surface have to be really pristine (like these "new" jugs)? Or is there a sealer I should/could use that would make it a moot point?

 

Sealer is bad voodoo, use gasket remover and a sharper razor blade...

 

Does it really matter how clean the tops of the pistons are? Just curious.

 

Your not using those old piston's with the new jugs are you? If so you better mic everything.