Help with cam timing 86 vfr700f

Hey guys. I picked up a $400 vfr700f. Didn't run but after new battery, new reg/rec, plugs, plug caps, air filter, and cleaning out carbs with stuck vacuum slider valves... Etc. yes, it runs. But it's got some screwy compression readings. It did level out. I sound like an idiot... I know... But after doing valve lash.. .004 intake, .007 on exhaust if memory serves me, it's showing 60 psi on both front cylinders. Should be like 140 I think. Pretty sure my crake marks were on right cylinder...so thinking the cam timing is off... The previous owner(s?) were really bad mechanics... I've undone so many issues. I hope the valves aren't bent or anything. Any input, or info, advise... .???? Thanks.

 

Did you follow good compression test practice? Never done it myself, but as I understand it, you need to have the throttle wide open, cold engine, plugs all grounded. If the throttle was closed, you will get low numbers.

http://www.dansmc.com/compression_test.htm

Given the bike runs and I assume without the valves and pistons connecting, the timing must be near enough to right.

I have a pdf copy of the RC24 service manual if you need that.

 

I definitely had the butterflies wide open, not sure about engine temp to honest. But two front cylinders, right next to each other suddenly at 60psi... I screwed up... Or something like cam timing is out of whack. how does that happen????

 

Still, the PDF would be a great resourse. You wanna email it? I'm ignorant about the way stuff like this gets done... But if I see a email with a manual I'll be grateful.

 

Here's a link to the manual, good luck.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/fry0sq07eshbjig/VFR750F RC24.pdf?dl=0

 

Thanks man!

 

Unless they've pulled the camshafts at some point, I don't see how the timing could be off. They're gear driven, and should be locked in from where they would have been placed at the factory. There's no chain slack to skip a tooth and throw off the timing. Unless there's some crazy wear to the gear drive, I've never heard of that though.

Lining them up on reinstall is pretty stupid simple. There's hashmarks on the cam as well as on the the support stays.

 

Its been a couple months since I did anything with it. I remember think that even though i lined the marks on the right side, the cams lobes seemed to point in a different directions from my old CBR, relative to the pistons direction of travel. Its been eating at me. They were on the low side of the lobes... there was slack... but it just seemed like one was off by maybe 20 degrees. The crap that was done to this bike is why I wouldn't be at all surprised if the cams were in wrong. People can be really ignorant, lol...

I just have to take an hour to look at them and see where those marks are... i expected to see the marks on one end or the other when I adjusted, you know, line up with the head cover gasket surface... but it wasn't right.

Time for me to shut up and see once and for all.

 

Two adjacent cylinders with low compression might suggest a bad head gasket there.

 

Yeah... I also thought that might be true. But it only ended up 60 & 60 on the two fronts after i did the valve lash. Sadly my garage is full of random crap, due to a shed moving project.. so I still cant play with it. But fairly soon. I will for sure put my findings up here. I do appreciate the input... makes me want to get into this again. I just got so irritated after so many issues... just needed a break from it... now i cant wait to figure this out.

I never said any thing before, but there was also one cylinder on the rear head, on the right, that had been a lot higher than the others... but its all random again... i think its sticking rings... I most likely will drop the motor, pull the heads... and get it fixed up right this winter.