[twilkinson3]

Looking for thoughts/confirmation on this one - I have a feeling I'm not getting compression on the front cylinder at this point (need to buy a compression tool to find out tho - sigh) bike will not idle (it's not the carbs or the ignition coils or an electrical etc) and there is the worst sounding ticking coming from the area of the front head, sounds like a valve issue or cracked head/valve seat. Any guidance would be appreciated, the valve cover is off at this point and the cams look ok, haven't gotten under the buckets to look at the springs yet tho.

Other tidbits, engine just got new head gaskets and such bout a month back, nothing looked out of whack at that point and I've been building engines for almost 20 years now, so not a noob to that process....jsut new to sv motors

 

[TeeRiver]

So it was running fine after the new head gasket? Why did the engine have to come apart in the first place?

Until you buy your compression tester, you can do a crude compression test (will show a bent valve, or major problem), by rotating the engine by hand with your finger in the spark plug hole. You should feel the compression followed by suction on the power stroke, and of course both cylinders should feel similar.

If it's making the "worst sounding ticking" though, it probably needs to come apart.

 

[mattjmartin]

I don't know about everyone else, but when I was going through the whole SV325 issue, my front cylinder was ticking too.

Check all of the basics. I even had my front carb come unseated once!

 

[twilkinson3]

Thanks guys - the bike sat for 2 years before I got it, and needed a new front or rear (I just changed both) head gasket - had the sweet smell of engine ice in the exhaust as the dead ringer, never saw the milky slime in the oil tho. On the engine turning side, turned it 90 degrees with the plug in the hole last night to tdc on the front cylinder and it didn't even complain (aka no resistance) - I'm thinking I lost a valve, but any other experience/guidance is way welcome

Edit - and yes for the first 2 laps at Road America (before the coil front ignition coil went) it was pulling nice and hard, the bike was run for over 2 hours prior to that as well (driveway/in front of the house), no issues

 

[rotatingmass]

I would take a long hard look at the notorious timing chain adjusters. If your SV sat for two years and those things are gummed up then it could have jumped a tooth on the cam timing. If it jumps far enough it will bend or break a valve like another member recently did.
http://forum.svrider.com/showthread.php?p=1515839#post1515839
The stock timing chain adjusters are OK for normal riding but if you are going to be flogging it at the track spend $100 and replace them. Also, they need periodic adjustment, usually when you check the valves or if start get a little noise- hence the name manual timing chain adjusters.