Was about 800 miles from home and my TC88 blew a head gasket... or so I thought. It had all the familiar symptoms. Got it home, replaced said gaskets, only to get zero compression in the front cylinder. Investigated and found it has compression when the pushrods ar NOT installed. Any help would be greatly appreciated. It's an 06 Road King, with very low miles.

 

Tell us what those familiar symptoms are, help us help you........

Are the pushrods adjustable?

Which cylinder had the initial problem???

 

Solid pushrods... I was riding, going 70, nothing crazy and, I heard a pop/backfire and it shut down. Tried to start it and heard, what I thought, was it sucking air from the front head gasket. Now it seems the valves are being held open on the front head by the pushrods.

 

My first idea was that the cam jumped a tooth or two and was pressing against the pushrods so I removed them and they're completely fine. A friend proposed that the lifters are pumped up, which seems like the next logical explanation.

 

Ok, here's my new theory... As I was riding, some how, I floated the valves, extending the lifters, they stuck in the up position and that's what's holding the valves open. BOOM...

 

Maybe you have the pushrods swapped. The longer one goes to the exhaust.

 

remove pushrods from that cylinder and then the modify your compression tester by removing the schrader valve and remove gauge install an air fitting(unless you have a leak-down tester) to put compressed air into the cylinder, if your valves are the issue you will hear air through the exhaust/intake. If it holds the air then one of your lifters is stuck (collapse in a vice to verify) and will need replacing. If your valves floated and you bent a valve there should have been a clear witness mark on the piston.

 

[QUOTE=TREV T;20087217 If your valves floated and you bent a valve there should have been a clear witness mark on the piston.[/QUOTE]

Plus the OP would NOT have compression with push rods removed

 

How would the valves be open with the pushrods OUT??? Unless the valve is bent, broken or otherwise compromised, with the 'rods out the valves are normally closed. The springs hold the valves closed.

 

OP states compression present with push rods removed in post #1