Get it to run, see if a little time on the engine helps. Rings are probably
stuck, and might loosen up. I know that's not the all American thing to do
(rip it down and make it perfect) but as a guy with a lot of old stuff that
sometimes sits a while I'd tell you to give it a little run time. Sometimes
these things come back pretty well.
Don't stick anything weird in the engine to "recondition" the rings. I
parked my 1959 BSA Gold Star for two years, tried to start it the other day
and it wouldn't. Compression was about zero. Jumped it down my precipitous
driveway and ran it around for an hour, pissing off all the neighbors in a
four mile radius (except the few that love the sound of a Goldie on over
run). Brought it home and it had 160 pounds. Three days later it still has
160. Sticky stuff on the rings. Probably didn't do their lifespan any good
having blow by heat them up, but I would have pitched them anyway. Worth a
try.
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