Head shaving and/or piston porting

[zombie]

Glad to hear bro.

I just ordered another of those Taiwan 50mm kits for the ZX too. You'll hopefully be riding long before my kit arrives.

One thing... Do all the prep on the kit. Chamfer ALL the sharp edges in the ports, skirts, and polish the piston dome.
The difference between that, and an aluminium kit is almost nothing. I Very much prefer the cast iron kits for long life.

[TheAmishSasquatch]

Lol I dont know if I want to get anywhere near this new kit with a dremmel. Everything you suggested to do to it is what I was doing to the original with the exception of porting out the exhaust- inlet manifold.  Im still not clear if/how that could have ruined the jug. I never broke through to the port map, and I cant belive the cylinder  skirt is that sensitive to the slightest change do to deburing. It is what it is though... I wanted the mods to work, but secretly hoped they wouldnt so I could go BBK without a divorce being involved

[zombie]

I think you just had an air leak when you assembled it. Any leaking gasket will act like yours did.