The Hodaka Club Forum

What exactly is the +3 stamped on the cylinder mean. Does it have any relevance to the size of piston used or rings? I'm clueless on this stuff.

Has something to do with initial assembly. But for all practical purposes, ignore it. Measuring the cylinder will tell you what size piston to get.

Its been reported that cylinders were measured at manufacture & "graded" by diameter. That's the reason for the stamp.

Then, I assume, Pistons were also measured & "graded".

Some degree of piston to cylinder clearance was controlled by matching piston diameter to cylinder diameter.

This is the story as I understand it.

If true, your probably talking about a few ten-thousandths of an inch either way. Maybe less.

As stated in previous post, it doesn't mean nothin' now. It's worn. So it's measure & decide what to do time.

If compression is, say, over 110 psi you might just run it.

If you want a ball park measurement of clearance take the top end apart & place feeler gages between the piston skirt & cylinder. Some guys may hate this idea, but I'm tired of trying to bore gage a cylinder with a bunch of ports in it