RE: another darn ryobi post (ryobi performance modification, analysis and comparison)
I appreciate all the hard work everyone is doing here to come up with the best combo and/or ideas for the Ryobi. But I want to make something that is very important clear. The very first thing one should do before modifying an engine is to make sure it is in perfect shape to begin with, especially as regards to the ring seal. I have personally seen engines gain over 600 rpms with just a ring change, and even more so with the Ryobi in the case of those that do not have rings that overlap the retaining pin. Once again, the recommended ring gap in other, similar engines is .003" which is about the width of a piece of paper! It is just basic good practice when modifying engines of any type to get a good seal on all important parts before starting with modifications. Then you can get a good, honest baseline to work with, and go from there. Without a "given" of a good ring seal, all the results and comparisons you all are getting will be "all over the board" and not realistic/significant.
Just my input here....
AV8TOR