case 300 wont start, low compression?

VA series 124 cid engines were changed to the same cam gear above with gov wt sometime in 1949 but there was some later carryover. The way to tell the difference: Earlier VA series cam gear accomodated a flyball gov, as opposed to riveted weight like yours, and had a separate round access cover bolted to the front of the timing cover so you could remove the gov and had access to the cam gear without removing the timing cover. Later VA series with the cam gear + wt you need has the same timing cover p/n VT334 as the 148 engine.

The cam gear alone w/o the weight is Case p/n VT540, cross-ref p/n A28900. P/n A28900 was changed later to the p/n above G37066. That simply means that the gear w/o wt was discontinued and you had to buy the gear with wt installed as an assembly but it may be in someone's inventory under any of those p/n's.

Most 1960 and later 148 cid are 148B engines, larger crank journals, not sure about the cam.

Joe

Chris, keep that block expansion plug on the blind end of the cam in mind when you remount the gear.

Joe

Compression pressure depends on cranking speed, engine temperature, and compression ratio. You mentioned it was cranking slowly, is it turning over fast enough to get a good compression test now? Assuming that low readings, should really whip right over. You might want to disengage the clutch and lock out the hydraulic oil pump, see if there is some drag back there slowing the crank speed down.

Air filter not plugged? Intake pipe at the carb is disconnected and the choke fly is fully open for your tests?

Your rings may be too far gone for a wet check but if enough cranking speed, put about a tablespoon of oil in the cylinder, let it set a few minutes so the oil can weep down on the rings. If the pressure goes up, rings are leaking bye. No pressure rise is valves leaking or rings completely shot.

You can expect to get some gas back through the carb when cranking for long period and it doesn't fire.

Joe

I just can't believe the compression is that low w/o something being obvious like plugged intake or valves set wrong.

You say the cylinders look good with no ridge so there is no scoring. In that case, the wet check should give some indication of ring wear or glazing.

A plugged exhaust will affect starting and running but doesn't have anything to do with the low compression check.

With that kind of compression loss you would have to had some serious blowbye out the oil fill in addition to oil burning, fowled plugs, etc when it was running whether the problem was rings or valve guides so it seems we are back to lack of intake air or valve timing. You have eliminated external intake air by taking the carb off.

If you have any doubts about your valve setting, I would check that again. A quick check, 0.002" either way from 0.014" lash is good enough for this.

#1 TDC check: #1-I&E, #2-I, #3-E.

One full rev.

#4 TDC check: #2-E, #3-I, #4-I&E.

Nothing found here a leakdown is probably your best bet.

Joe