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I so hate to need to make this thread.
I certainly don't know it all but I've been around long enough to know the basics and then some.
Engine has new standard size pistons and rings. Lapped the valves, head appeared in good shape.
Tappets at .008" and .010"
Using this style coil, same one in my running Triumph.

Spark looks good, big.
Points ignition. Timed with advance locked to 34 BTDC (tricky since I found out too late the flywheel was put on wrong so no timing slot available)
Swapped out Monoblocs (Did try them) for a pair of Concentrics since I'm more familiar with them. Pilot jet clear.
Cold (obviously) compression is 90 both sides. I know that is low but my Triumph is the same and runs fine. Maybe its the gauge-maybe not.
Tried new NGK plugs and new Champion N3.
Starter fluid or gas sprayed in carbs and still not even a pop.

Obviously doing something wrong. Deja vu for the Triumph which I struggled with for longer than I care to say.
Turned out I had a bad Boyer box. Put in points and Vroom!

Any ideas or direction most appreciated.

is it sparking on the induction stroke maybe?, check points are opening when both valves are closed for the respective cylinder.

Thanks Gavin, no, it's not that. Just now took off the rocker cover to look things over.

Float level is good by the way. Any higher it would flood.

Rags in the inlet tract? Ive done that before.

Electrical short, acting like a kill switch? How's the ZD?

How are you checking spark? Are you moving anything around other than the plug and wire? Are you checking both sides?

Do you see 12v at both coil poles? Good ground on the shared pole?

Are you using the same timing hole on the trigger plate as you are on your triumph? If so this will be the problem, regardless of you having the crank correct when you did it, the spark will be at the wrong point. you want to align the dot with the one that’s anti clock wise aka left hand side of the stator coil.

Otherwise check the Boyer rotor has good magnetism with a screwdriver or spanner (non magnetic) on both of the magnets. I had one which was bad from new. It sparked with the plugs out of the head but not when fitted. Don’t get why. Anyway LP Williams who I bought it off sent me another one straight away - great service!

I don't get this, how can the flywheel be mounted wrong, is it on back to front? If you cant use the flywheel timing slot how did you time the ignition, degree disc maybe?

From reading your post it sounds like you are using points in which case I believe the AAU has to be bolted into the fully advanced position with the crank also locked into the fully advanced position. Maybe a mismatch somewhere.

Might be worth checking the cam timing as well in case something is amiss.

this coil is wired to 2 sets of points ?
how is it wired ?

Never heard of this. Please explain.
Sorry, forgot to mention I'm using a Podtronics. Wiring is very simple at this point. No headlight/taillight yet.
Checking the spark on both plugs laying on the head.
Points ignition - not Boyer this time.
The center post on the coil is positive from battery and outer negative posts each to a point. (negative ground wiring)

This is facing front of engine. Timing slot on wrong side!
I measured the piston height with a dial gauge when engine was apart and marked rotor/stator at 34 degrees BTDC
Locked AAU advanced with washer on bolt.

Cam timing set by aligning marks on gears. I don't know much about varying these settings and reasons for it.
Valves seem to be opening and closing roughly when they should.

Thanks for all the replies!

Hi,
Are the condensers in good shape?
If the wires to the points were reversed then the timing would be on the wrong stroke
There was a old post on this type of coil that may help?
http://www.britbike.com/forums/ubbthreads.php/topics/768139/1

John

Not so long ago I had an "issue" after a rebuild when the bike would only run on one cylinder, on investigation I found a rag still blocking the inlet port, whoops!
Measuring piston height to guestimate firing angle is not as accurate as using a degree wheel zeroed at TDC using a fixed stop to calibrate. Still it should be close enough to make it run. Are you sure the correct points are firing the correct plugs when the correct cylinder is on comp.?

If you've got spark and fuel the way you've described, the only thing left is compression. A compression test won't tell you if you're firing with the valves wide open. An easy test could be to swap the neg wires at the coil.

You should be getting a pop or sputter or something.

When I first got my A50 I didn't realize the cam pinion rotates in the opposite direction of the crank so I had the points 34' after TDC. wouldn't start.

Well you have something very wrong
So if it were in my shed, the timing disc would come out ( if I could find it ) and get stuck to the rotor nut with a magnet because you are just checking things.
TDC located using a piston stop then a bull dog clip on a fin or a pair of long nose vise grips etc to hang a pointer off.
Then the engine would go through several rotations while I noted the valve opening & closing degrees, and points opening & closing degrees
When the numbers have been measured draw a strait line on some graph paper if you have it.
Make the X axis 7.2" long then every 1/10" = 10 degrees of crankshaft rotation.
Next plot each valve opening and closing plus points opening & closing for each cylinder as individual lines.
When finished you will have 6 partial horizontal lines Left inlet , left exhaust, left points and the same for the right.
Mark TDC & BDC vertically.
If the points or valves are out of time it will now jump up off the page & bite you on the nose.

IF not take a photo & post it here and those who have already made all of the silly mistakes before you will see a repetition of their Boo Boo & set your strait.
Just remember to add 360 deg for things thathappen onthe 2nd rotation.

Have you tried smaller gap on spark plugs? I just had a problem with my Atlas. Was doing service on 3 of my bikes and set all plugs to .025" and on the Atlas had a nice spark outside the engine but not even a pop when installed. This bike runs a mag and I checked everything and was almost ready to remove mag when I thought of plug gap. Bit of research found gap should be around.018". Adjusted gap and it fired and ran first kick. Not saying this is your problem, but know for sure it was mine.

Good luck, Bill

Still no go. Thanks for the replies.
I'm definitely firing my sparks on the correct cylinders.
Double, triple checking everything. Put on a degree wheel to confirm valve opening and closing points.
Not with any real accuracy though. Couldn't figure out how to put my dial gauge on.

Sprayed some carb cleaner through the air screw holes and the air entry holes on the back of the carb to see it spray
out the two little holes and confirm my primary idle circuit is clear and working.
Condensers? I'll try a smaller plug gap. Currently at .02"

You dont need a dial gauge, you do need to open the valve clearances up to 0.015", as soon as all the clearance is taken up ( judge with a cigarette paper between valve tip and adjuster), that is the opening point, you dont need all 4 reading, so long as the inlet or exhaust is opening within 5 degrees or so of the book number then you are good to go. The reason for the 15 thou clearance is because the cams have slow opening ramps to keep some of the clatter down.

Ah, Thank you! Never heard of that trick!

Some random thoughts which may or may not help:-
- is the carb balance pipe fitted?
- are the carbs at least loosly tuned, e.g. throttle cables slack, slides bottoming, pilot mixture 1-1/2 turns out and idle stops turned in slightly?
- any air leaks around the inlet manifolds?
- what do the plugs smell/look like after starting attempts? I would hope that you can at least smell petrol and they arent black/shiny
- is the fuel fresh?
- what about battery charge status, do you have at least 12v and a good earth connection especially to the engine?
- what type of points plate is fitted 4CA or 6CA and what about the AAU springs, is there any slack?
- have you double-checked the cam timing, sometimes there is more than one timing mark on the pinions.

I had a nightmare like this years ago after a rebuild. I found out that the smooth valve cover was stopping one of the valves from fully closing, due to the aftermarket tappet/replacement valves hitting the inside of the cover. Not immediately apparent, but after starting sans cover, a little work with a grinding wheel and all was well.

I'll be doing this more closely using Gavins method.
Also going to try advancing/retarding the spark at bit.
I tightened up my plug gap on the tight side of .02". Since then I'm at least getting a bit of a "whoom" on kick.

Sounds like progress, I'm sure the bike will be started soon.

If the plugs are not wet, look V closely at the pilot mix delivery holes in the floor of the carb venturi, theres one in front of the slide front lip and one behind it, make sure these are clear. If you spray whatever your go to WD 40 stuff is in through the carb inlet pilot air hole, the one on the bottom lip that isnt plugged you should see stuff coming through the two wee holes ( it will also spray into the float bowl, hold your finger over that hole).
You squished O ring doesnt sound right

Thanks. Checked carb. See post #811453.

That 15 thou thing, that not Gavins method, RTFM.

Ok, the method Gavin told me about. Sheesh!

Well my cam timing looks good.

What I'm not confident about are my ignition timing marks on my rotor/stator.
If I set the timing advanced to 34 degrees BTDC, when I check it without advance it seems to spark right at TDC.
With an 11 degree AAU, shouldn't it be sparking at 12 degrees BTDC without advance?
This is what I mean about my questionable timing marks.
Recall that I don't have the luxury of a flywheel notch.

Why is it we go to the trouble to set timing advanced anyway?

By the way, I'm at least getting some pops now.

Thanks for the help thus far. I'm a bit dense sometimes.

Timing at idle isn't as critical as fully advanced at high RPM. If your timing is off the mark at idle, you might have trouble getting the bike to start. If it's off the mark at full throttle, you might burn a hole in the piston. So it's best to assume setting full advanced timing will get the starting timing in line. If it doesn't, there are certain ways to increase the amount of advance offered by the AAU.

Do you care more about best performance at idle in the driveway, or passing trucks on the highway at 4000 RPM?

I think that's right, an 11 degree AAU will result in 22 degrees of advance, so that should be 12 degrees BTDC, but this is a rough approximation which is why timing is usually set at the fully advanced position.


Another inaccurate way to check is using a rod down the spark plug with a marking for where the fully advanced position is. I don't know what this measurement is on an A65 but you need to find TDC then turn the engine backwards so the piston falls past the marking and then forward until the mark is seen. As mentioned this is not very accurate and I don't know what the measurement is (maybe 0.31" ?) but it may give you a rough idea of whether your timing is in the ballpark or not.

the full Advance timing is more critical to not putting a hole in the top of a piston
when the bike is running under load .

the idle advance position only needs to start the bike and provide smooth idle .
... with points set at full advance @ 34°
it's assumed that idle advance will be found mechanically when the AAU is unlocked .

you can try it the other way , set the aau timing "slack" at 12° ... this was one of the
old school methods ... before timing lights were common and home shops .

the Springs in your aau maybe to weak to hold 12° ... even at Kickstart RPM ?

.
34 degrees is .304 inches BTDC......

or with the old school down hole method .
... 5/16" ... 7.7 mm

slack aau timing at 12° ... down hole is
0.0394 ... 3/64" .... 1mm

once the piston top is located or crankshaft degree is established
any factory mark from rotor to cover pointer should line up .
( if there is no rotor to cover pointer ... make your own )


maybe the aau springs are weak and the aau is advancing , even at kick over rpms ?
or
have you tried switching the plug wire leads ?

Well, that's two suggestions my AAU springs may be weak.
How would I check that? I have another to compare to.
Still curious why it seems to retard all the way to TDC when set advanced at 34. Or nearly - certainly not 12 degrees.
That gives me two different settings depending on whether I set advanced or slack.

Double checked the piston height. Dial bolted to exhaust.

I don't think there is an easy way to check AAU springs and it may be that the springs are from a different bike, hence the problem. I imagine that if you are finding its retarding all the way to TDC then either the springs or AAU/Points are knackered, worth swapping out for a different set but personally I would just fit an EI unit which would solve a lot of problems.

I think you make a good "point".
I do have another set and actually I have a Boyer MKIV on the shelf. The later analog version that is supposed to be better for low battery.
Why am I messing around with these points then?!
Maybe because I fussed around with a Boyer MKIII for a long time on my Triumph before finally finding out it was defective or damaged.
Put points in that bike and started first kick.
I suppose I should give it another chance.

Nothing wrong with messing around with points ... if the AAU is taken apart and inspected and lubed .

piston travel isn't linear , it becomes less as it approaches top dead center .
@ 12° it's within 1mm.
@ 10° its 0. 69 mm
@ 8° its 0.44mm

as any aau is used , the Advance stop gets hammered ... and the stop at the end of slot opens .
an 11° aau eventually becomes 12° and gives 24° Of retard from 34 °
if set at full advance ... the idle advance will be less than with a stock new AAU .
( but this doesn't explain why your bike doesn't start )
... if the backing plate Advanced stop shows wear ... its worn .

I maintain your setting the points at the wrong point.

If you’ve fitted the washer under the nut then the idea is that you use it to lock the AAU into the fully advanced position.

If your bike has the facility use the tool to lock your crank in the fully advanced position. If you can’t, then rotate the crank to the strobe timing mark. If you can have someone keep an eye on that mark, I’ve known it to rotate on its own weight and screw your timing up before now.

Screw the points plate so that the screws are centred within the slots. Have the AAU loose on its taper but screw still in place. Have the screw/bolt so that it is applying a bit of pressure or resistance to movement.

Remove the plugs, fit them back into the caps and rest securely on the head. Switch on ignition.

Use a flat blade screw driver and rotate the cam backwards (use the slot on the AAU and rotate it backward until the plugs spark.

Lock the bolt fully. Remove the crank locating tool.

If you haven’t already turn the engine until the high point on the cam (the scribed mark) lines up with the heel of the points. Set the points gap to 0.015”, then rotate the crank 360° and do the same for the other set of points.

Start the bike.

The timing will still be out by some extent. Do not at this point adjust the timing with the main points screws. Use the ones which are for isolated for each set of points.

Time both cylinders.

Set the points gap again. Check the strobe timing again and adjust with the larger screws holding the whole
Plate.

This is how I used to do mine and it was fine every time.

Thanks Allan, I've basically done all those things except that I don't have facility to lock the crank fully advanced
nor do I have strobe timing marks except for those I made myself.

When I convince myself the current points setup is never going to work, I'll take this AAU out and compare to my other one
and maybe just install the Boyer at that "point".

One of the many mistakes I have made, when first timing my A65, assumed the points cam rotates the same way as the crank, it doesnt. Just a thought.

I did remember part way through writing about your fly wheel being the wrong way around. One of my cranks was the same so I feel your pain. If you can make a piston stop tool this would help a lot.

As you don’t have any marks on your rotor apart from your own, have you tried turning the rotor around? There should be some marks on the other side of it.

If your timing the AAU at full advance it could be totally clapped out and still function, wobble with the cam on the shaft will cause erratic timing and weak springs will just cause it to advance early. The first you’ll feel when you have the unit in your hands, the second you’ll see when you rev it up on the strobe light. Eurotrash Jambalaya in the states sell really good springs (they sell good springs in general but obviously were on about advance springs) they go full advance at 3000, with a tweak I tightened mine up to 3500, the bike ran well like that.

Find the spark timing in the same method as I mentioned?...




If you haven’t, give it a try, it’s imperative that you turn the cam so it’s opening up the bob weights, not the other way around I tried with the light bulb method as shown in the workshop manual, not only did I find it more of a faff but for some reason it didn’t want to work for me. This method works every time from Bantam to A65, it even works on bikes which use Hall effect sensors on the timing and the window on the rotor is quite large.


One other thing to check is that you have a BSA Type AAU and not a triumph type or unit single type. With the triumph/unit single AAU unit as soon as it starts to open up it will retard the ignition. The 11° AAU strikes me as puzzling, AFAIK A65’s (certainly all the later ones with 6CA cams) were 12° not 11°.

The 1/2 timing pinion rotates at 1/2 engine speed so 12 degs on the points cam = 24 degs at the crank.
Allowing for backlash in gears and wear in the mechanical assembly you may see a few degrees difference at
the crank/piston height.
Spend a couple of hundred bucks on an electronic ignition and life will be simpler.
My2c

Hmm, not necessarily. If the timing marks are non-existent then it's possible that nothing is lining up. Nothing will line up with EI either. Don't get me wrong, I'm a big proponent of EI but replacing points with EI shouldn't be "to make it work" but rather "to improve on the working process".

If replacing the points with EI helps in this case, then the original parts were wrong (either points or AAU) and a different set would have helped as well.

Thank you. Exactly why I am reluctant to go to the effort to install the Boyer I have on the shelf here.
Also have some Lucas springs #54417992 which I think are supposed to be stronger springs
I feel points are somewhat easier to diagnose and troubleshoot.
If there is a problem with my timing marks, which I don't think so as I've checked them all different ways, then the EI won't work either.
Maybe it's a carb or other problem.

Alan: Here's my other BSA AAU, 11 degree. Maybe early 4CA part.
Curious. Doesn't have the hash mark to set points on the front.

.

Gas tank slipped off the shelf and got a dent. Not a perfect tank to begin with but I think I have to step away from this
bike for a couple days before I start throwing tools!

From researching some old posts it does look like yours is a 4CA AAU. these are best turning into spinning tops for kids to play with, their cam design caused a lot of engines to go bang (the dwell is something like 170 degrees, the downside was this caused some points bounce and sparking to occur. The 6CA is something like 86°) for a few years until BSA realised the issue and come mid 67 created the -Y bikes which apart from the oil system upgrade also had the cam upgrade to 6CA. The points plate was also updated from the type which had the condensers mounted at the points, to a provision under the seat. This allowed the points to be adjusted/timed individually rather than setting it somewhere in the middle or adjusting the points gap on individual points in attempt to try and time the cylinders accurately.


Older Britbike post if you scroll down to RF Whatleys comments and have a read. RF is still a member of this board and very knowledgable on what rolled out of the doors of Lucas.

Well that settles that! I'll be installing the Boyer. Hope it helps the starting too.
Thanks Allan for that esoteric bit of info! You may just have saved my engine.

You are using NEW plugs, right?

The pod has nothing to do with this

Figure out how to run a jumper wire from battery to coil and eliminate all else

If you are using points as I think, are they CLEAN?

Any flim on the contact surface will screw things up.

Why are you messing with cam timing? Is this a new build or have you had the cam out?

The Boyer is less faff to set up and fit and forget (I’m a Pazon advocate myself but each to their own)

I was hoping to find that I could find an image showing the cam looking like a triumph type but sadly in one way not so. So I stumbled across the old thread, it did teach me something also so that’s good news there, I thought they were ALL 12° but it seems not only the 6CA type.

Fingers crossed with the Boyer install. If this doesn’t work it might then push us all to look down a different avenue.

Another one to try if your sure you have it set right but it won’t go, open the throttle fully and crank it over like that, I usually do it with a flooded engine but a troublesome one it tends to work with too (providing everything else is correct)

You can get it running with an EI by putting a screwdriver down the plug hole and marking it at somewhere around 8mm.
It's a bloody site easier than messing with the points cam, replacing springs, checking wear on advance assembly etc..
When i see a points plate/mech advance that isn't worn or clapped out on one of these old crates i'll advise to use it.

Ooops, Wait! Looks like I had a 12 degree AAU in after all. Really must take notes in the future.
New plan is to put my strong springs on the AAU and give it another go. One strong spring, two?

Richrd: New points, new plugs. Yes, motor was apart.

Always fit a matched pair of springs, so two.

Do yourself a favour, once you get it started either go 6CA or electronic and dump the 4CA AAU.

How worn are your idler bushes?
The idler bushes are quite small and even the slightest amount of wear will throw the timing out by a random amount

The Springs don't have to be the same size ,
You actually get a more complex Advance curve by using different
size springs .
1. A weaker or primary spring , able to hold the advance at idle rpms
and then
2. a slacker secondary spring that only comes on ... after the the primary spring is partially stretched.

... but here , we dont know whats really going on , or if this is even an ignition problem .
so stronger Springs will help hold idle rpms .

which Direction is the points cam advancing ?

Someone earlier brought up the point that you might have a Triumph AAU .
i dont remember if the correct Direction was ever verified.
BSA runs points run on a counter shaft , so the aau spins opposite the engine Direction .
... the points cam advances into its own Direction ... counterclockwise .
.

Looking at the pic it appears to advance the right way.
If its a 4 CA make the toy that Allan suggests, then fit EI.

I know it's confusing but I never had 4C point or AAU in.

And yes, it is a BSA CCW advancing AAU.

Andy Hingham: Idler bushes? That the idler gear runs on that the points are attached to?
All I can say is that all those bushes in the case looked real good. Lowish mileage engine I believe.

Could be the lighting, I only see one points wire. Looks quite unmolested.

I believe I've discovered the issue.
Multiple checks of everything did another compression test with a bit of oil.
No change and a bit below 90 both cylinders.
Leakdown test with my cobbled tool.

Hissing all around head gasket far as I can tell. Went from 100psi to 65psi in one minute.
I used an annealed copper gasket with some spray copper seal but after torquing the head once I took it off
briefly (forget the reason) and remember thinking I should re-anneal - but didn't!
Also torqued the outside bolts by feel. Really should get a tool to put a torque wrench on those.
Slight leak out the left exhaust pipe also.
Let's hope this is my no-start issue!

Comments welcome.

Ok, so I annealed the had gasket carefully and sprayed with copper seal stuff.
Also lapped the exhaust valves.
Now my compression is no better. Leak down test revealed air leaking out all the valves to some degree.
Hard to tell if its leaking at the head gasket.
This is interesting as I tested the head by inverting and filling with kerosene. Held the level for quite a while
but did eventually go down.

So what do I need to do? Remember I'm still fairly new at this.
Have the valve seats done at - a motorcycle shop? Buy new valves too? Springs?
Why didn't my lapping of the exhaust valves work?

Take the head & valve to a motorycle repair shop or a lawnmower repair shop
The kit used for A65's is the same as used for Briggs & Stratton ( plus 1/2 the other stationary engines ) .
Pick a shop that has lots of old machines for sale that they have repaired for resale.
If you have pulled the valves out of the head should be a 20 minute job at whatever they charge per hour.

You can do it yourself withthe Neway gear which is hard to make a mistake with and good enough for a normal street rider.
However the kit is not inexpensive so unless you are intending to this type of work regularly not an economic outlay .

valve lapping is not as easy as many would suggest and if the guides are not as good as they could be then getting an acceptable job is quite difficult.

So obviously the valves are A problem, the question is are they THE problem?
I would have expected that at 90psi there was enough compression to get you something, might run as rough as a bears arse, but i would have thought it would at least make an effort.

Have been watching this thread for a while and cannot get the timing out of my head. Are you absolutely sure that you have timed it at 34 BTDC and not 34 ATDC? i.e. you got the direction of rotation right?
Please don't ask me why this thought will not go away, I was a lot younger then.

Hissing around head? Mix a dish soap- water solution and wipe around to see if bubbling occurs. You will never find this problem if you don't follow exact procedures for each check. If you have precisely followed all steps, I would go back to the start. Do one thing at a time. i have read stories about proper annealing of gaskets and don't think many do it properly anyway. I do not even try, but I definitely use a torque wrench and tighten in proper sequence in steps. I also feel that the valves are good enough to run or at least give signs of life if all else is right. A lot of thing you have checked would keep from running at peak, but imo would not keep it from starting.

These old bikes can be frustrating at times. I feel your pain.

I didn't see here where you took Allen's suggestion to use a piston stop to find tdc for degree wheel. It's the only way to be accurate with timing and should not be overlooked considering the mountain of problems you're having. Also either didnt see or missed how you did your timing side gear alignment.

Thanks for the replies.
I have double checked most things so many times it's ridiculous.
I am well aware of the anomaly of the BSA points rotating clockwise and the rotor traveling CC. Definitely BTDC.
Funny, I have a friend of many years named David Martin who is a mechanic (ten car garage at home full on 60's muscle cars- all mint all running)
who thinks it should start as is too. He has 2 Harley baggers but has seen a lot.

I spent a long time getting float heights correct. More on this later maybe but don't want to turn this into a float height thread.

I don't know what else it could be but the valves and compression. Was actually a bit under 90 psi and as I said, on leakdown was hissing obviously
out the carbs and exhaust. Dropped from 100 PSI to 65 PSI in a minute.

Beach, when apart I used dial gauge to find my timing point, if you remember I have no usable notch in the flywheel so this is what I had to do.
A few posts back I included a photo of my dial gauge through the plug hole as I was double checking that.

Valve timing was simply lining up marks on the gears. Fine points of adjusting valve timing beyond me but I did check the valves opening and
closing points with degree wheel on rotor side.

Machine shops are rare around here and can be pricey. One gave me an estimate of $400 to do the valves and mentioned he thought maybe
would need new guides. (I don't think so) Only an estimate but in my experience you don't often get a lower price when a vendor puts out
a number. Kind of expensive, yes?

Oh, also, I have a decent torque wrench and now have the 15mm crow foot to do the nuts.

That's a lot for a valve job, imo. Maybe your friend could suggest someone.

Has anyone asked the obvious question?
Are the leads on the correct plugs? if the AAU or points plate have been off the bike it could be timed on the wrong cylinder. Try swapping plug leads

"I don't know what else it could be but the valves and compression. Was actually a bit under 90 psi and as I said, on leakdown was hissing obviously
out the carbs and exhaust. Dropped from 100 PSI to 65 PSI in a minute."

This sounds like you've already identified a major problem, whether it is the only problem who knows. Assuming the head gasket is sealing, and the leakage is not coming from there and being confused with valve leakage, then:
-Whether or not the guides are knackered, some or all the valves are not sealing during the leakdown test.
This could be due to tight valve clearances, bent valves or poor valve/seat contact surfaces.
Do you find the hissing in all the ports, or just some?

Try opening the clearances (silly big) and repeating the leakdown test. If the hissing still comes from the in/ex ports (note which ones) then the valves must come out, no question.

Even with worn guides/stems it is easy to get good sealing of valve/seat surfaces in a static test like leakdown, so you will have to check the guides/stems as a separate matter.
If you find the guides need replacement, that maybe something for an engineer, depending on your confidence/ability.

But getting the valves out, checking them and basic reconditioning is well within most folks scope. No need to spend $400 at this stage, IMHO.
Enough for now.

If the guides are worn it is better to get guide liners fitted. Less chance of developing a loose guide

It sure isn't tappet lash clearance. Leakdown is done at TDC compression. Valves fully shut.

Plugs are sparking on correct cylinder. Ask me again and I'll tell you the same.

Here's something. Valves spring free lengths are way off.
I believe should be

Outer: 2 1/32"
Inner: 1 5/8"

Mine are

Outer: 1 3/4"
Inner: 1 1/2"

Right, or are they??? That is what was being asked... are you certain they are fully closing?

Take a look at my thread here and see if that's what you've got: http://www.britbike.com/forums/ubbthreads.php/topics/776512/a65-progressive-valve-springs

Yes I am certain!!! Valve cover was off.

These outers do look progressive, don't they?
Does that make them OK?

Ordering new anyway.

Whether or not the springs are ok makes no difference to your leakdown observation.

Alright. I thought possibly weak spring could prevent valves from closing tight.
So why should or shouldn't I care about the springs?

You should care about the springs as well as every other part of the motor, but the immediate issue seems to be with valve/seat sealing.

The springs may or may not be ideal, but are unlikely to have much relevance to your leakdown observations.

They are good enough to check the seating of valves. The valves should have gone back in same position.

Well hopefully they will, but while they're out, now is the time for a little wiggling to see how floppy the valves are in the guides ( any more than about 10 thou head shake is worn) but more relevantly now is the time to examine the valve and seat surfaces.

If in any doubt it is time to try a little lapping with fine paste.

Then look at the surface of the valve, if it shows just one patch of grinding, the valve is bent.

If the valve is straight, continue with careful lapping to get a good contact surface, using the finest compound. Don't be tempted to use coarse to speed it up.
You should end up with something like a continuous smooth contact surface between valve/seat at least about 1/16+" wide.

By the sound of it the motor is now in pieces, but when you were trying to start it were you just kicking it or did you try a bump start, preferably down hill where you can get a bit of speed up? I my experience starting like that can get over a load of starting tuning issues (timing, mixture etc.) then at least you will know that the bugger runs, and all you have to do is find out why it wont start!