Thin oil just wet on the bolts, make sure the holes/threads are clean. If the oil is too thick or there is oil in the pocket below the bolt an air pocket or hydraulic pressure can be created as the bolt threads in.
I have news, it's good and bad. We aren't finished yet but we talk about what we need to finish everyday. There are some lighting issues that are currently slowing things down. The design is set but circuit boards have not been built yet. All I can say is sorry for the delay but we are still...
I personally have no problem pulling rod or main bearing caps, actually that is one of the first things I did when I got my cruiser. Just keep everything clean and use a good torque wrench. Do one cap at a time, mark them so they go back on the same way. Plasti-gauge could be useful.
You should...
How does the cam look? I would say you have a problem, that oil is being comtaminated by something. It does look alot like ground bearing. Do you have condensation (sludge build-up)under the valve cover? This could rule out water getting in.
You might want check my thread here. There are some pics and repair info if you going to pull the head. Couple ways to look at this, you could have a broken ring that is eating away at your cylinder or you could have a stuck ring that could loosen with some mystery oil and run it for a while...
Changing piston sizes changes your front to rear braking pressures, stay stock. Use hydraulic pressure to get stuck pistons out, avoid using air pressure because it can make the piston a projectile.
I wouldn't turn the drums yet, find the problem first. Stuff to check, sticking brake cylinder, brakes put on wrong, springs on incorrectly, goop in brake lines, adjusters set too tight. I would bleed the brakes some, put a hose on the nipple and bleed into a jar so you can see it.
Your VSS signal will hook to our speedo. Here is a pic of what we will use to connect to the stock tranny, the short cable is required because of the e-brake obstruction. This sensor will also connect to other modern trannys.
It's a one piece assembly designed to fit in the standard metal faceplate that comes on the cruiser. The stock faceplate comes off very easy. There should be no metal cutting required, the depth of our assembly is just a bit more than the stock one. Red or Blue are the choices.
As far as adding...
Time for an update on the digital dash. I spoke with the boss and we will produce the dash this Spring. We actually finished the mechanical design last Fall but had to put things aside for the economic recovery of the core business. I'm sure it will be a couple months. Thanks.