Alright Bare Bones, I'm with you on the compression readings. 180 psi is reasonable for the slant head.
I tightened the studs again. It was a bit tighter than I was comfortable with but since this motor has M8 studs I wrenched down a bit more. Ran 3 more compression tests and got 180psi.
I'm not certain where the variance came from seeing I got 95psi last time. It could be 1)torque on head bolts 2) fit of compression tester in plug hole 3) duration of compression test.
The compression tester I have is a cheap harbor freight model and the end is quite funny. It has a screw on extension that looks like the threads are too long for the HT engine and would lead to possible contact. If you take the extension off, the thread diameter is fine and length is acceptable but it is tough to torque down. There is no formed nut to use a wrench. The outer shoulder is simply a smooth circle. Dumb design. This could have caused the variance from the first test.
I also noticed that to I had to turn over the engine for about 15 feet to get max reading. Previously I had only turned it over for about 5 feet and thought that it was adequate. On the second round of tests, I set the dial so that I had a view while riding and noticed that while 95psi was the initial reading, the number kept increasing with subsequent revolutions. The readings for the slant plateaued at 180psi.
Still raining here in MI so I haven't been able to see if there is a noticeable increase in torque.