dead cylinder 4 any suggestions

My 1976kz900a4 has a dead cylinder I've changed the plugs checked compression valves carbs everything is good and it just seems to not kick in when running ... When I take my hand and cover the carb and let go it begins to kick in and then eventual stops working ... it gets spark and all .... Also if i spray the carb boot for that cylinder with starter fluid it begins to raise idle can my problem be a vacuum leak? .... any suggestions help a lot and thanks to everyone

From what I am reading it seems like that cylinder is not getting any fuel, Might want to check your carburetor for that cylinder or the rubber boots.

Sounds like the pilot jet is clogged. Unscrew it and see if it is. The hole is so tiny it's difficult to see through it. A wire from a wire brush or guitar E string can clean it out.
Steve

Yeah ill have to go through the carbs again... Also I didn't use any sealant on the rubbers of the boots, should I use some type of clear silicone ?

Are you talking about the ones on the head? Silicon won't work. If they are hard where they meet, you need to replace them. I used (GASP) Permatex. I don't use it anywhere else but it worked there until I can afford new ones.
Steve

Yeah the ones that hold the carbs... do you think that a bad enough boot would cause my problem

No just add to it.
Steve

Can the cam caps affect the clearance from cam lobe to shim ?

If they're sloppy yes.

A dead cylinder is a cylinder that is not firing. No power being made by that cylinder.There could be any number of reasons why a cylinder will not fire. So no good estimate for repairs can be given without not knowing the exact cause.It could be an ignition problem. It could be something as simple as a bad spark plug or a bad spark plug wire. It could be a bad coil. However modern GM products usually share a coil between two cylinders. So if a coil fails you usually have 2 dead cylinders. But without further testing don't rule out the coil yet.

On the 04 Malibu it has four coils. One on each plug built in the plug cap. Have to be replaced every time the plugs are. STUPID. I'm betting on a bad plug or wire/connection.
Steve

The cylinder is getting spark and bad plug/wire /plug cap has all been ruled out already I have switched wires and plugs and nothing electrical seems to help ... The cylinder acts as if it's getting no gas.... it begins to kick in when starter fluid is slightly sprayed on the intake boot of that cylinder or when I cover the carb with my hand and let go giving it a richer mixture . ... I'm going towards a problem with either the carb or the intake boots since they are old and pretty mangled. None of the other cylinders take the fluid through the boot as that one does ...it may not be the whole thing but as swest said it definitely adds to it... I may also have something to check out under my valve cover ...I'm sure my cam marks are correct but I have suspicion about my cam caps as they were in different order ....maybe someone before me put them in the wrong order for a reason .... I need to double check the clearances for cylinder 4 valves as I have not done yet due to laziness